Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo sits at the heart of the Sunshine Coast's appeal as a destination for wildlife experiences. Founded by Steve and Terri Irwin in 1998, this sprawling 100-acre park at Beerwah has grown into one of Australia's most recognisable wildlife attractions, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world. With over 1,200 animals on site and a programme of live wildlife shows centred on the iconic Crocoseum, a visit here offers a full day of encounters with Australian and international species.

The zoo's identity is inseparable from Steve Irwin — the Crocodile Hunter whose enthusiasm for wildlife conservation reached a global audience. Since his death in 2006, Terri Irwin and the family have continued to run the park, and the conservation and wildlife rescue work that Steve championed remains central to the zoo's mission. Education programmes and rescue efforts operate alongside the visitor experience, giving the attraction a purpose that extends beyond entertainment.

What to See and Do

The centrepiece of any visit to Australia Zoo is the Crocoseum — a large open-air stadium designed for live wildlife shows. The Crocoseum programme typically features crocodiles and other animals, with keepers and handlers demonstrating behaviours and explaining conservation context. Because the shows are popular and seating fills quickly, it pays to check the daily schedule as soon as you arrive and plan your movements around show times. Turning up late to a session often means standing or missing out entirely.

Beyond the Crocoseum, the 100-acre site contains a wide variety of animal habitats and enclosures covering Australian native species as well as wildlife from other parts of the world. Australian animals you'd expect to encounter include kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and various reptile species. The sheer scale of the park means there's a lot of ground to cover, and a full day is genuinely needed to move through the major areas at a comfortable pace.

Animal encounters and feeding experiences are available throughout the park, giving visitors the chance to get closer to specific animals at scheduled times. Mid-afternoon tends to be when crowds thin out around these areas, making it a good time to seek out the more hands-on parts of the park after the main shows have drawn visitors elsewhere during the morning.

Photography is a natural part of a visit here, and the variety of animals and show environments gives you plenty of opportunities throughout the day. The Crocoseum in particular, with its open-air stadium layout, offers good sightlines for capturing show moments.

Guided tours and group experiences are available for those who want a more structured visit — private group tours from Brisbane operate for those who prefer to arrive with the logistics handled.

History

Australia Zoo was founded by Steve and Terri Irwin in 1998, though the site has a longer history as a reptile park that Steve's parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, had operated before him. Under Steve's stewardship, the park expanded substantially, and his television work through the late 1990s and early 2000s brought international attention to both the zoo and its conservation philosophy.

Steve Irwin's approach to wildlife — direct, enthusiastic, and deeply informed — helped reshape how many people thought about reptiles in particular, and his advocacy for habitat preservation and wildlife rescue gave the zoo a conservation identity that went beyond a typical animal attraction. That legacy has been maintained by his family since his death in September 2006, and the Irwin name remains synonymous with the zoo's operation and direction.

Today, the park's education programmes and wildlife rescue efforts continue as active parts of the operation, with the zoo involved in conservation work that extends beyond the boundaries of the park itself.

Getting There and Access

Australia Zoo is located at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, approximately one hour north of Brisbane and around 30 minutes south of Noosa. Access by car is via the Bruce Highway (A1), with a turn-off at Beerwah. Free on-site parking is available and has good capacity for daily visitors, though during school holidays, weekends, and peak periods it's worth arriving early — parking can reach capacity by late morning on busy days. Accessible parking spaces are located near the main entrance.

For those travelling without a car, regular coach services run to the zoo from Brisbane and various Sunshine Coast towns, making it accessible without needing to drive.

The park is fully wheelchair accessible and pram-friendly, with facilities to support visitors with mobility needs throughout the site. Accessible parking near the entrance helps streamline arrival for those who need it.

Visitor Tips

A few practical points can make a significant difference to how much you get out of a visit:

• Arrive at 9am when the park opens. This is the single most effective way to beat crowds, get seats at the Crocoseum, and move through popular areas before they fill up.
• Check the Crocoseum show schedule immediately on arrival and structure your day around it. The shows are the highlight for most visitors and fill quickly — wandering over at showtime without a plan often means a poor vantage point or no seat at all.
• Wear comfortable walking shoes. One hundred acres involves a lot of ground, and you'll be on your feet for most of the day. Footwear matters.
• Bring sunscreen and a hat. Shade is limited across much of the park, and on warm days the sun exposure across open areas adds up quickly over a full-day visit.
• Download the park map before you visit. Planning a rough route in advance helps you move efficiently between areas and avoid doubling back across the site.
• Visit animal encounters mid-afternoon. Crowds tend to thin at feeding areas and encounter zones in the early-to-mid afternoon after morning shows have wound down — this can be the best window for a quieter, more relaxed experience with animals.
• Consider bringing your own food. BYO food is permitted, and designated picnic areas are available throughout the park. The café options on site are limited in variety, and for a full-day visit, packing your own meals is both more economical and gives you flexibility over when and where you eat.

Best Time to Visit

April through September is the most comfortable time to visit Australia Zoo. During these months, temperatures are cooler and humidity is lower than the summer months, which makes a full day of walking around an outdoor park considerably more manageable. Queensland's summer heat and humidity from October through March can make extended outdoor visits quite tiring.

Within any given week, weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends. School holidays and public holidays bring the largest crowds, which affects both queuing at shows and the experience at popular animal areas. If your schedule allows, a weekday visit outside of school holiday periods will give you the best conditions — shorter waits, more space, and a more relaxed atmosphere overall.

Regardless of when you visit, arriving at the 9am opening time remains the most reliable way to get ahead of the crowds, particularly for the Crocoseum.

Practical Information

Entry fees: Adult tickets are $64 and children's tickets are $40 at the time of publication, though it's worth checking the zoo's website for current pricing before you visit.

Opening hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm daily.

Suggested visit duration: A full day. The scale of the park and the number of shows and activities means shorter visits will leave significant parts of the zoo unexplored.

Food and drink: A café operates on site, with BYO food permitted and picnic areas available throughout the park. Given the limited dining variety on site, bringing your own food and drinks is worth considering for a full-day visit.

Facilities: On-site parking (free), toilets, café, gift shop, and wheelchair access are all available.

Age suitability: The zoo caters well to all ages, and the combination of live shows, animal encounters, and open space makes it particularly well-suited to families with young children.

The zoo's website at australiazoo.com.au is the best source for current show schedules, any seasonal programming, and up-to-date ticketing information before your visit.