Recent Cairns Trip

[yommy]

Did a trip to Cairns recently with the family and did the tourist thing. We went to Kuranda for a day trip and I visited a place called the "Venom Zoo" I am sorry but the place was a total joke and I wouldn't waste $15 bucks there again.

They didn't even have 15 snakes total in the place, not even close. Or not even a scrubby that's endemic to the area.

You get a personal tour by a teenager at the end that had no idea and the information he was stating was totally BS. Stuff like the Magnificent Green tree frog was endangered (which it probable is) so they were going to start a breeding program, but had no idea how they bred but was told country music helps, and this is was the type of stuff they were telling the general public.

I had to have a chuckle at the guide he was trying his best but besides me there were a few others on the tour that knew something about herps and we just kept firing questions at him. Morale to the story: make sure you’re educated and know your subject.

So I didn't rate the "Venom Zoo" but if your up that way the Hartley’s crocodile adventures was a really good day and the setup was good to. All the shows were professional and entertaining. Attached pics were the only good ones from the VZ. I post some of Hartley’s and some wild crocs on the Daintree too.

More pic's to follow...........

 

[GeckoJosh]

Maybe a place called something like Venom Zoo did not see the point in housing a python particularly one as large as a scrubby
ARP does not keep diamonds so maybe they like to keep stuff that u wont find at the park lands across the road (although they do keep alot of endemic lizards and elapids so go figure?)
Any way thanks for sharing your pics

 

[r3ptile.boy]

woo , so vz was basically a shed with some enclosures?

 

[AMY22]

Aw if it was a teenager it’s kind of funny and sad. But if he was telling people a lot of information that was incorrect then maybe say something? If someone in a zoo were giving incorrect information they’d get in a bit of trouble.

 

[yommy]

Aw if it was a teenager it’s kind of funny and sad. But if he was telling people a lot of information that was incorrect then maybe say something? If someone in a zoo were giving incorrect information they’d get in a bit of trouble.

Don't make the mistake of it being a Zoo, it's just titled the Venom Zoo and it is pretty primative setup hence why i wouldn't recommend it, but don't let me sway you, has anyone else had similar experience from there. I didn't see an adult employee the whole time i was there.

 

[yommy]

Some shots of the crocs at the Hartley Croc Adventures. Really enjoyed the day there and would recommend it for anyone visiting the area. The people of FNQ really do live in a beautiful place.

 

[yommy]

Maybe a place called something like Venom Zoo did not see the point in housing a python particularly one as large as a scrubby
ARP does not keep diamonds so maybe they like to keep stuff that u wont find at the park lands across the road (although they do keep alot of endemic lizards and elapids so go figure?)
Any way thanks for sharing your pics

they did have a few pythons there, 2 to be exact, a BHP a young kid was showing out the front to entice people in and an olive in a dodgy cage setup. Probably had a total of 7-8 snakes total. If i pay to go somewhere they entice people in with pythons for $15 i would at least want to see 15 snakes......

 

[yommy]

Here some pics of a big wild croc on the daintree river, even got to see a wild scrubby on the trip as well so it was a good day in paradise...............

 

[yommy]

here you go

 

[Niall]

Did a trip to Cairns recently with the family and did the tourist thing. We went to Kuranda for a day trip and I visited a place called the "Venom Zoo" I am sorry but the place was a total joke and I wouldn't waste $15 bucks there again.

They didn't even have 15 snakes total in the place, not even close. Or not even a scrubby that's endemic to the area.

You get a personal tour by a teenager at the end that had no idea and the information he was stating was totally BS. Stuff like the Magnificent Green tree frog was endangered (which it probable is) so they were going to start a breeding program, but had no idea how they bred but was told country music helps, and this is was the type of stuff they were telling the general public.

I had to have a chuckle at the guide he was trying his best but besides me there were a few others on the tour that knew something about herps and we just kept firing questions at him. Morale to the story: make sure you’re educated and know your subject.

So I didn't rate the "Venom Zoo" but if your up that way the Hartley’s crocodile adventures was a really good day and the setup was good to. All the shows were professional and entertaining. Attached pics were the only good ones from the VZ. I post some of Hartley’s and some wild crocs on the Daintree too.

More pic's to follow...........

I know what you mean.
I did volunteer work there for 2 days last time i went, yes its run by teenagers all day.
The manager lives there aswell and is a feral(i feel sorry for the dog that he has there), i know that because I went into the 'Staff Only part' area and didn't go back in there again.
It is cheaply finished aswell.

MGTFs are not endangerd you will see a hell of alot on the roads up in the kimberley on a good wet and warm night
Did you do much herping at all?

 

[yommy]

not much as it was a family holiday, went for a few drives at night but not knowing the area didn't see much on those ventures. Love the area though.

Best herping ive done hand down has to be the NT when i was living there and on a few trips to WA.
Exmouth had some big king browns, they were every where and a few stimmies too.

 

[AMY22]

Those croc pictures remind me of the Jumping Crocodiles on the Adelaide river when I was 9 (and to this day still confuses me as to why the Adelaide river isn’t in ADELAIDE).

 

[yommy]

Those croc pictures remind me of the Jumping Crocodiles on the Adelaide river when I was 9 (and to this day still confuses me as to why the Adelaide river isn’t in ADELAIDE).

LOL

the Adeaide river jumping crocs are well worth a visit though i won't be to keen fishing in a tinnie in that stretcher of the river . They are funny up in the NT you also have the alligator river with no alligators thereas the saltie ate them all........ But i could see how the early settlers could have mixed the two up. NT is the best place on earth for sure particulary if you into herps.........

 

[reptileKev81]

Don't make the mistake of it being a Zoo, it's just titled the Venom Zoo and it is pretty primative setup hence why i wouldn't recommend it, but don't let me sway you, has anyone else had similar experience from there. I didn't see an adult employee the whole time i was there.

Zoo? LOL
As reptile boy said, it looks like a couple crappy enclosures with snakes in em, lol
They need to change the name from "Venom Zoo" to "Venom in a Box" lol

On the plus side, at least you got to seesome snakes.
And the croc's looked exciting.

 

[jinin]

I did the Yellow River Cruise in Kakadu, that was great. Except the Lady who was driving the boat she was full of BS lol... Kakadu was awesome, i went fishin with dad in our tinny and caught some fish, we saw a couple of crocs. then we went to a small sandy beach where there was a camping ground, and went onto the sand(which now i realise was the dumbest thing to do) and were playing on there. Anyway we get back home after the 4mnth trip was over and see on TV 2 German tourists were killed there at the same beach. Just be wary about crocs and dont go near anywater...even if its Crystal clear.. must admit Crocodiles do make the whole top-end trip a thrill!

 

[yommy]

Zoo? LOL
As reptile boy said, it looks like a couple crappy enclosures with snakes in em, lol
They need to change the name from "Venom Zoo" to "Venom in a Box" lol

On the plus side, at least you got to seesome snakes.
And the croc's looked exciting.

To true there were some good herps seen over the course of the trip. Either the coastal and inland taipans are alway a treat for me.
I do think the coastal taipan in my books even though number 3 is the most dangerous as anyone who has encountered in the wild; they are intelligent, fast and something not to be upset on a warm day. Give me an angry eastern brown any day

And the good old croc isn't the apex predator since the day of the dinosaur for nothing, don't give them respect you end up ones dinner

 

[AMY22]

LOL

the Adeaide river jumping crocs are well worth a visit though i won't be to keen fishing in a tinnie in that stretcher of the river .

Yeah you wouldn't last 5 minutes in that water. And the safety precautions weren’t exactly something to make you sit back and relax. One of the main points was that there were life jackets incase the boat sank... Well thank God, and I was worried the crocs were going to get me...

 

[DonnB]

I went to the venom zoo last xmas, and had the same experience as you Yommy. Very sad a place like that can operate let alone have patrons go through it.

 

[redbellybite]

LOL

the Adeaide river jumping crocs are well worth a visit though i won't be to keen fishing in a tinnie in that stretcher of the river . They are funny up in the NT you also have the alligator river with no alligators thereas the saltie ate them all........ But i could see how the early settlers could have mixed the two up. NT is the best place on earth for sure particulary if you into herps.........

My family did the Adelaide river tour ...was great ,get a new found respect for the BIIIIIIGGG crocs .once seeing that ...and speaking of funny names ..we camped at BIG horse creek and little horse creek (there were no horses at either only big saltys and freshies ) ....loved the Dain tree when we were up there to ..the cruise was great but I still prefferd the NT one better ...thanks for the pics and I had heard by a few people that the venom zoo was a waste of money ...more so the lack of actual fact and flooded BS that is told, not so much on the snakes themselves, was more the complaint ...arent they the same mob(teens) that went and "RESCUED" the big scrubbies out of the boat club that hit the news a while ago?

 

[yommy]

yes i believe they were, something along the lines that the scrubby was that big it lifted them off the ground LOL from the info i heard on my trip they like telling furfies..........