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Australian Reptile Park

Saltwater crocodile

Australian Reptile Park

Entrance to the Australian Reptile Park
Entrance to the Australian Reptile Park

Located just over an hour’s drive north of Sydney on the NSW Central Coast, the Australian Wildlife Park is an excellent place to see some of Australia’s deadly wildlife. If you want to get up close with deadly snakes, spiders and crocodiles, this is the place for you.

Getting There

Located not far from Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast it’s a one hour drive up the M1 from Sydney or about one and a quarter hours south of Newcastle. A large carpark is available on site with an overflow carpark located adjacent to the entrance.

Tickets

Tickets ca be purchased on the day at the entrance, but purchasing them online is cheaper. If you have a family, tickets are available for this too. You can even add food for the animals for children to feed the kangaroos.

The Exhibits

We arrived just on opening time when many of the animals had just been fed, so many of them were active.

Spiders

Possibly one of the most important aspects of the wildlife park is their work with Sydney Funnel Web Spiders. A single bite will kill an adult and the production of anti venom is very important. The Reptile Park has a large number on site and milk the spiders daily to collect their venom.

We were lucky enough to see one of the keepers let a spider out into a larger container while she collected its venom. It was a very angry and aggressive spider but she wasn’t worried and calmly used a pipette to suck the venom off its fangs.

Snakes and Lizards

Of course the main reason for the visit is to see some of the most dangerous snakes in the world. All nicely viewed safely through glass. All of Australia’s venomous snakes are represented along with others such as the North American rattlesnake.

Many school children have excursions here at various times, where they are taught how to respect snakes and what to do if you see one in the wild. Most snakes will avoid confrontation unless it’s unavoidable.

Many lizards are on display from blue tongue and shingle back lizards to Komodo dragons. Although not Australian the Komodo’s are a big attraction with their own large enclosure.

Frogs

The Reptile Park has a breeding programme for endangered frogs which has been a great success with numerous tadpoles and small frogs produced. The breeding area is at the back of the park and although there are a lot of ponds and aquariums present only some of the frogs can be seen.

This is associated with Aussie Ark which is responsible for the Tasmanian Devil breeding programme saving them from the facial cancer that is decimating them in the wild.

There is also a large area set aside for breeding some of the endangered turtle species. These programs are very important and really compliments the funnel web venom collection and education that the park undertakes.

Green and golden bell frog
Green and golden bell frog

Wild life

A large area near the entrance allows visitors to interact with kangaroos which are roaming around. Nearby enclosures contained dingoes, koalas and Tasmanian devils. A huge saltwater crocodile has its own pool not far away. The park also has a lake filled with alligators.

Food and Refreshments

The park has a kiosk that sells a variety of food and drinks, or you can bring your own and sit and the undercover tables provided.

If the kids or kids at want to see really big reptiles a number of dinosaur statues are located near the picnic facilities (we know they’re not really reptiles).

Parasaurolophus statue
Parasaurolophus statue

What Did We Think?

This was a great day out and we spent several hours here. You could easily spend longer with children or if you took part in the special activities available.

Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

A Koala

Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

One of the prime attractions in Port Stephens is the Koala Sanctuary. Not only does it allow you to see koalas, but it rehabilitates injured ones, while providing a place to live for those that cannot be returned to the wild.

Accommodation

An excellent accommodation option for the Port Stephens region are the cabins available at the sanctuary. This allows visitors to see the koalas in the evenings and mornings when they are more active.

Accommodation at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
Accommodation

Koala Sculptures

After paying for your entry, a path leads through a number of large koala sculptures. As you walk along the path, most sculptures also have an information board helping you understand the koalas, their habitat and the threats to their survival.

This is a great educational opportunity and is especially good for children.

Koala Hospital

Before reaching the viewing area, you pass the hospital where injured koalas are treated. A window allows you to see into the treatment room and we were lucky enough to see one there, along with the vet and his assistants.

Koalas

Only koalas that are unable to be rehabilitated back to the wild are on display. Koalas that have undergone surgery and are being rehabilitated are housed in separate enclosures. Each kolas has its own information board detailing how it came to the sanctuary and what injuries it was suffering.

Because we arrived in the middle of the day they were not very active, but were able to see most of them. stationed here were two volunteers who gave talks on the koalas and the work of the sanctuary.

A Kookaburra
A Kookaburra

What Did We Think?

This was a great visit and would recommend it to anyone wanting to see or learn about koalas. It’s similar to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital although larger and offering onsite accommodation.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

Established in 1973 and dedicated to the to rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild koalas, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital also helps visitor learn about this unique Australian animal.

Located in the NSW mid-north town of Port Macquarie, the hospital is a favourite destination for tourists. On arrival, we were pleased to see that a mobile coffee van was set up near the carpark. After a long drive to get here, this was a great way to start our visit. After a relaxing coffee on some chairs under shady trees, we started our visit.

Entry is free, but donations are welcome, which are used to keep the hospital running. The first exhibit is actually another of Port Macquarie’s attractions, one of the Hello Koala statues. Scattered around town at different businesses there are around 80 of these colourful statues.

The Koalas

Near the statue an information board with photos of koalas under care details the threats they face. The main one is habitat loss – something that is totally preventable, but something our state Government seems reluctant to address. Koalas at the hospital suffer from a range of injuries, from road accidents, dog attacks and bush fires.

The koala enclosures hold animals undergoing rehabilitation. Each enclosure has a description of the koala, the injury they sustained and how they are progressing. As koalas sleep a lot (due to the low food value of the leaves they eat – not the intoxicating effects of the gum leaves – that’s an urban myth) they were hard to see, cuddled up into little furry balls in the trees. We managed to spot them all, but most were too far away or obscured to take photos of.

The last place to visit is a small museum. This details koala evolution and their place in the Australian environment. Several stuffed exhibits allow visitors to see what they look like up close.

The Future

Funding has been secured for a first of its kind wild breeding program. The aim is to breed and release 30 joeys each year, offsetting the current population decline. Also involved in the project are Taronga Zoo, the Australian Museum Research Institute and the University of Sydney.

What Did We Think?

If you are visiting Port Macquarie, this is a must-see destination. Not only do you see koalas, but you also learn about their endangered status and what is being done to save them.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.