Tourism Australia may prefer to promote Australia’s food and wine scene, or its natural wonders. But I know for most overseas visitors, one of the key reasons for visiting is seeing Australia’s often cute and sometimes terrifying wildlife.
Australian wildlife parks and zoos are an excellent cheat’s way of encountering koalas, kangaroos, wombats and more. There are several around the country, and all work slightly differently.
Some are big zoos with exotic species, while others focus on native Australian animals. Many allow you to hand-feed kangaroos, a select few allow you to hold a koala, and most have a selection of ranger talks and animal encounters available.
Australian wildlife parks: Ticket prices and visitor information
I’ve researched and written guides to many of the most popular Australian wildlife parks, zoos and sanctuaries. These guides cover practical information such as ticket prices, opening hours, parking and accessibility. They should also give a sense of what to expect – whether compact and charming or extensive and packed with animal encounters.
The following guides have been uploaded to the site so far:
New South Wales wildlife parks and zoos
Calmsley Hill City Farm in Sydney.
The Hunter Valley Wildlife Park in Nulkaba.
Symbio Wildlife Park in Helensburgh, Illawarra.
The Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary on the Central Coast.
Northern Territory wildlife parks and zoos
The Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin
Queensland wildlife parks and zoos
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane.
South Australia wildlife parks and zoos
Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide.
The Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills.
Gorge Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills.
Victoria wildlife parks and zoos
Ballarat Wildlife Park in Ballarat.
The Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley.
Western Australia wildlife parks and zoos
Caversham Wildlife Park in the Swan Valley near Perth.
