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Central Gardens Nature Reserve Merrylands, South-West Sydney

July 30, 2020 / Animal Experiences, Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Central Gardens Nature Reserve Merrylands

The Central Gardens Nature Reserve, also known as Central Gardens Merrylands, is a nature reserve in south-west Sydney. The 12-hectare park features two playgrounds, animal enclosures, BBQ areas, a flat path perfect for scooters and bikes, plus a small waterfall feature.

Both playgrounds were updated this year (you can see what the park looked like last time we visited here) with an accessible design.

The main playground is located closest to Paton St. It has a massive shade cloth over the bulk of the playground, with an inclusive ramp structure and slides at the end, sand pit with water feature, swings, liberty swing, tyres that make music when you jump on them, merry go round, in-ground trampolines, walking see-saw, a rock climb feature on the ramp structure on the centre, talking tubes, a tunnel and a spinning teacup.

There is also a large rope climbing structure outside of the shade cloth area and a toddler play area.

The second playground is a much smaller one located near Merrylands Street car park. It is also all-abilities and has a liberty swing.

Behind the main playground you’ll find the native animal exhibits. It’s free to wander through them and see the very well cared for animals, including birds, particularly scary emus, wallabies with babies in their pouches, and kangaroos.

There is also a nocturnal house with possums and fruit bats.

Central Gardens Merrylands also features a waterfall right in the middle of the park. It’s a lovely spot to wander around, with water birds and cockatoos in abundance. Behind the waterfall is a koala sanctuary.

The park has plenty of wide open green space for kids to run around and picnics, plus free barbecues and picnic tables.

Near the main playground is a Bush School that meets monthly.

Central Gardens can be accessed from Merrylands Road or Paton Street, where there is a free car park. If you are going via public transport, take bus 806 (from Parramatta to Liverpool) or 818 (from Westmead to Merrylands).

Central Gardens Nature Reserve
Cumberland Hwy & Merrylands Road, Merrylands West
https://www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au/central-gardens-nature-reserve
Get Directions

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Top Tips For Visiting Sydney Zoo

July 5, 2020 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Top Tips For Visiting Sydney Zoo

Located next to the sprawling Western Sydney Parklands, Sydney Zoo is home to over 2000 animal species, housed in 30 custom, state-of-the-art exhibits.

Created out of a desire to educate the community on animal welfare and conservation, while providing amazing experiences, Sydney Zoo has used of state-of-the-art technology to provide an immersive and engaging visitor experience, while providing animals with spacious, enriching homes.

Sydney Zoo is divided into five areas: Aquarium, which features Aussie fish and fairy penguins, Australia, with iconic wildlife and the country’s largest nocturnal and reptile house, Africa, Asia with the Primate Boulevard running straight through the centre.

Plan your visit

When visiting Sydney Zoo, start at the entrance map and decide on an organised approach to ensure you see both sides of zoo. We started with the Primate Boulevard, which runs down the centre to the ferris wheel, shaded picnic tables and kids’ play space.

The beautiful wide spaces of the exhibits plus the huge amount of space between them makes Sydney Zoo a very enjoyable experience for visitors. There’s no cramming up against barriers to see animals, no sad animals in tiny cages, just absolutely massive spaces filled with enriching activities for animals, including areas for them to retreat from the public view if they so wish. It’s no wonder the animals looked so happy and chill.

Start with Primate Boulevard

On Primate Boulevard we enjoyed seeing agile spider monkeys and tufted capuchins, as well as regal chimpanzee and mischievous baboon babies.

The ferris wheel is $7 per person a spin ($6 for members), which a portion of proceeds going to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program.

Go under the sea

From here we headed into the aquarium to see the fish and fairy penguins, followed by the barn animals (closed for petting at the time), then into the Australia area. The fairy penguins are particularly fun to watch enjoying swimming.

Meet the Aussie icons

We particularly enjoyed the Australia section, with its free roaming kangaroos and wallabies, and very friendly emus. We saw a snoozing wombat, a joey emerging from its mothers’ pouch and pat one of the persistently sociable emus.

Inside the nocturnal and reptile house we saw an incredible range of creatures, including the world’s most venomous snakes, and a lizard shedding its skin. We also saw a bilby and a spotted quoll.

The Australia section brought us back to the entrance, and we headed on to the Asia section.

Meet diverse species from Asia

The Asia section is home to beautiful orangutang, a pair of river otters, red pandas, sumatran tigers and the beautiful Saigon, a retired circus elephant.

Go on safari in Africa

The absolute highlight of Sydney Zoo is the spectacular African section. An elevated boardwalk takes visitors high about the ground to view the animals from a birds-eye view. It really does feel like being on a safari, watching animals engage in their natural behaviours, mostly not even noticing people were watching them.

We watched African painted dogs frolicking, hyenas napping, and lions stalking their prey – the completely oblivious giraffe, zebra and ostriches in the enclosure next door.

The African section brought us back to the end of Primate Boulevard and a large food court, with an eating area overlooking the cheeky meerkats.

Dine in or BYO

Sydney Zoo has plenty of kiosks dotted around, plus the one major dining area. There are also lots of shaded picnic tables, so it’s completely up to you if you splurge on a meal out, or bring a picnic lunch.

The kiosks and dining hall offer a range of meal options, with the kiosks obviously more limited compared to the dining hall. Salads, fruit, sandwiches, muffins and other snacks can be bought at the kiosks, while proper meals are on offer in the dining hall, including burgers and meal deals for adults and kids. There are options for various dietary requirements as well.

Roll though the entire zoo

I was incredibly impressed at how well designed Sydney zoo is, with particular care to create an accessible experience for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and strollers. there wasn’t a single step in the zoo that we could find. The zoo is flat with wide pathways, and offers stroller and mobility device hire at the entrance.

You can read an accessible review of Sydney Zoo here.

Learn about the local Indigenous people

Throughout the Australia precinct are interpretive signs and information on the local Indigenous community, the Darug People, and physical examples of things like the food they ate and the shelters they slept in. In the future Sydney Zoo will be offering a unique, integrated Aboriginal and natural heritage program, called the Bungarribee Dreaming experience, with Aboriginal guides who will provide interpretation and information within the Australia Precinct.

Sydney Zoo has also committed to a 10% full time equivalent Aboriginal employment target.

Future conservation plans

Sydney Zoo has plenty of plans under way to local and international conservation efforts as they grow, and educate visitors on the importance of conservation. Their plans include participating in breeding programs for endangered species, creating partnerships with conservation experts and organisations in the Greater Western Sydney Area to protect wildlife and raising awareness of the value of protecting animals and the environment within communities through education programs.

What to take for a day at Sydney Zoo

The zoo doesn’t have a great deal of shade, so bring a hat and sunscreen even in winter. Wear layers and very comfortable shoes. We visited in July and had a freezing morning where we needed jackets, then were blazingly hot by lunch time.

Take water bottles and plenty of snacks, and I would suggest also bringing lunch to cut down on costs.

How to get to Sydney Zoo

We drove to Sydney Zoo, and found it easy to access thanks to the M4 and M7 Motorways. There is plenty of free onsite parking.

The Sydney Zoo website has plenty of tips on how to get there by all forms of transport.

Make a day of it

Sydney Zoo is located next to the Western Sydney Parklands as well as other Western Sydney attractions. I highly suggest heading afterwards to one of these awesome spots:

Next door to Western Sydney Parklands: Lizard Log Park and Playground, Bungarribee Park and Playground, Plough and Harrow Park and Playground, Treetops Adventure Park.
Under 5 minutes from Eastern Creek Raceway
6 minutes from Raging Waters Sydney
7 minutes from Featherdale Wildlife Park
7 minutes from Blacktown International Sports Park
8 minutes from Nurragingy Reserve
10 minutes from Sydney International Equestrian Centre

Sydney Zoo
700 Great Western Highway, Bungarribee NSW
Phone: 02 7202 2560
Hours: sydneyzoo.com/about/contact-us
https://sydneyzoo.com/
Get Directions

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The African Savannah Precinct Opens at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

June 30, 2020 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

The African Savannah Precinct Opens at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

What’s new at the Zoo? A new state-of-the-art African Savannah precinct! The new precinct lets guests at Taronga Zoo Sydney experience a beautiful savannah full of roaming lions, fennec foxes, meerkats, giraffe and zebra.

Educational as well as visually stunning, the new African Savannah precinct takes Taronga guests on a journey to Africa while sharing with them the conservation challenges facing these species and some of the solutions that are supporting communities and wildlife in Northern Kenya.

At the heart of the new precinct is the giraffe habitat, overlooking Sydney Harbour, which includes Giraffes Jimiyu and Zarafa and new arrivals Kito and Ebo, a mother and calf who recently arrived from Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Interestingly, giraffes have the largest eyes of any land mammal, and great eyesight that allows them to see clearly up to 2km away, while also being able to perceive colours.

The giraffes share The Waterhole exhibit with zebras Kaya and Bwana, who recently arrived from Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Did you know that each Zebra has a unique pattern of stripes, as individual as a human’s fingerprint?

Nearby are Taronga’s pair of Fennec Fox, Zinder and Zalika. Their custom-built exhibit includes full height glass walls to protect their sensitive ears, heating pads, natural spaces for sitting and gathering as well as logs for darker sleeping spots.

A mob of meerkats has moved in next door, in a fantastic new interactive space with plenty of enrichment opportunities for them to enjoy. Meerkats usually live in a mob of up to 30 individuals, who share roles of babysitting, surveillance and foraging.

The much-loved lions have returned to Taronga Zoo, inside the African Savannah. Lwazi and Ato, two male lions, can be found in a huge sprawling exhibit.

The lions are part of a crucial breeding program supporting insurance populations for lions, which are sadly now extinct in 27 African countries.

When visiting Taronga Zoo this winter, note that the zoo has made some changes to the usual guest experience. Daily visitor numbers are currently limited to lower than normal capacity, and guests, including Zoo Friends, will need to register their visit online before attending the Zoo. Hygiene measures including extra sanitizing stations, signage encouraging social distancing and increased cleaning have also been put in place throughout the Zoo.

Taronga Zoo Sydney is located 12 minutes by ferry from Circular Quay wharf, or a short bus trip from the city or North Sydney. Parking is currently $9 all day.

Tickets are only available to purchase online at Taronga.org.au. Online tickets for adults are $44.10 and children 4-15 years old are $26.10.

Taronga Zoo
Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman
Taronga.org.au

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Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

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SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour Australia

January 4, 2019 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour Australia

Wander beneath the waves with more than 700 species of fish at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour. There are more than 13,000 sea creatures to discover including a dugong, sharks, rays and penguins.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is divided into seven sections, each themed to reflect its aquatic residents.

Start your voyage under the ocean at Jurassic Seas, where visitors can see where life began and meet living fossils. Discover creatures such as the mysterious nautilus, Port Jackson sharks, jellyfish and lungfish. Kids will love Darwin’s Lab where they can touch things like shark eggs and coral, and the Jurassic dig pit.

Meet Pig at Dugong Island. Pig, the dugong, is one of only two of his kind to be in human care in the world.

Take a look at Pig from above or from below in the viewing tunnels where visitors can also see other animals including the perennially cheerful rays, sharks and fish.

There are several interactive elements in Dugong Island that kids will love, such as experiencing what it’s like to see as a dugong does, and to “speak” their language. Really fun!

Face your fears at Shark Valley. Take the Shark Walk and watch Grey Nurse Sharks swim overhead! Keep an eye out for the huge Queensland Groper.

Meet the locals at the South Coast Shipwreck. In this section, you’ll find a range of animals native to our Southern Oceans, including a colony of Little Penguins, as well as Port Jackson Sharks and Moon Jellies.

Get a glimpse at what lies outside the aquarium at the Sydney Harbour exhibit, with a snapshot of the native creatures on display.

Learn about King and Gentoo Penguins at the Penguin Passports exhibit, and take a trip on the Penguin Expedition ride. This 2 minute sub-Antarctic boat journey gets up close and personal with the penguins and is included with admission.

You can read more about the Penguin Expedition experience here.

Experience the newest section of the aquarium: Day and Night on the Reef. This brand new exhibit highlights the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef as it transitions from night to day. 24 hours of life on the reef is on display for visitors to enjoy, using state of the art technology to create an immersive and interactive experience.

This exhibit is the largest Great Barrier Reef exhibit in the world! We particularly loved spotting endangered creatures such as the sawfish and green sea turtle, walking through the new jellyfish swarming area and watching a turtle come ashore to lay its eggs thanks to modern technology.

If you’re feeling peckish after your visit, there is a large cafe at the exit with a range of sandwiches, hot and cold pastries and burgers. I ordered a veggie burger combo which was reasonably priced and tasted excellent.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney
sydneyaquarium.com.au

Featherdale Wildlife Park: Behind-The-Scenes Experiences

April 24, 2018 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Featherdale Wildlife Park has long been the place in Sydney to take kids and tourists for an up close experience with Australian animals. Established on 7 acres of land 1953, Featherdale has evolved from a poultry farm into one of the best privately owned wildlife parks in Australia. With the largest collection of Australian animals in the world, Featherdale is a must-visit for locals and visitors alike.

Featherdale Wildlife Park: Behind-The-Scenes Experiences

While we have visited Featherdale many times of the years (you can read more here about our experiences at Featherdale Wildlife Park) this was a special visit, both because we were treated to a VIP behind-the-scenes tour, but also because we learned so much about the animals and the park’s conservation efforts.

I was so inspired after visiting that I did a bit of extra research into the breeding and conservation programs run by Featherdale (a bit of info on a few of the programs is below).

Featherdale Wildlife Park is one of the only Wildlife Parks in New South Wales to be endorsed by the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF). The park has also partnered with The Australian Museum on the Koala Genome Program, a conservation program where scientists have mapped the entire genome of over 20,000 specific koala genes which is contributing to the health and survival rate of future koalas worldwide.

With koala reproduction has been in serious decline, our little furry friends need this research to help them survive.

On our tour we learned that the majority of wallabies and kangaroos in the park were either rescued as joeys after their mums were killed, or were born at Featherdale. We met Flo, a baby wallaby whose mother had rejected her and is now being reared by hand until she is able to be released into the wallaby enclosure.

We also met a gorgeous wombat baby whose mother had been hit by a car. Luckily a good Samaritan checked the pouch and found the baby inside, unharmed. He is now being hand-raised at Featherdale.

It’s not surprising to learn that Featherdale works with NSW Emergency Services, State Emergency Services (SES), WIRES and local council to operate as a Native Animal Rescue Hospital. They take in thousands of sick, injured and orphaned animals from the community and surrounding parklands every year, including this tawny frogmouth bird who was found with a hole in his beak and unable to be released back into the wild as a result.

You can read more about the breeding and conservation programs at Featherdale here.

Since so many of the animals have been rescued or hand-raised, a lot of them are really tame and happy to be handled by humans.

Visitors to Featherdale can choose from a variety of personal encounters with animals like the ones we met. Options include getting to meet unique birds, scaly reptiles, friendly wallabies and other furry marsupials.

Not only are you able to touch the animals, but you’ll learn so much about their lives and challenges faced by the breed in the wild. It’s an incredibly educational experience as well as engaging and interactive. Plus you get a great selfie out of it!

A few options at the moment include a personal dingo encounter, saltwater croc encounter, private mammal or reptile encounter, or personal koala encounter. Each encounter includes a souvenir photo to take home. Get more info on the current options for animal encounters and prices online.

During our tour we also learned a lot about some incredible Australian animals such as the Cassowary. I’ve long thought they were beautiful birds but I had no idea that, firstly, they were the world’s most deadly bird and are the only bird to have killed humans (note it was through self defence), but also that they have talons on their feet and are descended from velociraptors. Incredible!

We also got up close to some saltwater crocs during the croc feeding. The big man croc came to Featherdale 26 years ago after he was being a bit of a pest and eating local pet dogs.

It’s mind blowing to think that when he was one year old he was this size!

In the Reptile House we met a gorgeous python and a shingleback lizard (who apparently make great pets!). We learned that lizards smell through their tongues. As we were holding the shingleback he flicked out his tongue “smelling” us in a ticklish move that left us both giggling.

Our last stop for the day was feeding one last Aussie icon – the wallabies. We’ve fed them so many times but it’s never enough. They’re such cute little creatures it’s always a joy to end our day with a furry encounter of the macropod kind.

Featherdale Wildlife Park
217-229 Kildare Road,
Doonside, Sydney NSW 2767
(near Blacktown) Australia
Phone: 02 9622 1644
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Get Directions

Get more ideas on things to do in Sydney with Kids!

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Our VIP tour was hosted by Featherdale Wildlife Park. All opinions are our own.

A Day at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

April 10, 2017 / Animal Experiences, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

It’s our third year bringing Cheese to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, and I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been since I was a kid. It’s a highlight day for us every year and previously I’ve written my tips for the show with a little kid.

This year I wanted to share how we spend our day at the show.

9:15am: Park in P8. I wish we could manage the public transport because it’s included in the ticket price, but it’s just too hard from the area where we live. The $25 parking fee is a necessary evil for our day at the show, and it always makes me happy at the end of the day when I have a super tired kid to know we can just jump in the car and get home quickly.

9:20am: We already have our tickets (buy them in advance for a bit of a discount) so we head in. We try to get into the Woolworths Dome to use the bathrooms but discover everything is still closed! It’s the first year we’ve been too early to get into anything.

9:30am: The Animal Walk is a fave of ours so we head there first, and line up at the first animal pavilion waiting for the doors to open. We stroll past the sheep and into the chicken pavilion where we make a beeline for the freshly hatched chicks in the incubator. Cheese wants to pat a chick, but it doesn’t open until 10am so we tell her we will come back and keep going.

9:45am: In the goat pavilion we stop to watch the goats being judged. “Why is one better than another” Asks Cheese. “Why did that one win?” We have no idea about the intricacies of goat judging so we do what any good parent does and ask her, “Why do YOU think that one won over the rest?”.

9:50am: In the pig pavilion we are a few minutes early to pat the baby pigs. The benefit of being early – it’s so empty everywhere! The downside – nothing’s open! We wait for the pigs since it’s only 10 minutes.

10am: Pat a pig time! We sit down and a herd of piglets charge towards us in search of food.They like to nibble on shoes and bare toes, so be quick with your feet.

10:15am: We enter the Woolworths Food Farm pavilion. It’s one of Cheese’s favourite places at the show. We spend the next hour and 15 minutes grinding wheat, shaping dough, watching pies back, “pollinating” flowers, climbing into the giant tractor and playing with the farm toys. She doesn’t want to leave. I buy a cored apple in a coil ($2) and a pear smoothie ($4) for us to share.

11:30am: It’s off to meet the in laws for lunch near the Woolworth Fresh Food Dome. They’ve managed to grab a prime table in the shade while they were waiting for us, which is a massive score. We all have the same meal for lunch – a cheese toastie and flavoured milk ($5) and corn on the cob ($5). Alec buys a $5 coffee then moans about the price.

12:15pm: Cheese gets restless so we head off to explore more and leave her dad chatting with the grandparents. We head into the Woolworths Fresh Food pavilion to check out the fruit and vege displays. Cheese can’t quite believe that they’re all made from food and you can eat them.

12:30pm: We walk into the Home, Garden & Lifestyle pavilion next door. Cheese climbs into a police car with glee then makes a beeline for the Artline stall where we stock up with textas each year. It takes a good 15 minutes to get her to finish her drawing so we can leave. We keep walking through the new Pet Pavilion next door but we can’t see much. The cats are behind a high barrier and a net. Better for the cats’ stress levels I’m sure, but hard for us to see anything.

1:15pm: We exit the pavilion and I see what I think is a great photo opp with balloons and the ferris wheel in the background. I beg Cheese to stand in a spot while I take photos and she counters me with a bargain: “I’ll stand in front of the balloons if you let me have one.” I say OK without checking the price, then spend the rest of the day hauling around a $20 BB8 balloon that attacks people we walk past thanks to the strong breeze.

1:30pm: We head back to the Pat a Chick station in the chicken pavilion and line up. There’s lots of lining up this year as it seems like every Sydneysider also thought today would be an excellent day for the show. The chicken display is put on by Steggles and they ply us with merchandise. It’s a bit awkward being vegetarian and just wanting to pat a chicken, not eat one.

1:45pm: We finally make it to the front of the line and meet the chicks. They’re only three days old and cheeping like mad. I hope we don’t freak them out too much. The photographer is super kind and not only takes a really lovely photo on her own camera that gets emailed to us and sent to their print station for free printing but also takes one on my camera too. You can never have enough photos with everyone in them.

2pm: Lining up again, this time at the Farmyard Nursery. The line moves quickly though and we are in the nursery buying a $1 cup of animal feed before too long. The pavilion is absolutely jam packed with people – so many it’s literally impossible to move without running into people, sheep, goats or chickens. The big goats are aggressive and freak Cheese out. We run interference for her so she can feed the smaller animals that don’t headbutt.

Cheese just wants to hug everything – no goat or chicken is free from her hugs this year, even though I’m sure they wish they were.

2:30pm: We keep going on the animal walk through the dairy pavilion and to the horses. We see cute calves, cows being blowdried and and majestic horses being led past.

3pm: It’s showbags time! The pavilion is teaming with people and I pick up Cheese so she can see the displays above the heads. I know it’s a better idea to get the showbags first and then dump them in a locker for the day, but the anticipation of the show bags being at the end of the day is just too much fun to do it any other way. We have a two showbag rule each year. Cheese likes the character bags and chooses two very expensive bags filled with various types of plastic and paper: The Littlest Pet Shop ($28) and the Tokidoki bag ($26).

3:30pm We sit down at the dog pavilion for some rest. Cheese empties out her showbags to play with while we watch the dogs being judged. It’s a blissful half hour watching shiny dogs trotting past. We need more food so delve into the snacks that I had brought with us – pistachios and Vita-weats with Vegemite, and drink our water that we brought in refillable bottles. It’s crazy hot so I buy us a Gaytime ($4) and chocolate Paddle Pop ($3) to share.

4pm: We are all shattered and decide to hobble back to the car. My Fitbit tells me I did about 11K steps but honesty it feels like more! We’ve spent the whole day here and I still feel like there is more to see than we were able to get around to.

4:15pm In the car we are happy we forked out the $25 for an easy trip home. Cheese says, “That was the best day I’ve ever had!” which makes the sore feet, empty wallet and crowd navigating all worth it.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is on at Sydney Olympic Park until Wednesday, April 18, 2017.

1 Showground Rd, Sydney Olympic Park
Online

We received media passes to attend the Sydney Royal Easter Show. All opinions are my own.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Penguin Expedition

December 17, 2016 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

It was a colder than usual summer morning today inside the brand new Penguin Expedition exhibit at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. A chilly 6 degrees C is set to keep the brand new Gentoo and King Emperor penguins at a comfortable temperature in their new home.

Visitors to the new penguin exhibition, which is inspired by Macquarie Island in the Southwest Pacific, can climb aboard a raft and sail around the rugged, sub-Antarctic environment. You might want to pack a cardigan if you really feel the cold, or snuggle up to the person sitting next to you. At the end of the ride there is a further viewing window to see the penguins up close.

The penguins are quite spectacular when viewed in person – and larger than expected. King Penguins can grow up to 100 cm tall and weigh 11 to 16 kg, while the smaller Gentoos reach a maximum weight of 8.5kg.

The Gentoo and King Emperor penguins recently moved up from SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium to start a dedicated penguin breeding program on site whereby marine biologists hope to produce some baby King or Gentoo penguins next year.

The breeding program will provide insight and research into the way penguin colonies work and assist in their future conservation in the wild.

As part of the new Penguin Expedition, visitors to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium will learn about the issues facing penguins in the wild and the simple ways they can make a difference, including reducing single-use plastic consumption. Education programs such as this are beneficial in inspiring the next generation to become healthy ocean ambassadors.

Entrance to Penguin Expedition, including daily feeds and talks from dedicated keepers and trainers, is included in the cost of general admission.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Hours: Open daily from 9.30am
Cost: For the best deal, book online in advance. Walk-up price: Adults $42, Children (4-15yrs) $29:50
http://www.sealifesydney.com.au

We attended the launch of Penguin Expedition as a guest of SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

10 Tips for a Top Day at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

March 20, 2016 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is a yearly tradition in our house. I’ve been going since I was a kid, and mum has been going since she was a kid. Every year, the whole family cant wait to spend a day at the show getting up close to the best of the country, trying new food, and patting cute animals.

Every year the Easter Show seems to get bigger and bigger. You could easily now spend a few days there seeing everything. If you just have the one day at the show, here are my top 10 tips to make it a fantastic family day out.

Buy tickets in advance
Discounted show tickets are available through places like the NRMA, but you can also buy your ShowLink tickets online (they include public transport and entrance) and save, too. Ride coupons can be purchased in advance for a saving of around 20% as well.
Go early
The show is the quietist in the mornings and the first week it’s open. My theory is people forget it’s on and all go on the last weekend, or plan to go over the Easter break. It’s worth arriving when the show gates open at 9am to get many of the attractions crowd-free, too.
Do the animal walk
One of the longest-standing Easter Show features, the animal walk gets better every year. Not only do you get to meet some of the most beautiful farm and domestic animals up close, you also get to partake in interactive exhibits along the way. Pat a piglet or a chick, milk a cow, help shear a sheep, stroke an alpaca and feed baby animals in the Barnyard Nursery. Collect a free Passport at the first stop and visit each station along the way to collect a stamp and fill up the passport.
Meet farm folk
I absolutely love meeting the amazing people fro the country whose hard work goes into making the Easter Show such a brilliant showcase of NSW’s agriculture. In the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome, the people behind the displays made out of crops are keen to teach kids about the materials that have gone into the display. This year one display featured cotton plants, with cotton seeds and un-spun cotton for kids to touch. The people who put so much effort into the displays and animals are always up for a bit of a yarn. To create the award-winning Pollinators display this year, for example, took 10 months of collecting crops, followed by an intense ten days at the show assembling all of the elements.
Enjoy all the free stuff
The Easter Show can get very pricey – but it doesn’t need to be. There is so much entertainment and exhibits to see that you can spend the entire day without spending an extra cent on a ride or attraction. Tip: pick up the free daily show schedule as you enter and plan your day around seeing all the attractions that are included, such as live characters shows and meet and greets, all of the interactive animal activities and all of the shows in the grand arena. You can bring your own lunch and refill water bottles, too, if you’re on a tight budget.
Make a budget and stick to it
Before you arrive, decide how much you’re going to spend on rides, showbags and food, and stick to it. If you’re on a budget but still want to try a bit of everything, you can do one ride (around $7), select showbags from the cheaper end (like the $2 Bertie Beetle show bag), and have lunch at the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome where you can get my fave grilled cheese sandwich for a bargain $2.
Plan your day
With little kids in particular, a day at the show can be a lot of walking to and fro (the bathrooms, more snacks, a rest, more water!), so I like to schedule our day to fit in everything. What’s on the daily schedule you might want to see? Any live shows? If you’re doing the animal walk, start it early in the morning as it takes a long time to get around the entire walk, particularly with little ones.
Take breaks
Help little ones last the whole day with breaks in between exciting activities. The live shows are my favourite way to schedule breaks – this year there are Paw Patrol and In The Night Garden free character shows, plus the woodchopping, dog judging and horse riding in the main area (now called the Spotless Stadium). In the middle of the day when it’s the hottest is the perfect time to take a shady break to rest up and prepare for the afternoon. It’s amazing how kids manage to perk up and get a second wind after a break.
Be safe
Get a free wristband from the Sydney Transport stand for your child as you enter and write their name and your phone number on it, just in case. Put valuables and heavy things in a locker (they cost $2). It’s a long, hot day out, so bring refillable water bottles, plus a hat and sunscreen.
Enjoy a Devonshire Tea
Our last stop is always the CWA Tea Room for an authentic Devonshire Tea made by the Country Women’s Association. This year the tea room is at the back of the Home, Garden & Lifestyle Pavillion. The CWA ladies are scone-making machines, and at whatever time of day you drop by, you will get fresh, warm scones straight out of the oven.

Our new faves this year:

The Streets ice cream jumping castle next to The Shed (free).

The countless activities for kids in the Woolworths Food Farm: free shows, cooking classes, farm play, and more. We could have spent the majority of the day in this one area – it was more popular with the preschooler than even the baby animals.

The free Australian Wildlife talk outside the entrance to the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome. Snakes, owls and a little crocodile called “Snappy” are read to meet you. If you’re feeling brave, you can stroke Snappy’s back.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia’s largest annual event, attracting over 900,000 people. It runs from 17 March – 30 March at Sydney’s Olympic Park, Homebush.

Thank you to the Sydney Royal Easter Show for my media accreditation.

10 Awesome Animal Experiences Sydney

March 10, 2016 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 6 Comments

Whether you’re visiting or are lucky enough to call the city home, a visit to one of Sydney’s zoos or farms to see wildlife and farm animals up close is a fantastic day out with kids. Scroll down to find a selection of the best animal experiences Sydney.

We have plenty of wildlife to be spotted around Sydney as well, in our national parks and gardens.

The Best Animal Experiences Sydney

Taronga Zoo

The big daddy of zoos, Taronga is the perfect day trip for visitors to Sydney with its superb harbour views. Situated on 52-acres, you’ll need a full day to get around to all 4,000 of the animals residing there. Take the ferry from Circular Quay and catch the Sky Safari cable car up to the top entrance, then walk your way back down. Watch the daily QBE Free-flight Bird Show to see condors and eagles in action, set against the stunning Sydney Harbour.

Get more info on visiting Taronga Zoo here and their new African Savannah precinct here.

Taronga Zoo, Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman
Taronga.org.au

Symbio Wildlife Park

This smaller zoo is great for getting up close with Australian native animals. It will take you around an hour to get around, so it’s an easy activity with smaller kids. The kangaroo/wallaby enclosure is excellent – pat and feed these free roaming animals, who are very happy to pose for a picture. If you’re after animal encounters in Sydney, then Symbio is an excellent choice.

Get more info on visiting Symbio here.

Symbio Wildlife Park, Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Helensburgh NSW
Symbiozoo.com.au

Featherdale Wildlife Park

Specialising in Australian native wildlife and birds, Featherdale is the number one spot to meet koalas in Sydney. You can also feed wallabies and kangaroos, pat farmyard animals and get close to animals like Tasmanian devils and wombats. Featherdale now offer experiences to meet animals up close for additional fees.

Get more info on visiting Featherdale here.

Featherdale Wildlife Park, 217 Kildare Rd, Doonside
Featherdale.com.au

Calmsley Hill City Farm

City slicker kids can enjoy a day on the farm watching shearing and cattle dog displays, taking a tractor ride and patting the farm animals. The day is schedule with hourly show times, so arrive early and enjoy a full-day of farm activities.

Get more info on visiting Calmsley Hill here.

Calmsley Hill City Farm, 31 Darling St, Abbotsbury
Calmsleyhill.com.au

Golden Ridge Animal Farm

The number one place in Sydney for kids to get a hands-on experience with farm animals in Sydney. Bookings are essential, as only limited numbers are allowed on the farm each day. The experience begins in the morning with a farm tour, where your group is taken around various areas of the property to hold ducklings and chicks, bottle-feed lambs and meet the incredibly friendly goats and cows.

Get more info on visiting Golden Ridge here.

Golden Ridge Animal Farm, 686 Old Northern Rd, Dural
Goldenridgeanimalfarm.com.au

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

At time of writing, the aquarium is home to the only pair of rescued dugongs on display in the world. The pair, Pig and Wuru, were orphaned at birth and have been unsuitable for release. The aquarium’s newest zone, Jurassic Seas, takes visitors on a journey back through time to meet prehistoric creatures. SEA LIFE Sydney also offers a penguin expedition boat ride to get up close to the Gentoo and King penguins. Get more info on the Penguin Expedition here.

Get more info on visiting SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium here.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, 1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney
Sydneyaquarium.com.au

Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Ideal for visitors with limited time in Sydney, this small zoo features Australian native animals right in the heart of the city. Meet a five-metre crocodile (from a safe distance!), pat a tiny sugar glider and watch it take flight, and walk among butterflies in their Butterfly Tropics enclosure.

Get more info on visiting Wild Life Sydney Zoo here.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo,
1-5 Wheat Rd, Darling Harbour
Wildlifesydney.com.au

Sydney Zoo

The newest kid on the block, Sydney Zoo opened in 2019 Sydney Zoo, the first new major zoo to be opened in Sydney for more than 100 years. Located in Western Sydney, Sydney Zoo is home to the largest Reptile and Nocturnal House in Australia, plus plenty of African animals, primates, Asian animals and, of cause, Aussie icons.

Get more info on visiting Sydney Zoo.

Sydney Zoo
700 Great Western Highway, Bungarribee
https://sydneyzoo.com/

Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park

Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park is a wildlife sanctuary on the Central Coast of NSW. It is located in Calga, which is about an hour to an hour-and-a-half from Sydney’s CBD.

The park is a sanctuary for animals who are unable to be released back into the wild. Also on the property are several Aboriginal sites with ancient petroglyphs.

Get more info on visiting the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park.

Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park
1 Darkinjung Rd, Calga NSW
walkaboutpark.com.au

Australian Reptile Park

The Australian Reptile Park is located on the Central Coast of NSW, about an hour north of Sydney. Established in 1948, the park is a privately owned attraction featuring native Australian wildlife and other exotic, international species. You’ll also find all 11 of the deadliest snakes in the world at the Reptile Park!

We love their Kids 2 Keeper programs that run during the school holidays and allows kids to get up close to the animals and learn about their care and habitats.

Get more info on the Kids 2 Keeper program here and visiting the Australian Reptile Park here.

Australian Reptile Park
Lot 69 Pacific Hwy, Somersby
reptilepark.com.au

The Best of Sydney with Kids: Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary

January 2, 2016 / Animal Experiences, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

*** Please note this aquarium is closing down *******

Beautiful Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches, is a great day trips not just for a swim in the sea. The Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary has been a popular place for families to get up close with ocean life since its opening in 1965. The sanctuary is located 200 metres from Manly Ferry Wharf, making it a super-easy outing using public transport.

The focus at Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is animal conservation, with their rescue, breed and protect program. They are passionate about rescuing sick and injured wildlife, nursing animals back to health and releasing them back into the wild, as well as protecting their natural habitats.

One of the reasons I really enjoy this aquarium is because it’s small – you can see everything in about an hour, including at least one of not two feeding demonstrations or keeper talks. I also like the conservation message the aquarium teaches its visitors.

Entering the sanctuary there is a stroller bay just inside to park your buggy. The middle level is stroller-friendly, but there is no elevator-access to the lower or upper levels.

On the entry level of the sanctuary is where you’ll discover some of the incredible and bizarre animals that call Sydney Harbour home.

Seahorses, cuttlefish, lionshish and clown fish, to name just a few, can be found on this level. There are more species of fish found in Sydney Harbour than in the entire Mediterranean Sea – and this is the place to meet some of these beautiful creatures up close.

Keep a look out for the aquarium’s baby Port Jackson, Bamboo and Epaulette Sharks who were all born at the sanctuary.

One of the biggest hits on this level with kids is the interactive rockpool, where visitors can touch a shark egg, hold a crab and explore other animals such as star fish.

A stroll down to the lower level takes you to Shark Harbour. A 4 million litre oceanarium with massive stingrays gliding overhead. Cheese’s favourite was ‘Sea Biscuit’, the rescued Green Sea Turtle. We all watched in awe as stunning Grey Nurse Sharks with very pointed teeth swam past.

Join a free daily tour to learn the animals’ stories, or, if you’re feeling particularly daring, you might want to jump in with Shake Dive Xtreme and meet a shark face-to-face.

The very top level of the sanctuary is home to 20 adorable little (or fairy) penguins. We were just in time for the penguin talk, where we learned that the sanctuary is very involved in conserving Sydney’s penguin colony in Manly, where there are 60 breeding pairs of little penguins needing protection from dogs, cats and, of course, humans.

A fun fact about penguins: they have a salt gland under their beaks that enables them to sneeze out the salt from salt water. What genius in-built water filtration.

The exit is back on the middle entry level, right next to the new Shipwreck Shores experience. What a fantastic idea to place an enclosed soft play area within the sanctuary for kids to be able to safely run around like maniacs for a few minutes.

The play area is in the shape of a sunken ship and even has a surprise on the inside with a few undersea creatures waiting to be discovered.

A note on accessibility: Please note pram and wheelchair access is limited to the mid-level of the sanctuary. Access to Penguin Cove and Shark Harbour is via stairs only.

Buy tickets online in advance and save between 10 and 30% off admission prices.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is CLOSED
W Esplanade, Manly NSW
Prices: Adult $25, kids 4-15 $17