Crocosaurus Cove + Royal Flying Doctor Service

Reptile House Crocosaurus Cove presents the World’s largest display of Australian Reptiles, with over 70 species of reptiles on display in your reptile enclosure. Most reptiles on display are from the Northern Territory’s Top End and Kimberley region, however be sure to check out our new Desert region which is home to a range of species found in Australia’s Red Centre. A reptile can be described as a vertebrate (ie has a backbone) that derives it’s body temperature from an external source, such as the sun. It’s body is covered in skin from which grow scales. Some scales are very difficult to see as found on geckos, while other reptiles have modified scales that create a suit of armour or plating as seen in turtles. Get up close to some of these amazing critters in our Meet the Reptile show & learn more about what they like for lunch during our Reptile Feeding show. The Reptile Team are always on hand to assist with questions so don’t be shy! Show Times 10.00, 12.30, 16.00 Swim with crocs Jump in & cool down in this unique swimming pool that lets you get up close to our energetic juvenile crocodiles, safely of course! Pose for Mum & Dad for great photo opportunities…your friends will think you’re actually swimming with the crocs! So, bring your bathers and jump in! Open All Day Fishing for Crocs Want to get up close to energetic juvenile crocodiles? You can, on the Fishing for Crocs platform. Surround yourself with almost 100 juvenile (2-3 year old) saltwater crocodiles that are hungry for the juicy snack that is being dangled at the end of your fishing line. See how these crocodiles hunt in the wild by bringing their entire body length out of the water to catch prey such as bats and birds. Great fun for the entire family & a photo opportunity not to be missed. Be sure to experience this great activity after the Big Croc Feed Shows. Show Times 11.30, 14.30, 16.30 Big Croc Feed Show Starting with the Bite Force demonstration, witness the force behind the jaws of a crocodile as the purpose built machine makes a meal out of a solid block of ice! Go on to be introduced to some of the World’s largest Saltwater Crocodiles and be educated on their amazing ability to survive, their feeding habits and how they have remained relatively unchanged for over 200 million years. Get to know some of the famous inhabitants such as Burt, the star of movie, Crocodile Dundee. Don’t forget to say hello to the resident couple, William & Kate, while Chopper has the scars of battle to prove his reputation as one of the most feared Saltwater crocs in the Northern Territory. Show Times 11.30, 14.30 World of Crocs Ever wondered how many Crocodilian species there are around the world? What is the difference between an Alligator and a Crocodile? The World of Crocs has 14 different Crocodilian wax replicas, all in air-conditioned comfort, on display. Check out the model examples of Australia’s Saltwater & Freshwater Crocodiles as well as interesting & unusual species such as the Indian Garhial and the Dwarf Crocodile! While checking out the crocodile replicas, don’t forget to see the real thing and hold a baby croc! Open All Day Hold a Baby Croc Aren’t they cute! Here’s your chance to hold a baby croc. Check out their scales & webbed feet, and marvel at these amazing prehistoric creatures. Our on-site photographers will take your snaps & turn them into prints or put them onto a disk for you to enjoy. A great memento from your time at Crocosaurus Cove & the Top End. All purchased photos also appear each week on our facebook page Crocosaurus Cove Darwin! Open Times 9.30 – 17.30 daily (Please note that the studio is closed during the Big Croc Feed Shows) Turtle Billabong Meet some of the Top End’s cutest inhabitants at our upstairs Turtle Billabong. Species such as Red & Yellow Face Turtles, Snapping Turtles and the gorgeous Pig Nosed Turtles are all found in the Top End’s river systems. How many species will you be able to find? Show Times 13.30 Freshwater Aquarium Check out the amazing 200,000 litre freshwater aquarium. Modeled on a typical river system in the Top End, the aquarium is home to many different fish species. The Whipray is the freshwater cousin to the Stingray – see these amazing creatures glide through the water and learn more about them at our daily aquarium feeding show. No Top End attraction would be complete without the famous Barramundi! One of the most famous inhabitants alongside the Saltwater Crocodile in the rivers in Australia’s Top End. Unfortunately we can’t let you throw a line to catch one of these beauties! Don’t miss our aquarium feeding show to see the famous Archer Fish in action. It has to be seen to be believed! Show Times 11.00, 15.30 ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE The first iconic story is the Royal Flying Doctor Service, affectionately known throughout Australia as the RFDS. Founded by the Reverend John Flynn, it began its aero medical operations in the Northern Territory in 1939. Enjoy the heroic tales of the birth and growth of the RFDS. Learn about the history and the activities of the RFDS’s pilots, engineers, doctors and nurses, and the experiences of the patients that are carried and cared for each day. See, experience and learn through the wonder of technology as this facility brings history to life. Life size hologram of John Flynn the Founder of the Flying Doctor Service tells his story of the birth and growth of the RFDS. Includes headset audio translation in Japanese, German, French and Simplified Chinese. Two Interactive story telling mini ghosts. Meet Alf Traeger and Nurse Kathy who answer selected questions from a touch panel. Touchscreen Portals allow the visitor to learn about the history and the activities of the RFDS pilots, engineers, doctors and nurses. A decommissioned RFDS Pilatus PC 12 aircraft that allows visitors inside the aircraft and experience a fully aero medically equipped fitout. Pedal Radio invented by Alf Traeger and used by people of the Outback. Story Boards that provide very informative reading of the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. BOMBING OF DARWIN HARBOUR The second iconic story featured is the Bombing of Darwin Harbour.  Relive the drama of the Bombing of Darwin Harbour that rocked Australia in 1942. The bombing of the harbour brought destruction to the city of Darwin, and many of the experiences and stories of what happened that day are learnt through the most modern and exciting technology. Life size hologram of Rear Admiral Etheridge Grant was the Commanding Officer of the USS William B Preston narrates his own version of the Bombing of Darwin Harbour. Includes headset audio translation in Japanese, German, French and Simplified Chinese. Interactive story telling mini ghosts. Meet Prime Minister John Curtin and Japanese Pilot Hajime Toyoshima who answer selected questions from a touch panel. Virtual Reality of the bombing of Darwin Harbour. This production is the pinnacle of a movie production for VR. Never before seen production of this magnitude. Full size replica Japanese Zero aircraft hangs from the ceiling. Replica of Camilla the Flying Boat that escaped from Darwin Harbour and its story. Window of 1942 and aerial view of the Bombing of Darwin Harbour that comes to life showing the bombing and aircraft fire of the first raid. Story Boards that provide very informative reading and pictures of what took place on February 19th 1942. Rear Admiral Etheridge Grant was the Commanding Officer of the USS William B Preston. Grant was not on board the USS William B Preston at the time of the attack and He was blown into the harbour as he attempted to return to his ship and crew, and spent most of the attack in the water, clinging to a large ship’s buoy. The life size hologram of Grant, narrates his own version of events. The Virtual Reality transports you back to Darwin Harbour of 1942. You are at the original Stokes Hill Wharf, standing on the deck of the Neptuna as it bombed to the point of it exploding and sinking as well as sitting on the wing of an American Kitty Hawk, engaging in a dogfight with the Japanese Zero's.