Discovery is a wonderful thing!

Stu @ the Zoo

Discovery is a wonderful thing!  I think for me it is the ultimate motivator.  The more I discover - the more I want to explore, to learn and to share.  This blog is a product of those discoveries, growing and changing, as I see more zoos and the cities they're located in.  Now that I am coming up to my 50^th post I want to spend a little bit of time giving you an overview of this blog so far and recent changes as well as what's coming up in the next few months and beyond.

What has not changed is my commitment to visit and review as many zoos and wild life parks around the world as possible.  To date I have reviewed twelve zoos from three different countries, with my current region focus on the South East corner of Queensland.  Underwater World is the last of seven zoo reviews for this region and will wrap up what has been a solid selection of animal experiences in Queensland, Australia . 

Next I will be visiting Australia’s second largest city Melbourne, to introduce you to two of Australia’s premier zoo experiences. Finally I will end 2013 with a trip in December to the tourism mecca of the world, Orlando in the USA and explore what this region has on offer for visitors looking for animal viewing experiences. I will  wrap up the year by    choosing the best Zoo, Wild life Sanctuary and Aquarium out of the ones that I have visited in 2013.

Bronx Zoo in New York - March 2013

To complement our reviews I have created a short video for each zoo that we visit showcasing the variety of animals that you will find at each. You can watch these videos from links at each review or go to the video page above. The Stu@thezoo You Tube channel will also start to include more in-depth videos of cities in which the zoos are located.

Sea World on The Gold Coast - April 2013

Each zoo is different. Good zoos include many other aspects to enhance your overall visit. My Inside Zoos page explores some of these areas and what zoos have excelled in their implementation.

All animals should have an advocate, somebody to tell their story. No matter if they are large and popular, or small and rare, every animal has a place in our world.  My In-Focus page is where you will find the ever-growing list of animals that I discover on my zoo journeys.  Each post will give you a brief description of the animal, its unique characteristics and what the best zoos are to view them.

Australia Zoo - June 2013

As I travel to review zoos, I have come across urban locations and city parks were you can see a huge selection of that region's urban wild life. In my Urban Sanctuaries page, you can see my small galleries highlighting some of these locations and the animals that call them home.

Like any blog this is also an area to vent – or tell a story that I think needs to be told. My Zoo Opinion page is where you will find a large range of topics relating to zoos.  Remember most of what is written on these pages is my opinion but I also value your opinion, even if you don’t agree with mine. Please feel free to comment on any of these pages, because the more opinions the better.

Dreamworld Gold Coast - June 2013

Over the last seven months I’ve had a blast visiting and learning about zoos and the animals that are located at each of them, 2014 won’t be any different. Although I have been sworn to secrecy by my wife Pamela, it is fair to say that our zoo exploration around the world will continue with some great surprises. 

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Brisbane - May 2013

In other news, I will soon be starting a new page in this blog called Great National Parks of the World. These posts will give you an in-depth description of how to get to each park, reviews on accommodation, animals that can be found within the park and what you can do whilst visiting. Of course these posts will include videos and lots of photos. I can’t wait to tell you what parks we have planned to visit for 2014! In the meantime please follow me on twitter  (@stuatthezoo) to get the latest news on zoos and this blog.  Happy travels everyone!