Australia Zoo near Beerwah is the wildlife park built by the late Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter," and his family. It's one of the largest zoos in Australia — over 1,200 animals across 100 hectares — and presents a wide range of native and exotic species, with a particular emphasis on reptiles, large mammals, and birds.
The zoo's approach is hands-on and theatrical in the Irwin tradition: keeper talks, animal encounters, and the famous Crocoseum presentations make it an active experience rather than a standard zoo walkthrough. Native Australian animals — wombats, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, koalas — are well represented, as are African and Asian species. A full day is needed to see everything properly. It's an hour's drive south of Noosa and 90 minutes north of Brisbane, putting it within easy reach of both ends of the Sunshine Coast.