When you’re in Far North Queensland, it’s almost a rite of passage to see a crocodile up close.
On our recent family trip to Cairns, I was keen to seek out a crocodile encounter. My 2.5-year-old had recently shown an interest in crocs and dinosaurs, so Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures felt like the perfect outing for our first full day in Far North Queensland.
It turned out to be a winner. At Hartley’s, you’re guaranteed to get up close with the crocs—safely, of course! Even though we could only stay for half a day to work around our toddler’s nap time, he had a blast and talked about the crocodiles for days afterwards.
Here’s my experience visiting Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures Cairns with kids, plus some family-friendly travel tips for making the most of this wildlife park between Cairns and Port Douglas.
Quick summary:
Want to see giant crocs leap from the water just metres away? Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is one of the best family day trips from Cairns. This thrilling wildlife park has boat rides, wildlife presentations, and close encounters with Australia’s most iconic animals.
Recommended tickets & tours:
🐊 Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures: Entry Ticket — Includes admission, the lagoon boat cruise, and access to daily shows.
🚌 Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures Half-Day Tour — Includes transport from Cairns or Palm Cove, plus your entry ticket.
🐨 Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures: Koala Breakfast — Cooked breakfast overlooking the lagoon plus the chance to meet and pat a koala.
🦘 Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures: Zootastic 5 — Premium experience with five close-up animal encounters alongside a wildlife keeper.
How to get to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
The easiest way to get there is by self-driving, as there’s plenty of free parking onsite. Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures Cairns is located on the Captain Cook Highway, about 40 minutes north of Cairns and 25 minutes south of Port Douglas.
If you’re staying in Palm Cove, as we were on our family trip, it’s just a quick 15-minute drive. We hired a car from Cairns Airport for our week-long stay in the region, which made it easy to drive to places like Hartley’s.
🚌 Don’t have a car? No worries. You can book the Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures Half-Day Tour which includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Cairns or Palm Cove. The tour covers your park entry and gives you time to explore the park and see the Crocodile Attack Show.
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures tickets
General admission to Hartley’s is $48 per adult, with children under 4 free. Tickets include access to all the daily wildlife presentations and keeper talks plus the famous lagoon boat cruise.
Your entry is valid for three consecutive days, so if you’re staying nearby you can return to catch any shows you missed.
🐊 You can pre-book your Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures entry ticket online, or purchase it on arrival at the park.
Arriving at the park
We decided to arrive at this Cairns wildlife park right when the gates opened at 8:30 AM, which I highly recommend if you’re visiting as a family.
Getting there early meant the park was quiet, the animals were more active, and we could jump on the very first lagoon boat ride at 9 AM. On entry, you’ll be handed a boat ticket with your departure time—so the earlier you arrive, the better chance you have of getting a time that works for your schedule.
Arriving early also means that you are also able to take advantage of the early keeper talks and shows, such as the 9 AM Crocodile Farm Tour or the 9 AM Cassowary Feeding.
You’ll be handed a park map as you enter, which will be super useful for navigating the five zones—Hartley’s Lagoon, Wildlife Discovery Trail, Cassowary Walk, Gondwana Gateway, and Crocodile Farm.
The famous lagoon boat ride
The lagoon boat ride in Hartley’s Lagoon is the highlight of the park, in my opinion. Purpose-built boats glide through a massive crocodile-filled swamp while a guide gives commentary on the crocs and local bird life. The ride is only 15 minutes, but it’s packed with action and photo opportunities.
During this Cairns crocodile boat cruise, the guide will dangle food from a long pole over the water to encourage the crocs to leap up for a feed—kids will be wide-eyed watching these prehistoric giants snap their jaws shut!
There are no seat allocations on the boats, so I’d advise that you arrive at the gate a little early if you want to sit together as a family. And don’t bring food or drink (other than water) onboard—the smell might tempt the crocs to lunge!
Keeper talks and shows
Throughout the day, Hartley’s offers presentations and keeper talks. I’d highly recommend planning your day around the daily shows that you want to see so that you don’t miss out on anything.
Snake Show (10 AM & 2 PM) – We saw both a cute little python and an ultra-venomous Taipan at the 10 AM show. The keeper was engaging and knowledgeable. Tip: arrive early to get close seats, as snakes are small and hard to see from afar.
Crocodile Feeding (11 AM) – Very entertaining, though we missed out on seats in the main viewing area because our toddler was dragging his heels. Still, we managed to see some impressive croc launches from the sidelines.
Crocodile Attack Show (3 PM) – I was sad to have missed this one, as it’s meant to be an excellent crocodile show! Definitely stick around for this if you’ll be at Hartley’s for the afternoon.
Crocodile Farm Tour (9 AM & 1 PM) – We missed out on this one, but it looks like an interesting way to get an insight into the park operations and conservation activities.
Cassowary Feeding (9 AM & 4 PM) – Another one that we missed, but it would be fun to see these large local birds chomping on some fruit!
Other experiences include photo sessions where you can hold a snake, lizard, or even a baby croc (for an extra cost).
If you want something more interactive, the Hartley’s Zootastic 5 + Entry Ticket offers five exclusive animal encounters with a wildlife keeper, including patting koalas, meeting wombats, feeding cassowaries, and holding reptiles. It’s the ultimate upgrade for animal lovers.
Animal enclosures
I was impressed by how spacious the park felt. The enclosures blend into the surrounding bushland, so it doesn’t feel like the animals are crammed in. The koala enclosures were the exception—they’re fairly small, though honestly I’ve found that to be the case in most Australian zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
We managed to find some time to walk through the Gondwana area, spotting kangaroos, wallabies, emus, wombats, and lizards along the way. It was a nice meander, and the animals had plenty of room to roam.
Eating at Hartley’s
After the croc feeding, we grabbed an early lunch at Lilies Café. Food at the café is simple but good. The menu isn’t fancy—think wraps, muffins, hot chips, and other quick bites—but everything we ordered was fresh and tasty. The café is open 9:30 AM–2:30 PM, so plan to eat early if you’re staying for the afternoon shows.
If you’d rather make dining part of the experience, you can book the Hartley’s Koala Breakfast. It includes a cooked breakfast on the lagoon deck while a keeper introduces you to one of the koalas. You’ll have the chance to pat and take photos with the koala, too!
Visiting with a toddler
Visiting Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures with kids was easy. We took our travel pram in to the park, which was useful as there is a bit of walking involved. The paths were all pram-friendly, so we had no issues with pushing it around.
There was an accessible toilet with a baby change table next to Lilies Café near the park entrance, which came in handy for nappy changes on the go.
By lunchtime, our little one was nearly ready for a nap, so we had to cut our visit short after about 3–4 hours. He picked out a toothy crocodile plushie in the gift shop on our way out—instant favourite!
If we’d had more time, I would have loved to check out the Cassowary Walk and Wildlife Discovery Trail. I think that families with older kids could easily spend 5–6 hours exploring all that Hartley’s has to offer.
Final thoughts: Is Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures worth it?
In my opinion, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is one of the best family-friendly attractions near Cairns in Far North Queensland. I think you get so much value with park entry tickets, which include a lagoon boat ride and various keeper talks and shows.
If you’re travelling with kids (especially ones obsessed with dinosaurs or crocodiles), I guarantee that they’ll have the best time. And with the entry ticket lasting three days, you can always return for a second visit if you miss something the first time around.
Would I go back? Absolutely—next time without nap time restrictions!
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures FAQs:
Where is Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures located?
Hartley’s is between Cairns and Port Douglas on the Captain Cook Highway. From Palm Cove, it’s about a 15-minute drive north.
What are the opening hours?
The park is open daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
How much are tickets?
Entry is $48 per adult. Kids under 4 are free. Tickets are valid for 3 consecutive days, so you can return for a second visit. You can pre-book your Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures entry ticket online, or purchase it on arrival.
What’s the main attraction?
The Hartley’s lagoon boat cruise is the highlight—you’ll see crocodiles up close as they leap for food right beside the boat. The 3 PM Crocodile Attack Show is also very popular.
How long should I spend at Hartley’s?
Families with older kids could easily spend 4–5 hours here. If you’re visiting with toddlers, plan for a half day.
Can you eat at Hartley’s?
Yes, the on-site café (Lilies) serves snacks, wraps, muffins, and hot food from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
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