Tourists Guide/Review of Sydney Wildlife World (Darling Harbour)
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This is a guide/review of Sydney Wildlife World to convince you that it’s not worth buying an entry ticket for it compared to other wildlife parks like Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
I live in Sydney, so I’ve seen all the regular tourist sights several times as we’ve shown visiting international relatives and friends visiting Australia around the city.
However I hadn’t ever been to Sydney Wildlife World before as it’s reasonably new so I had no preconceived ideas about it.
Don’t worry about my review being biased because I’m a Sydney local, my reviews are always written in a completely upfront “tell it like it is” style.
Buying Tickets
This was quick and easy because I’d bought a combined ticket with the Sydney Centrepoint Tower Observation Deck which is owned by the same company
Ask the staff for a combination ticket if you’re going to go to more than one of these: Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Tower + OzTrek as they’re all part of the same company.
Note: You can buy tickets at 10% discount on the Sydney Wildlife World website.
Also Children under 3 years are FREE and there are good discounts for Family tickets, Children (3-15 yrs), Senior Citizens/Pensioners and Students so make sure you all have ID or proof of age so you can take advantage of these discounts.
Inside Sydney Wildlife World
Once inside it was fully enclosed and air conditioned as well as being baby stroller/pram and wheelchair friendly which is good.
There were plenty of lizards, snakes and insects on display along with the expected kangaroos, koalas, wombat etc. I felt sorry for some of the animals especially the wombat for being kept in such a small closed area all their life 
Sydney Wildlife World is definitely designed to be an appealing shortcut for tour group operators driving their customers around the city sandwiching one “attraction” after another in a packed schedule.
For them it’s good enough as it allows their customers to easily see Australian wildlife up to a certain size (Kangaroos and Cassowaries) in a small enclosure without having to drive far or take them on a long bus /ferry ride out of the inner-city.
Photography Tips
All areas between you and the wildlife are glassed off so if people have touched their hands or noses to the glass than your view and photos will be spoilt
I had my Panasonic FZ30 camera with a fast f2.8 lens and a tripod.
As the light levels are quite low in many areas, if you want to take half decent photos you’ll need a camera that can shoot at 200 or 400 iso without losing too much image quality
In the marsupial area there’s hardly any light and without a tripod or the ability to shoot photos at 400/800/1600 iso you won’t be able to take any photos at all.
At the end there’s the Coolabah Cafe if you need some food or drink.
Conclusion
Is the price reasonable? Is it better than other wildlife atrractions in Sydney?
On the whole I’d say No. A day trip to Sydney’s Taronga Zoo would let you see many more animals large and small, many in the open air. If you caught the Ferry across Sydney Harbour to get there from Circular Quay this would make it even more enjoyable.
Furthermore I’ve seen several stories this year in the finance newspapers saying that continued poor attendance at Sydney’s Wildlife World is causing their owner some severe financial headaches so I’m not the only person who thinks that it’s poor value.
If you’re staying with relatives in Sydney’s Western Suburbs than Featherdale Wildlife park is also worth a look.
Further Information
I’ve reviewed other tourist attractions in and around Sydney, New South Wales, Australia including: the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney Centrepoint Tower Observation Deck, Sydney Observatory and Sydney Public Transport Trip Planner for Trains, Buses & Ferries etc.
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You hit the spot with observation about tourist “attractions” being designed with tour group operators in mind. It’s often better to avoid, if possible, to tightly packed schedules of group tours. I prefer to do my own research and to see less but on my own pace and following my personal interests. Takes bit more time and effort(often money too) but it’s definitely worth in the end.