Located in the heart of Darling Harbour, adjacent to the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds, is WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo. This award-winning, native wildlife park is designed like a rainbow serpent from the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, with open-air exhibits enclosed by a stainless steel mesh roof that resembles the serpent’s ribs. The exhibits feature native trees and plants in their landscaping to provide a natural home for koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, platypus and even Tasmanian devils.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is divided into ten different zones, including the Kakadu Gorge where crocodiles roam and the Daintree Rainforest that is home to the unique cassowary bird. There’s also a fascinating Night Fall exhibit where you can catch a glimpse of Australia’s nocturnal species, such as ghost bats, yellow-bellied gliders, bilbies and spotted tailed quolls. The Butterfly Tropics feature lush ferns and palms that provide a home for colorful green tree pythons and a variety of butterfly species, while the Devil’s Den is dedicated to these feisty creatures which are endemic to Tasmania.

Witness koalas lazing about and munching on eucalyptus leaves within Gumtree Valley and see yellow-footed rock wallabies, a bare nosed wombat, blue tongue lizards and kookaburras within the Wallaby Cliffs exhibit. You can also catch a glimpse of one of Australia’s most elusive native species, the platypus, and learn more about what makes them such a unique animal.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo also runs a “Breakfast with the Koalas” on select Saturdays and Sundays where you can get up close to these cuddly creatures and enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast before the zoo opens to day visitors. Or you can get a completely different perspective on the zoo with their “Wild Flight” adventure that will see you zip-lining above the enclosures alongside Australian native birds.