Australia Independent Travel | Brisbane Suburban Day Trip | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | The World's First Koala Sanctuary
 |
| A smiling koala |
When you think of Australian animals, koalas and kangaroos are surely the first to come to mind. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, founded in 1927, is the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary. On this Australia trip, Brisbane was our final stop and we hadn't planned much of an itinerary — mostly just strolling around and shopping. The one activity we did plan was visiting Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to see koalas and feed kangaroos.
- Address: 708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket QLD 4069
- Tickets: https://ecom.roller.app/lonepinekoalasanctuary/newprogressivecheckout/en/home
- Opening hours: 09:00 – 17:00
- Official website: https://lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/
- Phone: +61733781366
🚃 Getting There
 |
| The boarding platform at Roma Street Bus Station |
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is about 15 km from downtown Brisbane. Other than driving yourself, the main way to get there from the city is by bus — it's not far, and the ride takes only about 35 minutes.
If you'd rather take the train first, you can ride to Toowong station and transfer to a bus. But if you're starting from the city centre, this isn't any faster or more convenient, since you end up transferring to the same bus anyway. It's simpler to just take the bus straight from the city.
There's also a river cruise option — the visitor centre downtown sells combo tickets, so check it out if you're interested.
 |
| The bus stop at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary |
Take bus 430; in the city you can board at Roma Street Bus Station or at Queen Street Station, which is closer to the centre. The last stop is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and you catch the bus back from the same place.
🏞️ Inside Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
 |
| When you see this koala statue, you've found the entrance! |
The entrance area isn't very big. You buy your tickets right here and then head in. Since there's only one ticket counter, you may have to wait a bit when a lot of visitors arrive at once, as groups are served one by one before entering. Also, if you want kangaroo feed, buy it here — there's nowhere to buy it once you're inside! (AU$2 per bag)
 |
| Waiting to buy tickets and enter |
The sanctuary isn't especially large and is mainly divided into three sections (the leftmost one hadn't opened yet when we visited). Koalas and kangaroos are by far the most numerous animals here, and those two areas are where we spent most of our time.
 |
| Map of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — if the image doesn't load, visit: https://lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/interactive-map/ |
On the right-hand side of the map above you can see the daily activity schedule, including wild lorikeet feeding, koala talks, holding a koala and more — all at set times. Some activities require a separate ticket and others are free; just show up at the right place when it's time.
For a full list of activities, check the official page:
🦜 Wild Lorikeet Feeding
The rainbow lorikeet is a colourful Australian parrot. For this activity, staff prepare a liquid feed and, after the talk, pour it into individual containers you can pick up and hold. The lorikeets then swoop in, jostling with one another to eat.
🐨 Koala Talk and Hold a Koala
The Koala Talk and Hold a Koala take place in the same area. Visitors who have pre-booked can come to this counter at the appointed time for the Hold a Koala experience, where you get to hold a koala and have your photo taken.
The Koala Talk is held in the open area next to it, where staff explain koala ecology and share stories about the koalas in the sanctuary. This one is free — just show up when it starts and grab a seat or stand nearby to listen.
🦘 Kangaroo Area
The kangaroo area is essentially a large fenced-off grassland where the kangaroos live. As long as you've bought the sanctuary's kangaroo feed, you can feed them here. Once you pass through this entrance, you'll see kangaroos everywhere.
 |
| Lots of kangaroos resting |
The grassland is quite spacious, with designated kangaroo rest areas along the sides — any kangaroo inside a rest area must not be disturbed. There are also several different kangaroo species all living together on this big meadow, and hungry ones will come right up to you as soon as you're holding feed.
It's worth arriving early and feeding the kangaroos first, since some people say the kangaroos are already full from visitors by the afternoon. That said, on our visit the kangaroos happily came over to eat both in the morning and the afternoon.
🍽️ Restaurants and a Dining Area Surrounded by Koalas
There are only two places selling food at Lone Pine: Riverside Cafe outside the entrance, and one inside the park that's more like a typical zoo food court. The food inside is basically just expensive and the taste is fairly average — the most economical option is to bring your own food to the dining area. This time, for convenience, we just bought food inside.
 |
| The dining area is a seating zone surrounded by koalas! |
The dining area is a seating zone surrounded by koalas, so you can eat while watching them up close. And we're not talking about just a couple of koalas — there are loads of them, and from the seats up front you can see plenty perched in the trees.
 |
| The open-air dining area |
 |
| So many koalas! |
 |
| All kinds of koala sleeping poses |
 |
| Did you know koalas climb down to the ground to go to the toilet? |
Overall, I'd definitely recommend it — this is one of the must-do outings when visiting Brisbane. If you have the time, plan a trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Not only will you see tons of koalas, you can also get up close with kangaroos — both essential Australian experiences!
If you enjoy my posts, feel free to follow my travel accounts below, where I regularly share beautiful spots and useful travel tips. Recommendations for fun places are always welcome!
留言
張貼留言