jirrahlinga koala & wildlife sanctuary

We visited Jirrahlinga without knowing what to expect! Wow what a surprise it was, it was such a special experience for us getting to pat a koala! The gentleman that was volunteering on the day we went was very well informed and answered all questions directed at him. It is wonderful to know that places like Jirrahlinga exist; the tireless effort that volunteers and staff put in to making a safe home for those animals that need it is to be commended!

I can't say enough good things about the park. We've been twice and had amazing experiences both times. First time we got to pet and see a baby wombat! The most recent time we made it for the 10:30 feeding and got to pet a koala, meet two very excited dingoes, and my gf got to hold a ring-tailed possum! We also lucked out with a number of kangaroo joeys and a baby koala being brought in just as we left. The keepers are super knowledgable, really friendly, and do a great job rescuing these injured and sick animals. Skip the zoo or other big animal parks and come to this local, family run, small enterprise doing good for Aussie native wildlife.

We were driving along on our road trip from Adelaide to Melbourne when we noticed a small painted sign that said "koala sanctuary". We drove in the direction of the arrow and found ourselves down a dirt road in front of a small sanctuary. We had some time to spare so went in and it was such a pleasant surprise. It's a small place but was fun! We got to see many animals up close and the best part was when one of the very knowledgeable and friendly staff escorted us into the koala enclosure and let us see them up close. I was giddy like a little kid, because I got to pet a koala while he was munching away on leaves. We drove around Australia for two weeks and I can say that this, because I am such an animal lover, was one of the highlights of my trip. I highly recommend!

Took my 2 yr old who loved seeing all the animals. Staff are friendly and do a great job at upkeep of the sanctuary.

This was the second time, we've been visiting Jirrahlinga Sanctuary and our kids loved it once more. The park is reasonably small. Some of the enclosures and facilities could do with an upgrade (eg the dingo, peacock, snakes). The big bonus, however, is that the animals are close together, you don't have to walk for miles like in other Zoos, hence the sanctuary is perfectly suitable for families with little kids. Many of the enclosures are open, where else do you get close enough to a Wombat to pat it? We missed the Koala show this time but last year it was very informative.What makes Jirrahlinga special is the staff, they are just fabulous! Our daughter ran and slipped resulting in a grazed knee. Not only did they get tissues and band-aids immediately, they also cheered her up and one of the guys got two toy koalas from the shop and gave them to her and her brother as a present. We will certainly come back next year!

Lovely little area, took us about 1.5 hours to look around the park. Well kept. Very friendly staff. Little cafe there if you fancy a bite to eat too

Not a state of the art sanctuary by any stretch but it offers numerous opportunities to get up close with various Australian animals and birds. Many of those on display are rescues or have been born and raised in the park. Because of its size, interactions with the wildlife are easier and closer than other zoos and sanctuaries. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable and will help get you up close and personal with some animals and birds if time permits. Would recommend a visit and suggest a midweek trip if possible to avoid the crowds.

This animal park is on the way from Melbourne to the Great Ocean road and attactions such as the 12 apostles. It is a medium sized park that is well mantained and all outdoors. It was raining when I attended and my friend and I were the only visitors in the park so it worked out well for us. There were many types of birds and my international friend was delighted that there were so many Cockatoos and talking birds to interact with. We were able to pat a koala (it's illegal to hold a Koala in Victoria but it is possible in Adelaide), and pat some kangaroos over a fence. There were no opportunities that I could see to feed the kangaroos up close like other animal parks I have attended, however I can understand that this is for the health and well-being of the animals. We saw lots of animals including, Kangaroos, Emus, Cockatoos, Dingoes, Galahs, Lizards, Koalas, Wombats, Owls, Kookaburras, Possums, Snakes and Wallabies. We spent about 2 hours in the park and enjoyed it.

We went on a cup weekend and we're plesaptly surprised in number of native species of animals and birds.it is a privately run park so don't expect Healesville sanctuary or the like.The animals had well maintained enclosures and we're mostly interactive if you had time.Vols/keepers though busY were happy to chat and share their knowledge on different species or personal background of the individual animal

It was ok for the cost, friendly enough but not much going on. Most animals seemed happy enough. Just one area to sit, relax and take in the surroundings. No up close animal experiences, keeper talks etc on offer. No structure of goings on. Maybe it's considered off-peak when we visited...

This was just a wonderful little place to visit, it's a must do attraction. We really enjoyed our time here. We not only got to go into the Koala habitat but got to pet one. Then had an equally awesome encounter with a Kangaroo. They have a Kangaroo area where the kangaroos are roaming freely so you can interact with them.We were fortunate to be there during feeding time so they were eager to come close to us.

We arrived in Melbourne mid-morning and after freshening up a bit, our friends took us to Jirrahlinga for our first glimpse of some of Australia’s unique wildlife. This is not a zoo but a wildlife sanctuary that specializes in rescuing and rehabilitating native animals in distress (after all, Jirrahlinga is Aboriginal for “seek a home for a kangaroo”). The fact it’s not a zoo is a positive. The facility is fairly small and easy to get around (especially for kids and seniors). The exhibits are in close proximity to each other so the level of excitement stays high as you see koalas one minute then wombats then kangaroos, etc. You are also in close proximity to the animals (see pic below). The staff and volunteers are very friendly and very knowledgeable and very patient as they answer questions probably asked a hundred times before. No one should begrudge them the entry fee they charge as this facility is clearly doing great work. We had a wonderful couple hours here and would recommend coming here to anyone visiting the Geelong / Bellarine Peninsula area.

This is only a small wildlife park so don't come expecting some huge Zoo but they are doing a great job rescuing and rehabilitating our native animals. We got to have a close up experience with some Koala's and also a baby wombat. They also had a cute litter of Dingo puppies who came out for a play. The staff were knowable and the animal talks were informative and interesting. The entry fee is comparative with other centres and the money goes to help their work with the animals. The bonus is there wasn't huge crowds so you could get up close and just enjoy the animals.

Small sanctuary for injured animals- I must say I loved visiting so much I have been there twice. The volunteers are wonderful - they encourage the animals to come over so you can see them up close. A fantastic experience! :)!!

This sanctuary is small & in need of funding, but it seems they work very hard to take care of their animals and educate the public. You can sponsor an animal of your choice which would make a great gift.The kids we went with ranged in age from 10 months, 21 months, 6, 8, 11 years. Enjoyed by all.We went on a weekday and there was only a small class group and one other family there, so we practically had the place to ourselves. It was great to see all the animals in this manner without having to drive far and pay Zoo admission.