Cairns, Port Douglas & Palm Cove Wildlife
Get the unique opportunity to get close to, touch or hold some amazing animals. Cairns Tropical Zoo is home to hundreds of native and exotic species, many of which are indigenous to the Australia's northern wet tropics.
The Zoo has broken the mould of traditional zoos with a simple philosophy encouraging personal interaction with animals for a greater understanding of wildlife, and a greater promotion of the need to preserve their natural habitats. Have your photo taken cuddling a koala or a boa constrictor. Hand-feed tame kangaroos; see lively presentations on giant saltwater crocodiles, snakes, and Queensland's only red pandas, and experience the fabulous free flight bird show. Meet cassowaries, dingoes, wombats and much more. A great day out for all the family!
| Where: | Palm Cove, Captain Cook Highway (20 minutes north of Cairns or 35 minutes south of Port Douglas). |
| Phone: | + 61 (0)7 4055 3669 |
| Website: | Cairns Tropical Zoo |
Journey along elevated boardwalks through a variety of landscapes, where you'll see birds, lizards, turtles, wallabies, koalas and more. Take a boat cruise on Hartley's Lagoon to explore the crocodile's natural habitat. See huge crocodiles hand-fed up close in the specially designed amphitheatre, and learn how to avoid a crocodile attack.
Hartley's runs a range of exciting and educational presentations throughout the day, including crocodile and snake shows, guided walks, bird feeding, koala feeding and lots more.
Enjoy a delicious lunch in Lilies Restaurant, overlooking the lagoon, and pick up a unique souvenir from the Paperbark gift shop.
| Sensible walking shoes strongly recommended | |
| Where: | Captain Cook Highway (40 km north of Cairns and 25 km south of Port Douglas). |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4055 3576 |
| Website: | Crocodile Adventures |
Cuddle a koala! Kuranda Koala Gardens is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can actually cuddle this adorable animal. Meet the wallabies, wombats, freshwater crocodiles and lizards, and visit Australia's first walk-through 'Reptile House' to see pythons and other reptiles roaming free.
| Where: | Rob Vievers Drive, Kuranda. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4093 9953 |
| Website: | Kuranda Koala Gardens |
Admire beautiful local butterflies, including the famous electric blue Ulysses butterfly and Australia's largest butterfly, the Cairns or Australian Birdwing. Enter a 3,666 cubic metre self-sustaining aviary and get close to more than 1,500 magnificent tropical butterflies. They'll fly over your head and might even lightly touch you!
| Where: | 8 Rob Vievers Drive, Kuranda. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4093 7575 |
| Website: | Australian Butterfly Sanctuary |
.jpg "Courtesy of Australian Butterfly Sanctuary")
.jpg "Courtesy of Australian Butterfly Sanctuary")
Discover a spectacular all-weather wildlife centre right in the heart of Cairns. Encased by 20 metre high glass, Cairns Wildlife Dome is on the rooftop of the prominent Reef Hotel Casino. The dome exhibits about 60 species of animals wandering and flying freely throughout the enclosure, which replicates their natural environment.
Join a complimentary guided tour and watch rainforest ecology presentations, conducted at regular intervals throughout the day. Visit North Queenland's first underwater crocodile viewing enclosure, which enables visitors to view, eyeball to eyeball, a large saltwater crocodile. Cuddle a koala and have a photo taken of you and your new friend.
| Where: | The Reef Hotel Casino, 35-41 Wharf Street, Cairns. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 40 317 250 |
| Website: | Cairns Wildlife Dome |
Check out amazing animals you won't find at any other zoo in the world. Get up close to all sorts of rarely seen and venomous creatures, from the world's most poisonous spider to Australia's five most venomous snakes, and a variety of scorpions, centipedes, fish, reptiles and insects. And of course, don't miss the favourite spider of the zoo: their beloved Australian Tarantula!
At the Australian Venom Zoo, the main focus is on captive breeding and displaying venomous animals that will one day help us to produce advanced medicines. Watch the venom extraction and learn all about these incredible creatures (with experienced guides handling them!).
Nature has the answers!
| Where: | 8 Coondoo Street, Kuranda. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4093 8905 |
| Website: | Tarantulas |
Observe 75 of the most spectacular bird species from all corners of the planet, as well as from the earth's fast diminishing rainforests. Birdworld Kuranda is home to the largest single collection of free flying birds in Australia - some 500 of them!
Wander freely through the sanctuary, see waterbirds such as the heron and black swan, and watch colourful macaws flying around the trees. Don't miss the cassowary - an Australian bird now officially enlisted as endangered.
Designed to "create a centre where birds would be showcased in their natural environment without the barriers of cages coming between them and their admiring public", Birdworld Kuranda is a photographer's paradise.
| Where: | Coondoo Street, Kuranda. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4093 9188 |
| Website: | Birdworld Kuranda |
BatReach is a rescue and rehabilitation centre, entirely operated by volunteers, for damaged and orphaned flying foxes and micro bats. Forget your prejudice against horrible blood-sucking monsters - there is no reason to fear these cute little creatures. BatReach will make you rediscover them and show you how harmless and interesting they are. You can even touch them if you want!
| Where: | At start of Jungle Walk, Coondoo Street, Kruranda. |
| Phone: | +61 (0)7 4093 8858 |
| Website: | BatReach |
