Wild Australia - Ride the Outback Express

A stop on Oakland Zoo: Savanna to California Trail, a free self-guided tour.

This station in the Rides Area is your gateway to Wild Australia. The habitat, about 3.5 acres of hillside around the railroad track, opened around 2010, and the Outback Express train is the way to see it: riders look out the open windows as the train circles through the grassland.

You may see wallaroos, sturdy cousins of kangaroos that live on rocky hills, and emus, the second-tallest birds on Earth. Emus cannot fly, but they can sprint fast on long legs, and it is the father emu that sits on the eggs and raises the chicks.

The train is a separate paid ride and sometimes closes for maintenance, so check the ride booth for today's schedule. If you skip it, the rest of this tour still works: the next stop is in the Tropical Rainforest.

Getting here: From the entrance, walk a few steps north into the Rides Area to the Outback Express station.

Did you know?: An emu egg is dark green and weighs about as much as ten chicken eggs.

Photo op: From the train, wait for an emu near the track and shoot through the open window.

For kids: Watch how a wallaroo hops. It uses its long tail for balance, like a kangaroo.

Nearby: Safari Cafe and restrooms are in the Rides Area beside the station.

Wild Australia - Ride the Outback Express

Stops on this tour