Wildlife Experiences In And Around Brisbane

When you think about Brisbane, you think the city, the Brisbane River, Southbank and Mt Cootha. But you don’t often think about the wildlife experiences available in and around the Brisbane area. If you’re on holidays in Brisbane, or even if you live here, and you’re looking for a way to entertain the whole family, there are plenty of wildlife experiences that you can plan a day trip around.

Let’s take a look at just six that are located in or within an easy drive of Brisbane.

Shark and Ray Gardens – Loganholme

Not all sharks are big and scary. At the Shark and Ray Gardens in Loganholme, visitors can hold and pet sharks and rays in a safe environment. Gizmo the bluespotted ribbontail ray and Doug the giant shovelnose ray are amongst the most popular with visitors. The gardens are perfect for kids – young and old – as you get to interact in the water with these interesting marine animals.

The Shark and Ray Gardens are one of the best kept secrets in Logan, and well worth the school holiday trip.

Summer Land Camel Farm – Harrisville

Located just off the Cunningham Highway south of Ipswich, Summer Land Camel Farm is the largest camel dairy and training centre in Australia. It’s the place to go to learn about Australia’s camel history and you’ll even get a chance to ride, feed and take pictures with these wonderful creatures.

Make sure you take the time to taste something from the Homestead Cafe, and browse the Farm Store. You might find some interesting camel milk products to take home with you.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary – Fig Tree Pocket

A favourite for Brisbane locals and visitors alike, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary allows you to get up and close with numerous Australian wildlife. While you may have seen koalas before, you probably haven’t experienced 130 of these well known animals in the one place!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was the world’s first koala sanctuary and remains the largest. Take up the chance to cuddle a koala, feed the lorikeets or watch the sheep dog show.

David Fleay Wildlife Park – Burleigh Heads

Located in Burleigh Heads, David Fleay Wildlife Park is run by the Queensland Government department of Parks and Wildlife which means all the shows are run by rangers. What a better way for your family to learn about the wildlife that surrounds us than by the people that are working in our natural environment every day.

From the tiny fat-tailed dunnart to a soaring eagle there’s plenty to love about Fleay’s. Make sure you check out the cassowaries, bilbies and squirrel gliders and take some time to rest while you look out for the platypus. The park is also the only place to see the bridled nailtail wallaby which was thought to be extinct for more than 30 years!

The Llama Farm – Ipswich

Nestled into Pine Mountain, The Llama Farm is an 80 acre property that’s home to Queensland’s largest herd of llamas as well as donkeys, miniature ponies, sheep, Maremma dogs and numerous poultry. Book a farm visit or a guided llama walk and enjoy some time on The Llama Farm.

Bribie Island Butterfly House – Bongaree

Another place that you may not know even existed, the Bribie Island Butterfly House is home to literally hundreds of butterflies who are on display at the sanctuary. Volunteers will guide you through the amazing features of the butterfly house where you’ll learn more about their lifecycle and visit the nursery. This is certainly one place to bring the camera and have it ready – when a butterfly lands on you, it’s a pretty special experience. It’s also recommended to wear your brightest colours to attract the butterflies to you – we hear they love yellow!

There’s two ways you can visit these wildlife attractions; firstly you can book our Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or Brisbane City Highlights Tour to visit Lone Pine, or you can set your own itinerary with a personal tour.

Ready to get exploring the wildlife stops you never knew existed? Jump on a tour today.