Australia 2026

[aramacao]

I've decided to take a risk, and although it's not a 100% definitive list, I'm presenting a list of the parks that, for now, have been selected:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre
- Melbourne Zoo
- Melbourne Museum
- Melbourne Aquarium
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria)
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park
- Sydney Zoo
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
- SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
- Taronga Zoo Sydney
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary
- Australian Reptile Park
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit
- Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
- Oakvale Wildlife Park

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
- Rainforestation Nature Park
- Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation
- Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
- Birdworld Kuranda
- Kuranda Koala Gardens
- Cairns Aquarium
- Tolga Bat Hospital
- Billabong Sanctuary

This list is very long, and perhaps some other parks should be eliminated. Do you think you'd eliminate any from the outset? I'm hesitant, especially with the Cairns parks (Billabong Sanctuary, Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda parks, Hartley's Crocodile Adventures...). I don't think there's anything on the list in Melbourne or Sydney I'd like to eliminate, although if you consider any of the parks in northern Sydney unnecessary, I could.

One piece of information that can be extremely valuable for me is which parks can be visited together in a single day. I've already received this type of information in this thread, and I know that, for example, in Sydney I can visit SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, or Sydney Zoo and Featherdale Zoo in one day. Based on the map location, I think I could visit the Australian Reptile Park and Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary in one day. Could I do it with three parks in one day, like Oakvale Wildlife Park, Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park? Is there anything similar in Melbourne? In Cairns, most of the parks seem small, and I think I could see several in one day, depending on the distance between them. What do you think?

 

[Yoshistar888]

I've decided to take a risk, and although it's not a 100% definitive list, I'm presenting a list of the parks that, for now, have been selected:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre
- Melbourne Zoo
- Melbourne Museum
- Melbourne Aquarium
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria)
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park
- Sydney Zoo
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
- SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
- Taronga Zoo Sydney
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary
- Australian Reptile Park
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit
- Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
- Oakvale Wildlife Park

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
- Rainforestation Nature Park
- Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation
- Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
- Birdworld Kuranda
- Kuranda Koala Gardens
- Cairns Aquarium
- Tolga Bat Hospital
- Billabong Sanctuary

This list is very long, and perhaps some other parks should be eliminated. Do you think you'd eliminate any from the outset? I'm hesitant, especially with the Cairns parks (Billabong Sanctuary, Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda parks, Hartley's Crocodile Adventures...). I don't think there's anything on the list in Melbourne or Sydney I'd like to eliminate, although if you consider any of the parks in northern Sydney unnecessary, I could.

One piece of information that can be extremely valuable for me is which parks can be visited together in a single day. I've already received this type of information in this thread, and I know that, for example, in Sydney I can visit SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, or Sydney Zoo and Featherdale Zoo in one day. Based on the map location, I think I could visit the Australian Reptile Park and Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary in one day. Could I do it with three parks in one day, like Oakvale Wildlife Park, Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park? Is there anything similar in Melbourne? In Cairns, most of the parks seem small, and I think I could see several in one day, depending on the distance between them. What do you think?

It’s worth noting that Billabong Sanctuary is in Townsville which is over four hours away from Cairns. There isn’t particularly much interesting there apart from their New Guinea Crocodile.

Mt Rothwell is a place you could skip, it’s not really a zoo, rather a fenced conservation sanctuary. Any wildlife you see here will be dependent on luck annd booking tours and it’s very out of the way of the other facilities in Melbourne. The only fenced species you would get here and not at other facilities is the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, however, they are relatively easy to see wild on Phillip Island which I can give you more information on if you need.

Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium definitely can be done on the same day, all it takes is a short five to ten minute tram trip from one to the other or a twenty to thirty minute walk through the city. I’ve actually done these two together before in the past. You’d be able to potentially pair Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island Wildlife Park together too as the former is sort of on the way to the latter however, public transport is difficult in these areas and I highly recommend doing Moonlit both during the day and booking a night tour.

 

[aramacao]

It’s worth noting that Billabong Sanctuary is in Townsville which is over four hours away from Cairns. There isn’t particularly much interesting there apart from their New Guinea Crocodile.

Mt Rothwell is a place you could skip, it’s not really a zoo, rather a fenced conservation sanctuary. Any wildlife you see here will be dependent on luck annd booking tours and it’s very out of the way of the other facilities in Melbourne. The only fenced species you would get here and not at other facilities is the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, however, they are relatively easy to see wild on Phillip Island which I can give you more information on if you need.

Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium definitely can be done on the same day, all it takes is a short five to ten minute tram trip from one to the other or a twenty to thirty minute walk through the city. I’ve actually done these two together before in the past. You’d be able to potentially pair Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island Wildlife Park together too as the former is sort of on the way to the latter however, public transport is difficult in these areas and I highly recommend doing Moonlit both during the day and booking a night tour.

Yes, the Billabong Sanctuary is a big question I have. If it's not too interesting, I can skip it and remove it from the list.

Regarding Mt. Rothwell, my idea was to go by car (we're thinking of renting a car) and book a guided tour. But if you tell me it's not worth it and I can see the same animals elsewhere, I'd certainly appreciate the information you're offering.

I already suspected Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium canbe combined, but thanks for the confirmation, which makes me completely sure now. Regarding combining Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island Wildlife Park, it's possible, since, as I said, we'll be going by rent car.

 

[aramacao]

I'm surprised I haven't received any answers to my questions yet, mainly because this thread received almost instant responses for the first few months. Perhaps my questions aren't specific enough. I'll try asking directly:

Is it possible to visit these zoos in the same day?

- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park

Is it possible to combine visits to some of these places in one day, all around Cairns?
- Wildlife Habitat
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
- Rainforestation Nature Park
- Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation
- Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
- Birdworld Kuranda
- Kuranda Koala Gardens
- Cairns Aquarium
- Tolga Bat Hospital

I think I'll delete the Billabong Sanctuary from the list. It doesn't seem interesting enough to invest so much time in such a large displacement.

I have doubts about the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre. I don't want to delete the rest of Melbourne places, nor any of the Sydney locations. Regarding Cairns, the only place I'm 100% sure about is the aquarium. I'd also like to visit at least one bat rehabilitation center. The rest depends on which ones I can visit, maximizing my time, and which ones you recommend.
Once again, thank you all so, so much.

 

[MRJ]

I'm surprised I haven't received any answers to my questions yet, mainly because this thread received almost instant responses for the first few months. Perhaps my questions aren't specific enough. I'll try asking directly:

Is it possible to visit these zoos in the same day?

- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park

Is it possible to combine visits to some of these places in one day, all around Cairns?
- Wildlife Habitat
- Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
- Rainforestation Nature Park
- Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation
- Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
- Birdworld Kuranda
- Kuranda Koala Gardens
- Cairns Aquarium
- Tolga Bat Hospital

I think I'll delete the Billabong Sanctuary from the list. It doesn't seem interesting enough to invest so much time in such a large displacement.

I have doubts about the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre. I don't want to delete the rest of Melbourne places, nor any of the Sydney locations. Regarding Cairns, the only place I'm 100% sure about is the aquarium. I'd also like to visit at least one bat rehabilitation center. The rest depends on which ones I can visit, maximizing my time, and which ones you recommend.
Once again, thank you all so, so much.

I don't want to be rude here, but you have gone from asking people their opinion on various zoos to asking them to design your itinerary. That is without understanding things like your driving habits (do you keep to the limit in all conditions?), how long you like to spend at a zoo, how many rest breaks you like to take, and a host of other things.

As it happens, I am in the tourism industry, so I will give it a go.

Walkabout and Reptile Park - Yes.

Cairns. I went onto Google maps and mapped out a route between the various towns you would be going to, and it works out it takes about 3.5 hours driving. Given most zoos are only open 8 hours a day, and allowing for a half hour lunch break, you will have an average of no more than 20 minutes at each zoo. So yes, you could do it all in one day provided you are not too worried about how many animals you might see.

Realistically Cairns and Kuranda are easy to do in a day. Otherwise, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands are each best treated as day trips in their own right.

The third one would depend on where you are starting you day from, but you could give Google Maps a go yourself.

 

[aramacao]

I don't want to be rude here, but you have gone from asking people their opinion on various zoos to asking them to design your itinerary. That is without understanding things like your driving habits (do you keep to the limit in all conditions?), how long you like to spend at a zoo, how many rest breaks you like to take, and a host of other things.

As it happens, I am in the tourism industry, so I will give it a go.

Walkabout and Reptile Park - Yes.

Cairns. I went onto Google maps and mapped out a route between the various towns you would be going to, and it works out it takes about 3.5 hours driving. Given most zoos are only open 8 hours a day, and allowing for a half hour lunch break, you will have an average of no more than 20 minutes at each zoo. So yes, you could do it all in one day provided you are not too worried about how many animals you might see.

Realistically Cairns and Kuranda are easy to do in a day. Otherwise, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands are each best treated as day trips in their own right.

The third one would depend on where you are starting you day from, but you could give Google Maps a go yourself.

First of all, I want to apologize: written language is easy to misinterpret, and my English is also very poor. If my words may have offended anyone, I apologize.

I understand your doubts and once again I appreciate your help. Of course, I'm constantly looking at Google Maps, but I think the information you provide is much more valuable. I'm not afraid of driving a lot. I'm more afraid of wasting a lot of time, and sometimes traveling causes this huge waste of time, so you have to set limits. But I love driving. In a zoo I am not a quick visitor: I take a lot of photographs, although I don't usually waste time on shows and if necessary I can even avoid eating and taking breaks. I can run if necessary, but since I'm really looking to photograph rare species, I can invest a lot of time if one is difficult to photograph.

Thank you for the info about Walkabout and Reptile Park: I will try to visit both places in one day. I've seen that Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park are very close to each other, but I think three parks in one day, unless they're very small, might be excessive. I'd only try it if you advised me to. If not, I might have to split it into two days and, depending on how much time I end up having, I might have to sacrifice one of them. I think more than two parks in one day might be too much...

I think you didn't understand what I was referring to regarding Cairns. I don't intend to see all of those parks in one day. My plan is to spend several days in the area (around a week, perhaps). My question is more related to whether it's possible to see some of those parks in a single day, and which ones specifically. As you say, each park requires a certain amount of time, and it's possible that two places are right across from each other and require a full day for each. That's why I need your advice, because I think personal experience is important. Sometimes it can be better to sacrifice a visit and leave it halfway. If you recommend visiting several places in one day, I'll try it, but if you recommend spending more time there, I'll do that too. Depending on this, I'll visit other places, for example, to see wild nature.

Once again I want to apologize, because at no point did I mean to upset anyone. And once again I appreciate your wonderful help.

 

[Osedax]

I've seen that Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park are very close to each other, but I think three parks in one day, unless they're very small, might be excessive. I'd only try it if you advised me to. If not, I might have to split it into two days and, depending on how much time I end up having, I might have to sacrifice one of them. I think more than two parks in one day might be too much...

Blackbutt and Hunter Valley should be possible in one day. I've never visited Oakvale so I'm not sure about that one.
Also, what are your targets for Blackbutt? From what I remember (having last visited over a decade ago), and from my photos, it didn't have very many species that you can't see anywhere else (though I could be misremembering - I didn't keep species lists back then).

 

[Chlidonias]

I think you didn't understand what I was referring to regarding Cairns. I don't intend to see all of those parks in one day. My plan is to spend several days in the area (around a week, perhaps).

Kuranda is basically a little village and the collections there are all small and in close proximity, and Kuranda itself is only about 40 minutes drive from Cairns, so half your list could be done easily in one day.

 

[Jambo]

I have doubts about the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre

Probably not worth it - it's an opportunity to see some species in the wild, but there's no guarantees you'll see any, and it's likely you'll see most (if not all) potential species in other collections you plan to visit.

 

[aramacao]

Blackbutt and Hunter Valley should be possible in one day. I've never visited Oakvale so I'm not sure about that one.
Also, what are your targets for Blackbutt? From what I remember (having last visited over a decade ago), and from my photos, it didn't have very many species that you can't see anywhere else (though I could be misremembering - I didn't keep species lists back then).

This is the list of Blackbutt:

Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)

Banded lapwing (Black-breasted plover) (Vanellus tricolor (Syn.: Zonifer tricolor) (Syn.: Lobivanellus tricolor))

Barking owl (Barking Hawk-owl) (Ninox connivens (Syn.: Hieracoglaux connivens))

Brown cuckoo-dove (Large brown cuckoo-dove) (Macropygia phasianella)

Brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

Buff-banded rail (No Subspecific status) (Hypotaenidia philippensis (Syn.: Gallirallus philippensis) (Syn.: Rallus philippensis))

Eastern Ring-tailed possum (Common ringtail) (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)

Eastern spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)

Forest kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Golden bell frog (Green and golden bell frog) (Ranoidea aurea (Syn.: Litoria aurea))

Long-nosed potoroo (No Subspecific status) (Potorous tridactylus)

Magnificent tree frog (Splendid treefrog) (Ranoidea splendida (Syn.: Litoria splendida))

Musk lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna)

Noisy pitta (Pitta versicolor (Syn.: Pitta strepitans))

Peaceful dove (Placid dove) (Geopelia placida (Syn.: Geopelia striata placida) (Syn.: Geopelia striata tranquilla))

Pied heron (Egretta picata (Syn.: Ardea picata) (Syn.: Notophoyx picata))

Pied stilt (White-headed stilt) (Himantopus leucocephalus (Syn.: Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus))

Rufous night-heron (Nankeen heron) (No Subspecific status) (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

Topknot pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)

Torresian imperial-pigeon (Australian pied imperial-pigeon) (Ducula spilorrhoa)

Varied lorikeet (Psitteuteles versicolor)

Wandering whistling-duck (Wandering tree duck) (No Subspecific status) (Dendrocygna arcuata)

Western Australian wallaroo (Osphranter robustus erubescens (Syn.: Macropus robustus erubescens) (Syn.: M. robustus cervinus))

White-browed woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus)

White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger)

White-headed pigeon (Columba leucomela)

Western Australian wallaroo is the only animal that's only found here and in no other park during my visit. The rest, in principle, I'll be able to see elsewhere. Therefore, it could be a candidate for elimination if I don't have enough time. I'm seeing that it's approximately 40 minutes between Blackbutt and Oakvale, 50 minutes between Hunter and Blackbutt, and 1 hour between Oakvale and Hunter. These aren't huge distances, but given their schedules, I think it's practically impossible to see all three in one day. Two would be possible. Therefore, the options would be to sacrifice one of the three or use two days.

Kuranda is basically a little village and the collections there are all small and in close proximity, and Kuranda itself is only about 40 minutes drive from Cairns, so half your list could be done easily in one day.

From what I can see, it would be possible to visit Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures in the same day (I'm not 100% sure I'd visit these places, although both have interesting species) since they are only 25 minutes apart.

Regarding Kuranda's parks, I see there are five in total: Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda, and Kuranda Koala Gardens. Since they are so close together, I might be able to see all five in one day. Another option is to use two days and also see things in the surrounding area without the hassle.

I would also like to mention Cairns Aquarium and Tolga Bat Hospital. They are about an hour and a half apart. I think it would be best to see each one in a single day and spend the rest of those two days exploring the surrounding area.

Probably not worth it - it's an opportunity to see some species in the wild, but there's no guarantees you'll see any, and it's likely you'll see most (if not all) potential species in other collections you plan to visit.

This is the list of he Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre:

Brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

Eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii)

Eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus (Syn.: Dasyurus quoll))

Jacky lashtail (Amphibolurus muricatus)

Rainbow Bee-eater (Australian Bee-eater) (Merops ornatus)

Rufous rat kangaroo (Rufous bettong) (Aepyprymnus rufescens)

Southern whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)

Spotted-tail quoll (Tiger quoll) (Dasyurus maculatus)

Western banjo frog (Limnodynastes dorsalis)

The shaded species are those that, theoretically, I can only see here. But if you tell me I won't see them, or that it's highly probable I won't see them, or that I can see them elsewhere, perhaps you're right and I shouldn't go to this place. However, I see that the visits are at night, and therefore, I could perfectly fit it into a day when I'm in Melbourne, so it's not so crazy, since I wouldn't need an extra day.

 

[aramacao]

In summary, the organization of the trip with respect to the days needed for the parks could be as follows:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre - 1 nigt with the day of the Zoo or the Aquarium
- Melbourne Zoo - 1 day
- Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium - 1 day
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) - 1 day
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - 1 day
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 1 day

Total days needed: 5

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo - 1 day
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium - 1 day
- Taronga Zoo Sydney - 1 day
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park - 1 day
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park - 1 or 2 days

Total days needed: 5-6

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures - 1 day
- Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens - 1-2 days
- Cairns Aquarium - 1 day
- Tolga Bat Hospital - 1 day

Total days needed: 4-5

Obviously, the time would be filled with visits to other places where you can see nature, wild fauna and do some normal sightseeing. I'd try to stay in each place for about a week, more or less, but I've yet to decide on the exact dates.

What do you think?

 

[Zoofan15]

In summary, the organization of the trip with respect to the days needed for the parks could be as follows:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre - 1 nigt with the day of the Zoo or the Aquarium
- Melbourne Zoo - 1 day
- Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium - 1 day
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) - 1 day
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - 1 day
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 1 day

Total days needed: 5

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo - 1 day
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium - 1 day
- Taronga Zoo Sydney - 1 day
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park - 1 day
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park - 1 or 2 days

Total days needed: 5-6

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures - 1 day
- Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens - 1-2 days
- Cairns Aquarium - 1 day
- Tolga Bat Hospital - 1 day

Total days needed: 4-5

Obviously, the time would be filled with visits to other places where you can see nature, wild fauna and do some normal sightseeing. I'd try to stay in each place for about a week, more or less, but I've yet to decide on the exact dates.

What do you think?

That sounds like a good plan.

Some of the days are a little light e.g. I’d consider Melbourne Museum/Melbourne Aquarium 0.75 of a day rather than a full day; but that’s no problem as you can take your time and maybe even visit something inbetween such as the Melbourne Skydeck (a short walk from the aquarium).

For efficiency of time, I’d consider the night tour at Moonlit. That would allow you to combine it with Phillip Island; but if you have the time, then by all means dedicate a day to visiting.

 

[Jambo]

The shaded species are those that, theoretically, I can only see here. But if you tell me I won't see them, or that it's highly probable I won't see them, or that I can see them elsewhere, perhaps you're right and I shouldn't go to this place. However, I see that the visits are at night, and therefore, I could perfectly fit it into a day when I'm in Melbourne, so it's not so crazy, since I wouldn't need an extra day.

I wouldn't say it's guaranteed to see any of the species, but it's a good experience nonetheless. Since it's a night experience too, I would say it's worth investing in a night tour there for one of the nights your in Melbourne.

In summary, the organization of the trip with respect to the days needed for the parks could be as follows:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre - 1 nigt with the day of the Zoo or the Aquarium
- Melbourne Zoo - 1 day
- Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium - 1 day
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) - 1 day
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - 1 day
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 1 day

Total days needed: 5

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo - 1 day
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium - 1 day
- Taronga Zoo Sydney - 1 day
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park - 1 day
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park - 1 or 2 days

Total days needed: 5-6

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures - 1 day
- Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens - 1-2 days
- Cairns Aquarium - 1 day
- Tolga Bat Hospital - 1 day

Total days needed: 4-5

Obviously, the time would be filled with visits to other places where you can see nature, wild fauna and do some normal sightseeing. I'd try to stay in each place for about a week, more or less, but I've yet to decide on the exact dates.

What do you think?

As @Zoofan15 stated, you could easily do Moonlit/Phillip Island in one day if you do a Moonlit night tour. That would leave you four days in Melbourne, you could easily still spend a fifth checking out other things in the city (up to you how you do it). But you don't need to spend five days there if you don't have too.

Re. Sydney I think you could visit all three of Blackbutt, Oakvale and Hunter Valley on the same day, but you would be tight on time. You'd have to start at Hunter Valley (it opens at 9) spend 2-3 hours there and then travel to Blackbutt (45 min drive), spend an hour or so there, and then travel north to Oakvale (35 min drive) and spend an hour or so there.

 

[aramacao]

That sounds like a good plan.

Some of the days are a little light e.g. I’d consider Melbourne Museum/Melbourne Aquarium 0.75 of a day rather than a full day; but that’s no problem as you can take your time and maybe even visit something inbetween such as the Melbourne Skydeck (a short walk from the aquarium).

For efficiency of time, I’d consider the night tour at Moonlit. That would allow you to combine it with Phillip Island; but if you have the time, then by all means dedicate a day to visiting.

Well, the days that seem light are not really that light, because when I say that I will dedicate a day to a park it does not really mean that I will spend the whole day there, but rather that I will only see that park and then dedicate the rest of the day to other activities. I'm reminding you that I'm going with my girlfriend (who will then be my wife), so I'll try to see the parks as quickly as possible and spend the rest of the time on more normal or touristy activities. It's easy to convince her to do activities with animals in the wild, but not so much zoos or aquariums. I'm afraid I'll visit many of them alone while she does other things.

I wouldn't say it's guaranteed to see any of the species, but it's a good experience nonetheless. Since it's a night experience too, I would say it's worth investing in a night tour there for one of the nights your in Melbourne.

As @Zoofan15 stated, you could easily do Moonlit/Phillip Island in one day if you do a Moonlit night tour. That would leave you four days in Melbourne, you could easily still spend a fifth checking out other things in the city (up to you how you do it). But you don't need to spend five days there if you don't have too.

Re. Sydney I think you could visit all three of Blackbutt, Oakvale and Hunter Valley on the same day, but you would be tight on time. You'd have to start at Hunter Valley (it opens at 9) spend 2-3 hours there and then travel to Blackbutt (45 min drive), spend an hour or so there, and then travel north to Oakvale (35 min drive) and spend an hour or so there.

I need to consider what to do at Moonlight, because the night tour is safe, but the daytime visitalso seems attractive. Visiting the site only at night would optimize the trip, but if visiting during the day is worth it, I can consider it.

Regarding Philip Island, my intention is to visit the park but also to see as much of the island as possible. It looks like a stunning place, and since I'll have a car, I want to explore as much as I can. I think I'll need at least a full day for the island.

 

[Jambo]

I need to consider what to do at Moonlight, because the night tour is safe, but the daytime visitalso seems attractive. Visiting the site only at night would optimize the trip, but if visiting during the day is worth it, I can consider it.

Regarding Philip Island, my intention is to visit the park but also to see as much of the island as possible. It looks like a stunning place, and since I'll have a car, I want to explore as much as I can. I think I'll need at least a full day for the island.

Considering your already planning to dedicate five days to Melbourne - I'd say it's a safe bet to do both and spend the time exploring Phillip Island and the surrounding area (including Moonlit Sanctuary) over a few days.

Re. Phillip Island, you can hopefully see the penguins there for free. And there's also a few options re. cruises that you could take to see seals and other marine life if your interested in that.

 

[aramacao]

Considering your already planning to dedicate five days to Melbourne - I'd say it's a safe bet to do both and spend the time exploring Phillip Island and the surrounding area (including Moonlit Sanctuary) over a few days.

Re. Phillip Island, you can hopefully see the penguins there for free. And there's also a few options re. cruises that you could take to see seals and other marine life if your interested in that.

For now, I'm leaning toward spending a full day at Moonlight (a day and night visit) and another day at Phillip Island (Phillip Island Wildlife Park and exploring the island by car, even seeing penguins at night if possible). I think this plan is possible. Spend another day at Healesville Sanctuary (along with some vineyards) and two days in Melbourne (one for the zoo and one for the aquarium and museum), adding city sightseeing and an evening visit to Mt Rothwell on one of those days. That's a total of 5 days. Perhaps I could add a sixth for more non-animal-related activities and getting around. I think a full week might even be excessive, and 6 days maximum would be adequate, to allow more time for other parts of the trip.

The idea of the cruisers is attractive but I think that in Australia I will only opt for this in the north to see the Great Barrier Reef, since I plan to do several of these excursions in New Zealand.

 

[aramacao]

In summary, the organization of the trip with respect to the days needed for the parks could be as follows:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre - 1 nigt with the day of the Zoo or the Aquarium
- Melbourne Zoo - 1 day
- Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium - 1 day
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) - 1 day
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - 1 day
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 1 day

Total days needed: 5

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo - 1 day
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium - 1 day
- Taronga Zoo Sydney - 1 day
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park - 1 day
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park - 1 or 2 days

Total days needed: 5-6

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures - 1 day
- Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens - 1-2 days
- Cairns Aquarium - 1 day
- Tolga Bat Hospital - 1 day

Total days needed: 4-5

Obviously, the time would be filled with visits to other places where you can see nature, wild fauna and do some normal sightseeing. I'd try to stay in each place for about a week, more or less, but I've yet to decide on the exact dates.

What do you think?

For now, we've decided to extend our stay in Melbourne's area by at least one day so we can visit a vineyard at leisure, one day more in Sydney's area by another day because we want to visit the famous Jervis Bay and one day more for de Great Barrier Reef. However, we still have to decide how much time we'll need for internal travels and the trip from Spain. My intention is to visit all the zoos, aquariums, and reserves on this list, but I'm not sure yet. My intentions are one thing, and what I end up doing is another... I'll keep you updated with any updates.

 

[aramacao]

My Australian and New Zealand trip planning continues to progress, and below I've outlined my reasonable time allowance for each area, indicating roughly what I want to see. Every day will be complemented with normal tourism, these would only be the main attractions:

Melbourne
- Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre - 1 nigt with the day of the Zoo or the Aquarium
- Melbourne Zoo - 1 day
- Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Aquarium - 1 day
- Healesville Sanctuary (Zoos Victoria) - 1 day
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park - 1 day
- Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 1 day
- Vineyard - 1 day

Total days needed: 6

Sydney
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo - 1 day
- WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium - 1 day
- Taronga Zoo Sydney - 1 day
- Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park - 1 day
- Blackbutt Reserve Wildlife Exhibit, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Oakvale Wildlife Park - 2 days
- Sydney city - 1 day
- Jervis Bay - 1 day

Total days needed: 8

Cairns
- Wildlife Habitat and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures - 1 day
- Rainforestation Nature Park, Batreach Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens - 2 days
- Cairns Aquarium - 1 day
- Tolga Bat Hospital - 1 day
- Great Barrier Reef - 1 day

Total days needed: 6

Obviously, we still need to know how much time we'll need for domestic flights. Flying early in the morning or at night, which allows us to take advantage of the entire day, isn't the same as flying mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Depending on this, we might need a few more days, as well as for trips between Australia and New Zealand.

What do you think?

 

[aramacao]

Once again, I need your help based on your experience. Any options you can recommend for a tour to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns?

I want to take many wildlife tours in New Zealand, and in Australia, I've only considered the night tour at the Mt. Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre and a tour to the Great Barrier Reef. Do you have any recommendations?

 

[Zoofan15]

Once again, I need your help based on your experience. Any options you can recommend for a tour to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns?

I want to take many wildlife tours in New Zealand, and in Australia, I've only considered the night tour at the Mt. Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre and a tour to the Great Barrier Reef. Do you have any recommendations?

I’ve been to the GBR myself a couple of times and throughly recommend catching the ferry from Cairns to Green Island. Once you arrive on Green Island, you can snorkel off the reef by yourself and I saw green sea turtles, rays and a vast array of fish.

On the return ferry ride I saw a video promoting paid scuba diving excursions, but everything in the video I’d already seen by myself. The waters are teaming with life.