How do you like the sound of sipping on cocktails as 365 kilograms of sheer reptilian power leers over you? The spooky season is upon us, and you can get a primal thrill over tipples and tapas at this pop-up Croctail Bar.
Head down to the underground Croc Den at Darling Harbour’s Wild Life Sydney Zoo to get up close and personal with Rocky, a real-life saltwater croc measuring in at more than four metres long. With only a wall of glass between you, Rocky will be measuring you up for size, too. This hefty gent will (death)roll into your heart and leave you with a tail to tell.
That’s not the only animal encounter the evening contains; on arrival you’ll be greeted with a drink and a hands-on meeting with either a slinky snake or a lithe lizard. From there you’ll be ushered to physically distanced croc-side seating, where you can order tapas and croc-tails from mobile bar company Trolley’d, with the zoo staff emerging for a ‘croc talk’. If you’re lucky, you can also get the chance to watch Rocky have a feeding.
While Rocky is the star of the show, the refreshments are no afterthought – created with responsibly sourced native and wild foraged ingredients such as roasted wattle, urban beehive honey and Illawarra Plum Vodka.
Entry to this heart-racing experience is just $15, including a beer or house wine to start you off (if you’re in need of some liquid courage to meet Rocky’s eye), which is a much more affordable option than the sell-out bottomless paint and sip experience going down next door at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Better still, $5 from every ticket will also go towards the Wild Life Conservation Fund, which supports animal research, conservation and welfare.
You can join Rocky for drinks over two weeks during the spookiest time of year, between October 29 and November 7. You can book in for a session on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings between 5-7pm or 7-9pm. Don’t dawdle, as seating is limited. There are only 13 spots available per session in the Croc Den and 38 in the Upper Viewing Deck. Book in here.
For those unacquainted, Wild Life Sydney Zoo sits alongside Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds. On the smaller side of zoological attractions, the focus here is on Australian wildlife.
Want more spooky drinks? You can brew up boozy potions at this witchy cocktail experience.