Billabong or Hunter Valley?

Zoo Tour Australia said:
I am going to Sydney next week and have the ability to stop for one day at either Billabong Zoo or Hunter Valley Zoo and was wondering which one I should go to.
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I have visited both Billabong and Hunter Valley once each in the last couple of years (I live in Sydney). Both zoos have unique species - I'd say that Billabong is a prettier location, being in a rainforest setting and has a greater range of big cats, whereas Hunter Valley has a young giraffe and also has lions.

Billabong has Snow leopards. They are relatively rare within the region although as the two cats are elderly, they are not the most active and were sleeping up the back on my visit. That said, I remembered both of them from their (and my) youth at Taronga, so it was good to see them again (the signage at the exhibit was also repurposed from their exhibit at Taronga, so that was cool).

Hunter Valley has Maned wolves and Red-handed tamarins. These were target species for me considering that HVZ is the closest zoo to me with either of these species. I'm not sure where you are based, but if you are Queensland-based (thinking of your travel journey to be considering these locations), they might be more familiar species to you.

Other than these differences, I would say that the two zoos are relatively similar to each other. They both have a range of small exotics, some larger exotics and a good selection of standard native species (birds, kangaroos, koalas, etc). Unless you are an avid photographer, I wouldn't say you would need a full day to thoroughly appreciate either collection.

To cut a long story short, I would say that Billabong would be my personal preference due to the lush nature of the site; however, I'd say it really comes down to your personal preference of which species you would like to see which is unique to each facility. I hope you enjoy your trip and the zoo of your choice!
 
I immensely enjoyed my visit to Hunter Valley in 2023. Hunter Valley has some rare native bird species (Great Bowerbird, White-winged Fairy Wren, Black-fronted Dotterel etc.) so if you're into birds like I am I would definitely recommend a visit. I have never been to Billabong though, so I'm not sure how it compares.
 
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