Fishy Fun in Sydney (Sydney Aquarium)

Member Name: flodombey

Product:	Sydney Aquarium
Date:	29/07/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing displays, well organised and impressive layout, touch pools

Disadvantages: Price, can be full of schoolkids

Sydney Aquarium is located on the picturesque edge of Darling Harbour. This is the other side of the headland from the more famous Sydney Harbour but it is equally pretty and is full of very nice bars, restaurants and other attractions.

The aquarium itself is a large building which overhangs the side of the quay and utilises its position so close to the water, featuring many attractions for young and old alike. We spent a very pleasurable few hours there in May 2008 whilst visiting the city on a short break and I found it both entertaining and very informative as so many of their exhibitions are native to the surrounding water.

Prices could be considered quite high, when we visited an adult ticket was $30 (about £22) but current prices on their website show it has having increased slightly to $31.95. Other prices are as listed here:

Child $17.95
Senior / Pensioner $22.50
Student $22.50

This does make it an expensive day out for a family but they do offer some combined family tickets at slight discounts, it is worth checking the website and booking in advance to get the best deals.

So is it worth the price tag? I would say yes, based on my experience.

I like Sydney Aquarium for a number of reasons and I should say I have visited quite a few in many different countries over the years, this one is so well run and organised and enjoyable that the time just whizzes by and you lose yourself in awe and fascination at the sheer volume and magnitude of creatures on display.

Firstly the layout is well thought out and easy to navigate. They have tried to lay it out so that you are always walking in the same direction and are not met constantly by crowds of people coming back the other way (although this does still happen, most people do follow the arrows and signs). This means that for displays like the seal and turtle pool (which is amazing and which you can walk both underneath and then around the top of) there is one way in and one way out which reduces the congestion somewhat.

When you enter the aquarium you will first be guided through the Northern Rivers and Southern Rivers exhibitions and as the name suggests these displays contain all the aqautic and amphibious creatures which you will find in the northern and southern rivers of Australia. This includes everything from tiny frogs right the way up to man eating crocs and everything in between. A particular highlight for me was watching the amazingly cute duck billed platypus darting about in their pool, playing with one another and generally looking happy as larry.

I would say that the happiness of the creatures within this aqaurium is clearly paramount and easy to see. No bored looking creatures here - which is a reassurance.

Once you have navigated the rivers section you find yourself in the Southern Oceans exhibition which includes the locality of Sydney Harbour itself and the massive and impressive penguin pool along with the seals and turtles section which you can walk under as well as round. There is also a touch pool section (both for this and the next door Northern Oceans area) where you can literally get right up close and personal with a number of sea creatures such as starfish, sea cucumbers and anemones.

For some of the touch pools there was a good 10 minute wait while local school groups took their turns but it was worth holding out for, I honestly cannot explain the sensation of holding a sea cucumber, its a bit like a slimy but incredibly soft sausage. Quite an experience!

The Northern Oceans area is the final part you will visit and they have certainly saved the most dramatic for last. It is in this section that the absolutely ginormous Great Barrier Reef tank is housed containing tons of sharks of all shapes and sizes, fish, turtles and many other sea creatures.

This display alone can easily take a good hour of time to enjoy, there is simply so much to see and you can walk right around the tank, if you are lucky you might see people actually diving in to perform maintenance or check on the displays, it really is something else. If you know you will not be able to see the Barrier Reef for real on your visit then this is the next best thing and you will still experience the amazing vivid colours of the fish here.

Once you have had your fill of watching these amazing and graceful creatures you will come out in the gift shop (what a clever gimmick that is!) where you can buy just about any item under the sun with the aquarium branding on it and choose from a plethora of stuffed sea creatures to take home with you. Once through the shop you will be back in the foyer where you started where there is also a cafe bar and grill and an info kiosk along with the usual toilet facilities.

This is a great attraction in Sydney and well worth visiting if you are interested in this kind of thing or have kids to entertain. It is quite pricey but does justify the price tag in terms of value for money and how long you can feasibly spend exploring.

Summary: A great attraction in Sydney and well worth a visit