Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
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Hartley’s is one of the oldest running tourist attractions in the Cairns region. The business began in 1934 as a tea house for weary motorists, traversing the recently opened road between Cairns and Mossman.
Legend has it, the original owner Pop Evans, entertained motorists by feeding Charlie the resident crocodile while scones cooked in the wood stove, and become the first person in Australia to perform crocodile shows for the public. Eighty-eight years later, Hartley’s world famous Crocodile Attack Show is as popular as ever.
Hartley’s was also the first place in Australia to breed crocs in captivity. Work on crocodile conservation at Hartley’s Creek Zoo attracted worldwide interest.
By now, the Zoo had established a venerable pedigree as one of north Queensland’s leading attractions. Renovated in 1987 by the Freeman family, the zoo remained at its original site until 2002 when the brand new Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures opened 500m south of Hartley’s Creek, delivering authentic crocodile experiences in a new sustainable eco-attraction.
Over the last 20 years, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures has continued to grow offering visitors a suite of innovative, up close wildlife experiences, along with the regular introduction of new wildlife displays.
Cairns Zoom & Wildlife Dome
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Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome is the world’s first Challenge Ropes Course in a wildlife exhibit, located in the Cairns CBD. Experience adventure on the Mid-ZOOM or Hi-ZOOM courses and zipline over Goliath, our 4.5m crocodile. Wander through our wildlife park and visit our tropical birds, pythons, turtles and koalas.
Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome is the world’s first Challenge Ropes Course in a wildlife exhibit. Located in the heart of the Cairns CBD on top of the Casino, it is an all-weather experience offering a range of activities for all ages.
Experience adventure on the Mid-ZOOM or Hi-ZOOM courses, consisting of 65 elements including crossings, tunnels, a climbing wall, and three ziplines at various heights and lengths, including one directly over Goliath, our 4.5 metre saltwater crocodile.
For the thrill-seekers, PowerJump is an exhilarating free-fall adventure with a 13 metre drop. After a rapid descent, a fan provides a safe, gentle landing at the bottom.
The Pirate Climb and Commando Rope Climb activities offer an exciting physical challenge to visitors, with participants climbing up a large cargo net or single vertical rope … not as easy as it sounds!
Walk along internal elevated walkways and get a unique birds-eye view of the layout of the Dome. You can also step outside the glass walls (and your comfort zone!) to try the external Dome-Climb. Offering spectacular views of the city, the Coral Sea, and the surrounding landscapes, it’s an experience not to be missed.
Meanwhile in the wildlife exhibit, enjoy a leisurely walk through our small bird aviary,.Take the opportunity to interact with a variety of native Australian birds including Gouldian finches and fig parrots as they fly and feed around you.
Get up close and personal with lizards, freshwater crocodiles and turtles, and take advantage of our raised boardwalks to observe Goliath the crocodile in his year-round heated enclosure – the only one of its kind in Australia. The glass-walled enclosure allows you to see him even when he’s in the water, or view him from above on one of our elevated boardwalks.
Meet our resident Ruffus Bettongs and wander along the brand new Python Pathway to see local snake species in their recreated natural environments.
See one of our Koalas and find out why they sleep all day and how they raise their young. You can personally cuddle a Koala and have your photo taken as a souvenir of your experience (at an extra cost), or even a crocodile or snake, if you dare!
Meet our cheeky resident birds including our Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Papuan Frogmouths, Eclectus Parrots and Black Cockatoos. Keep ap an eye out for Snowy, our rare White Cockatoo, as he flies freely throughout the dome.
Educational and informative wildlife presentations are held regularly throughout the day, and are presented by our experienced Wildlife Keepers. Experience the sheer power of the Estaurine Crocodile during our Crocodile Show or get up-close to smaller reptiles during our Reptile Show.
Learn about the iconic Australian koala in our Koala Talk or see adorable Sugar Gliders during our Nocturnal Mammals presentation.
Daintree River Croc Spotting Tour
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Spot crocodiles and other wildlife on the Daintree River!
Bruce Belcher’s Daintree River Cruises offer a one-hour wild life cruise. We are keen bird watchers and have a good eye for crocodiles and tree snakes, with crocodiles being spotted on 98% of trips, particularly in cooler months (June to September).
We operate Daintree tours from our home on the banks of the Daintree River in a secluded wildlife boutique facility. Come and relax in our garden room, listen to the surrounding wildlife and enjoy a complimentary Daintree Tea or coffee before or after your Daintree river tours experience. Peruse our tropical souvenir collection. Meander through our lush tropical garden to our private jetty to board our vessel for a guided tour.
Our specialised small boats are specifically designed for small groups, as opposed to the usual 50 seaters on the river. Our small groups enjoy the personalised introduction with the guide and other guests
Why choose us for your Daintree river tours?
- Experienced guides that enjoy showing wildlife including Daintree crocodile tours
- Our tour is conducted from a private boutique facility, not from a public concrete jetty
- Small personalised groups
- No loud speakers – great for Daintree bird watching on our tours
- We provide good quality binoculars – Pentax 8 x 40
- Nature walk to private jetty, garden area for complimentary Daintree Tea & freshly brewed coffee
- Aussie family business that have a great lifestyle and want to share our Daintree river tours with you!
Daintree Croc Spotting Tour on Solar Powered Boat
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Solar Whisper is the only zero-emission boat on the Daintree River. Quietly glide up to crocodiles & other wildlife without scaring them or hurting their habitat.
Highest success ratefor spotting crocodiles, excellent birding opportunities and other wildlife possibilities such as snakes, frogs, crabs and fish.
Your experienced interpretive guide is accustomed to the nuances of the river, rain-forest and mangroves and can spot an incredible variety of wildlife that you would not necessarily see on your own. The boat is fitted with the unique “CROC CAM” to help show well-camouflaged crocodiles & wildlife.
This is a small, family-operated business practicing true Eco-Tourism.
What To Bring:
– Clothing suitable for the weather