A brand new exhibit has been built at Currumbin Widlife Sanctary called the "Lost Valley" is a $2.5 million rain forest which houses exotic animals such as Ringtailed Lemurs, Red pandas, Macaws,Cotton top tarmarins, Green Iguanas, Boa constrictors and Capybaras inside a giant aviary type exhibit spanning 5ha which is 30m high, 8000 trees and plants were planted within this exhibit, opening on Boxing day. I believe there are more animals to be added.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Lost Valley development
- Thread starter Zorro
- Start date
Sounds pretty cool. I think I'll have to visit Queensland again.
Can you please provide links to your posts.
Here are a couple of news articles for others:
Category: | The Courier Mail
Go on safari … on the Gold Coast
The $2.5 million rainforest wonderland has been created in a disused corner of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and filled with dozens of exotic and native animals, including Madagascan lemurs, red pandas, macaws, iguanas, boa constrictors and tree kangaroos.
Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with the colourful creatures in a giant aviary spanning 5ha and up to 30m high, complete with timber boardwalks and cascading waterfalls.
About 8000 trees and shrubs have been planted to simulate the ancient Gondwana rainforest.
Jonathan Fisher, CEO of the National Trust of Queensland which owns the sanctuary, said it was the biggest investment in the park in decades and had been five years in the planning.
“This Lost Valley precinct is the connection between the coast here and the Gondwana rainforest in the hinterland,” he said.
“We hope it will make tourists become more adventurous and more interested in nature so that they go up to the hinterland and visit Binna Burra and O’Reilly’s rather than just stay on the coast.”
Lost Valley exotic animals supervisor Ali Wright said all of the exhibit’s animals and birds had come from other Australian zoos as part of a national species management program but would be displayed as almost as if they were in the wild.
“It’s a very unique space,” she said.
“To come into this space and have the animals either flying around or walking around you as you walk around is a really unique and wonderful experience and one we’re very excited to have here.”
Lost Valley opens to the public on Boxing Day.
Here's a better article (it may revert to a subscription page after posting this link):
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph
Red pandas, colourful birds and rare reptiles which have never been seen on the Gold Coast will live at the heart of Currumbin Sanctuary in a new $3 million attraction more than a decade in the making.
The Lost Valley exotic precinct will open its doors on Boxing Day after nearly a year of construction to become the historic wildlife sanctuary’s biggest feature to open in seven decades.
The five hectare attraction will focus on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana which Australia was once part of, and will feature a range of creatures including the ring tail lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, red panda, capybaras and the eclectus parrot.
National Trust of Australia chief executive Jonathan Fisher said its opening on December 26 would give the city an economy boost during the summer season.
“This is coming at a time when we are going to have the whole world looking at the Gold Coast and it gave us the chance to create something really different,” he said.
“The trust is all about the celebration of the environment and cultural heritage and this will show off what is unique about this part of the world.
“We hope people will come here and open their eyes to what it is all about and with more international visitors here we need to see more investment in attractions will continue to bring people here.”
The opening is the culmination of the sanctuary’s 70th anniversary year. It was founded by Dr Alex Griffith who built it around his Currumbin home.
Plans for the Lost Valley hatched three years ago and was developed around revamping existing structures for new purposes.
Its giant, long-abandoned bird aviary will be at the heart of the attraction where the new rainforest was created.
It will be home to free flying birds including the eclectus parrot, molucan red lory, black capped lory, satin bowerbird, emerald dove, chiming wedgebill, golden pheasant, mandarin ducks and macaws.
Mr Fisher said he hoped to see the new attraction put the sanctuary back on the map with domestic and international visitors.
“We’ve spent nearly $3 million on this including creating new walkways which weaves its way through the trees waterfalls and rainforests,” he said.
“It opens to the public on Boxing Day and will get better and better and hopefully become a must-see attraction during and After the Commonwealth Games.
“We are looking forward to showcasing it to the world.”
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph
Red pandas, colourful birds and rare reptiles which have never been seen on the Gold Coast will live at the heart of Currumbin Sanctuary in a new $3 million attraction more than a decade in the making.
The Lost Valley exotic precinct will open its doors on Boxing Day after nearly a year of construction to become the historic wildlife sanctuary’s biggest feature to open in seven decades.
The five hectare attraction will focus on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana which Australia was once part of, and will feature a range of creatures including the ring tail lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, red panda, capybaras and the eclectus parrot.
National Trust of Australia chief executive Jonathan Fisher said its opening on December 26 would give the city an economy boost during the summer season.
“This is coming at a time when we are going to have the whole world looking at the Gold Coast and it gave us the chance to create something really different,” he said.
“The trust is all about the celebration of the environment and cultural heritage and this will show off what is unique about this part of the world.
“We hope people will come here and open their eyes to what it is all about and with more international visitors here we need to see more investment in attractions will continue to bring people here.”
The opening is the culmination of the sanctuary’s 70th anniversary year. It was founded by Dr Alex Griffith who built it around his Currumbin home.
Plans for the Lost Valley hatched three years ago and was developed around revamping existing structures for new purposes.
Its giant, long-abandoned bird aviary will be at the heart of the attraction where the new rainforest was created.
It will be home to free flying birds including the eclectus parrot, molucan red lory, black capped lory, satin bowerbird, emerald dove, chiming wedgebill, golden pheasant, mandarin ducks and macaws.
Mr Fisher said he hoped to see the new attraction put the sanctuary back on the map with domestic and international visitors.
“We’ve spent nearly $3 million on this including creating new walkways which weaves its way through the trees waterfalls and rainforests,” he said.
“It opens to the public on Boxing Day and will get better and better and hopefully become a must-see attraction during and After the Commonwealth Games.
“We are looking forward to showcasing it to the world.”
And the page from Currumbin's website (with a nice "teaser trailer"): A ‘Lost Valley’ has been found on the Gold Coast :: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The whole development looks like it will be fantastic. Especially the walk-through aviary.
The whole development looks like it will be fantastic. Especially the walk-through aviary.
A bird Sanctuary for many years with the main focus on feeding Rainbow Lorikeets twice a day then over the years many natives (captives) were added to the collection. The Exotics are new for the park!
Currumbin is gorgeous already - and this will be a wonderful development! I'm looking forward to going and seeing it again one day 