Best Zoos & Aquariums

[Connecticutcruiser]

We are planning to do the Sydney to Auckland cruise (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Dunedin, Christchurch, Tauranga & Auckland) and wanted to get some thoughts on which of these ports has the best zoo and which has the best aquarium. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

[moyaroo]

Hands down for the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Best Zoo, best zoo with a view, You missed my favorite aquarium which is Townsville.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

In Auckland the best aquarium is Kelly Tarltons.

 

http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/

 

There is also an Aquarium in Sydney at Darling Harbour.

 

[room010]

I have to say I'm not a huge zoo fan but if you want to see some Aussie wildlife in the city then Taronga Zoo in Sydney is by far the best - it's right on the harbour with sensational views and you can get there by ferry direct from Circular Quay.

 

Melbourne Zoo is good too but can't match Sydney for location although the butterfly house is charming as you can walk right through among the butterflies. If you have time to travel a little further out of Melbourne then I'd suggest the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary. It's still a zoo but doesn't look or feel like one! The Melbourne Aquarium (opposite Crown Casino in the CBD) is great. Try to visit while the divers are in the tanks hand feeding the sharks :eek:

 

I'm sure our Kiwi posters can tell you about New Zealand zoos.

[Deason]

Another vote for Taronga Zoo in Sydney. If you're staying in the City get the combination Ferry/Zoo ticket from Circular Quay. Once you get to the zoo, ride the skycar (included in your ticket) from the bottom entrance to the top gate (instead of walking up the steep hill). Some of the best views of Sydney are from near the giraffe enclosure.

[janna1]

Taronga Zoo is the only zoo has platypus :-)

[room010]

Ahem, so does Melbourne Zoo.

[woodley]

I am not really a fan of zoos but would be interested in local wild life sanctuaries, can anyone reccomend one in sydney?

[moyaroo]

the wildlife sanctuary in Sydney is Featherdale, but we vastly prefer Curumbin south of Brisbane on the Gold Coast. (It is perhaps the only redeeming feature of the Gold Coast these days.)

[cruiserus]

We did a behind the scenes small group tour at Tanago Zoo lasst year and loved it. You got inside the compounds for many of the Australian animals. We also visited the Sydney Aquarium and enjoyed it.

[moyaroo]

The behind the scenes tour of Taronga is amazing! It was fun being a "celebrity". A couple on the ferry going back to Circular Quay had been watching us all day and wanted to know who we knew to get such a cool tour. Imagine a tour that comes with groupies!

[stanc61]

If you are in Brisbane or south east Queensland then there is no going past Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast. This is by far the best zoo I have ever been to.

[Grumpy100]

We have only been to Sydney for two days this past November on our cruise on the Sun Princess. We did alot of research and asking questions on cruise critic boards and we decided on the Taronga Zoo and the Sydney Wildlife World and the Sydney Aquarium. It was very interesting and we got to see alot of the animals that are indiginous to Australia.

We stayed right across the street from the Sydney Aquarium and the Sydney Wildlife World at the Four Points Sheraton and it was very convenient.

We enjoyed the ferry to the Taronga Zoo and got some great pictures from the top of the Taronga Zoo of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. Have fun deciding.:):):)

[kuldalai]

Melbourne has one of the Worlds most modern and best Zoos with animals all in their natural surroundings by habitat. Fully walk through Zoo . Great Australian animals section . Newly birthed this year two baby elephants.

Allow a full day .

 

To get there take 109 tram from Station Pier at Port Melbourne into the CBD and alight at Southern Cross station on the corner of Spencer & Collins Sts. From Southern Cross station take an Upfield line train and alight at ROYAL PARK station right at the Zoo .

 

Returning from the Zoo alight from the inbound train in the City area and take a 109 PORT MELBOURNE tram in Collins St back to Station Pier. (Ticket machine on tram, buy a DAILY ticket (Aussie coins only) and will cover unlimited tram and train travel with Zone 1 all day . ) Validate the ticket in the GREEN machine each time you enter a new tram or railway platform