Location – 98 K
Road, Werribee Victoria
Entry Price – Adult $26.80AUD Children (4 - 15) $13.20AUD Pensioners
$24.10AUD
Opening Hours – 9am to 5pm, Every Day – All year
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| Front entrance sign to car-park |
Layout
Werribee Open Range Zoo is located
35 kilometers west of Melbourne. Basically follow the Princess Freeway for about
30 minutes and then follow the signs. It’s located in the Werribee Park Precinct
so be sure to leave ample time to explore all of the other great activities and
attractions in this area.
The zoo is divided into sections,
each a unique wildlife experience in itself.
The Safari
is where you can take a ride and see zebras, giraffes, rhinos, ostriches, bison
and a large selection of hoofed animals including Przewalski’s horses. The safari takes you around expansive fields dotted
with lakes and rivers and lasts for approximately 40 minutes.
Paula Reserve Trail is the enclosure location for gorillas, lions,
meerkats, cheetahs and hippopotami. The majority of this walk is on a well-maintained
board walk.
Australian Journey is where you will find Kangaroos, Emus and other Australian animals.
Wirribi River Trail is a natural bush walk including a viewing
platform with great views of the river and what felt like 27,000 rabbits!
The park is in excellent
condition, well signed with well-themed public art scattered throughout. There are three
areas where food can be purchased and a gift store is located near the entry / exit
of the park.
Extra Activities
Werribee Open Range Zoo offers an impressive
range of “Wild Encounters” at an extra charge. For example you can go behind
the scenes to learn more about the gorillas, take your own personal safari on
the open vehicle adventure or even stay the night in a luxury tent overlooking
the savannah.
Other activities include a village
dance party, junior safari and guided tours that are all included in your entry
ticket price. Times tend to be during the week for some of these activities so
check the web page for more details.
Conservation Programs
The zoo sells beautiful art and jewellery pieces
made by the women in the Melako Community Conservancy located in Northern
Kenya. The conservancy is community run and was established to help people live
in balance with nature. Over the years drought has been responsible for the
death of many of the conservancy’s livestock, a major form of food and income
for the villagers. To survive, local
wildlife like the rare Grevy’s Zebra and African elephant were hunted for food,
putting pressure on already depleted herds. By making and selling these pieces through the
Zoo shop, the community is closer to being self-sustainable and in turn reduces
their need to hunt the endangered animals of Northern Kenya.
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| Beads for wildlife |
Stu’s Favourite Bit
For me The Safari was the
highlight of my visit to this zoo. Not to take away from the rest of the park
but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the animals interacting in their vast open space.
The commentary provided by the driver was excellent and the conservation
message was outstanding and continued throughout the entire safari. The opportunity
to see the impressive range of antelopes the rare Przewalski’s horse and North American
bison was breathtaking. Hearing the back stories of how they have all been
brought back from the brink of extinction, reminds me why good zoos are such an
important part of the world’s conservation effort.
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| Bison on safari |
Stu’s review and tips
This is a fantastic zoo! From the
safari to the enclosures, the Werribee Open Range Zoo has found the perfect balance
of entertainment and conservation. Yes you will see a lot of the big ticket
animals like lions, gorillas and hippos. But it’s the little things that make
this zoo so good.
Walking around the zoo and especially
the Pula Reserve Trail is a good example of going beyond just providing good
enclosures. You totally get immersed in the theming, natural beauty and the
clever way in which the zoo gives you information about the animals and regions
in which they live. The enclosures themselves are just an extension of your immediate surroundings,
putting you right in the middle of your very own 'Discovery Channel' program.
Even though you feel you are discovering
things in this zoo -the way finding is very well done. From clear signage to the
clever usage of totem poles guiding you to the safari station, you will find yourself
doing less thinking of what to do next and more just taking it all in.
Although there are three areas
that you can grab a bite to eat around
the zoo the best place to sit and grab lunch is the Meerkat Kiosk. One side of the kiosk are glass windows looking
out to a large meerkat enclosure. The food's pretty good too. The other two
eateries seem to be only open for short amounts of time or on weekends only.
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| It's not every day you get this close up and personal to a cheetah. |
There are heaps of well-maintained
bathroom facilities throughout the zoo, including at the Safari station. Be warned
that no strollers are allowed on the vehicle, so park your strollers at the
section provided and try and get to the station at least 10 minutes prior to
departure. It can get very crowded and I saw one couple turned away because
they had a stroller. They missed that safari and had to wait for the next
departure.
Construction work was underway for
a new entrance to the park when I visited. It looks like more of an entrance plaza
type of set up like conventional zoos. When I entered via the current / old
entrance the first thing I glimpsed was a large silverback sitting on his large
raised island surveying all beneath him. It was quite the entrance statement.
I absolutely recommend this zoo. It
encapsulates all the reasons that I started this blog in the first place. It’s
everything a good zoo should be and more.
Must See Animals
Gorillas
Bison
Hippo
Lion
Cheetah
Meerkat
© October 2013-Stuatthezoo.blogspot.com.au
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