Australian Reptile Park
A specialist reptile park on the Central Coast that doubles as a working, life-saving venom facility.
The Australian Reptile Park is a day out with a genuine job behind it. As well as showing crocodiles, snakes, lizards and native mammals, it runs Australia's only funnel-web spider venom program and milks snakes for the venom used to make antivenom — a real conservation and medical operation that visitors get to watch up close.
The showpieces are the daily croc feeds starring Elvis, a famously grumpy giant saltwater crocodile, and the live spider- and snake-milking demonstrations. Galápagos tortoises, koalas, platypus and Tasmanian devils — part of an insurance breeding population — fill out the rest of the park.
Signature animals
Saltwater crocodile
"Elvis", a famously aggressive giant croc and star of the daily feed.
Sydney funnel-web spider
Milked live for the antivenom that saves lives across the country.
Tasmanian devil
Part of an insurance breeding population for this endangered species.
Planning your visit
This is a half-day park, so allow three to four hours and let the presentation timetable set the order of the day. The spider- and snake-milking demonstrations and the crocodile feed each run at fixed times, and they are the reason most people come, so check the board at the entrance first and pin the day around those slots. Between shows, work the loop from the reptile houses out to the dinosaur trail, then the Tasmanian devils and the koala and kangaroo areas, so you are back near the crocodile lagoon in time for Elvis at feeding. Arriving close to opening gives you the walk-through areas before the crowds and the animals while they are still lively.
The park is at Somersby on the Central Coast, about an hour north of Sydney up the M1, and a car is easily the simplest way there. Buy tickets on the park's own site, where you can also confirm current prices and the day's show times before you set out. There is on-site parking, cafés and picnic areas for lunch, and the main paths are flat enough for prams and wheelchairs. Much of the collection is under cover in the reptile and spider houses, so a wet day still works, though the outdoor croc feed and dinosaur trail are better dry.
Don't miss
- The live spider- and snake-milking demonstrations that supply Australia's antivenom program.
- Elvis, the large and famously grumpy saltwater crocodile, at feeding time.
- The dinosaur trail through the "Lost World" bush.
- The Tasmanian devils, part of an insurance breeding population.
- Location
- Somersby, NSW — Central Coast
- Getting there
- ≈ 1-hr drive north of Sydney, just off the M1; a car is easiest
- Time to allow
- Half a day, 3–4 hours
- Good for
- Reptile-curious kids and anyone drawn to the conservation and antivenom story; mammals and a dinosaur trail for those less keen on snakes
- Highlights
- Spider- & snake-milking, Elvis the crocodile feed, dinosaur trail, Tasmanian devils
- Good to know
- Demonstrations run to a daily schedule — check show times and book tickets on the park's own site
Before you go
Yes. The spiders and snakes are milked to supply the venom used in Australia's antivenom program, and the funnel-web work in particular has saved many lives since the antivenom was developed. The demonstrations you watch are part of that operation rather than a show put on for visitors, which is what makes them worth timing your day around.
Yes. Alongside the reptiles there are Tasmanian devils, koalas, hand-feeding kangaroos, Galápagos and giant tortoises, and a dinosaur trail through the bush, so a child who would rather skip the snake house still has plenty to do. The crocodile feed with Elvis tends to be the highlight for most families regardless.
More Sydney zoos
Planning your visit?
Ask us about the best park for the animals you want to see, or how to get there.
Get in touch