So many Wildlife Presereves - So little time

[marilynfaye]

On our upcoming cruise, we will be stopping in Hobart, Melbourne and ending in Sydney where we will stay on for a few days.

 

I was wondering if you experienced travelers and/or Aussie residents could give me your thoughts on visiting the following:

 

Bonorong Wildlife Park (Tasmanai)

Healesville Wildlife Sactuary (Melbourne)

Koala Park Sanctuary (Sydney)

Featherdale Wildlife Park (Sydney)

 

They all seem essentially the same. Is one facilitiy better/more interesting than the others? How easy is it to get to these places if I don't want to do a ship's tour? I've checked out public transportation in Sydney. It's a little complicated, but I'm sure if we follow directions, it's do-able.

 

All suggestions and advise are appreciated. Thanks.

[sayaguru]

I'm ashamed to say I used to live near Featherdale Wildlife Park (my kids have been several times with preschool excursions) and I drive past the Koala Park Sanctuary everyday and I have never been.

 

Public transport to them is not that easy from the city. You would need to get a train and bus to Featherdale. There is a bus that runs from the City to Cherrybrook/ Castle Hill (that's where the Koala Park is).

 

Sorry I can't comment on how good they are or how big, compared to the others. Sorry.

[starskyfan]

I was going to ask a similar question when I got all the wildlife parks straight on my list. We are doing the cruise around australia so we have even more options. Sorry I can't answer your question, but I will be very interested in the answers you get. Brenda

[Johanna7]

We went to quite a few nature parks, animal parks on our cruise in Jan. 2005 and loved Boonerang in Tasmania (Hobart stop) the best. They have koalas like others but they kept one awake and you could pet it and have pictures taken with him. He was Charlie.

 

Many of those parks have food out and you can help yourself and feed the various animals. Kangaroos, wallabees, emus. Some were too stuffed to eat more though.

 

They also have some very rare species like the platapys and the dingos and Tasmanian devils. The devils and dingos are in a pen as they are not animals you want to touch or play with. Platapus is in a tank of course.

 

Enjoy, they are all well worth it. You will love all the animal parks. They do not call them zoos.

 

Johanna

[Aussie Gal]

Healesville is not a wildlife park but a Santuary and is probably the only one that is run by the Government. It is a wonderful place to visit but unfortunately it is out of Melbourne and not easy to be reached by public transport, in fact I would say it is impossible.

 

Here is the website: http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/

 

Why not visit our wonderful Melbourne Zoo when you are here and perhaps go to Boonerang in Tasmania which is easier to get there on your own. Though when I was over in Hobart a little while ago, I asked about going to Boonerang and our host said that it wasn't worth the effort. He suggested we go to Russell Falls instead which we did and loved them.

 

Healesville is the place we take overseas visitors too and combined with lunch in the Yarra Valley and a drive through the Dandenongs on the way back to the ship. A day like that cannot be beaten.

 

Jennie

[bobsydney]

It's sad to say but I also haven't been to any of those parks in recent years. But I guess us Aussies have seen our native flora somewhere, sometime over the years and figure we don't have to go to a park to see them again. Wildlife parks tend to be somewhere we take overseas visitors and the one I used to take guests to has unfortunately closed down due to "urban pressures" - in other words, it was sold off as industrial land because that made more money for the owners.

 

In your shoes, my inclination would be do something else in Hobart and Melbourne ... they are both great places to visit. They have so much to offer the first time visitor that I wouldn't want to use up my one day in them travelling to a wildlife park.

 

The 2 parks you mention in Sydney are, as sayaguru said, out in the suburbs a fair way from the city and not really that easy to get to by public transport. I think they largely rely on coach tours (particularly Japanes ones) and school groups to make their money. With limited time, I would probably opt for Sydney Wildlife World (and its next door neighbour the Sydney Aquarium) in order to get a atste of Australia's unique wildlife. Admittedly, it is not in a bush setting but is pretty well done all the same. The big plus is that these 2 attractions are at Darling Harbour, adjacent to Sydney's CBD, so are very very easy to get to compared to the more "natural" wildlife parks. The time saved in travel (and I am talking 1-2 hours each way by public transport for either park) can be better spent seeing somethin else.

 

Cheers

Bob

[starskyfan]

Sydney Wildlife World didn't sound familiar to me at first so I had to check my notes. It was on there, I just forgot! But while I was looking it made me notice Taronga Zoo in Sydney which is the one I definitely intend to do while I'm there. That's the one you can take the ferry from Circular Quay and could easily do on your own. However, since I've never been, I can't say whether it's worth your time or not, but I believe I have read good reviews. Here's the link:

http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/content/view.asp?id=39

[Starjet]

Hi marilynfaye,

 

If you have the time then there is no equal to Taronga Zoo. The setting (on the harbour with the city and the bridge as a backdrop) is priceless. The grounds are extensive (see map) and the range of Australian fauna on show is pretty amazing. Access by ferry from Circular Quay. Give yourself as much time as possible to see everything. Suggest that you take the Sky Safari to the the top plaza first and then walk down hill.

 

Can't comment much about Sydney Wildlife World in Darling Harbour (its fairly new) but the Sydney Aquarium is VERY good and worth a visit also). If you Google Map the site you'll see that this venue is VERY compact so the number and size of exhibits is focusing on the overseas tourist market.

 

I wouldn't have described either Koala Park Sanctuary or Featherdale Wildlife Park as "natural" wildlife parks when compared to say "Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary" in Brisbane. Frankly I think you'd be disappointed with both of these.

 

Cheers,

 

Starjet.

[bobsydney]

I wouldn't have described either Koala Park Sanctuary or Featherdale Wildlife Park as "natural" wildlife parks when compared to say "Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary" in Brisbane. Frankly I think you'd be disappointed with both of these.

 

Starjet, Putting inverted commas around natural was my way of questioning their promotional claims to be in a natural setting.

 

Marilynfaye, I forgot about Taronga Zoo in my earlier post ... it is really great and in an absolutely superb location. The difference between it and Sydney Wildlife World is that the latter just has Australian wildlife on display (I think) whereas the Zoo has both exotic and native fauna on show. Should mention that Taronga Zoo covers a large area and is located on the side of a fairly steep hill, so it is a much more strenuous activity than a visit to the Wildlife World/Aquarium, particularly on a hot, humid Sydney day ... if that matters to you.

 

Cheers

Bob