Top 10 Aussie things you will see at the Melbourne Zoo

A visit to Melbourne Zoo ranks highly on any list of must-see destinations in Victoria’s capital city. It is Australia’s oldest zoo, opened in 1862 and modelled after the zoo in London, England. Many historic buildings are still standing, including the Elephant House, which is included on the Australian National Heritage List.

Melbourne Zoo is located within Royal Park in Melbourne’s Parkville suburb, close to the city’s central core. Over a million people pass through the gates each year. Which really begs the question: What are they all looking at?

Here then are 10 (mostly Australian) Things to See at Melbourne Zoo

1. The Platypus

The platypus has famously been called ‘an animal designed by committee’ and while it is a national icon, very few Australians have ever seen one in the wild. This is because they are notoriously shy and difficult to spot. At Melbourne Zoo, you can get a look at one of only two mammals that lay eggs. The other (and much more common one) is the echidna.

2. The Australian Bush Exhibit

This is the section of Melbourne Zoo where visitors flock to see a veritable smorgasbord of Australian wildlife. Kangaroos, Emus, and Koalas are housed in a natural setting which also displays many fine examples of the country’s 20,000 flowering plants. The exhibit includes a Tasmanian Devil habitat, a rare chance to see a marsupial now close to extinction. The sector is also home to the Great Flight Aviary where you can see cockatoos, apostle birds and parrots among the many other native species on display.

3. The Wombat

We’ve taken the southern hairy-nosed wombat out of the Australian Bush Exhibit and given it star billing because they’re just so cute! The ones at Melbourne zoo are the most sociable of the three wombat species, who are generally known to be solitary creatures. They are not on the endangered list, but there is growing concern that their natural habitats are shrinking due to deforestation.

4. The Baw Baw Frog

This small amphibian is only found on the Mount Baw Baw Plateau in Victoria. It is estimated that it will be completely extinct in the wild within 5-10 years. Melbourne Zoo is working hard to maintain the species in captivity, and hopes to begin a breeding program in 2019 when their youngsters reach maturity. You can also catch a glimpse of other native frogs on the endangered species list, including the Southern Corroboree frog and the whimsically named Stuttering frog.

5. The Special “Close-Up” Encounters

For an additional fee, you can get right in to the exhibits at Melbourne Zoo. Small groups of no more than 5-8 people can visit the lemurs, giraffes, kangaroos, meerkats and monkeys. The keepers will let you get face-to-face with the animals, and the fee contributes to Zoos Victoria’s efforts to fight wildlife extinction. The keepers will even take your picture for you.

6. The Tigers

No, you’re right, there are no tigers in Australia. But if you ever wanted to walk around a tiger habitat, you can do it at Melbourne Zoo. For an additional fee, which goes towards fighting wildlife extinction, the keeper will take you into the Sumatran tiger exhibit. Don’t worry, the animals will be safely penned while you’re there. You can leave treats and then watch from a special viewing area as the tigers sniff your scent and seek out your gifts.

7. The Zoo Bakery   

There are several different options for dining at Melbourne Zoo, but it’s the only one in the country with its own bakery. You can watch the bakers at work and choose your lunch from a whole array of goods including pies, pasties, baguettes and sweets. You have to wonder if those bakers don’t start to feel like they’re in one of the exhibits after a while, with all those hungry faces peering through the window…

8. The Australian Fur Seal

The Australian Fur Seal was almost hunted to extinction but numbers are increasing since it joined the protected species list. Found off Tasmania, Victoria, and Bass Strait, it is the largest of all fur seals and males can weight up to 360kg. That’s good eating for the Great White Sharks and Killer Whales who are their natural predators. Watching the seals frolic in the Melbourne Zoo pool is absolutely mesmerizing.

9. The Butterfly House

Australia has over four hundred native species of butterfly, and many can be found at the Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House. You can walk through the balmy greenhouse (a constant 28 degrees) and surround yourself with the beating of phosphorescent wings. The Butterfly House is one of the zoo’s most popular attractions, and entry is included with your general admission…

10. The Australian Wildlife Breakfast

We’ve saved the best until last because this really is a treat. If you can gather twenty friends together, you can have breakfast at Melbourne Zoo before the gates open to the public. Your group gets to spend two hours eating a buffet breakfast on the koala viewing platform, while hearing all the best stories from their keepers. When you’ve had your fill, you can wander down for a visit with the kangaroos.

11. The Recycled Toilet Paper

Alright, that’s probably not the best thing to call it, but you’re getting a bonus because Melbourne Zoo participates in Zoo Victoria’s “guilt free bums” program. They use loo paper made from recycled materials to reduce the number of trees that are cut down each year. This helps to preserve the natural habitats of Australia’s native animals.