Taronga Zoo Sydney

Taronga occupies a steep slope at Mosman on the north side of Sydney Harbour, which gives it something few zoos have: the Opera House and the bridge sit in the background of half the enclosures. It opened in 1916 and the layout still reflects the hillside, so the standard approach is to take the ferry from Circular Quay, ride the cable car to the top and walk gradually down. The Australian sections are the reason to come for most overseas visitors, with koalas, platypus, echidnas, Tasmanian devils and a walk-through kangaroo area, alongside international species. Keeper talks and the bird presentation run to a daily timetable that is worth planning around.

History

The Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales opened the state's first public zoo at Moore Park in 1884, and its secretary Albert Sherbourne Le Souef, inspired by a visit to the Hamburg zoo in 1908, planned a new zoo without bars; the government granted 43 acres north of the harbour, the Rustic Bridge over the gully opened in 1915, and the zoo opened on its present site on 7 October 1916. A critical review in 1967 turned it towards conservation and education, replacing elephant rides and the monkey circus with new exhibits, and a gondola, the Sky Safari, ran from 1987 until it closed at the end of its working life in January 2023 (Wikipedia, Taronga Zoo).

What you'll find

• Australian species - koalas, platypus, echidnas and Tasmanian devils in the native sections.
• The harbour outlook - the city, bridge and Opera House behind many of the enclosures.
• The bird presentation - free-flying birds in an amphitheatre above the harbour.
• The Sky Safari cable car - the ride from the wharf to the top entrance over the grounds.

When to go

Any time of year works, but animals are more active early and late than in the middle of a hot day, so the first ferry is the best ferry. Weekdays outside school holidays are markedly quieter. Check the day's keeper talk timetable on arrival and build the route around the two or three you actually want.

Things to know

It is expensive once ferry, cable car and admission are combined, particularly for a family. The site is steep, and although walking downhill sounds easy, it is a long day on hard paths with limited shade. Some older enclosures are visibly small. On school holidays the popular sections are shoulder to shoulder.

Nearby

Mosman and Balmoral Beach are close by land, with Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Garden across the water.

Key facts