ZIPLINE OVER A CROCODILE IN CAIRNS

Have you ever dreamed of ziplining over a 500kg crocodile called Goliath or stroking the unbelievably soft fur of a sugar glider? No I hadn’t either, but it's definitely worth doing - and let me tell you where you can do just that.

Goliath

The Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome is a wildlife sanctuary and harness activities arena,in the rooftop of The Reef just up from the Cairns Esplanade. At $24 for basic entry in to the wildlife section, this little area is worth the trip especially if you find yourself with a rainy day to kill. My brother and I were trying to decide between doing the Aquarium or the Dome and honestly, I am so glad we chose the Dome. I’ve seen some reviews that say the aquarium isn’t that big considering the entry is $42. For $55 we got the entry to the wildlife area along with doing two of the activities within the dome which were so much fun and well worth that money.

In the zoom area you have the choice of doing a bunch of different activities such as the Dome Climb, Pirate Climb, Power Jump, and you can do as many as you want. Of course, the more you choose the more you pay. We thought that two would be the best as we wanted to do the aerial assault courses – Mid Zoom and High Zoom. (You can’t do the High Zoom without having first done the Mid Zoom). It looked easy from down below and I thought it would be so much fun so why not give it a go. I never realised how terrified I was of falling off something high until this very moment in my life – I had rope burn on my fingers afterwards from holding on to the lanyard too tight. The different obstacles you have to go through include balance beams, tyres that swing as you try and stand on them, rope walls, ziplines and tunnels.

Naturally you’re securely strapped in and can’t go anywhere if you do happen to fall. Before getting on the obstacles you get a harness which is checked and tightened by one of the staff before being clipped to a lanyard on a rope line. This rope line that you’re now attached to goes all the way around the course, so you also can’t get lost trying to go the wrong way. The funniest thing about all of this was when we went to line up in the order to go through the course on, a little girl and her father went behind us so that they wouldn’t hold us up. I was so slow at the bits I was terrified on, this little five-year-old with no fear caught up to me. (Recurring theme on the course, the kids are always a lot more fearless than their parents). The first zipline that we came to was so much fun, but there’s something that goes against sitting down on nothing and jumping off a platform high up. When you’re zooming through the air though you forget that two seconds of fear and are suddenly having the best time. Plus, it’s over before you know it. If you're interested in ziplining right over Goliath the crocodile, then you can do this on the High Zoom - they even take your picture as you go across.

If doing the zoom activities isn’t really your thing, then of course you can go around exploring the wildlife area instead. Bonus of the wildlife ticket is that not only do you gain access for the day you buy it, but you can come back for the next four consecutive days! With shows and presentations on throughout the day, this definitely came in handy for us. As Cairns centre isn’t that big we managed being back at the Dome for specific shows throughout the week, so that we could watch every single one – some twice! The shows I would recommend for everyone to go and watch is the 3 o’clock feeding of Goliath because it is truly amazing. Hearing the power behind the jaws of a salt water crocodile is something I wouldn’t want to hear out in the wild (chances are it would be the last thing I ever heard). If you’re in to adorable mammals, then I would say you need to check out the 5 o’clock Nocturnal Feeding as well. This is when you get the chance to meet a Sugar Glider called Jagger. Sugar Glider’s are small marsupials that you will never see in the wild due to them being so small, timid and nocturnal. The fur of a sugar glider is much like what I imagine a cloud to feel like.

Kookaburra

If you’re more in to birds or reptiles, then there’s something here for you as well. With loads of different pythons, turtles and freshwater crocodiles along with cockatoos, kookaburra’s and small birds flying all around your head and up the top of the assault courses, there’s plenty to see. And of course being in Australia, you also get the chance to see and get your photo taken with a couple of Koala's.


With plenty of different shows, activities and wildlife this is a great place to go on your trip to Cairns.