Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures: Shows, Tickets and What to Expect

TL;DR: Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is a wildlife park and crocodile farm at Wangetti, about 40 minutes north of Cairns and 25 minutes south of Port Douglas. Entry is $50 for adults and $25 for kids, including the daily shows and a crocodile cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon. The main shows run between 9am and 4.30pm. Allow at least half a day, although your ticket is valid for three days if you’d rather take your time.

The boat glides across the lagoon. The guide dangles a chunk of meat from a pole over the water. For a moment, nothing. Then the water explodes, a huge croc lunges upwards, and everyone on board jumps, even the ones who knew it was coming.

Welcome to the lagoon cruise at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, where crocodile shows, wildlife encounters and a boat trip across the lagoon make up a very Cairns kind of day out. Here’s what’s on, what it costs and how to plan your visit so you don’t miss the shows you want.

Where Is Hartley’s and How Do You Get There?

Hartley’s is at Wangetti, on the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas. It’s about 40 minutes’ drive north of Cairns, or 25 minutes south of Port Douglas.

The drive up is part of the fun. This stretch of highway follows the Queensland coast, with rainforest on one side and the Coral Sea on the other. Hartley’s sits beside the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, so there’s plenty of scenery before you even reach the park.

There’s no public bus that stops at the door, but you have a few options. Drive yourself and use the free parking, arrange a taxi or rideshare, or join a tour with transfers from Cairns or Port Douglas.

What Shows Are On at Hartley’s?

Your entry covers every show and presentation, plus one crocodile cruise. Here’s the park’s daily timetable.

The Hartley’s Lagoon cruise runs throughout the day. You’ll be given a boat time when you arrive. Our tip: head to the cruise desk early if you’d like a morning slot.

How should you plan your day?

Pick the shows you most want to see and plan the rest of your visit around them. If you arrive at opening time, you can fit in a morning show, the lagoon cruise and a crocodile feeding before lunch, with time to explore the park’s wildlife exhibits in between.

If you want to stay for the Crocodile Attack show in the afternoon, leave some time afterwards to wander around rather than trying to squeeze everything in beforehand. Check the daily timetable when you arrive, as show times can change.

Can’t fit it all in? Your entry ticket is valid for three consecutive days, so there’s no need to cram everything into one visit.

What’s the Crocodile Farm Like?

Hartley’s is both a wildlife park and a working crocodile farm. It breeds saltwater crocodiles for their skins and meat, and the Crocodile Farm Tour takes you through the breeding lagoons and pens.

You’ll see crocodiles at different stages of life, from hatchlings to large breeding adults, while the guides explain how the farm operates. The farm tour is optional, so you can skip it if you’d rather focus on the wildlife park, shows and lagoon cruise.

How Did Hartley’s Get Started?

Hartley’s story goes back to 1934, when a roadside teahouse at Hartley’s Creek on the Cook Highway attracted passing motorists with a crocodile called Charlie. The stop eventually grew into the Hartley’s Creek Zoo.

The Freeman family bought the zoo in 1986 and later established a crocodile farm on nearby land. In July 2002, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures opened on its current site at Wangetti. Today, the park covers about 10 hectares.

How Much Are Tickets?

Adult entry is $50 and kids are $25, and general admission includes every daily show and one lagoon cruise.

Hartley’s is open from 8.30am to 5pm daily, except Christmas Day and the day of the Cairns Ironman.

Keen to get even closer to the action? The Big Croc Feed is a 45-minute guided experience where you feed a big saltwater croc yourself and walk away with a certificate (and a pretty good story). It’s about $150 per person. There’s also a 60-minute wildlife encounter with koalas, cassowaries, pythons and wombats, a koala breakfast, and photos holding a juvenile croc, lizard or snake. Prices for the extras are from the park’s most recent brochure, so check before you book.

How Long Do You Need?

Half a day at least. We reckon the best approach is to plan your visit around the shows you most want to see, rather than just wandering. The 11am crocodile feeding and the 3pm Crocodile Attack show are the big ones, and they’re four hours apart.

Families with young kids usually spend three to four hours here. With older kids, or if you’d like to see every show, plan for five or six hours, or come back for round two another day.

Here’s a little tip: get there at the opening if you can. It’s quieter, and you’ll score an earlier boat time.

Can You Combine It With Port Douglas or the Daintree?

Absolutely. Hartley’s sits halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, which makes it an easy stop if you’re heading north.

Self-driving up to Port Douglas, the Daintree or Mossman Gorge? Hartley breaks up the trip nicely. Spend the morning with the crocs, then carry on north for a long, lazy lunch in Port Douglas. If you’ve got a full day, keep going to the Daintree, where the rainforest runs right down to the sea at Cape Tribulation.

Before You Go

Hartleys Crocodile Adventures is an easy, fun half-day out of Cairns, and the lagoon cruise alone is worth the trip. If you’d rather leave the car behind, our Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure Day Tour includes transfers from Cairns, park entry and the lagoon cruise. Hold on to your hat!

Frequently Asked Questions