Freshwater Crocodile Spotted in Front of Cabin 18 During the Night. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
Freshwater Crocodile Spotted in Front of Cabin 18 During the Night. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
For a room with a view that makes you go ‘Crikey!’ check out these new eco-cabins, writes Jennifer Johnston
Peering over the edge of the deck on a sandy embankment I spot a crocodile resting on an old bridge beam. The lower section of the beam is partially submerged under water as is the tip of the croc’s tail. A large adult male red kangaroo casually hops into the tranquil scene. He pauses to nibble at the grass. I’m wondering if he notices the crocodile metres away. I do my best ‘Skippy’ impersonation to catch his attention. He stands upright on his hind legs using his tail for support. Crikey! This is one buff kangaroo, taught sinewy muscles stretched across his upper torso. Not bothered by the resting freshwater crocodile a few metres away, ears twitching he eyeballs me for a second, then turns and hops away.
From the deck on our Crocodile Cabin #18 this is one of many immersive interactions with the residential wildlife observed over 24 hours in this idyllic enclave within the grounds of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular tourism attraction - the Australia Zoo.
In December last year, Australia Zoo opened four luxury cabins - Crocodile Cabins - overlooking new habitat with a five-metre waterfall and a natural spring-fed billabong covered by lilies and reeds. The 4,630 square metre habitat is home to 10 freshwater crocodiles and around 30 endangered Mary River Turtles.
The two-storey two-bedroom Crocodile Cabins sleep up to four people. Each cabin has a lower and upper deck - with comfy chairs for sitting and glass panels for unobstructed viewing. The lower deck is accompanied by a temperature-controlled plunge pool. The light-filled interior has lofty cathedral ceilings and towering windows creating a symbiotic relationship with the outside.
Mary River Turtles on the Old Bridge Beam. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
The Crocodile Hunter Lodge opened in June 2022 and is part of the late Steve Irwin’s vision to give visitors to Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the opportunity to stay overnight in luxury accommodation.
Crocodile Cabin – Aerial Exterior View with Plunge Pool. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
“Steve always had a dream that one day, people would not just visit Australia Zoo, but stay overnight, and have the immersive experience of listening to and being around wildlife after dark,” Terri Irwin said at the opening.
Eight family-friendly cabins opened in June 2022, followed by four one-bedroom cabins and a three-bedroom fully accessible cabin. Like the rest of Australia Zoo, Steve’s conservation legacy is ever-present. A few freshwater crocodiles in ‘our’ habitat were caught by Steve and relocated to Australia Zoo because they were in danger of being poached.
Freshwater Crocodile Spotted in Front of Cabin 18 During the Night. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
What else comes with your crocodile sleepover
The solid hand-crafted timber cabin front door is made of upcycled timber from the original crocodile grandstands Steve helped build. On the wall near the kitchen is an eye-catching print by Indigenous artists Miimi and Jiindi from the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti and Bundjalung tribes of Australia’s East Coast.
Guests staying the night receive a welcome gift pack on arrival, breakfast at the Warrior Restaurant, unlimited entry to the zoo and transport between the lodge and Australia Zoo via shuttle bus. Those in the Crocodile Hunter Cabins also receive a $150 dining voucher for the Warrior Restaurant and Bar.
Breakfast Juices at the Warrior Restaurant. Photo / Jennifer Johnston
During our visit to the zoo, we wander through exhibits and catch a few shows, including watching Robert Irwin do the 1.15 pm ‘Live Croc Feeding’ at the Triple Ponds. (The 5,000-seat stadium Crocoseum was for renovations but re-opened in April.) Our visit was towards the end of March, the day was warm and steamy. From the Africa section, we catch the shuttle bus to the Zoo’s entrance, timed perfectly to catch the other shuttle back to the Crocodile Hunter Lodge. I could not wait to dive into the 25-metre infinity pool and cool down. Keen to see sunset over ‘our’ private animal billabong, we return to the cabin stepping straight into the plunge pool on the lower deck.
The menu at the Warrior Restaurant is inspired by Irwin’s family history and features locally-sourced produce. For dinner, I enjoy a plate of tempura vegetables, followed by the beef rendang curry, created as a homage to Steve’s love of making curries while researching crocodiles in remote places.
Experience a Freshie Feed
After dinner, we return to our cabin armed with a tip from our shuttle driver to use a torch to spot the eye shine of the crocs. Using the welcome gift bag’s handheld torch, from the top deck we clock a golden glowing dot in the man-made ‘river’ below. Have we spied a croc? Tapping on the glass (Robert Irwin at the croc show explained crocs respond to movement and vibration) we watch the golden eye shine moving and make out the shadowy outline of his body. We spy another eye shine across the water. This is fun, we’re like a couple of kids at camp spotting night critters.
Our stay coincided with feeding the freshwater crocs at ‘our’ habitat. Around lunchtime the following day in front of our cabin, two staff stood calling out and banging plastic food containers. Crocs responded and were incoming. From our cabin deck, we have a comfortable and safe viewing platform to observe the freshie feed. (Note the freshie crocs are fed once a week and in winter this slows to monthly.)
Crocodile Cabin – Exterior View with Waterfall and Lake. Photo / Supplied, Australia Zoo
The wild side of luxury
At around NZ$2,200 (AU$2,000) per night the Crocodile Cabins are pitched to the higher-end luxe market. While this unique experience may not be in everyone’s budget it is special and one you will not find anywhere else in Australia - especially after dark. I’ll never forget watching the resting croc and the buff red kangaroo or spotting croc eyes after dark. Not something you see every day.
