Australian Reptile Park ? » Australian Reptile Park

Australian Reptile Park ?
20-10-2003

Anyone been to the Australian Reptile Park up near Gosford recently ?

I know they had a huge fire there a couple of years ago, and have rebuilt. Is it worth going back to visit ? It must be at least 4 years since I've been there.

I remember they had a couple of great Tassie Devil enclosures back then, and one was quite restless - so we got a good view of them wandering around their enclosure (I think it was mating season). I know they aren't reptiles, but it stuck in my mind okay ?

the fire at the reptile park
27-10-2004

.... as much as I enjoy visiting reptile parks whenever I can ( we dont have any snakes in NZ -- even the zoos cannot display them ) , I feel sorry for the fire fighters that would have had to confront a lot of hot angry and potentially lethal venomous snakes there !

At the largest incident of the type in NZ zoos ( an elephant managed to walk out of the enclosure unaccompanied by its keeper ) the police made a very wide cordoned off area , and was not going to argue with an elephant
( even though the zoos elephants are docile )The Police told the zoo it was their responsibility to deal with the elephant , if they didnt want it shot !

How do Australian police / firefighters deal with the above sort of situation for their own safety ?

27-10-2004

Given that firefighters generally wear very thick protective clothing - I'd imagine even an angry Taipan wouldn't pose that much of a threat (unless the firefighter was very unlucky).

Not sure what their containment policies would be in this sort of situation ... you certainly don't want a family of Inland Taipans out and about in the Sydney area.

05-10-2008

I'm sorry for digging up this old thread but I was just on their website and it looks like a great place and I was amazed by the amount of exotics that they had. I was wondering if anyone has visited and could give a good review?

05-10-2008

Haven't been there for years - it's been on the to-do list for a long time, but we never seem to get there. I enjoyed my last trip (before the fire!) ... which was probably 9 years ago now.

I'll mention it to my wife and schedule a trip in sometime in the next few weeks ... it's only 90 minutes up the road - and it will give me another chance to play with my camera

06-10-2008

I visited back in 2001, and was very impressed. Highlights include a large lagoon near the entrance with numerous alligators reminiscent of an Everglades swamp. The inside house (rebuilt after the fire) is very good, with a large collection of native and exotic species. Of note: very large alligator snapper, rough-scaled pythons, rhino adder. Several classic outdoor pits with local species of lizard - beardies and blue-tongues. Mixture of other native species - dingo, flying fox, koala, emus, kangaroos etc. Behind the scenes is the venom production units with loads of death adders and funnel webs, but also the off-display housing of reptiles. Saw my first (and only) pair of Boelen's pythons.

All in all, a very nice park.

06-10-2008

Thanks Tetrapod and I hope you can get there soon Sim.

1 Week Ago

I'm planning a visit to Aust. Reptile Park in a few weeks time. I'll try to give an up-to-date report then. But that's not why I'm posting............. I've been checking the status of large exotic pythons in Australia on ISIS and it seems to me that Aust. Reptile Park doesn't report to ISIS.

Anyone know whether Aust. Rept. Park is a member of ARAZPA?
Don't all members of ARAZPA automatically join ISIS?

1 Week Ago

Ara the ARAZPA website says they are members

1 Week Ago

Thanks Mark - that was quick!

I assume therefore that ISIS membership is separate.

1 Week Ago

Ara,

If you join one of the Sydney reptile clubs in the next week or two, then you get free entry to the Australian Reptile Park on Sunday December 7 when the ReptileSocieties hold their Christmas Party there. There will be behind-the-scenes tours, the croc will be fed, and the big retic will probably be fed too.



Hix

1 Week Ago

ARP are members of ARAZPA. ARAZPA and ISIS are separate organisations and there is no requirement for membership of one to join the other.

1 Week Ago

Good stuff! So there's obviously more in Aussie zoos and animal parks than ISIS indicates.