Fear Conquering & Feeding Crocodiles


Huge thanks to Tourism and Events Queensland and Dreamworld for providing this death-defying adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

Looking down the mouth of crocodile at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Is anyone really crazy enough to lure sixteen feet of teeth and muscle out of the water with a chicken leg?

Yes. We are.

At DreamworldAustralia‘s largest theme park –that is just what we did.

Crocodile waiting to eat us at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Not buying the grin. We know you want to eat us.

Perhaps we’re not as crazy or brave (stupid?) as we are making ourselves out to be since we barely had time to think about it.

But is it any less insane because we had no idea we would be feeding crocs until just before we did it?

This is the kind of thing that happens when we let Queenslanders plan our escapades and stupidly say, “We’re up for anything!”

The combination of humor, sense of adventure, and a tad bit of wickedness that our hosts possessed led to some wonderfully unsettling situations (here’s another one, should you need more convincing).

The well chomped-on pole we used to feed crocodiles at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

We were expecting a day of gut-wrenching roller coasters and theme-park related fun (we did that too!), and instead found ourselves gut-checking our courage inches away from the jaws of death. All while strapped to a glass platform.

We began with a demonstration, safety talk/harness fitting, and waiver signing (… crocodiles … danger … not responsible for lost limbs … name … date) with the fabulous Alecia.

Concern began to sink in as she taught us proper feeding technique with a seemingly too-short, well-chomped-on pole.

See more about our adventures in Australia’s Gold Coast!

Getting latched on to the crocodile feeding platform at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

After helping us prepare the croc food (in our newly-donned overalls with CROC FEEDER emblazoned on the back), Alecia handed us off to Chris, crocodile wrangler extraordinaire, who snapped our harnesses to the feeding platform.

Chris has a special relationship with these prehistoric-looking creatures. Still, he had no problem expressing his awe. “They can go from completely still to full speed in a blink of an eye. Yeah, it takes you by surprise sometimes.”

A crocodile foot at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
From the platform, new details emerge. Look at the feet!

Coupling Chris’s remarks with Alecia’s careful instructions – “We are slowly lowering (the pole) to get them excited, and then we are slowly raising the pole up” – had us questioning the entire preposterous venture.

“Full speed in a blink eye?” “Get them excited?”

Have you guys ever taken a close look at these killing machines?

But securely latched to the platform we clung to the small comfort that the beast couldn’t drag us into the water.

David feeds a crocodile at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Part of the fun was that there was a crowd watching. Alecia manned a microphone, stirring up the masses.

We hoped against hope that the field trip-taking schoolchildren among the spectators would not witness the ultimate grisly demise of The GypsyNesters. That kind of thing could scar a kid for life.

See more about our adventures in Australia’s Gold Coast!

Veronica feeds a crocodile at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Chris wasn’t kidding about the speed of these critters. There’s no rush in the world like being on the business end of a hungry croc’s mouth. Less than a second ticks by – from leaping reptile to the other-worldly SNAP! as enormous jaws slam shut.

David feeds a crocodile at Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

David has all fingers present after feeding the crocs at Dreamworld in Queensland, Australia
All fingers intact!

Lucky for the school kids, and us, the only casualties that day was some poultry, and a crocodile’s hunger.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Delve Deeper:
Check out the Dreamworld website
See everything we did on Queensland’s Gold Coast
See where we stayed! Peppers Broadbeach
Bucket list check! We snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef!
Watch us skydive above beautiful Queensland – yikes!
Follow us into the Australian Hinterland and kayak the Noosa Everglades!

Find out how we saw all of the bizarre Australian animals in one place!
Let Us Introdoos-ya to Noosa and Spread a Little Sunshine Coast

Huge thanks to Tourism and Events Queensland and Dreamworld for providing this death-defying adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

Click here to see all of our adventures in Queensland!

YOUR TURN: Are you game for feeding a croc?


Did you enjoy what you just read? Then you'll LOVE our book!
Going Gypsy: One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All 

- See how it all began!
ORDER NOW - Wherever Books Are Sold!
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - IndieBound - Books-a-Million
Also available as an audiobook from Audible.com

10 thoughts on “Fear Conquering & Feeding Crocodiles”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.