Where to Go: the 13 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries in Australia

1.Day Tour in Mt. Field, Mt. Wellington, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Richmond

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 735 reviews · from $128Our pick

Travel from Hobart in a small group of up to 20 to walk through Mt Field National Park, meet Tasmanian wildlife at Bonorong, visit historic Richmond, and drive to kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Guides including Brett, Jarrod, Hans and Jo add local stories, while changing mountain weather makes warm layers essential.

“Brett was very knowledgeable and passionate about our toured locations. Quick way to see varied parts of Tasmania.”

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2.Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary General Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 538 reviews · from $50

Spend 2 to 6 hours exploring Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast. See koalas, kangaroos, wombats, reptiles, free-flight birds, and Lost Valley species. Your ticket includes keeper talks, animal shows, lorikeet feeding, and access to 27 hectares of bushland. Animal encounters cost extra.

“This was a wonderful experience. Even though it was cold and raining, we really enjoyed walking around. We were able to get close to a lot of animals and experience them without them being behind the bars of a cage. The koala experiencRead more”

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3.Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 339 reviews · 1 day · from $49

Spend a full day at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary near Gold Coast beaches and the airport. Feed kangaroos, join the 8am or 4pm lorikeet feed, watch Wild Skies, explore Lost Valley and Outback Springs, and learn how the Wildlife Hospital protects Australian animals.

“Absolutely brilliant day . Friendly staff and so helpful. Feeding the kangaroo was brilliant and there was so many of them . All the animals were amazing. Our picture with the kolas, I really enjoyed. The bird show was so well done and very interactive with the people & children. All shows were fantastic. Super day & highly recommended it 😊🥳”

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4.Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Half-Day Tour from Hobart

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 158 reviews · 4 hours · from $88

Travel from Hobart to Richmond and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary with an English-speaking guide such as Shaun, Hugo, or Phil. Explore Richmond, meet Tasmanian devils, wombats, echidnas, and kangaroos, and enjoy close animal encounters during this tightly timed four-hour outing.

“Bonorong is excellent. We got to hand feed kangaroos and saw the devils. Richmond is kind of a waste of time. We had a drink and listened to the guy playing a harp. He was excellent. The sound system on the bus wasn’t working so we had no commentary. The driver was very nice.”

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5.Hobart: Admission Ticket to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 126 reviews · 365 days · from $25

Spend a full day at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary with admission, kangaroo food and daily English guided tours included. Meet wombats, echidnas, Tasmanian devils, quolls and native birds, then explore at your own pace. Parking and wheelchair access are available, but food and transfers cost extra.

“Beautiful unique experience! The team is doing a great job caring for injured or endangered animals.”

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6.Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Guided Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $115

Spend 2.5 hours at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary after dark, helping an English-speaking guide feed Tasmanian devils and other animals. You may hand-feed Eastern quolls, tawny frogmouths, sugar gliders and Forester kangaroos. Groups stay small, and guide Johnny has earned warm praise for his friendly care.

“We loved freeing a variety of animals, we hit we it was dinner for day animals or breakfast for nocturnal animals. Our guide Johnny was very nice and the feeding was fun.”

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7.Astra Lumina Entry at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 32 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35

At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, you follow a self-paced 1.5km trail through native bushland after dark. Nine cosmic zones combine coloured lights, music, sound, artificial fog, and changing effects. Allow 60 to 90 minutes, wear closed-toe shoes, and bring your own snacks or drinks if desired.

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8.Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary & TreeTop Challenge Combo

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 11 reviews · 7 hours · from $77

Spend up to seven hours at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, then tackle a supervised three-hour TreeTop Challenge with 100-plus obstacles and 14 ziplines. You can choose beginner, advanced, or extreme rope courses, then return to see koalas, emus, lorikeets, crocodiles, and more.

“Honestly one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had. One disappointing thing was the lack of pictures. At the start we were told that there would be some pictures taken but at the end it did not happen”

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9.Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 8 reviews · 1 day · from $20Best value

Spend a full day meeting Australian wildlife at Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. See koalas, kangaroos, wombats, emus, reptiles, and free-flying native birds. Keeper talks, animal presentations, kangaroo and emu feeding, picnic areas, BBQs, and a children’s play area are included. Extra animal encounters cost more.

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10.Astra Lumina Night Walk at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 8 reviews · from $35

Walk a 1.5 km trail through Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary after dark, passing nine cosmic zones filled with changing lights, music, sound and fog effects. Allow 60 to 90 minutes. Food and drinks cost extra, and the sloping trail requires moderate fitness.

“Too expensive for what it was. Only suitable for kids under 5. $10 to buy a hot chocolate. Complete rip-off”

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11.Hobart: Full-Day Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary & Richmond Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 6 reviews · 8 hours · from $127

Spend a full day seeing Hobart by coach, stopping at Cascade Gardens and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, then explore Richmond and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. An English-speaking guide handles the driving and commentary. The converted coach tram may be replaced by another vehicle.

“The morning was not great it was a bus tour with the driver giving information got off bus one for a walk to brewery not sure what for no tram ride and a bit of miss information from driver - Errol Flynn house wrong after research we didn’t stop at it drove past quickly. Not worth the money this trip. The afternoon in Richmond was much better and at the bonorong sanctuary made the trip was a lovely place to visit. Do not bother with the morning terrible”

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12.Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Pass + The Treetop Challenge

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 2 reviews · from $78

Spend up to eight hours at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, then tackle TreeTop Challenge’s three-hour aerial course. You’ll meet Australian wildlife, complete supervised rope obstacles, and ride 14 ziplines, including the Croc Shock, with routes for several ability levels.

“More ankle breaking wobbly challenges than zip lines. One of them was very close to twisting my ankle, verticle logs on the red route Which ruinned my mood for being there. Less zip lines than expected which would have preferred more of. Read more”

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13.Byron Bay and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews

You’ll travel from Surfers Paradise with a private guide, visit Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, then spend time in Byron Bay and at Cape Byron Lighthouse. Guide Mario has earned praise for reliable service and good photo stops. The tour lasts about 6 to 8 hours and costs $322.76 per group, with sanctuary entry extra.

“Wow, such a great tour with Mario. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was a blast and Mario knew fantastic spots for sights and photos around Byron Bay. We couldn’t be happier with our experience and highly recommend this excursion. He was so reliable that we chose to hire him to get us to our early flight from Brisbane airport.”

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