Crikey, It’s Steve Irwin!
The temperature difference between Victoria and Queensland is astronomical. To put it into perspective, Queensland is like the Florida of Australia, while Victoria is more like New York. But I’m not here to discuss the weather; I’m here to talk about animals.
I spent three days in Brisbane which, to be honest, is kind of a boring city. Nice enough, but nothing really stood out. However, the absolute highlight of my Brisbane trip was visiting the Australia Zo, or as I like to call it, the Steve Irwin Zoo.
Steve Irwin was an Aussie national treasure. Even to us Americans, he was the guy who wrestled crocodiles with a charming smile and shouted “Crikey!” a lot. What I loved about the Australia Zoo was that it served as both a world-class zoo and a heartfelt memorial to Steve Irwin. His ashes were even spread on the zoo grounds.
The zoo itself is massive with 700 acres of land, 100 acres of which is accessible to the public. I’ve always had mixed feelings about zoos and how they treat animals, but I could tell the staff here genuinely adored the animals and did everything they could to care for and protect them.
I saw all kinds of animals from around the world: Europe, Asia, North and South America, and of course, Australia. My favorite part was petting a koala. Its backside may look soft and squishy, but it was actually quite firm. Turns out koalas spend most of their time sleeping, so they need a sturdy backside to support their weight. I also got to pet kangaroos, and let me tell you, their fur is unbelievably soft. I wished I were a joey so I could curl up in a pouch and take a nap.
But the real highlight was the crocodile demonstration at the Crocoseum. This is what the zoo (and Steve Irwin) is famous for, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. A massive croc sauntered into the arena—slow, deliberate, and clearly the boss. Honestly, it looked like he was just there for the food. He only moved when tempted with fresh meat, but when he did, it was both terrifying and fascinating.
As much as I loved seeing all these animals up close, I left the zoo with one small disappointment: no platypus. Seeing a live platypus is on my Australian bucket list, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find one. I know they’re rare and elusive, but if any place had one, I thought it would be the Australia Zoo.
Still, despite that little letdown, I absolutely loved my visit. The Australia Zoo was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seeing such a wide variety of animals and watching the legendary crocodile show made the trip more than worthwhile.
Crikey, what a day!
