Day 11: Hartleys Crocodile Adventures

What are we going to do on our last day in Queensland? Due to some very positive reports, we decide to visit Hartleys Crocodile Adventures. The crocodile farm is located about 45 km north of Cairns.

We set off at 9:30 am because we want to be at the crocodile feeding at 11 am on the farm. Everything works out great. The parking lot is well filled, but in the park it is easy to navigate and there is also enough space at the shows.

Throughout the day, various activities are offered on the farm. In between, there is some time to visit various animals (mostly reptiles and birds) for a short visit.

We start with the crocodile feeding at 11 am. The visitors take a seat on the grandstand and two rangers feed the saltwater crocodiles with chicken parts, provide information about everything related to the "snappies", and answer questions from the farm visitors. During the show, someone gives us their voucher for the do-it-yourself crocodile feeding (freshwater crocodiles). We receive a bamboo stick with a thread and a chicken head attached, and now we can try our hand at feeding the "crokoriles" (quote Samuel). We all have a lot of fun doing it.

We stroll around the grounds before we take the boat tour on Hartleys Lagoon at 1 pm. A ranger feeds the saltwater crocodiles from the boat, and we get quite close to the crocs - luckily through plexiglass. Afterwards, we continue with the farm tour. Here you can learn everything about the breeding of the snappies and have the opportunity to stroke a baby crocodile. Its tummy feels very soft.

We start the snake show at 2 pm. That's not really our thing. The kids fall asleep in the buggy and we also feel tired. We decide to have a snack in the restaurant and, as befits a crocodile farm, order a crocodile Caesar's salad. We all like the taste of it. Samuel is really proud that we are eating "rokoril" and emphasizes again and again how good it tastes.

The crocodile attack show takes place at 3 pm. Here, two rangers try to lure the crocodiles out of the water. Samuel gets scared and we run away.

Feeding the kangaroos, on the other hand, is an absolute highlight for all of us. We are given vegetables that we can feed to the animals. They are very tame and can be fed from the hand. It's a great experience to be so close to the animals for children (and adults) alike.

On the way back, we pass by the koalas again and what a miracle, they are not sleeping. So we have the opportunity to observe the little koala baby up close. It is super cute. The koalas are my absolute favorites. When the rangers carry them, they cling to their protectors like our little Maxima.

We really enjoyed our visit to Hartleys Crocodile Adventures. Feeding the kangaroos was the absolute highlight for Samuel.

We start the return journey to Cairns. Since our refrigerator is already empty, we survive on fast food.

Tired and happy from the eventful day, the kids fall asleep. For us, it's time to get to work. We still have to pack our suitcases because tomorrow at 9 am our plane will depart for Darwin.

3.11.2016

Accommodation: Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort / Cairns

Weather: sunny, 31 degrees