Review: Crocosaurus Cove Darwin – Family Attractions

Review: Crocosaurus Cove Darwin – Family Attractions

Before jet setting off to have a holiday in Darwin, we did what every great traveller does, and hit Google! We were on the search for great kids activities and family friendly Darwin attractions, and we weren’t disappointed. We didn’t know anyone who’d been to Darwin, let alone lived there, so we had to rely on what information we could find online to get an idea of what might be available to do once we arrived. Crocosaurus Cove was one of the more interesting options that we stumbled upon and it appeared it would suit our family’s interest in animals, was right in the centre of the city, so it was super convenient and would be great fun for the kids and us parents too!

About: Crocosaurus Cove

Situated in the Darwin City Centre, Crocosaurus Cove is a wildlife experience like no other. This attraction was fairly new having only recently opened when we visited back in 2008, and while we weren’t sure what to expect it sounded like it would offer a unique experience. Crocosaurus Cove offers a unique 360 degree view of large salt water crocodiles, thanks to the unique planning and construction of enclosures, you can not only see crocs from above but also from underneath, something that we all loved experiencing.

Attractions that you will find at Crocosaurus Cove include:
  • Cage of Death – This allows you to enter the water with large Saltwater Crocodiles while in complete safety of a perspex cage.
  • World’s largest display of Australian Reptiles – This includes the chance to hold and touch reptiles that are brought out of their enclosures by staff, plenty of photo opportunities too.
  • 200,000 litre aquarium full of Barrumundi and other fish – A feature is the fish feeding.
  • “World of Crocs” Display and museum
  • Croc Fishing – this wasn’t available while we were there, but I sourced this information from their website (it sounds and looks great)!
  • Swim with the Crocs – Take your swimmers, there’s a pool that adjoins the croc cages making it feel as though you’re really swimming with the crocs – we didn’t realise so didn’t get the chance but there were others there who did.
  • Croc Feed Show – When we were there the naughty croc stole the feeding pole of a new handler, it added to the show 🙂
  • Eat with the Baby crocs – This was a highlight for our kiddos, while you’re eating yummy food from the cafe you can sit beside a large viewing window and be entertained by the antics of juvenile crocodiles, lots of fun for the kids.
Lunch with the Junvenile Crocodiles

Lunch with the Junvenile Crocodiles

Suitability for Families

When we visited Crocosaurus Cove, our children were aged 5, 3 and 1 and we had lots and lots of fun. When it comes to our children, any encounter with reptiles and crocodiles leaves them happy and if your children have a love of wildlife then I’m sure the experience will be similar.

Crocosaurus Cove is spread out over 3 stories of well planned inner city attraction. There’s plenty for children and adults alike to experience, read, touch, feel, see, experience and enjoy. I love the fact that there is so much information available within signs and displays in the centre, there’s some fun to be had with bite force, educational information and lots of great things to see in the museum, not to mention the hands on experience of holding and feeling a range of reptiles. There is air conditioning where possible, which is a huge benefit if it’s a hot day while you’re in Darwin.

The unique design of the crocodile enclosures allows you to stand underneath the crocs as they lay across the bottom and gives you a unique view of their scales and bellies, something we’d never seen close up before.

Where is Crocosaurus Cove?

 


View Larger Map

 

 Entry Details & Pricing

Crocosaurus Cove is open 9am to 6pm every day of the year except Christmas Day, so no matter when you’re visiting Darwin you’ll have the chance to visit.

Entry Prices are as follows: (current until 13/3/12 – follow link to website for updates)

FAMILY:

Family 1 (1A,2C) $57.00
Family 2 (2A,1C) $68.40
Family 3 (2A,2C) $83.60
Family 4 (2A,3C) $98.80

SINGLE:

Adult $28
Senior $22
Child (4-15yrs) $16
Infant (0-3yrs) Free

CAGE OF DEATH EXPERIENCE

1 Person/Single Cage $148.00pp (includes full day entry)
2 People/Double Cage $108.00pp (includes full day entry)

 

TIPS
  • Take swimmers so you don’t miss the chance to swim with the crocodiles
  • Be sure to check the website for the current times for croc feeding and other activities so you don’t miss anything
  • Cafe is available for hungry families
  • Allow at least a few hours to make the most of the entire attraction
  • Expect to see more than just crocodiles – bring your camera with an empty memory card, there’s lots to photograph
  • Wear hat & sunscreen on hot days as much of the attraction is outside, but there’s air conditioning available inside if you need a break from the heat.

[easyreview title=”Crocosaurus Cove Darwin Review” cat1title=”Good For Families?” cat1detail=”Definitely a great experience for families. 3 stories of interaction, education and entertainment. Lots of fun right in the heart of Darwin” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Location” cat2detail=”Easy to find, we found parking relatively easily and if you don’t want to eat at the cafe inside it’s only a short walk to eateries once you’re finished inside” cat2rating=”5″ cat3title=”Value for Money” cat3detail=”We only had to pay for 2 adults and one child when we were there due to our youngest 2 children being 3 and under. Now, it would cost us just under $100 to go which I think is a fair price for what’s on offer. There’s lots that goes into running an attraction like this, and it’s more than just crocs! The cafe can seem a little pricey to feed an entire family on a budget, but so is almost every attraction we’ve ever visited, but it’s well priced for a drink and a snack when taking a break inside. I’d definitely recommend making a day of it and perhaps really taking advantage of the educational aspects too for older children. Be sure to check the website for show times so you don’t miss anything.” cat3rating=”4″ summary=”For families of wildlife lovers, or those wanting to get up close and personal with crocs, then Crocosaurus Cove is lots of fun. We were there within a few months of it’s opening and the staff and facilities were great. We’d love to return to take part in some of the action that we didn’t experience when we were there the first time”]

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Have you visited Crocosaurus Cove? What did you think? Comment below to let us know 🙂
Travelling Australia With Kids – Our Aussie Dream

Travelling Australia With Kids – Our Aussie Dream

Hi and Welcome to Little Aussie Travellers.

For starters, I’m here writing this post expecting that it may never be read by anyone else other than myself, but I truly hope to build this site into something that not only tracks our past Australian Travels, but also tracks our planning for “THE BIG TRIP” in the future.  Only time will tell, but for now, here’s a little bit about us.

OUR PAST: In 2008 we had the amazing experience of travelling from Darwin to Adelaide with our 3 children. Little did I know that, that trip would spark a fire in my belly for Aussie travel that I’ve been unable to extinguish. Our children were aged 5, 3 & 18 months, we flew to Darwin, spent 3 weeks in a hire car – a Toyota Camry, and explored as much as we could cramp in, camping out in a dome tent right through Kakadu and Central Australia.

Now, some may call us crazy! I admit, a dome tent with 3 young children and only as many supplies as we could fit in our aircraft luggage does sound like a super wild adventure, but hey, we’re crazy people! We got to see sights on that trip that some will never see in a lifetime. Kakadu, Uluru, The Devil’s Marble’s, Katherine Gorge, Litchfield National Park, Coober Pedy, one of our favourite quirky stops was Larrimah Pub, and not to mention Daly Waters, oh yes and Wycliffe Well.

WHERE WE ARE NOW: We really thought our 3 week trip camping through Central Australia was the trip of a lifetime, but, as time has shown us, that small taste is just never going to be enough for us, and so, we’re now at the start of the end of this chapter of our lives. We’re realists, we own 3 businesses between us, have 3 children and need to be set up properly for long term travel, so we’re giving ourselves a year, maybe 2 to get things in order, and then we’ll start to make difinitive plans for our open ended trip. A life on the road, for who knows how long, sharing experiences that so few families get to share and soaking up all the wonder that this country has to offer.

WHERE WE’RE GOING: We’re going away… Living on the road, travelling Australia, but there’s so much to research, so much to learn and so much to prepare. So  here on Little Aussie Travellers I’m planning to build the ultimate resource for families, just like us who want to travel with children around Australia, whether for a few months, or a few years. I’ll be sharing all of our research, all of our experience from our past trips, talking about the good, the bad and the ugly as well as the absolute confusion that comes with plans as huge as the ones we have.

WHO WE ARE: Matt & Ree, now in our early 30’s, married for almost 9 years and our 3 children – Our Big Man born in 2003,  Our Little Cowgirl born in 2005 &  Our Little Man born in 2007 so right now as we plan to start planning they are 8, 6 & 4

I’ll look forward to the journey, and you never know, I may even be lucky enough to have a few people tune into our site and share too.