Richard

Review of Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo is pretty great. It compares very fa...

Melbourne Zoo is pretty great. It compares very favourably with zoos from all over the world. It offers a compelling array of animals from all corners of the globe, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

It's a great place to bring the kids (if you're a local family, becoming a Zoo Member pays for itself very quickly) and I particularly love the Trail of the Elephants. The theming here is excellent and it's hard to believe you're only a couple of kilometres (as the wedge-tailed eagle flies) from Melbourne CBD.

The Lord Howe Island Stick Insect is another highlight thought to be extinct, until a colony was found on the precarious Balls Pyramid. Invertebrate keeper Rohan Cleave even wrote a picture book about it! (Buy from the gift shop).

As a parent, I'm particularly thankful for the coffee from Meerkats Cafe just in the main entrance and the cheap 5hr parking. The food's not cheap, but neither is it expensive. Just remember you're not paying a greedy corporation, you're helping an organisation whose slogan is "fighting extinction" to survive and thrive.

Oh...and when the dinosaurs come back, come and visit. They were well worth it!