During my first visit to Sydney last year, I never had the chance to visit their zoos due to limited time. It was so silly of me to spend only four days there. So, when I had the chance to revisit Sydney earlier this year, I took the chance.
I've been to several zoos like in Singapore, Indonesia, and in Taiwan before and honestly, I wasn't really expecting that much. The only thing I looked forward to this trip was to see koalas and kangaroos in person. I just kept my expectations low.
It was a bright and sunny Sunday in Sydney. We left Burwood at around nine in the morning, took the train to Circular Quay, and boarded the ferry to Taronga Zoo. I didn't mind sitting outside the boat, basking under the heat of the sun if you have this kind of view. Since we already had tickets, we went straight to the main entrance of the zoo. We could've ridden the cable car, but the crazy storm last night made it inoperable. Perfect!
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| Sydney Opera House. |
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| Sydney CBD as seen from Taronga Zoo. |
What makes Taronga Zoo interesting is its residents. Australia is known for its unique flora and fauna. Aside from koalas (my spirit animal lol) and kangaroos, the zoo is home to several species of reptiles, flightless birds that look like prehistoric dinosaurs, insects, and arachnids that are bigger than my hands. Most of them are endemic to Australia. The geek in me was pretty much excited to explore this zoo because it reminded me of my lessons in Evolutionary Biology back in college. Reminiscing those good old uni days.
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| The joey wasn't in the mood. |
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| Little penguins are usually found along the coastline of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and the southern tip of West Australia. They're the smallest species of penguins. |
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| Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? |
In Taronga Zoo, you'll be treated by the majestic view of Sydney Harbour, Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, and the skyline of CBD area with the Sydney Tower piercing through the blue sky. If you're into high ropes adventures, then the Wild Ropes will be your kind of thing. It's fun when you have close encounters with arboreal animals accompanied by a great view of downtown Sydney. My kind of fun!
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| How far I'll go? |
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| The alpacas and the photobomber. |
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| The bearded dragon. |
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| The lone emu. |
When in Taronga Zoo, it is best to bring your own food. The only drawback I could pinpoint is the lack of food choices. Not to mention they're selling at a higher price. Jase was laughing at me because I bought the most expensive coke Slurpee for AU$6.00. I had no choice! But, I'd recommend of going to the zoo as early as 10AM and eat late lunch at the city around 2 or 3PM. You can bring light snacks.
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| Emu and Joey. |
We also went to their newly-opened attraction, the Sumatran Tiger. Indonesia and Australia had an agreement to protect the Sumatran Tigers, which is currently classified as critically endangered species. It is great to know that the Australian government has initiatives to protect the critically endangered species, even if it's not endemic to them. This strengthens the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. Good job, 'Straya!
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| Sumatran tiger. |
As of this writing, Taronga Zoo is under renovation. They are also moving some of their animal residents to nearby zoos in New South Wales. Overall, my Taronga Zoo experience was great. It's a fun day out with my friends. The only thing I hate about this zoo is the occasional spider scares. They're fucking everywhere!
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HOW TO GET TO TARONGA ZOO:
Ride a train to Circular Quay. From there, board a ferry to Taronga Zoo. Simple as that. Don't forget to load up your Opal Card. You can buy your tickets online or at the zoo entrance.
Author's note: All photos were taken using a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
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