Taronga Zoo
Report by Ipek T.
In the first week that we had started the lectures and tutorials, considerations were already being taken on what we should do on the first weekend. The majority of students have no classes on Fridays at ICMS and so we decided to visit the Taronga Zoo.
How to get to the Taronga Zoo
If you want to get from Manly to the zoo, a Fast Ferry directly drives there but is much more expensive than if you go by ferry to Circular Quay and then change to the ferry to Taronga Zoo. At Circular Quay, we had the opportunity to book the tickets with our student card for the zoo and the round trip wasn’t even expensive with $47.30. It took a total of 12 minutes until we arrived and were able to admire the Sky Safari Zoo from above.
Variety of Animals to see
This brought us to the entrance of the zoo and we were able to keep up with the same booking of various activities such as a photo with koalas, snakes or giraffes. Prices fluctuated between $15-25 for each activity. Equipped with the Getting around Map, the tour goes on to see the Australian birds and koalas. There are so many animals in this zoo to admire such as the seals, lions, snow leopards, crocodiles, spiders, penguins, Tasmanian devils, elephants, tigers, giraffes, gorillas, ring-tailed lemurs and of course the typical Australian kangaroos.
To give you some advice, it is best to follow the directions on the map so that you can really admire each animal. For children, especially, they have thought of something special: There is a kids trail, where kids can play and let off steam. For others who get hungry, there is a variety of places that are very well stocked with food, such as the Taronga Food Market located near the elephant enclosure, or the Taronga Piazza right at the entrance with lots of goodies for visitors waiting.
The View and feeding Giraffes
If you are looking for something with a view of the skyline of Sydney, I would recommend The View restaurant opposite the Kids Trail because this is the best place to rest and to enjoy some food and the beautiful view of Sydney. The highlight for us on this day was that we had the chance to feed the giraffes. At the booking center at the entrance they will give you a time specified while booking. Booked in for 4 people you will receive a separate area of the giraffe enclosure. Then each person gets a carrot to feed the animals, while the photographer takes pictures of you. With the photo that you can pick up in 20 minutes at the Animal Encounter, your experience will be unforgettable and lasts as a beautiful memory.
