If we told you that you could encounter some of Africa’s most amazing animals including rhinos, giraffes, zebras and antelopes in their natural habitat in Melbourne you would probably think that we were making it up.
But something like this truly does exist in Melbourne across 225 hectares of grassy plains at the Werribee Open Range Zoo, located 30 minutes southwest of the city.
Included in your admission price is a 40-minute safari tour that will take you up close and personal with the animals of the zoo. We were privileged enough to upgrade to an Open Vehicle Adventure which gave us 90 minutes in the open savannah surrounded by magnificent wildlife.
And as the title of tour suggests, there were no glass windows separating us from these animals. Nor did we have to stick to the traditional road taken by the safari bus and got so close to the animals that you could hear their every breath. Take a look at our video below.
Our driver/guide David took us around the zoo and provided us with expert commentary for the entire duration of the tour, introducing us to many interesting facts along the way.
For example, did you know that Australia has the only wild camels in the entire world? Nearly 1 million of them, in fact!
Another highlight of our Open Vehicle Adventure is that it enabled us to take some of the best animals photos we’ve ever snapped.
Of course, our favorite photo subject were the beautiful giraffes roaming around the savannah.
After spending quite some time with the zebras, ostriches, giraffes and rhinos we departed the open plains for the last stop on our Open Vehicle Adventure – the Kubo River, home to the zoo’s hippos.
Werribee Open Range Zoo is also home to African Wild Dogs, Cheetahs, Gorillas, Lions, Meerkats and more all of which which can be seen on the walking trails.
Our time at the Werribee Open Range Zoo was one of our favorite zoo experiences yet and we can definitely suggest it for those planning on spending some time in Melbourne in the future.
The Details
Werribee Open Range Zoo is located 30 minutes from Melbourne’s City Centre and is accessible by public transport (Werribee Line Train to Werribee and Bus 439 to the Zoo).
Admission for adults is $25.40 and includes a free safari tour. If you want to have the best experience possible, we highly recommend you pre-purchase an Open Vehicle Adventure which costs $80 (adult).
Disclaimer: We received a complimentary Open Vehicle Adventure from Zoos Victoria. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
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