Steve Irwin's wildlife sanctuary at Beerwah, on the southern edge of the Sunshine Coast hinterland — over a thousand animals across more than a hundred acres, from saltwater crocodiles at the Crocoseum to free-roam koalas, kangaroos you can hand-feed, Sumatran tigers, cassowaries, Tasmanian devils, and one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the country. Cooee runs three packages with zoo entry included: a standard day from the Sunshine Coast with around five and a half hours at the zoo ($135pp); a combo day that adds Glass House Mountains lookouts to the Australia Zoo experience ($165pp); or an express day from Brisbane CBD with the maximum zoo time available ($179pp). Operated under our Cooee Nature thread in partnership with Sunshine Coast Bus Lines (SCBL).
Australia Zoo began in 1970 as the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park, a modest operation run by Bob and Lyn Irwin on a few acres of bushland at the southern edge of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Their son Steve grew up among the snakes and crocodiles, took over the park in the early 1990s, renamed it Australia Zoo in 1992, and over the next fifteen years built it into one of the most-visited wildlife destinations in the country. After Steve's death in 2006, the zoo continued under Terri, Bindi, and Robert Irwin — expanding the conservation programs, building the on-site Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital (now treating more than nine thousand native animals every year), and maintaining the educational, hands-on, conservation-first approach that defined Steve's work.
Today the zoo occupies more than a hundred acres at 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, with over a thousand animals across the property. The Crocoseum, a 5000-seat amphitheatre, hosts daily saltwater crocodile feeding shows and free-flight bird demonstrations — the signature Australia Zoo experience. The free-roam koala enclosure lets you walk among koalas in eucalypt forest at eye level. The kangaroo paddock is open for hand-feeding. There's a serious tiger conservation program (Sumatran and Bengal tigers, both endangered), cheetah, Tasmanian devil, cassowary, wombat, snake, and free-flight bird collections. And the on-site Wildlife Hospital, while not open to general visitors, has interpretive displays explaining the work — a reminder that the zoo's primary mission is conservation and rescue, not entertainment alone.
Cooee Tours' Australia Zoo Day Tour comes in three flavours, all with zoo entry included. The Standard Day from the Sunshine Coast drops you at the zoo by opening at 9am, gives you five and a half hours on the property, and returns by mid-afternoon. The Australia Zoo + Glass House Mountains Combo adds the Glass House Mountains lookouts on the journey south (the same Jinibara cultural country Steve Irwin worked alongside for decades). The Australia Zoo Express from Brisbane picks up Brisbane CBD travellers and gives you the maximum zoo time available — nearly seven hours on-site.
An honest framing. Cooee Tours is not affiliated with Australia Zoo — we are an authorised re-seller of zoo entry as part of a guided coach tour package. The advantage of booking through Cooee rather than driving yourself: Sunshine Coast or Brisbane accommodation pickup, no Bruce Highway driving stress, no zoo parking fees, expert guide commentary on the journey (including Jinibara Country and Glass House Mountains background), and zoo entry already paid. Cooee Tours is Brisbane-based since 1974; partner brand Sunshine Coast Bus Lines (SCBL) is based at Kunda Park — 35 minutes from Australia Zoo. Both operate to professional safety standards under Waggie Group governance. Family-owned. Australia Zoo and Beerwah sit on Jinibara Country.
A 5000-seat amphitheatre at the heart of the zoo, hosting daily saltwater crocodile feeding shows and free-flight bird demonstrations. Show times typically run mid-morning and around midday (confirm on the day). Fully wheelchair-accessible seating. The signature Australia Zoo experience.
A walk-through koala enclosure in landscaped eucalypt forest at eye level — one of the best koala viewing experiences in Queensland. Optional koala photo experience available at additional cost (~$30pp, advance booking recommended on peak days).
Walk-through kangaroo and wallaby paddock — purchase a feed bag at the entrance (~$5) and hand-feed the free-roaming roos. Particularly popular with international visitors and children. Photo opportunities abound.
Sumatran and Bengal tigers (both critically endangered) in large naturalistic enclosures with daily keeper talks. The cheetah enclosure is one of the largest of its kind in Australia. Australia Zoo participates in international conservation breeding programs.
Snakes (eastern brown, tiger, taipan, king brown), goannas, dragons, freshwater crocodiles, Tasmanian devils, wombats, cassowaries, dingoes. The Australian native section traces back to the zoo's original 1970 founding as the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park.
The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital (on-site, not open to public visitors) treats more than 9000 native animals every year — koalas with chlamydia, vehicle-struck wallabies, oil-affected seabirds. Interpretive displays around the zoo explain the work. A core part of the Irwin conservation legacy.
Three packages, three timelines. Pick by your pickup location and how much zoo time you want — a focused 5.5-hour SC day, a hinterland-combination day with Glass House lookouts, or maximum zoo time from Brisbane.
All packages include Australia Zoo entry, accommodation pickup, air-conditioned coach, expert guide, and return drop-off. Max 12 guests per coach. Child pricing applies for ages 2-15; under 2 free on parent's lap on coach + zoo. Family discounts available — email for a quote.
Private group, school group, conference, and corporate bookings available — email for tailored quote. 13-49 seater coach options. Steve Irwin Day (15 November) annual event packages available — book early.
A few things our guides quietly recommend to first-time Australia Zoo visitors — current as of 2026, subject to change at the zoo's discretion.
The Crocoseum gets crowded by show time. Aim to be seated 20-25 minutes before the show — gives you choice of seats, shade, and a chance to settle. Both daily shows run a similar format with different keeper personalities. If you only see one, the midday show typically draws bigger croc activity.
The free Discovery Tour zoo train shuttles around the property — great for families with tired kids, seniors who want to conserve walking, or just getting from the front end to the African section quickly. Pick up at the train station near the Crocoseum. Multiple departures throughout the day.
If a koala photo experience is on your list, book it at the entrance gates as soon as you arrive — slots fill quickly on peak days. ~$30pp, supervised by zookeepers under current welfare protocols. The koala rotates through several short sessions per day with substantial rest in between.
If you want to see the koala walk or tigers without crowds, get to those exhibits in the first hour after the zoo opens. Most coach tours and family groups head to the Crocoseum first; the back-of-zoo enclosures stay quieter until mid-morning.
"Best decision of our family holiday. Coach pickup at our Mooloolaba apartment at 8am, dropped at the zoo for opening, picked up at 2:30, dropped home — zero stress, no Bruce Highway driving, no parking fees, and the kids got the full Crocoseum + koalas + kangaroos experience. Our guide gave the Irwin family backstory on the way down which set the whole day up beautifully."
"Visiting from Germany — did the Combo package. The Glass House Mountains lookout in the morning gave us the geological and Aboriginal cultural context, then the zoo experience, then Wild Horse Mountain Lookout on the return. Felt like a complete Sunshine Coast day rather than just a zoo visit. Our guide knew the Jinibara Country background and explained it with genuine care."
"Brisbane-based grandparents taking three grandkids — the Brisbane Express package gave us nearly seven hours at the zoo, which we actually needed. Both Crocoseum shows, leisurely lunch, koala photo for the grandkids, kangaroo feeding, plus time for the tiger and cheetah viewings. Honestly couldn't have managed a day like that self-driving."
Our fortnightly Cooee Local column publishes insider tips on the Sunshine Coast hinterland — Australia Zoo school holiday strategy, seasonal Crocoseum highlights, Steve Irwin Day (15 November) event coverage, the smaller Beerwah-and-Glass-House-Mountains stops worth knowing about. Written by our Sunshine Coast guides, for travellers who want the inside line.
Read Cooee Local →Our Sunshine Coast guides on which Crocoseum show to pick, when to do the koala walk, why the back of the zoo is quieter, and what to skip when you only have 5-6 hours on-site.
Read article →Beerwah is a small town on the southern edge of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, population around 3,500, named for Mt Beerwah — the highest of the Glass House Mountains peaks at 556 metres, which dominates the southern horizon from the town. Bob and Lyn Irwin chose Beerwah in 1970 because of its proximity to wild bushland, its mild climate, and the suitability of the soil for the reptile and fauna park they intended to build. Steve Irwin grew up here. The Irwin family connection to Beerwah is now intergenerational.
Australia Zoo today is significantly more than a tourist attraction — it operates as a registered conservation organisation, runs international tiger and cheetah breeding programs, contributes to native species rehabilitation through the on-site Wildlife Hospital, and supports the broader Wildlife Warriors conservation foundation. Steve Irwin Day (15 November, around the date of his birthday) is an annual zoo-wide event drawing thousands of guests. The current Irwin family — Terri, Bindi, and Robert — continues the active operational and conservation work; the zoo is genuinely family-run, not corporate.
Acknowledgement of Country. Cooee Tours acknowledges the Jinibara people as the traditional custodians of the Blackall Range hinterland and the Glass House Mountains region, including Beerwah where Australia Zoo is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing connection to country, waters, and culture. Mt Beerwah, the pregnant mother of the Jinibara Tibrogargan Dreaming, rises within view of Australia Zoo and gives its name to the surrounding town.
