Australia Zoo is Steve Irwin’s wildlife park at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, about 70 minutes by car north of the Brisbane CBD. It is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Christmas Day, parking is free, and there is enough here to fill a whole day, from tigers and elephants to hand-feeding kangaroos.
Bob and Lyn Irwin started it in 1970 as a two-acre reptile park. Today the zoo covers more than 700 acres, with 110 acres open to visitors, and the Irwin family is still part of it: Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin are all named as Wildlife Warriors on the zoo’s website.
What to see at Australia Zoo
The Crocoseum and the Wildlife Warriors Show
The Crocoseum is the zoo’s show arena. The Wildlife Warriors Show here features giant snakes, birds and saltwater crocodiles, including a croc striking from the water’s edge.
Elsewhere in the zoo, the Crocodile Environmental Park is a safe haven for rescued wild crocodiles, and Croc School covers Steve Irwin’s crocodile research.
Africa, giraffes and the free shuttle
The African Savannah is a mixed habitat with rhinos, zebras, giraffes and meerkats, and the cheetahs can sometimes be seen out on their daily walks. A free shuttle runs around the zoo. Strollers, prams and wheelchairs can go on it with help from the shuttle team, but mobility scooters cannot.
Hand-feeding a giraffe is a paid extra: the Giant Giraffe Snapshot is $79 for up to five people, and zoo entry is not included.
Tigers and elephants
The Tiger Temple has Sumatran tigers, with what the zoo describes as the only underwater viewing of tigers in the southern hemisphere. Elephantasia is home to a herd of Sumatran elephants.
Kangaroos, koalas and birds
At Roo Heaven you can hand-feed and pat kangaroos and wallabies (roo food is $3 a bag from Guest Services or the gift shops), and the koala walk-through lets you pat a koala. Grace’s Bird Garden has more than 170 birds from over 19 species.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital
The Wildlife Hospital sneak peek is included with your ticket. From a dedicated viewing area behind glass you can see vets and nurses at work. Surgery may be under way, and some of the team’s work happens out of view.
Shows and keeper talks
The zoo runs a daily line-up of keeper talks and shows, all included in your ticket. They include:
- 9:30 am: Grace’s Bird Garden feed out
- 11 am: Tigers LIVE!
- 12 pm: Elephants LIVE!
- 1:15 pm: Wildlife Warriors Show
- 3 pm: Birds of Prey LIVE!
- 3:30 pm: Otters LIVE!
Most daily shows run for about 20 minutes, and the Wildlife Warriors Show for about 25 to 30 minutes. The full list, with reptile, tortoise, Africa and echidna sessions, is on the zoo’s Plan your day page.
Paid animal encounters
Close-up encounters cost extra and need valid zoo entry. Most are $59 to $144 a person, such as the Spiky Little Echidna at $59, Naughty Wombat at $69 and Cuddly Koala at $134. Photo snapshots with a tortoise or reptile after a show are about $30. Most encounters are booked online, and the full list is on the zoo’s animal encounters page.
Australia Zoo with kids
Bindi’s Island is a tropical-themed area with a three-storey treehouse. Crikey! Kids Corner has free rides, including a jumping pillow, and The Laughing Frog Water Park is free too. There is also a shaded playground.
Children under 3 get in free. Pram hire is $30 a day, but numbers are limited and the zoo asks you to book (07 5436 2153).
Australia Zoo tickets and opening hours
Australia Zoo is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Christmas Day, and rain, hail or shine the regular activities run as normal. Single ticket prices on the zoo’s website are:
- Adult: about $77
- Child (3 to 14): about $52
- Student or pensioner: about $67, with valid ID
- Under 3: free
- Family of four (2 adults, 2 children): about $234
Tickets include the conservation shows, the free shuttle, the Splash Park, the kids’ play areas and the Wildlife Hospital sneak peek. An adult annual pass is about $199, which is less than three single adult tickets, so it is worth a look if you live nearby. Buy tickets on the zoo’s ticket site, and check the current prices before you go.
Food, drinks and facilities
You can bring your own food and picnic in the shaded areas, but glass, alcohol and plastic straws are not allowed. On site there is Crikey Cafe (a 1500-seat open-air venue), Grasslands Cafe overlooking the African Savannah, Red Panda Dumpling House and The Laughing Frog Lolly Shop and Ice-Creamery. Food and drink purchases carry a surcharge of 10 per cent on Sundays and 15 per cent on public holidays.
- Water: drinking fountains and chilled water refill stations.
- Lockers: from $8 a day (small) to $15 a day (large), near the entrance.
- Money: EFTPOS and ATMs are available.
- Not allowed: pets, bikes, scooters, drones, balloons, kites, balls and frisbees.
Accessibility at Australia Zoo
The zoo says it is fully wheelchair accessible, with a lift and ramp to Crikey Cafe, accessible parking and amenities, and wheelchair spaces in the Crocoseum. The free shuttle is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair hire is $35 a day and mobility scooter hire is $70 a day, with limited numbers, so book on 07 5436 2153. A Changing Places facility is near Admissions or the Otter Habitat, and carers with a companion card get in free. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome, but contact the zoo at least 72 hours before your visit.
Planning your visit
- How long: plan on most of a day. The zoo’s Plan your day page has a full-day and a half-day route, and the half-day one still covers the koalas, Tiger Temple, Bindi’s Island, Africa and the Wildlife Warriors Show.
- Best time: the morning. The first keeper feed is at 9:30 am, and bedtime for some animals is 4:30 pm.
- Cost: adults about $77, children 3 to 14 about $52, free parking.
- What to bring: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, comfortable shoes, a rain poncho or jacket, a jumper for cool afternoons, a water bottle and a little cash.
- Walking: there is plenty of it across 110 acres on display.
Getting there and parking
Australia Zoo is at 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, about 74 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 70 minutes by car without traffic. From the south, take the Steve Irwin Way/Glasshouse Mountains (Tourist Route 24) exit from the Bruce Highway and follow Steve Irwin Way for 18 km. The entrance is on the right, 3 km past Beerwah. From the north, take the Landsborough/Steve Irwin Way exit (188) and the zoo is on the left about 5 km past Landsborough.
Parking is free, with hundreds of spaces.
By train, Beerwah station is on the Sunshine Coast line, and the zoo runs a free shuttle between the station and the zoo. Follow the signs to the shuttle meeting point, and ring 07 5436 2000 if no shuttle is there. Waits can be longer at peak times, so confirm your return shuttle early in your visit, especially if you have a train to catch. Plan the train trip on the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30. The zoo’s page lists no public bus route, only paid day tours from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and, on set days, the Gold Coast. Sunshine Coast Airport is about 30 minutes away by car.
More detail is on the zoo’s How to get here page and the home page at australiazoo.com.au. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Glass House Mountains – the peaks the area is named for. The Glass House Mountains lookout at Beerburrum is about 17 km by road from the zoo (about 20 minutes).
- Mount Ngungun – one of the Glass House Mountains peaks, with its own guide.
- Mooloolaba Beach – a beach day to pair with the zoo, about 28 km by road (about 30 minutes).
- Montville – a hinterland village with cafes and galleries, about 25 km by road (about 25 minutes).
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – two more big wildlife days out, in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
- David Fleay Wildlife Park and Daisy Hill Koala Centre – two more wildlife stops, on the Gold Coast and in Logan.
Browse more zoos and wildlife parks, the Glass House Mountains and everything on offer in our things to do on the Sunshine Coast guide.
Quick answers
How much are tickets to Australia Zoo?
Single tickets are about $77 for adults and about $52 for children aged 3 to 14. Children under 3 are free, and a family pass for two adults and two children is about $234.
What time does Australia Zoo open and close?
It is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Christmas Day, and bedtime for some animals is 4:30 pm.
Is parking free at Australia Zoo?
Yes. Parking is free, with hundreds of spaces.
How long do you need at Australia Zoo?
Plan on most of a day. The zoo spreads over 110 acres on display, and it suggests a full-day or a half-day route on its Plan your day page.
Can you take food into Australia Zoo?
Yes, you can bring your own food, but not glass, alcohol or plastic straws. There are also cafes and food outlets inside.
How do you get to Australia Zoo from Brisbane without a car?
Take a train on the Sunshine Coast line to Beerwah station, then the zoo’s free shuttle to the zoo. Check the Translink Journey Planner for train times.
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