Animal Encounters

From the tiny Orb Weaver spider to Australia’s largest bird, the emu, New South Wales is home to a divergent array of creatures great and small. And you’ll find them all on exhibit at one of the state’s zoos or wildlife parks.

Located just twelve minutes from Sydney’s city centre, Taronga Zoo is a must see tourist attraction. Overlooking Sydney Harbour, it houses the state’s largest collection of native and exotic animals. Enclosures have been constructed to resemble the natural habitats of their residents, while providing great viewing for human visitors. For an interactive experience, walk through the kangaroo enclosure or take the kids to the animal petting area.

Home to more than 1100 animals, the Western Plains Zoo is 300 hectares of open range animal adventure. Drive or bike around the five geographical areas of the zoo – Africa, Eurasia, North America, South America and Australia – and confront incredible beasts like the tiger, Komodo dragon, hippopotamus and more!

Cuddle a koala or hand feed a kangaroo at one of the numerous wildlife parks throughout New South Wales. Wombats, dingoes, wallabies and emus are just a few of the animals you could bump into on your excursion into the world of Australia’s native animals. For an outing with bite, explore the world of reptiles and meet turtles, snakes, lizards and crocodiles. Or you could have an eerie encounter with the world’s largest spider, the Goliath Bird-eater, as well as Red-backs, Tarantulas and scorpions. The New South Wales wildlife park experience provides sightseers with a virtual menagerie of indigenous creatures.