Terra Goldleaf_Taronga Zoo_Attractions_Sydney Short Term Rentals

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- Taronga Zoo

· Taronga Zoo sits on hills in Sydney's North Shore, offering spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge from its giraffe enclosure.
· Larger than the city zoo, it houses Australian native animals including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypus, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and native birds. Other animals include chimpanzees, penguins, otters, rhinoceros, seals, raccoons, and reptiles.
· Visitors can interact with free-roaming kangaroos, but koalas are view-only. Koala photo opportunities require booking before 2:30 PM. Daily animal shows are featured.
· This hillside zoo offers two touring options: take the cable car up and walk down, or walk up and take the cable car down.

Transportation

Water Transport:

Sydney Ferries from Circular Quay (every 30 mins, 12-min trip)
Zoo Express by Captain Cook (connects zoo with Circular Quay/Watsons Bay/Darling Harbour)
Sydney Harbour Ecohopper from Manly Wharf or Circular Quay
Fantasea Cruising Sydney (twice daily from Darling Harbour Wharf 8 or Circular Quay)

Train:

Take train to Circular Quay for water transport
Or train to Central Station/Town Hall/Wynyard, then bus M30 (30-45 mins)

Bus:

M30 from city center (via Harbour Bridge)
257 from North Shore (transfer to M30 at Mosman Junction)
238 from Balmoral Beach
228 from Clifton Gardens
Northern beaches areas: Take bus to Spit Junction, transfer to M30

Admission
Standard tickets:

Adult: $45.90
Child (4-15): $27
Family 1 adult + 2 children: $88.80
Family 2 adults + 1 child: $105.60
Family 2 adults + 2 children: $129.60
Free: Children 0-3 years

Opening Hours
09:30-16:30 (May 1 - August 31)
09:30-17:00 (September 1 - April 30)

Location
Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia

Terra Goldleaf Mar 20,2025

Taronga Zoo is Sydney's most famous zoo. You can take photos with koalas (but not touch them - Queensland is the only state in Australia where you can hug koalas), get close to free-roaming kangaroos, and see turkeys and various birds running around. There are many species of animals, and except for the predators, most are quite close to visitors. The zoo also features realistic dinosaur replicas with convincing sounds and movements!

Remember to grab a map at the entrance - it helps you locate attractions and check presentation times. Activities like elephant bathing and giraffe walks run on fixed schedules, mostly in the afternoon. If you want close-up encounters, you'll need to plan your visit around these times. The Keeper Talks are in English with strong Australian accents and focus mainly on animal care details and habits - they're not performances. I wouldn't recommend planning your route around these talks.

The zoo usually offers a cable car for transportation, but it was under maintenance when we visited. The zoo isn't very large - you can see everything in about 1.5 hours without backtracking, not counting photo time.

For the popular koala photos, the encounter area is open from 11:00-14:45 daily, but you need to get free tickets early (limited availability). We arrived around noon and tickets were already gone, so we could only take photos from behind the barrier.

There's an area where kangaroos roam freely without barriers and might hop right up to you. However, they're actually quite shy, often hiding to munch on branches, unlike some of the bolder birds running around.

Taronga has a decent variety of animals - iconic koalas and kangaroos, elephants, giraffes, hippos, and nocturnal animals like snakes, lizards, and insects. All exhibits have detailed information, making it great for children's education, though adults might find it less engaging.

The other exit offers beautiful views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and you can catch a ferry from there.

The zoo closes early - we left around 5 PM among the last visitors, with the ticket office closed and gift shop already shut.

P.S. I'd rate Taronga 6/10. Half a day is enough, and while the value for money isn't exceptional, it's Sydney's only place to photograph koalas up close.