4 Places Where to See Koalas in Brisbane

There are plenty of wildlife parks in the Brisbane/South East corner area, and they all have Koalas for you to see as well as other native animals.

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Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the place to come to if you only have time to visit Brisbane and want to see Koalas. You can have your photo taken with a Koala and see wildlife roaming around, calling this place home.

Water Dragon on Black Timber
Water Dragons have the run of the park, so watch where you are walking as they are everywhere.

You have plenty of other animals to see, such as Birds, Cassowary, Platypus, Flying Foxes, Lizards and Snakes. A couple of Dingo pups were running around their enclosure, playing like a couple of young boys. Mum was watching them from the runway above while I was there. Usually, the Dingos are sleeping when I see them.

Dingo Pups
The Dingo Pups are playing and learning how to hunt.

Shows

Once again, you have shows showing what our native birds and farm life is like. A Raptor Flight show and Sheep Dog Show allow you to see how agile the birds are and how skilled the dogs are in herding sheep.

Sheep Show
The Border Collie showed how he could manoeuvre the sheep through the gates.

Rainbow Lorikeets

At 9.45 am and 4 pm, there is the feeding of the Rainbow Lorikeets. These colourful, wild birds come into the designated area to be fed, and then you can have photos taken with them. A few often hang around during the day, so you might be lucky and see them around if you’re not there when the feeding is on.

Rainbow Lorikeets
A couple of Rainbow Lorikeets cooling off on a hot day.

Koalas

Of course, you really want to see the Koalas, and there are plenty of them.

There are many places where you can not only see the Koalas but also have your photo taken with them. Babies are something to keep an eye out for as the cute factor is off the scales.

Mother and Baby Koala See Koalas Brisbane.
Cute Babies are so curious about all the people looking at them.

Getting There

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is located in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket. You can either drive, take a bus or arrive on a ferry from Brisbane city.

Conclusion

If you’re only in Australia for a short time and are spending it in Brisbane, this is the easy park to get to. You can easily spend an afternoon or morning seeing all the animals that call Australia home and learn about them from the talks during the day.

Hours

  • Daily
    • 09:00 am–05:00 pm

Prices

  • Adult (18+ years) $49.00
  • Child (3-13 years) $35.00
  • Student (14-17 years or with valid ID) $39.00
  • Senior/Pensioner (65+ years or with valid ID) $39.00
  • Family (2 adults + up to 2 children) $135.00
  • Mini Family (1 adult + up to 2 children) $95.00

Australia Zoo

Home of the Irwin’s, Australia Zoo is located at Beerwah, Glasshouse Mountains, about 20 minutes off the highway to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane.

Although it’s known as home to Crocodiles, they aren’t the only residents here.

Shows

Along with the Crocodile shows, there are also Birds of Flight, Tiger, and Reptile and talks at the enclosures of other animals.

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is flying over the Crocoseum and our heads.
Crocodile eating.
The Crocs put on a show showing their power and agility.

The Sumatran Tiger talk in the morning and show in the afternoon is another popular place to see these magnificent animals. You learn all about their plight in the wild and how zoos are helping to conserve them.

Sumatran Tiger
You can get close to these big cats as they come right up to the glass separating us.
Spot the Blind Sumatran Tiger
They even have a blind Tiger, an animal that wouldn’t survive in the wild.

Other Animals

Australia Zoo is a huge park where you can spend all day looking around. As well as the Sumatran Tigers, you have Asian Small Clawed Otters, Australian marsupials, and an African area for Zebras and Rhinoceros to roam more freely.

Cute Otter
The ultra-cute and adorable Asian small-clawed Otter.
Meerkat Solitude
This little Meerkat was keeping a watch out over the Rhinoceros and Zebra.

Australian Natives

All the Australian native animals are here, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see a baby Koala or an Echidna running around.

Echidna on a mission
This busy little Echidna was after some grubs for his late afternoon snack.

Bindi Island

Bindi Island is a large area where the Ring-tailed Lemurs are free to roam. They are so entertaining in trees, on the path or walking along the ground, and plenty of photo opportunities are here.

Lemur hanging off a branch
Lemur Island is a great place to wander amongst the Lemurs.

Reptiles

The marsupials aren’t the only native animals on show. The Snakes on display is a valuable education into how dangerous this country can be if you’re in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and encountering the wrong snake.

Snake
One of the many venomous snakes that are at Australia Zoo.

Marsupials

Baby Koala
Hopefully, a baby Koala will be there to greet you as he did me.
Kangaroo
At the end of a tiring today.

On your way out, at the end of the car park, is the hospital you can also visit if you’ve paid a couple of dollars extra.

Here you can view the operating and recuperating rooms. You can see all the excellent work that the hospital does for the local wildlife and their own in the Zoo.

Getting There

You can easily drive from Brisbane, the Sunshine or Gold Coast, and a large car park.

You can arrive on a train, alighting at Beerwah Train Station, with the Australia Zoo shuttle meeting most trains.

Conclusion

This is an excellent attraction for learning all about Australian animals and Sumatran Tigers. You may even get to see the Irwins.

Daily bus tours depart from Brisbane, the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

Hours

  • Daily
    • 09:00 am–05:00 pm

Online Prices

One Day Pass

  • Adult $61 with hospital visit $59 just zoo
  • Child (3-14 yrs) $37 with hospital visit $35 just zoo
  • Pension $49 with hospital visit $49 just zoo
  • Family (2 adults 2 children) $180 with hospital visit $172 just zoo
  • Family (2 adults 3 children) $199 with hospital visit $189 just zoo

Two-Day Pass – Must be used within 14 days of your first entry

  • Adult $87
  • Child (3-14 yrs) $51
  • Pension $69
  • Family (2 adults 2 children) $258
  • Family (2 adults 3 children) $283.50

Wildlife HQ

Wildlife HQ is a little zoo at Woombye on the Sunshine Coast and a great place to see Koalas.

This little Zoo used to be Alma Park Zoo in Brisbane’s northern suburbs before being relocated to the Big Pineapple to allow for more housing to be built.

A small train runs through the Zoo and up to the Big Pineapple and its eateries. You have a little cafe for snacks on the zoo grounds, although you’re welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy.

Farm Animals and Others

As you enter the park, you have farm animals, reptiles, Cassowaries and more before heading around to a walk-through of Kangaroos.

Lizard
One of the many Lizards that call Wildlife HQ home.

Australian Animals

Crossing over the railway tracks, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the Australian animal section. Here you can find Koalas, more Kangaroo and Wallaby, including an Albino Wallaby.

The Albino Wallaby
When I visited a few years ago, the Albino Wallaby had a Joey.

The Tassie Devil is usually either asleep or in hiding, but there are plenty of other animals to see, including birds.

Tassie Devil
For a change, the Tassie Devil is awake and running around.

There are plenty of Koalas to keep you entertained here. They have pit enclosures that make it easy to see them at eye level.

Koala
Hopefully, a Koala will be awake long enough to take a photo of it.

Asian Rainforest

Maly, the Sun Bear, has a large enclosure to roam around. He is with Binturong, Red Pandas and Blackbutt.

Sun Bear
You’ll find Maly, the Sun Bear, roaming around his enclosure if you’re lucky.

African Plains

As this is a small park, a small number of animals are introduced over time. The African Wild Dogs came a couple of years ago and are found in many zoos in Australia and New Zealand due to their dwindling numbers in the African wild. They also have Meerkats and Baboons.

African Wild Dog
African Wild Dogs are often found sleeping during the day. I was lucky I found one that was curious about what I was doing.

South American Trail

Onto the South American Trail, and you have Monkeys, Snakes and Ring-tailed Lemurs.

As this is a small zoo with no government funding, the Monkeys are in the old wire enclosures of the past. Hopefully, one day, they can move them to a more open area popular with the bigger zoos in cities.

Ring-tailed Lemur
The Ring-tailed Lemur, like the Meerkats, can keep you entertained with their antics.

Conclusion

Koala at Wildlife HQ
Perfectly balanced sleepytime with the Koalas.

Another great little park to see animals, especially Koalas. Some of the paths are steep, and sometimes you have grass to cross, so bear that in mind if you have wheelchairs or strollers.

You also have the opportunity to have animal encounters which seem to be a lot cheaper than in other zoos. You can view your options here.

Hours

  • Daily
    • 09:00 am–04:00 pm last entry 3 pm
  • Adults $36
  • Children (under 3) Free
  • Children (3-15 years) $22
  • Seniors $29
  • Family (2 adults 2 children) $99

Prices

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Currumbin on the Gold Coast.

Whether you’re based down here or not and want to see Koalas, this is the place to come to.

What To See

There are many native animals at this park with the usual shows and talks throughout the day.

Water Dragon Currumbin
Water Dragons wander free and are easy to capture as long as you don’t get too close.

Aviaries

Not far from the entrance is a bird aviary, where you can walk through looking for native birds.

Sacred Kingfisher
Looking for the birds in the aviary can take you a while, especially little ones like the Sacred Kingfisher.

Some of the birds are well hidden. They are either camouflaged high in the treetops or on the ground looking for grubs.

There are Parrots in other Aviaries further into the park. In these enclosures, you walk along, looking into the open area where the birds are free to fly.

Gang-Gang Cockatoo
Watching the Gang-Gang Cockatoo, snacking.

Shows

There are plenty of shows to see as you wander the grounds throughout the day.

Make sure that you plan the day well to fit everything in, from Australian culture to the Free Flight Bird Show.

Macaw in Flight
The Macaw is in flight during the show.
Wedge Tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle flies over your head during the show.

Crocodile

Another great show that you have to see is the Crocodile Show. Get there early for this one to ensure that you get the right spot to watch the show.

Salty Snap
You will be warned, but get ready for when the Crocodile jumps out of the water.

The Lost Valley

After seeing the Crocodile show, you should head to the Lost Valley. Home to the rainforest, it is reminiscent of Gondwanaland thousands of years ago.

Many animals here include the Red Panda, Tree Kangaroo, Lemur, and many more.

Tree Kangaroo
Walking up the boardwalks, you see the treetop animals eye to eye.

The Lemur enclosure is a walk-through area, sharing the area with local birds. With the Lemurs, you can look but don’t touch them. You can still get very close to them as they wander around.

A matching pair of tails
The Lemurs wander around on the ground, trees and handrails.

Mandarin Ducks
Mandarin Ducks share the area with other birds and Lemurs.

Lorikeet

Lorikeet feeding happens twice a day, at 8 am and 4 pm. It is just outside the entrance, so you can enjoy this experience without paying to go in. A gold coin donation is all that is required for the food that you can feed the Lorikeets. They are so used to humans that they will land on you without an invitation.

Koala

Of course, what you have come to see is the Koalas which are dotted all over the park.

Cute Baby Koala
The Nursery holds all the Mums and Bubs.

Near the entrance are the Koalas that you can have a photo taken with. The Nursery with the Mum Koalas and their babies is near the back of the park.

Comfy Koala
You’ll be exhausted by the end of the day.

You can also have breakfast or afternoon snacks with the Koalas. Breakfast is 8 am – 9 am and the afternoon session is 2 pm. Prices are on their website here.

Getting There

You can arrive by car, with a large car park for a fee that will go towards the Animal Hospital which cares for wildlife and zoo animals.

You could use public transport. Go to the Translink site to plan your journey.

Shuttle bus transfers can be organised by calling 1300 886 511.

Conclusion

This is an excellent park for families and those kids at heart. There are plenty of areas where they can play in the playground or enjoy cooling off on a hot day in the Wild Island Adventure Splash Zone for the smaller ones.

There are new attractions every year, so there’s no excuse not to come back again if you’ve been before.

Hours

  • Daily
    • 08:00 am–05:00 pm

PRICES

Just the Sanctuary

  • Adults $49.95
  • Children (under 3) Free
  • Children (3-13 years) $39.95
  • Family(2 adults 2 children) $149.95
  • Concession $39.95

Sanctuary plus Tree Tops Challenge

  • Adults $69
  • Children (3-13 years) $59
  • Family(2 adults 2 children) $230
  • Concession $59

Conclusion

All of these wildlife parks are worth your consideration. All do great work in the community, helping wildlife and their conservation. By visiting these parks, you’re helping to keep these animals healthy and in breeding programs and supporting the local wildlife.

Hopefully, by visiting these attractions, you have had a chance to get up close and see Koalas in Brisbane.

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Links

If you’d like to read more of my blogs on Australia, you can find them on the following links; Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Camping and Silo Art, or if you’re after New Zealand, the United Kingdom or Photography, you can click on their links.

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14 comments on “4 Places Where to See Koalas in Brisbane

Hey there I am so excited I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Digg for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a tremendous post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don抰 have time to read through it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic job.

I’m glad that you like it. I hope that you can get to visit one day.

Laureen says:

Wow wow! So much great info. Australia is so incredible in the unique and interesting wildlife category…nowhere else like it. We are hoping to return to Australia in ’23 or ’24 and see more of it. It’s so big you really can’t see it in one trip. Meanwhile I will tuck this away to refer to as we make future travel plans. Thanks for such a complete and interesting guide.

Thanks, Laureen. I hope you get to Australia in the next couple of years and see as much as you can this time.

Angela says:

When I was in Brisbane I took the River Boat cruise along to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and what a fabulous day I had. I absolutely love Koalas and seeing the adults with their joeys was a dream come true for me. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photographs – so detailed.

Thanks, Angela. I hope that it bought back beautiful memories for you.

Annie says:

Unfortunately the few hours we I spent waiting for a connecting plane at Brisbane airport just wasn’t long enough to make a trip to see anything. But if I get another chance, I’ll try for a longer layover, and perhaps get to see some of the native species. Thanks for the suggestions.

Fingers crossed to get to spend more time in Brisbane and see our locals up close.

Lauren says:

Great shots! I would love to get over to Aussie and see their amazing wildlife! I’m terrified of the spiders but one day I’ll get there. I’m only in New Zealand anyways so not far! Definitely photographing and spending time with Koalas is on my bucket list and weirdly seeing wild camels! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Thanks, Lauren. All the scary wildlife here scares me as I’m from NZ too. Hopefully, I’ll find some wild camels to photograph one day.

Fantastic post! Loved seeing your amazing photos of all of the Aussie birds and wildlife but especially the koalas. Can’t wait to see them in person someday!

Thanks, Susan. I hope you come to Australia and see all the locals.

Marilyn says:

A wonderful trip down memory lane. It’s always a treat to see the many and diverse critters in Australia. Great read and great photos.

Thanks, Marilyn. Koalas may sleep most of the time but they are still so cute.

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