Festive season line up Dinosaurs Alive - Aussie Wildlife Bush Sleep Out & Tim Faulkner live on stage

The mighty roar of Tyrannosaurus Rex and the snapping jaws of Spinosaurus will be on show at the Australian Reptile Park daily throughout the Dec-Jan school holidays for Dinosaurs Alive. The choreographed event series showcases the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of geological time millions of years ago. These two carnivores will also feature in a park walk with keepers guiding their way to avoid any lunch snacks of the human kind along their path.

Stepping out from behind the camera, Bondi Vet television personality Tim Faulkner will be live on stage at the Australian Reptile Park for a short time only, bringing a piece of his own Wild Life of Tim Faulknertelevision show to life from 9-13 January.

Included in general admission prices, Tim’s Wild Life will take visitors on an intimate journey of his animal encounters throughout the outback of Australia. Wrestling a saltwater crocodile, wrangling a deadly Taipan and milking a Funnel-web spider is all in a days work for Tim Faulkner, and that still leaves time in this passionate conservationists day to release a blue-tongued lizard, tag a wild platypus and save the Tasmania Devil from extinction.

New to the park for one night only in the school holiday is a family friendly zoo slumber event, The Aussie Bush Wildlife Sleep Out, taking place on the evening of Weds 25 January with guests waking up surrounded by nature on Australia Day.

Aussie Bush Sleep Out guests will experience the thrill of camping out under the stars amongst wildlife, plus an evening of interactive and hands on wildlife awareness shows, presented by Australian Geographic. Plus animal encounters, an Aussie bush tucker BBQ, billy tea, marshmallow toasting over camp fires, damper making and bush survival education. Tickets are available on-line at reptilepark.com.au for $500 per family tent. Pricing includes tents, bedding, shows and entertainment, park access and meals.

Daily school holidays activities included in admission at the Australian Reptile Park will include:

• kids exploratory dino dig and fossil finding sand pit
• interactive dinosaur walks with keepers
• American alligator feeding show of 40 alligators in the park’s lagoon
• crocodile feeding show of Australia’s crankiest 4.5 metre crocodile, known as Elvis
• walking of Hugo the Galapagos tortoise for guests to pat his lucky shell
• dingo bush walks and talks
• roving keepers for hands on animal experiences with snakes, lizards, geckos and chameleons

The school holidays are also a busy time for Behind The Scenes Tours and interactive Kids 2 Keeper programs, which are all on-line and recommended to be booked in advance due to popularity.

The Australian Reptile Park is open daily from 9am until 5pm during the Dec-Jan school holidays but will be closed on Christmas Day. The park is located at Somersby on the Central Coast of New South Wales, approximately a 60 minute drive from Sydney and Newcastle with complementary parking, and BBQ facilities. General admission prices are $35 per adult, $19 per child or $95 for a family pass all purchasable on-line along with additional experiences like Behind the Scenes or Kids 2 Keeper. For general park enquiries call 02 4340 1022.