The city of Sydney, Australia ranks among the great cities of the globe with a world class zoo within close proximity to its downtown core. While a zoo isn’t normally on my “must see” attractions list, it is certainly higher up on the list in a country that has some of the most unique animals in the world. Kangaroos’, koala bears and wallabies make up Australia’s intriguing animals. A visit to the Taronga Zoo is the quickest and easiest way to get some exposure to these animals and should be on your travel list if you have a short time visiting Australia.

Calling on The Koala Bears at the Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

This post is about the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. For other attractions in Sydney, please see our visit to Historic Landmarks of the Central Business District, the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Front walk, or our visit to Bondi Beach, Sydney.

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Getting to The Taronga Zoo:

Our last morning in Sydney was at the Taronga Zoo. We were able to get there with a quick ferry ride over to the zoo from the convenient Circular Quay near the central business district of Sydney.

Accessing the Zoo:

The Taronga Zoo is easily accessible and you don’t typically need a reservation to visit. It is typically open seven days a week in daylight hours between 9:30 AM to 5 PM. I’d recommend allowing 2 – 3 hours for a visit, depending on how much time you want to look at the various attractions.

Visiting the Zoo:

The Taronga Zoo is a perfect place to visit if you are passing through Sydney and don’t have the time or the opportunity to get into the Australian Outback in order to see the awesome wildlife that Austrlia has to offer. A visit to the Taronga Zoo offers visitors the opportunity to see Koala Bears, Gorillas, Kangaroos and other forms of Australian wildlife.

Australia’s Kangaroos:

You don’t have to go too far driving around the rural areas of Australia without having to see the various kangaroo yellow warning signs around the country. Kangaroos are much better as seen in the wild, but it’s still a treat to be able to see them in Australia, even if they are in a zoo setting. There is nothing like their large bent legs, and the ability to be able to watch them jump from place to place.

Gorillas in Sydney:

The Taronga Zoo also had a gorilla exhibit. It was also unique to be able to get up close (reasonably close) to gorillas. They were surprisingly human like. . .

The zoo was packed with school groups, but it was a great visit in order to see some Australian wildlife. Despite the concept of zoo’s and animals not being in a natural setting, I still think that zoo’s are great way to get close to animals and learn a little bit about them.

Koala’s Bears at Taronga Zoo:

There is nothing like seeing your first Koala Bears. The Taronga Zoo has some neat features that allow you to get close to Koala Bears. While they don’t offer a “hold a Koala bear” feature, they do offer times where you can pay a little extra to get up and close to get your photographs. It’s worth noting that if you’re lucky enough to see or locate Koala Bears in the wild, you’ll likely be seeing them from further away than you can at a zoo. On our trip down the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne, our koala sightings were quite far off with distant sightings in the gum trees.

We managed to get up and close to the Koala Bears and Kangaroos. It was a little touristy, nothing like at all like our last safari experience in the Maasai Mara, Kenya where we last saw animals. At the same time, it was a fun outing.

I’d feel a lot better if I were able to relax as easily as these folks.

Giraffes with a Million Dollar View:

One of the last unusual features of The Taronga Zoo is the giraffe enclosure. The giraffes happen to have a million dollar view of the Sydney Opera House that’s located immediately across the Sydney Harbour. It’s interesting to think that these beautiful animals are likely oblivious to their million dollar real estate but perhaps that makes them just that much more appealing.

These giraffes existence at this spot is a funny way to take in the iconic views of some of the most famous views of Sydney’s landmarks

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Our experience at The Taronga Zoo:

The Taronga Zoo is an easy attraction that is located very close to the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia. The zoo features many of Australia’s favourite animals, including Kangaroo’s and those terrific Koala Bears that look innocent in almost any pose that they exist in. The Taronga Zoo is easily accessed by ferry from the Circular Quay Sydney passenger ferry terminal. The Taronga Zoo is easily worth a visit if you’re an animal lover or are pressed for time and won’t be making it into the greater Australian Outback.

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If you’ve had the opportunity to visit the Taronga Zoo in Sydney Australia, how does it rank compared to other zoo’s that you’ve visited?

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