Hartley's Wildlife Encounters Review
These are the four small-group experiences at Hartley's, and each one includes your park entry, the lagoon cruise and the public shows. On the Big Croc Feed you pole-feed a large saltwater crocodile with a handler, hold a juvenile croc and take home a signed certificate. Zootastic 5 and Mammal Magic are about koalas, wombats, kangaroos and wallabies, and Reptastic 5 is for anyone who likes things scaly. Groups are capped at four to six people, so they book out. Book by 4pm the day before at the latest.
Big Croc Feed, Zootastic 5, Reptastic 5 and Mammal Magic
Big Croc Feed
Pole-feed a large saltwater crocodile. 45 min, max 4, ages 16+. 10:30am (seasonal) or 1:00pm, confirmed when you book. With a return coach: $220 from Cairns & Northern Beaches, $205 from Palm Cove, $236 from Port Douglas per adult.
Zootastic 5
Five animal encounters incl. koala patting photo. 60 min, max 6, ages 10+. 9:30am or 1:30pm, confirmed when you book. With a return coach: $220 from Cairns & Northern Beaches, $205 from Palm Cove, $236 from Port Douglas per adult.
Reptastic 5
Pythons, alligators and a croc or snake photo. 60 min, max 6, ages 10+. 10:45am, confirmed when you book. With a return coach: $220 from Cairns & Northern Beaches, $205 from Palm Cove, $236 from Port Douglas per adult.
Mammal Magic
Feed and pat Australian mammals, koala photo. 60 min, max 6, ages 6+. 11:00am or 1:15pm, confirmed when you book. With a return coach: $220 from Cairns & Northern Beaches, $205 from Palm Cove, $236 from Port Douglas per adult.
What your ticket covers
- Park entry to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
- Your personalised tour with a keeper or crocodile handler
- The lagoon cruise and all public wildlife presentations
- A free bottle of chilled water
- Big Croc Feed: souvenir photo holding a juvenile crocodile and a certificate signed by your handler
- Zootastic 5 and Mammal Magic: souvenir koala photo
- Reptastic 5: souvenir photo holding a python or baby crocodile
- Return coach transfer, when you choose a coach option
Which encounter suits you?
How the day runs
Each encounter has its own start time. The exact time is confirmed when you book.
Before you go
The full review
Most people come to Hartley's for the lagoon cruise and the shows. These encounters are what turn a good day there into the one you keep talking about. You stop watching from behind a railing and spend 45 minutes to an hour with a keeper, in a group of four to six.
The Big Croc Feed is the headline. You pole-feed a large saltwater crocodile under the eye of a crocodile handler, hold a juvenile croc for a souvenir photo and go home with a certificate signed by your handler. It is limited to four people and you must be 16 or over, so it suits couples and older teenagers. If your group includes someone younger, they can watch on a normal entry ticket.
For families with younger children, Mammal Magic is the one I point people to. From age 6, with a half-price child fare, you feed kangaroos and wallabies, meet a wombat and the cotton top tamarins, and get a koala photo. Zootastic 5 covers more ground, from feeding a cassowary to patting a wombat, with a koala patting photo, from age 10. Reptastic 5 is pythons, alligators, lizards and tortoises, with a photo holding a python or baby crocodile.
Why it gets Best Animal Encounter and a 4.9: you get a genuinely hands-on hour with a keeper, and the price includes your whole day at the park. Book early though. With four to six places per session, they go.
Hartley's Wildlife Encounters FAQs