Billabong Sanctuary - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Billabong Sanctuary
Billabong Sanctuary
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Billabong Sanctuary is Australia's best interactive wildlife experience. There are interactive talks and feeding shows throughout the day commencing at 9:15 am. At these wildlife presentations you will learn all about the unique characteristics of Australia's native animals. The talks are not only informative but a lot of fun, so will have one of your best experiences at an Australian attraction. The native animals are displayed in their natural habitats of wetlands, eucalypt forest and rainforest. Highlights of the Sanctuary are holding a koala, hugging a wombat, hand feeding a cassowary, holding a small crocodile and wrapping a python around your neck. You will also be able to sit next to a dingo for a photo opportunity and watch feeding of giant estuarine or saltwater crocodiles. The wildlife presentations are repeated in the afternoons so nobody misses out. You can also return the following day with no extra charge. There are picnic areas with free gas barbecues or enjoy a meal at the Blinky Bill Cafe. You can also cool off in our tropically landscaped pool.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Emma G
    8 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    More than expected!
    Alot more than expected! A small collection but well kept, beautiful surroundings and lots to do/see! Ranger Claire was amazing, her talks and shows were great, very informative and she answered all questions! Ranger Lachy (I think that's how it's spelt) did the bird show and it was great, very educational, very captivating! Note to Ranger Mick for training Ranger Claire, clearly very knowledgeable of the crocs! All rangers were smiley, welcoming and really happy to answer questions! The animals all looked well kept, very little stereotypical behaviours (some pacing by wombats and cassowary) visible enrichment in enclosures, all had access to "hiding spots" and very dynamic enclosures with foliage, water features, climbing frames ect. Could do with better signage for some enclosures and maybe some enclosure fencing updating (looking a tad old and rusty) but a very very enjoyable day out! Was there from 10am til 3:30pm, the day was full of talks and shows and the shop staff were happy to help! Definitely recommend!
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 12, 2023
  • Lorna
    Townsville, Australia31 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Outing with grandchild
    We brought our young grandchild (toddler). He had a ball seeing all the animals, birds, reptiles and crocs. Hubby and I thought the park was great too. The park was clean and the animals etc. appeared healthy and happy. Our grandchild will be back with his parents as will we. Keep up the great work.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 20, 2023
  • Peter C
    Ascot, Australia12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth visiting.
    Really wonderful place to visit, with or without kids. Easy access to most areas, clean and tidy and well presented. Staff are really friendly, knowledgeable and make The visit very enjoyable. Would not hesitate recommending it to others.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 2, 2023
  • Dms1999
    Harlow, United Kingdom104 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful day out
    This is a small zoo but much better than some bigger ones there is a good range of animals but the best thing is you are allowed up close with the animals and they don’t try charges extra for everything. We held a snake croc and up close with Koloa and feed turtles all for free. There is also a chance to hold other animals and have photos which there is a small charge for but it Inc a large printed photo and digital access to all that were taken, they even take a load in your photo for you.all ready helpful and happy to answer all questions. The croc show was again really good and the keeper brought the croc right in front of us and told us loads of helpful things. If you are in the area make time to go it is a very good day out of all ages
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 16, 2023
  • A&B
    Whitsunday Islands, Australia131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great day out - don't miss the opportunity
    We visited the Sanctuary for the second time in three weeks with visiting family. Although this is a 3 1/2 drive from home, it is a goto activity whenever we have visitors as it never fails to impress and the staff are always very informative (and patient) in the respective presentations. A very impressive experience and we highly recommend a visit. Just fantastic for families and adults alike. Thank you to management and staff for continuing to facilitate a great day out.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 8, 2023
  • Eileen A
    Brisbane, Australia64 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Grandchildren loved it and we did too!
    We took our 3 Grandchildren and had a fabulous day. They, very bravely, held a snake, crocodile and a blue tongue lizard, all included in the entry price. They loved feeding the kangaroos. A wonderful park that highlights Australian animals. Food is a bit expensive but you can being in an esky so the choice is yours.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 17, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,021 reviews
Excellent
668
Very good
259
Average
58
Poor
16
Terrible
20

Trent W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Friends
I cant fully articulate how amszing this place is they have free exleriemces with wildlife in the zoo. You get to feed a literal dinosaur bird and its all included on the cover charge. Best zoo ive been to.
Written May 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Megan1991c
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
We visited this sanctuary on our way through townsville.
Having been to Australia zoo and other zoos and sanctuaries within Australia this was our favourite by far.

Pio who took the different animal talks whilst we were there was fantastic, he was so friendly, informative and very funny and really took our day above and beyond.

The animals are clearly very loved and looked after and the koalas were even running over to Pio when he entered there enclosure wanting to be cuddled which shows they are obviously very cared for.

Alongside Pio the other staff were all very friendly and helpful in particular the English lady at the reception who ran us through the different areas of the park and gave us information on the different talks and encounters.

Whilst we were there we paid for a koala encounter which was great but throughout the talks we were also able to hold a snake, small croc and pat wombats and lizards for no extra cost which we have never been able to do anywhere else.
They have different kangaroo enclosures where you can also feed and pat kangaroos.
This is a great sanctuary with real value for money.

I would 100% recommend this sanctuary - keep up the great work.
Written March 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Megan, Many thanks for 100% recommendation to fellow travellers. On our reopening, we will still have our friendly staff, passionate about the animals in their care and all of our amazing free interactive experiences. We appreciate your support. Cheers, Bob Flemming
Written March 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

chris
New South Wales, Australia5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Friends
Not being local to Townsville we didn’t know what to expect. Great shows throughout the day that were presented by very knowledgeable and friendly staff. We visited during the week so it wasn’t crowded and felt like we had our own personal shows. We were able to get up close to most the animals for a touch and photo. My wife ticked off a bucket list item with a cuddle and photo with a koala. We would recommend this to anybody.
Written May 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much Tour09548710337 for your enthusiastic 5-star review and your recommendation to fellow travellers. As a small wildlife park, we are able to create memorable personal experience for visitors. There is heaps of animal interaction included in the price of admission: feed cassowaries, kangaroos, ducks, turtles, emus, and more. Pat a wombat. Pose with a koala. Hold a friendly reptile or parrot. Souvenir photos with a koala are a favourite with everyone-- so glad your wife enjoyed her experience. If you ever back in Townsville, we hope you come and see us again. Cheers Sheila
Written July 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Laura M
Rockhampton, Australia144 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
While there were a couple of interesting enclosures, we felt that the admission price, plus extra for bird feed, did not match the quality of sanctuary, particularly in comparison to other sanctuaries we had visited during our trip. The dingoes did not look particularly healthy, the parking for our motorhome was a bit rough and there was a large emphasis on the crocodiles rather than on the other more interesting animals they had. That being said, the grounds were clean and it was fun feeding the birds and kangaroos- we'd recommend going around midday so the animals have fully woken up.
Written December 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hunnybee
Townsville, Australia529 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
The animals were very well cared for, but the staff were bored and disinterested. Dead possum in one of the displays. Disgusting. The Cafe was disorganised and the service terrible, with excessive waits for service, wrong orders and short staffing. Would have liked to have stayed longer but BOTH sets of female toilets were all blocked and unable to be used! I was not impressed considering how much we spent.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good morning TrippyBee, I was somewhat taken aback by your comment that the staff were bored and disinterested. If you go back through the 952 traveller reviews on Trip Advisor, every single review about our staff has nothing but praise for their enthusiasm, passion for their job, friendliness and eagerness to assist our guests to ensure that everyone has a great day. Your comment about "dead possum in one of the displays - disgusting" We do not have any possums on display at the Billabong. What you would have observed in either the top of the budgerigar aviary or top of the Wedge-tailed eagle display was a wild possum. If you had asked one of our rangers, they would have happily informed you that the possum was asleep. Possums are nocturnal creatures and are only active at night. Our staff at the cafe go out of their way to give friendly and efficient service. Vegetarian wraps, sandwiches, pies, sausage rolls are available for immediate delivery to our customers. Lasagna, burgers, quiche and salad are cooked or prepared to order and are delivered to your table within 10 minutes. Our toilets are on a biosystem and granted the female toilets were blocked for an hour while our maintenance man rectified the problem. There was an additional toilet in the reception building available for use. It is unfortunate that your experience at the Billabong was not to your liking, but after reading these comments, we hope that you will return again. Regards, Bob Flemming
Written January 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dms1999
Harlow, UK104 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
This is a small zoo but much better than some bigger ones there is a good range of animals but the best thing is you are allowed up close with the animals and they don’t try charges extra for everything. We held a snake croc and up close with Koloa and feed turtles all for free. There is also a chance to hold other animals and have photos which there is a small charge for but it Inc a large printed photo and digital access to all that were taken, they even take a load in your photo for you.all ready helpful and happy to answer all questions. The croc show was again really good and the keeper brought the croc right in front of us and told us loads of helpful things.
If you are in the area make time to go it is a very good day out of all ages
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelsey M
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Friends
Honestly the worst experience I’ve had at a zoo. Really disappointing, the place is run down, dirty amenities, all the enclosures were very small, overgrown and looked derelict. Apart from the ranger sessions there was minimal information or interactive displays for kids, most of the message boards were just a sentence or two. The wombats were in two air conditioned boxes with no straw or comfortable bedding. Koalas have one branch each and the rest is just brick flooring. Some of the crocs barely had room to turn around and only enough water to cover their bodies. It was pretty upsetting and sad to see. I’m honestly surprised there are good reviews for this place, it was the most depressing place for someone who loves animals and cares about their well-being or happiness. Seems like the owners only care about making money from photo opportunities rather than what the park and enclosures look like. If these enclosures are meeting the standards, I’d love to see what the standards are and how they are being met. (Probably by the bare minimum) For $40 I’ve been to some amazing zoos/sanctuary’s but this one is by far the worst one I’ve been to in my lifetime. We left with a sinking feeling that those poor animals have to endure that place for their whole lives. 😭😭
Written March 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Janis R
Newcastle, Australia83 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
This is our second visit to the Sanctuary and it is an enjoyable time for children. I had a couple of disappointments this time. We were just in time to see a 'bird show' of some description. We took our seats on the benches provided, however the demonstrator did not have a microphone and we could not hear a word! We stayed for a few minutes and then left and she was mainly talking and we couldn't hear. We then went to a dingo show. On the map, it seemed to show that the dingos would come out on the lagoon side of the enclosure. We turned up early and took our place on the seats, only to find that they took the dingos out on the other side! Once again, if they were talking, we didn't hear a word and after a while, we moved on. The children enjoyed feeding the kangaroos and looking at the snakes and koalas.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Janis R for taking the time to post your review. We apologise for the difficulty hearing the presentations. Since the park opened 36 years ago, traffic has increased enormously on the Bruce Highway, and sometimes this tends to drown out the speaker. We do have microphones, but perhaps they weren't working properly on the day of your visit. We're glad the kids enjoyed themselves-- feeding kangaroos is popular with animal lovers of all ages. Hope you will visit again. Cheers Sheila
Written July 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Taliah A
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Friends
Was a great day out with friends (all in our early 20s). Ray was great, he did all of the interactive shows and demonstrations on the day we went. Was very knowledgeable on all of the animals, and was super helpful and generous to my friends and me.

Would be a great day out for all ages, especially little ones with the duck and kangaroo feed bags, and the animal interaction opportunities. Definitely recommend if looking for something animal-related to do in Townsville area!
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much 353taliaha for taking the time to post your 5-star review! We're so glad you and your friends had such a good time. Our Curator Ray has decades of experience working with animals, and goes out of his way to ensure every visitor has a memorable experience. You are so right-- we offer safe, interactive experiences for animal lovers of all ages. The little ones love to feed the free-ranging ducks and the gentle kangaroos. Everyone has fun feeding the turtles! Hope you got some great photos and will have lasting memories of your visit. Cheers Sheila
Written November 17, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jaclyn F
Melbourne, Australia25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Great opportunity to see native animals up close including crocodiles. The rangers were fantastic - plenty of good information presented in an exciting way.
We have young children and went after their midday naps which allowed us to see all of the animals including the crocodile feeding before close time.
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings Jaclyn, Many thanks for your review and your comment that the rangers were fantastic will be well received by our staff. The rangers interact with each other and their enjoyment of their job rubs off on everybody. The Sanctuary's program is designed for either a morning or an afternoon visit and if you missed something, you have admission the following day. Our locals tend to spend the day watching all of the presentations getting involved in the animal interaction and topping it off with a swim in the pool and lunch from the cafeteria or bring your own picnic or food for the barbecue. Thanks again for visiting and taking the time to post a review. Cheers, Bob Flemming
Written January 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Billabong Sanctuary - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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