Located just 40 minutes north of Cairns and 25 minutes south of Port Douglas, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is simply the best place to see crocodiles and local wildlife in Tropical North Queensland. With over 2100 metres of timber boardwalks and pathways leading you on a journey of discovery through woodlands and rainforest where you can see an array of wildlife, including beautiful tropical birds, reptiles, insects and other native fauna.

Enjoy our entertaining and educational wildlife presentations including snakes, cassowaries, koalas, crocodiles, quolls and much more. Take a boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon to see crocodiles and other wildlife on our melaleuca wetland. Learn about sustainable use and conservation on our Crocodile Farm tour.

 

The newly opened Gondwana Gateway is an innovative addition to Hartley’s where you can learn about the evolution of Australian wildlife in a beautiful forest setting surrounded by living descendants of Australia’s ancient past. Enjoy a delicious snack in Lilies Restaurant overlooking Hartley’s Lagoon and find that perfect gift, including crocodile leather products, in the Paperbark Gift Shop.

Open daily from 8:30am to 5:00pm, this multi-award winning eco-adventure attraction is located just 100 metres off the Captain Cook Highway on the spectacular scenic drive between Cairns and Port Douglas.

Lagoon Cruises

Boats depart at 9.00am, 10.30am, 11.45 am, 1.00 pm, 2.30 pm and 4.00 pm. Upon arrival, visitors are issued with a pass indicating their time of departure. During busy periods extra cruises are scheduled. The length of each cruise is approximately 25 minutes and complements all the other daily presentations.

Breakfast with the Crocs

Enjoy a Hot Cooked Breakfast on the verandah at Lillies restaurant. The restaurants deck overlooks the main lagoon at Hartleys, filled with crocodiles of all sizes.

Daily Presentations

High quality wildlife presentations are a major part of a day at Hartley’s. Research has shown that visitors have a more satisfying experience if all their senses are engaged - sight, hearing, touch and, sometimes, smell! Effective communication means that information, understanding and enjoyment are, or should be, indivisible.

Our staff have a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and habitat conservation and are very good at getting that message across. They will ensure that your time here is not just "a good day out" but a thought provoking, challenging and memorable experience.

A cruise around Hartley’s Lagoon in one of our custom built boats is a highlight of the day and should not be missed! There is nothing anywhere in Australia quite like it. Our two boats were built right here in Cairns to our specifications. They are powered by twin 9.9 hp four stroke outboard motors. Each boat holds 35 passengers and features spectacular viewing through strengthened safety glass.

Every seat’s a winner! Seating is stepped so that passengers on the inside rows can see over the top of those by the window. During the cruise commentary is provided by the drivers, highlighting not only the behaviour of the crocodiles but all the other plants and animals that share their home. Every cruise is different. You might see a majestic Sea Eagle or a jewel-like Azure Kingfisher, a bright eyed Tree Snake or an impossibly delicate wild orchid. One thing remains constant. The crocs are always there - waiting.

 

Daily Timetable

• 9.30 Cassowary Feeding and Wetland Wildlife
  Only in Australia is the heaviest native land animal a bird! Learn about these magnificent rainforest dwellers and help their keeper feed them. Why are they so endangered? Afterwards, join in a guided walk to our wetlands and feed turtles, fish and waterbirds. They, too, have their stories to tell.
• 10.00 Crocodile Farm Tour
  Spend some time down on the farm! Find out how the sustainable commercial production of crocodile products contributes to the conservation of wild crocs and their habitat.
• 11.00 Crocodile Feeding
  Come and watch a whole bunch of highly motivated Estuarine Crocodiles that know exactly what the time is, where to be and what to do. While they're being hand fed listen to the keeper put them in their environmental and evolutionary perspective in a presentation which also includes our less extroverted native Freshwater Crocodile.
• 1.30 Crocodile Farm Tour
  If you missed the morning farm tour then here is another chance to learn about the crocodile industry, what’s in it for us and, perhaps more importantly, what’s in it for the wild crocodiles.
• 2.00pm Snake Show
  Australia has a reputation for deadly snakes. Some overseas visitors expect to see them on the airport tarmac! How real is their threat? How should you behave around them and what should you do if you are bitten? Our keepers separate the facts from the fallacies. Experience the beauty, mystery and diversity of these elegant Australians.
• 3.00pm Crocodile Attack Show
  "The Best Crocodile Show in Australia ". A professional, experienced zookeeper gets into the water with a professional, experienced crocodile! What happens next?
• 4.15 Cassowary Feeding
  It takes a lot of fruit to power a 60 kg bird. Having processed their morning feed our rainforest giants are ready for their afternoon one. What is the connection between this bird’s appetite and a 30 metre tree? The answer is sure to surprise you.
• 4.30pm Koala Feeding
  Koalas sleep most of the day and prefer to feed in the late afternoon and evening. Feed time is your chance to watch them come alive when presented with fresh gum leaves.