29. Sydney's Taronga Zoo and Other Wildlife (10/28/2024)

Downtown Syndey at lunch

           After our hard-charging sightseeing in Norfolk Island, Mom and didn't open our eyes until 9 and didn't leave the hotel until noon. Our singular destination for the day was the Sydney Taronga Zoo via ferry. It was a great afternoon, despite the fact that so many of the animals were taking their afternoon naps and the overcast skies meant it got a little chilly as the afternoon progressed.

Jacaranda trees in bloom at Circular Quay

Cruise ship in Sydney Harbor

Ferry

Sydney Opera House from the ferry to Taronga Zoo

Sydney skyline from the ferry

TARONGA ZOO

Main Entrance to the zoo

Lunch at the Zoo

Chimpanzees

Ring-tailed lemurs

Capybara

Koala

Emu

One of the many types of kangaroos in a fenceless exhibit we walked through

Backend of a platypus in motion

The highlight of the day - seeing a joey pop out of momma's pouch!

The other highlight was the Australian Bushwalk Exhibit in which we walked through a large netted exposure with over 200 different animal species, including these stunning birds.

         I really enjoyed the Australian Bushwalk Exhibit in which we were in the middle of a large aviary with hundreds of colorful birds noisily flying over our heads. Even outside of the exhibits we saw unique birds. White ibis birds with their long, black, curved beaks are everywhere, including downtown. Additionally, the Australian bushturkey, the Australian magpie, and common myna were seen wandering through the zoo, apparently taking advantage of free snacks. I also loved the unusual plants and flowers around the park (at end of post).

       We took Uber to get back to the hotel, which was purposeful. We drove through areas of Sydney that we would otherwise have never seen, including the upscale Clifton Gardens neighborhood with a median home sale price of AUD 2.8 million.  

        The zoo was great, but it didn't compare with the wildlife that we had seen wild in nature (i.e., red crabs, proboscis monkeys, Abbott's boobies).  Within an hour of being back in the hotel, while mom  checked email and edited photos, I had found another opportunity to see wildlife in Sydney and we were back in a taxi to Centennial Park.

Gum trees

Still asleep

COOL PLANTS AT THE ZOO