Rockhampton Zoo

This zoo might not be as big as Adelaide's zoo but it's free! The animal exhibits are being renovated to be more spacious and as like the natural habitat as they can be given it's a zoo.

We got up close and personal with a 36 year old chimpanzee that looked lonely. He and another male (38 years old) had a large enclosure with sections of glass windows. The chimp didn't seem to bother about people; he ambled from one end to squat where we were waiting. I took a lot of photos but the reflection from the glass can be seen.

Look at those eyes!











The Zoo is situated in The Botanical Gardens with a golf club as part of the complex. The fern garden is great. With the Fitzroy River running on one side, this is a very peaceful place (until the dingos start howling). The koalas sleep, move a limb and continue sleeping; Snappy, the small crocodile, sits in some water watching; it looks like its in training for its adult life. Another highlight was watching a wombat waddling in its large enclosure in the middle of the afternoon. We've only seen them at night. A lone cassowary was spotted after a long search - they hide themselves very well - no wonder they're hard to find in their habitat.

Checking out the fern garden is a must if you visit Rockhampton. There are some very different ferns from Australia and other countries growing here.