Sydney: Taronga Zoo

Of course we prefer to see animals in the wild. Who doesn’t?

But that is not always possible. We believe that zoos — well run and credentialed ones — have an important role to play in the animal world … and we don’t mind supporting those that participate in worthwhile conservation programs by visiting them on occasion.

The website indicates that Taronga “… cares for over 5,000 animals from over 350 species, many of which are threatened.” It is committed to not just the conservation of wildlife in Australia, but around the world as well. As we wandered around, I noted several references in information panels to the zoo’s active involvement in breed and release programs. So, they do good work.

On that note, here’s the story of today’s visit to Taronga Zoo, which officially opened in 1916. Taronga is an Aboriginal word that means "beautiful view". An exceptionally appropriate moniker as we enjoyed delightful views of the city from various points around the grounds as we visited the many different animal habitats.

Located in the suburb of Mosman, a 12-minute ferry ride took us from Circular Quay to the zoo. The ferry wharf for Taronga is near the lower entrance. It’s possible to walk up through the grounds from there. But we did something better. Bus 238 — which transfers ferry passengers from the wharf to Balmoral — makes its first stop at the upper (main) zoo entrance. The bus was waiting at the wharf stop, so, we hopped on. Well worth the AUD $1/person fare … which, in USD, comes out to about $0.67/person.

(By the way, we are loving the tap on/tap off system in place for public transportation … ApplePay/GooglePay work beautifully, so we have not had to invest in Opal Cards.)

Once the zoo opened at 9:30a, we followed the meandering paths back down through the grounds … seeking shade wherever we could find it. What we thought would be a 2-hour visit lasted twice as long. Fun times in the company of not-so-wildlife. Despite the brutal sun — the high today was 90F — the animals were out and active … our thanks to all the critters for cooperating with our plans today.

Returning to Sydney on the ferry, we searched out a place for a late lunch. We ended up at the Munich Pub in The Rocks where good German food and local beer served as a wrap up for our day.Read more