The Sydney Zoo (Taronga Zoo) is near the top of all the ‘must do’s’ here and even if it wasn’t, I was dying to see koalas for the first time so would have dragged Paul along(!)

From Circular Quays (the central hub) it’s a short ferry ride, which itself offers marvellous views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, the Central Business District and much more… Then there’s the cable car with yet more spectacular vistas as you glide up to the zoo entrance at the top of the hill.

They’d temporarily run out of maps when we arrived but we could download the app onto our phone… Mmm … what was our password…?? Oh, never mind, we’d just meander… Where were those koalas..?

’Koala Walkabout’ was just about the first sign we came to…. but was quickly followed by another, saying their enclosure had been moved… Why is it zoos are always a maze of twists and turns and dead ends or you end up in the reptile house and can’t find your way out??

My guide book says ‘Visitors can see koalas in their eucalypt habit at tree level…the spiral ramp allows you to get close to feeding and sleeping animals’. What it didn’t say is that they limit numbers on that ‘spiral ramp’ and if you haven’t booked in advance you’ve no chance. We knew you’d have to pay extra for the close up and photo, but not for the whole enclosure! Hmph!

Fortunately a couple of koalas had obligingly fallen asleep on the tree by the entrance to the ‘Walkabout’ so we joined the other uninitiated, juggling for the best position to take our snaps. This one even woke up for a moment to have his picture taken.