barna mia animal sanctuary

The Barna Mia sanctuary is a great opportunity to see some rare Australian animals in a natural setting. Essentially the tour involves a guided walk around the sanctuary in the early evening, with stops at various feeding stations to view the animals. Bookings are required, and while it is suitable for older children (ours were aged 8 and 10), it may not be the best for younger ones as long periods of quietness are essential. Highly recommended!

A fantastic experience for all ages - highly recommended. To see these endangered marsupials up close and personal was amazing - my son even had a baby bilby scamper over his foot! Guides are knowledgable and engaging - we learnt and saw so much!

We are keen amateur naturalists and the visit to Barna Mia was a great opportunity to see bettongs at close quarters. Camping at Dryandra in springtime was also wonderful for the flora - the variety and abundance of ground orchids and the 'shaggy dog' dryandras in flower.

If you are new to the small marsupials, this is an interesting visit. There is a talk, followed by a walk during which the animals are fed. The food is what brings the animals out. The walk itself is quite short, but not rushed. We stopped at 3 feeding stations. Visitors help by carrying the food. For photographers, no flash or artificial lighting is allowed. The guide carries red lamps and this is the only light that you will be able to shoot by. You are advised to shoot in B&W, although you can shoot in colour and edit later. You will see 5 different types of marsupials. A bit expensive for what you see, but it helps in the conservation of the animals.

I go once annually or biannually to take visitors as I live close by. It's so important to learn how threatened these species are due to predation. We went at Easter time so it was really special to see plenty of the Aussie Easter Bunny which I missed last time. Dryandra Woodland Lions Village is also a great place to stay nearby. The tour never fails to disappoint and the guides really know their stuff.

We had a fantastic visit here one evening, joining the tour around the property. Our guide was so knowledgeable and shared so much about each of the species, as well as the efforts to try to keep these species from going extinct. There are several feeding stations where the animals will come to get a portion of their diet (the vast majority they find for themselves, however - this is just a supplement). The animals are strange and wonderful - with interesting behavior with one and another. Cats and foxes have decimated the wild populations of these species - indeed, we saw many of foxes and cats at night on the roads, but no wild marsupials! So it was wonderful to have a chance to see these species up close. We were very happy to support the sanctuary!

Loved the nightime spotting in this reserve with animals regularly fed so easy to watch in the infrared lights. Good information on the animals which were once common in western Australia but now are under threat from cats and foxes. Learned about gastrolobium the natural animal bait which is not harmful to native animals which have grazed this land. Well worth a visit and stay at the Lions cottages in the Dryandra forest. Crimson robins and amazing wildflowers in season. Great photo album of wildlife spotted over the years at the LIons cottages - have a look !

I have been at least 3 times over the last 2 years. It is always a wonderful experience and every time I have been the experience has been different but equally wonderful!

One of the best hidden gems! The woodland itself is so full with wildlife! Lonely palet 'told' us to go here and it was worth the drive from bunbury! We camped at congalin campground, a lot of birds, possums and roos there! The tour is superb! We saw a lot of small marsupials like boodies, wallibies, quendas and bilbies! One bilbie kissed my shoes! Amazing! Hope these little creatures survive in real nature..

Dryandra offers the chance to see echidnas and rare numbats in the wild.But even if you aren't lucky, you are guaranteed to see some cute critters at Barna Mia which are near impossible to see in the wild, like the Bilby.Basic accomodation and camping available at Dryandra.

Great opportunity to see rare wildlife at the sanctuary, as most of these animals are almost extinct. One can still spot the Numbats in the woodlands.

My partner and I absolutely loved the Banda Mia noctural tour. The first time I've ever seen so many marsupials in the wild - like malas and bilbies. Even saw an echidna on the drive in.

I visited this place some 18 months ago- at night, It was,alas, a very, very cold night- but at least it was a fine, clear night. The whole experience was magical and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone- but especially to overseas or interstate visitors. The place is well set out- we we met by friendly staff and given an introduction to the tour and the history of the place. Very fascinating indeed. Then we proceeded on the tour. We stopped at various places, had to be quiet and the next minute we heard rustlings/ noises and out came the different animals to feed. everything was so well organised- couldn't fault it. It is still one of my favourite memories.

It was a perfect night, dry and clear. We sat on logs, seeing the last of the sun's rays dip behind the trees, and the stars turn out in their brilliance. As we waited for the animals to turn up, our two guides told us about the animals sheltered here, and expertly fielded our questions. We are city people, so getting to see nocturnal marsupials in their natural habitat was fantastic! I could hardly contain my excitement, seeing the woylies, boodies, and quendas hop up to the food and squeak and scrabble among themselves. The short film shown beforehand was informative as we learned how the sanctuary operates. The start times vary according to the sunset. I was supposed to receive an email with directions on how to get there, but never did. The Dryandra Tourism office was very helpful, and gave clear instructions on how to get there. We got lost on the way out, though. It's a 20-minute drive through unlit and unpaved roads in the Dryandra Woodland. The pathway in the sanctuary itself was pretty flat, so I think pushing a pram wouldn't be a problem, but do dress warm, as it got really chilly (it was in October).

We visited this animal sanctuary whilst staying in the Dyandra forest. It provides a breeding facility and haven for a few of the area's marsupials. You can visit the sanctuary on some days of the week in the evening. It asks you to arrive at least 15mins before the tour starts but as the doors were not unlocked until 5 mins before I wouldn't bother too much about that. The evening begins with a short presentation of slides about the Dryandra forest and the Western Shield programme plus a few pictures of the endangered animals. You are the n taken out into the enclosure and led round by a guide. You stop at 3 points,putting down food and hoping the animals appear. You are out for about 45mins.We enjoyed seeing the animals very much but the whole evening could be improved immensely by updating the presentation and providing a properly narrated film with some detailed information and real footage of the animals involved. It is also important to increase the number and time of real sightings of the animals. With only about 20 animals in the enclosure these are inevitably very short and fleeting, not enough to enthuse and inspire people to promote the conservation of the wildlife which is the main object of the centre