🐊How to get from Brisbane to Australia Zoo
Can you get there without a car?
🟢 Yes, all the way
Yes, the whole way on a flat 50c fare. Train to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast line (~1¼ hr), then Free Australia Zoo courtesy coach from the station, 7 days.
The short answer
- 1🚆Train to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast line (~1¼ hr)
- 2🚌Free Australia Zoo courtesy coach from the station, 7 days
The zoo coach is free.
The journey, end to end
2 legs, 1 change. Dashed lines are the parts that aren't public transport.
The Irwins' zoo at Beerwah, and one of the very few big Queensland attractions you can reach start to finish without a car.
What is Australia Zoo?
Australia Zoo sits at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, about an hour and a quarter north of Brisbane by train. It was a small reptile park run by Bob and Lyn Irwin before their son Steve turned it into the best known wildlife park in the country, and it is still family-run.
It is big, and it is a full day rather than a couple of hours. The layout runs from the Crocoseum in the middle out through Africa, Asia and the Australian wildlife sections, and you will walk a fair way between them.
Why go, and what to see
The Crocoseum
The croc and bird show, and the reason most people come. Check the daily show time on arrival and plan around it
Kangaroo walkthrough
Open enclosure where the roos come to you, and usually the highlight for small kids
Koala and wildlife hospital
One of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world, with a viewing area
Africa and Asia sections
Rhinos, tigers and elephants, and a longer walk than the map suggests
Every way to get there, compared
Including the ones that aren't public transport, because pretending the car doesn't exist helps nobody.
🚆 Public transport, 1 change
Our pick- 🚆Train to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast line (~1¼ hr)
- 🚌Free Australia Zoo courtesy coach from the station, 7 days
Time
About 1½ hr from Central
Cost
50c each way
Best for
Cheapest by a distance, and no parking to find
The zoo coach is free.
🚗 Drive
- 🚗77 km from the city centre, about 65 min in normal traffic
Time
about 65 min
Cost
Fuel and parking
Best for
Carrying gear, odd hours, or several people splitting the cost
Usually quicker than the train, and that is worth being honest about. What it costs you is parking, tolls and driving home tired.
When to go
Cooler months are far more comfortable for a day of walking, and the animals are more active. Whatever the season, go on the earliest train you can: the zoo empties in the afternoon and the last courtesy coaches back to Beerwah are the pinch point.
Worth knowing
The courtesy coach meets scheduled trains rather than running continuously, so check the zoo's own coach times against your train before you set off. Miss the last one and you are looking at a taxi to Beerwah station.
Last service home →
Check your cut-off before you go, not after.
Anything disrupted? →
Live delays and closures across the network.
Live departures →
Times from the station you change at.
See it on the map →
The route drawn across South East Queensland.
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Getting to Australia Zoo: quick answers
Can you get to Australia Zoo by train from Brisbane?+
Yes, and it is one of the easiest big attractions to reach without a car. Take the Sunshine Coast line to Beerwah, about an hour and a quarter from Central, then the zoo's free courtesy coach from the station. The train is a flat 50 cents and the coach costs nothing, so the whole journey is 50c each way.
Is the Australia Zoo courtesy bus free?+
Yes. Australia Zoo runs a free courtesy coach between Beerwah station and the zoo seven days a week. It meets scheduled trains rather than running on a continuous loop, so check the current times on the zoo's own site and work out your return before the afternoon gets away from you.
How do you get from Brisbane to Australia Zoo without a car?+
Train to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast line (~1¼ hr), then Free Australia Zoo courtesy coach from the station, 7 days. Allow about 1½ hr from Central station. Every leg on the TransLink network is a flat 50 cent fare.
How long does it take to get to Australia Zoo from Brisbane?+
About 1½ hr from Central, door to platform to door, depending on how the connection lands. The planner on this page works it out from where you actually are rather than from the city centre.
How much does it cost to get to Australia Zoo?+
A flat 50 cents each way on the TransLink network, however far you travel. The zoo coach is free.
What time is the last service back from Australia Zoo?+
It changes by day and by line, and it is the thing that catches people out on a long day trip. Check the last service home tool before you head out so you know your cut-off rather than guessing at the end of the day.