The best things to do at Australia Zoo are the 1:15pm Wildlife Warriors Show in the Crocoseum, hand feeding kangaroos, seeing koalas, Tiger Temple, Elephantasia, the Africa safari zone and the Wildlife Hospital. Give yourself at least five to six hours. The easiest way to do it without a car is the JOEY Australia Zoo Day Trip from Noosa every Tuesday: $169 including return transfer and zoo entry, or $152 for JOEY Route Pass holders, with six full hours at the zoo.
Australia Zoo is one of those places that lives up to the hype. It’s the home of the Irwin family, it’s packed with Aussie wildlife you’ve only seen on TV, and the croc show alone is worth the trip. The catch? It’s in Beerwah, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and getting there without a car can turn a fun day into a logistics puzzle.
This guide covers the best things to do on an Australia Zoo day trip, how to plan your hours so you don’t miss the good stuff, and why jumping on the JOEY bus from Noosa is the no-stress way to do it.
If you’re backpacking the East Coast, you’ll see beaches everywhere. What you won’t see everywhere is a saltwater croc launching out of the water in a 5,000-seat arena, or a kangaroo eating out of your hand. Australia Zoo is open 9am to 5pm daily (closed Christmas Day) and has a huge spread of native and exotic animals, so it’s an easy win for a day off the sand.
It also fits perfectly into a Noosa stay. Most travellers spend a few days in Noosa anyway, and the zoo is a short drive south. One Tuesday, sorted.
Planning your wider trip? Check out Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism Australia for more inspiration.
This is the big one. The Wildlife Warriors Show runs at 1:15pm daily in the Crocoseum, with birds swooping overhead, giant snakes and the main event: saltwater crocs showing off exactly why you don’t swim in northern rivers. Rock up 15 to 20 minutes early for decent seats, especially in school holidays.
JOEY tip: On the JOEY day trip you’re at the gates when they open at 9am and don’t leave until 3:30pm, so the 1:15pm show sits right in the middle of your day with zero rushing.
Walk through the kangaroo enclosures and get up close with the roos. It’s the moment everyone back home wants a photo of, and it’s included with your entry. Go in the morning when the animals are more active and the crowds are thinner.
No Aussie trip is complete without seeing a koala. Australia Zoo has plenty of them, and there are paid encounter options if you want something more hands-on. Book encounters early in the day as popular slots fill up.
Not everything here is Australian. Tiger Temple is home to the zoo’s big cats, and Elephantasia is a tropical zone where keepers introduce you to the Sumatran elephants. Both are worth building into your route.
Rhinos, giraffes and zebras roaming an open range exhibit. The zoo runs a free internal shuttle, which makes getting out to the far side easy if your legs are still recovering from Hell’s Gates.
A lush island exhibit with lemurs, tortoises and more. A great chilled-out stop after lunch before the afternoon show.
The Wildlife Hospital treats thousands of sick and injured native animals and is a huge part of the Irwin family’s conservation work. You can grab a quick Sneak Peek through the viewing windows, or book the guided Wildlife Hospital Tour, which runs at 10am and 2:30pm. Both fit neatly into a JOEY day. Check current prices and times on the official Australia Zoo website.
If you’ve still got energy after the croc show, there’s a second conservation show later in the afternoon. Check the board at the entrance on the day for the latest times.
Pickup in Noosa, zoo entry included, six full hours to explore and a ride home. No hire car, no timetables, no stress.
Here’s how a Tuesday on the JOEY Australia Zoo Day Trip plays out:
You’ve basically got three options:
Flexible, but you’re paying for the hire, fuel and insurance on top of your zoo ticket, and someone has to be the designated driver. For most backpackers it’s overkill for one day.
Doable, but it usually means multiple connections, early starts and watching the clock all afternoon so you don’t miss the last service home. Not the vibe for a day off.
Door to zoo from Noosa, with your entry ticket already sorted. Adult zoo entry booked online on its own runs around $75, so for $169 you’re getting entry plus a return ride, a driver who knows the drill, and a bus full of other travellers to hang out with. JOEY Route Pass holders get it for $152.
The Australia Zoo Day Trip runs from Noosa, which sits right in the middle of the JOEY route. That makes it easy to slot into a longer adventure.
A JOEY Route Pass gets you hop-on hop-off travel between Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa and Rainbow Beach, in any direction, for six months from your first trip. Pass holders also get the zoo day trip for $152 instead of $169. Passes start at $89 for one trip, with the 6 trip pass working out at $67.50 a trip. See the full JOEY route and timetable or check availability.
If you’d rather not plan a thing, JOEY packages bundle transport, hostels and activities into one booking, with free days in Noosa that are perfect for adding the Tuesday zoo trip:
Still working out where to start? Read why Brisbane, not Sydney, is the smarter place to start your East Coast trip, find every pickup point in our JOEY bus stops guide, or check out our Noosa destination guide. Fancy another day out while you’re in town? The Buderim Waterfall Day Trip runs Wednesday afternoons, with a complimentary drink at Peregian Beach Hotel on the way home.
The easiest way is the JOEY Australia Zoo Day Trip, which picks up from Bounce Hostel Noosa at 8:00am and Noosa Heads Bus Station at 8:15am every Tuesday, and returns you to Noosa after leaving the zoo at 3:30pm.
It’s $169, including return transfer and zoo entry. JOEY Route Pass holders pay $152.
Yes. Your general admission ticket is included in the price. Paid extras such as animal encounters and the Wildlife Hospital Tour are booked separately with the zoo.
You get six full hours, from when the gates open at 9am until the bus leaves at 3:30pm. That’s enough time to see the major exhibits and the Wildlife Warriors Show.
The Wildlife Warriors Show in the Crocoseum runs daily at 1:15pm. Show times can change, so check the official Australia Zoo website or the board at the entrance on the day.
It runs every Tuesday from Noosa.
No. Day trips are booked separately, so anyone can join. Route Pass holders just get a cheaper price.
Definitely. JOEY buses are small group and most passengers are solo backpackers, so it’s an easy way to meet people and have someone to watch the crocs with.
Every Tuesday from Noosa. Entry included. Six hours at the zoo. Just show up.
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