My Mum had been to the sanctuary years ago, but this was the first time we’d all been together and the first time for Dad and I. We were very excited to go and see the Australian wildlife.
My experience at the Healesville Sanctuary
As soon as we walked in we saw family members of the emu, koalas sitting in their tree enclosures… they were nice and close and easy to see, we were lucky 2 were awake and looking around, considering koalas sleep up to 20 hours of the day this was awesome to witness. We saw a lazy wombat sleeping soundly, all types of kangaroos, one had a Joey which was really cool to see. We watched a platypus show which was also good, I learnt lots about them, there was one on display which was so playful, it looked like she was dancing in the water!! Yeh I admit I was really attracted to her, she was really cute!!
We saw more emus and reptiles and then the rain came tumbling down ! We were not prepared for this so we decided to leave the sanctuary and return another day when we were more equipped for the weather. This was a huge disappointment as there was still lots for us to explore, however as we have our yearly zoo pass we can visit as often as we like.
Picnic/Children’s Play Areas
There’s lots of places to gather with friends and have a picnic or just take time out to chill and take in the surroundings.
Animal Encounters
We would’ve loved to have experienced the encounter with the koala however we didn’t realise this needs to be booked online prior to going. As it was school holidays there were no spaces left to book. Big tip if you want to experience one of the encounters with the animals you need to book, apparently sometimes 3 months in advance !
Although I was saddened our day trip was cut short due to a big downpour of rain I’m also excited as this means we will be returning sooner than planned to explore the rest of the sanctuary. Next time we will make sure we’ve booked in to experience the encounter with the koala….can’t wait!!
Two lessons learned from today’s trip
- ensure we always have an umbrella as this would’ve protected us from the pouring rain or heat of the sun if the day was a scorcher
- most importantly if you want to experience one or more of the encounters with the animals pre bookings are essential to avoid disappointment
My Tip
If you love animals, visiting zoos and have the time to visit then I recommend you buy the annual zoo pass. The yearly pass entitles you to go to the Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary as many times as you like!
Healesville Sanctuary Location
- Badger Creek Road, Badger Creek VIC 3777 Australia
- It’s approximately 65 km from the Melbourne CBD which is roughly a 1hr 10 min drive.
How Do I Get There?
- Easiest way to get to the zoo is to drive, however you can catch public transport from Melbourne CBD.
- If you choose public transport take the Lilydale train from Melbourne to Lilydale. Then take bus 685 to Healesville. You then need to catch a connecting bus 686 towards Badger Creek to Healesville Sanctuary.
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