Taronga Zoo
Five thousand animals on the Mosman shore — and the Sydney skyline watches from across the water.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Sydney offline.
Open since 7 October 1916, this 28-hectare zoo on the Mosman shore packs 350 species into zoogeographic regions with unobstructed views of Sydney Harbour. The name "Taronga" is an Aboriginal word meaning "beautiful view" — the zoo earns it twice over.
What to look for
- The 1915 Rustic Bridge: stones embedded in its walls in a style reminiscent of Italian grottoes
- The Platypus and Nocturnal houses, added after a 1967 conservation overhaul shifted the zoo toward scientific preservation
- The walkthrough Rainforest Aviary, part of the same post-1967 expansion
Open 9:30am–4:30pm May to August, 9:30am–5:00pm September to April; cafe and zoo shop on site.
Taronga Zoo is one of 23 sights worth the detour in Sydney, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Sydney pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Sydney
- Sydney Opera HouseJørn Utzon won the design competition in 1957, directed construction, then resigned before it ever opened — Queen Elizabeth II cut the ribbon on 20 October 1973.
- Sydney Harbour BridgeWalk the arch of the world's tallest steel bridge — nicknamed "the Coathanger" — with Sydney Harbour spread out below you and the arch top rising 134 m above the water.
- Accor StadiumBuilt in 1999 for A$690 million, this was the largest Olympic stadium ever constructed — originally squeezing in 115,000 people.
- Sydney Tower EyeAt 309 m above the CBD, this is the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere by deck elevation — clearing Auckland's Sky Tower by nearly 30 m.
- Australian MuseumThe world's fifth oldest natural history museum has been in Sydney since 1827 — older than the colony could really afford it.
- Sydney Cricket GroundA British Army garrison pitch from February 1854, now one oval shared by two sporting codes.