Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

I had this trip booked about 1 year ago and although you can no longer hold a koala, you can touch and have photos taken with them at an additional cost. It certainly didn't disappoint. The koalas, feeding the kangaroos and the aerial raptor display were definitely the highlights but there were other animals, crocodiles, dingos, water dragons just wandering around the tourists. We didn't get to see the wombats or the Tasmanian Devil, but there are various species of Cockatoo. Our day here was excellent, thank you.

Super awesome, more than 29 koalas that you can pat and take pictures. Almost no cages so you can bond with animals and have fun whit your kid. Specially recommend to go with kids. Easily full day fun and nature bonding.

Visited this on a Monday and I think it's a perfect day to visit as almost every animal was out. There's a lot of variety of animals that they take care of here. You can really immerse yourself with nature and get to know more about them. Our main goal is to see a koala up close and we were not disappointed as there were lots of them. Even Kangaroos which you can touch, they're very friendly just don't upset them.

We loved the Sanctuary!!! We paid $35 each for the Koala Experience, worth every penny. The koalas are so cute and cuddly to pet. We love the pictures we had taken with them. The open area of kangaroos was great. Feeding them was wonderful, and being able to pet them. Loved the duck-billed platypus. I love the platypus's enclosure, which lets you see him swimming during the day while he is nocturnal.

The sanctuary is wonderful, but don’t visit when it’s very hot as most of the animals hide to keep cool! I didn’t see many of the animals, just a dingo who was asleep 😴 a large eagle, the reptiles and of course the Koalas! Even the croc was nowhere to be seen! The wild water dragons were visible and the wild birds are cheeky!! The Koala experience was great and the keepers are very knowledgeable. If you want to get cool, visit the reptiles, they have air con in their building!

I would rate the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary as excellent. The experience was unforgettable, with the opportunity to see koalas up close, which was a dream come true! The sanctuary is well-maintained, and the staff is knowledgeable and passionate about wildlife conservation. The variety of animals, including kangaroos and various bird species, added to the overall enjoyment. The beautiful natural surroundings made for a lovely day out. I highly recommend visiting Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to anyone looking to connect with Australia's unique wildlife!

A Must-Visit! I absolutely love this place—I’ve been here three times already, and I’d go again in a heartbeat! Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is perfect for everyone—families, kids, couples, or even solo travelers. No matter your age, this place has something special to offer. It’s the perfect escape from the city, where you can immerse yourself in nature and connect with incredible wildlife. Feeding the animals, wandering through the beautiful surroundings, and just soaking in the peaceful atmosphere make for such a refreshing experience. The staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful, always ensuring visitors have the best experience. The sanctuary is also impressively clean and well-maintained, which makes exploring even more enjoyable. Of course, the stars of the show—the adorable koalas—are everywhere, and the free-range kangaroos are an absolute joy to feed and pet. Watching them up close is such a unique and memorable experience! Coffee and snack caffe available at the sanctuary. Getting here is easy, with convenient Uber access and free parking for visitors. Lone Pine truly is a special place. Keep up the amazing work, and I can’t wait to visit again!

A must visit for an animal lover is an absolute gem and a must-visit for anyone traveling to Brisbane! The sanctuary offers an unforgettable experience with Australia’s unique wildlife, especially the adorable koalas. It is a fantastic experience for families, animal lovers, and anyone wanting to connect with Australia’s incredible wildlife. Highly recommend!

A really fun place. The easiest way to get there is by the 430 bus from the city center. Takes about an hour. Buy your tickets at the machines at the bus station--50 cents a ride each way. They don't have machines at the sanctuary bus stop. However, if you get stuck, just explain it to the bus driver. It's a lovely place to visit for a few hours. Lots of koalas. You can't hold them anymore but they still look adorable. We saw some moms with their joeys. They also had kangaroos you can get up close you. I loved the Tasmanian devils and a few other animals. The bird feeding was fun. You hold up the dishes with nectar and the birds fly to you to feed.

This is Koala heaven! Although you need to pay an extra fee to pet the koalas but you get to interact with kangaroos close up. There's also a separate fee to buy kangaroo food to feed the kangaroo There's a few shows and talks that you can watch when you are here. However, overall, totally worth it and it's a must visit if you come to Brisbane!

This was my second stop in Brisbane and I had such an amazing time. Despite the rain, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This may have been one of two animal sanctuaries I've been to where I felt the animals were truly cared for. The koalas seem to have all they need to thrive, there was an array of birds and bats under care. I was able to feed kangaroo. There were so many things to see, so much to learn and staff readily available to answer any questions you may have. I'd also like to remark on the gift center. The merchandise was thoughtfully created and curated. There were a host of sustainable products to choose from as well. The annual pass is worth it if you expect to go with friends or family. It pays for itself after the third visit.

Brisbane's own Zoo in the city. Love this place not crowded yet very beautiful. Kaola sanctuary was awesome. So many Kaola's houses with eucalyptus trees. The experience was amazing. We were able to hold the Kaola it was sold out. Able to do snake encounter. The place was shady with lovely trees. There were lots of animals to see. Exotic birds, Dingo , crocodile show . The pathway was steady and clean . Kangaroo experience was fun. Able to feel them while hopping around the facility. Love the area. Not too crowded and so close to the place we were staying .

The place to go to hold a koala. To get a photo spot, you must purchase the koala hold ticket in advance. This is a separate ticket from the entrance. Once you've entered the sanctuary, proceed to the hut, #24, (at the time we went) and get in line based on the photo shoot time purchased. In our case, 2:00 pm. You will not be accommodated earlier than that time which is understandable. The koala needs to rest and be comfortable with you at the time of the photo shoot. Koalas go through some kind of silent stress and may not be cooperative. The person before me had difficulty having a good photo with the koala. The koala just won't look at the camera. I was so glad that mine was pretty good. Her name is Mars. She's pretty heavy. The koalas appear to be contented with their habitat. I got the opportunity to see the staff changing the eucalyptus treats to fresh ones which takes place at 12:30, the time between photo shoots. The male koala has its own space and is separated from the females. The sanctuary houses other animals. I got to be with the kangaroos at their free range area. So nice to experience them hopping around you. There are 2 dining areas: one before the entrance and the other by the koala hold hut. There are also 2 gift shops: one by the koala hold hut and the other before the exit. In my opinion, they need to improve the quality and the items they sell at the gift shops. The gift shops don't look appealing at all. Some items are pretty standard, saw them while at Sydney.

LOVED this place. I was only here to see the koalas. They have a bunch of other animals such as snakes, iguanas, bats (yuuuck), kangaroos, spiders etc. They rescue and rehabilitate koalas then most of the time release them back to nature. They have a bunch of retired koalas also who look like they are quite happy to live there. I loved it when I saw a worker carrying a big fat koala into the koala section. She carefully helped him onto a tree branch and gave him a eucalyptus branch to snack on. He was wide awake and climbed all over the tree which was a real treat. Most of the koalas were fast asleep or slow moving from all the eucalyptus they ate. It is a very fascinating and educational place to visit. $50 day pass for adults. Small but decent gift shop. Very clean premises overall. Peaceful place. I would come back for sure.

Had such a lovely experience yesterday! Everyone was so friendly and helpful. My husband and I especially enjoyed the Koala discovery tour. We were able to hold and take pictures with the cutest koala, Pretzle. Nick was a fantastic guide and was super knowledgeable. We absolutely loved seeing all the Koalas and interacting with the kangaroos. Would highly recommend Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary when in the area!

A fantastic place to see koala and kangaroo. All animals are taking good care of. And the prize in the gift shop is reasonable. They have some shows in the morning, but we missed them.

Fun place to go and visit. We didn't arrive early enough to secure a koala-holding session but there were ample opportunities to take pictures of them. We were also able to feed the kangaroos, which was nice. And unlike some of the other sanctuaries I've been to, the kangaroos seemed content and not over stuffed from so many people trying to feed them. I also enjoyed seeing a platypus, wombat, and dingo. If you leave locally or plan to go more than once or twice a year, the annual pass is definitely worth it.

Came to the Sanctuary for the few free hours I had today from my tour. It's got potential but needs some work. Went there in the early afternoon when I had some down time from my work trip. Got my ticket at the door. It was a cashier-less system. So far so good. Price was reasonable. It was just over $50 AUD. The Good - You are able to get really close to a lot of Australian Wildlife. I fell like the pictures I got were some of the best from the trip. - There are opportunities, really only in the Kangaroo feeding area, to touch wildlife such as Kangaroos and Wallabies. - They let you walk on the off path in a the kangaroo area. The Bad - Obviously being mainly a Koala sanctuary, the "encounters" that the sanctuary offers sell out FAST. It's like you have to show up right at opening to get a chance for an encounter. - Prepare to pay up to almost $50 AUD for an encounter. There are some cheaper options, but those were all sold out too. - The sanctuary lacks clear signage and directions in a lot of the areas and on paths. There was no clarity that you could go off the paved path in the kangaroo area. But there were other patrons on the grass and then I saw the signs explaining facts about the animals so it was apparently ok. I also only saw two staff members on property once I was out of the Koala and Gift Shop areas. - They don't tell you what "encounters" are available till you've already parted ways with your money for the ticket... should really have a way to update that digitally. - Gift shop was very limited on what they had in stock... well unless you wanted a coozie or a koala plushie The Ugly - Now I'll preface this with I was in my work clothes, black shirt and cargo pants. I kept getting misgendered when I talked with the staff. They kept saying "sir". I hope they were just honest mistakes, obviously I didn't have my most femme outfit on, but it still hurt and made me want to leave earlier than I planned.

This place was amazing! We had so much fun. Lots of koalas to see and very educational

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a MUST if you have time for only one attraction to visit within a 20-minute drive from Brisbane CBD. Unlike the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Queensland is where it is actually legal to touch a koala. I didn't realize that when I visited the Taronga Zoo and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo back in 2017. At this koala sanctuary, you are required to purchase a Koala Encounter pass ($35 AUD) in addition to the admission day pass ($49 AUD) if you want the opportunity to get up close to a single koala to pet them and learn a few fun facts for several minutes. Back in December 2023, each ticket allowed you and up to three additional adults to join in on the encounter. Please note this information is as of December 2023 and that pricing/terms has been increased/updated based on the sanctuary's current website. At that time, you were also able to purchase a ticket to hold the koala for an additional $45 AUD though I have read that experience has been discontinued as of earlier this month. It was such an awesome experience strolling thru the clearly labeled sections of the sanctuary knowing that the local Australian wildlife is just out living their best life in their natural habitat. Your ticket includes various wildlife shows and educational talks throughout the day. I would advise reviewing the schedule of the daily events as soon as you enter the sanctuary and plan accordingly so you don't miss out on any live events that may only happen once that same day. There is never a dull moment even in between shows and talks as there are tons of koalas all around for plenty of photo opportunities. You can even feed kangaroos! Nothing like chilling with the native Aussie wildlife while knowing that they are well cared for and not too stressed out dealing with all of us tourists. Check it out if you are in Brisbane!

Enjoyed our day here. Definitely would recommend adding the river cruise. A few hours is plenty here and you can see all the native Aussie wildlife. Excellent job with the Koalas for sure. Could have better labeling in the reptile house and a place to buy kangaroo food at far entrance

I mean woods can't even describe how amazing this place is. You can tell they truly care about the animals, the staff are so informative, and the facility is remarkable. I could spend days here!!!

Cool place. Get to feed and hang out with tons of kangaroos and wallabies. Can feed them and chill. Tons of koalas and platypus etc. Staff isn't really cool if you try to bust any koalas out of the sanctuary though so keep that in mind. I only mention it because some of the koalas are over being there and sort of want out and may look to you or members of your group for assistance.

This is one of the coolest places I've been in my entire life. If you visit Brisbane and do exactly one thing, this should be it. Reasonable price of admission and you get to see every animal on the Australia checklist, including kangaroos in a free range enclosure and *hundreds* of koalas. I opted to pay extra to pet one and it was entirely worth it. I had an ear to ear smile on my face the entire time I was there and walked the whole property twice. Staff were great, signage was awesome, it's a lifetime must do.

Great sanctuary, koalas are very cool. I'd always come back to Lone Pine at any time.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane was our last bit of entertainment before leaving the country after our lengthy vacation. This was a wonderful way to wrap things up, and the wildlife was ready and willing to entertain us. We started off with a sheep dog show, watching a dog herd sheep through various corrals. After that, it was all about kangaroos, wallabies, exotic birds, and dingoes. Anything that could be pet was pet. Anything that could be fed was fed multiple times. This was my first experience seeing a platypus too, and they were wicked cute. The Tasmanian devils were playful for a while, but calmed down and were cute as they sprawled in the sun and yawned. Overall a very fun way to finish our stay in Australia.

If you want to get up close & personal with a LOT of Koalas, this is the place! Even without paying for the extra photo op, there so many koalas to see! I loved that they had "the nursery" and the "retirement village" among other special Koala displays. They are just so darn cute nothing less than 5 stars will do.

This is a lovely zoo of Australian animals - a must--see for first-time visitors to Australia. As the name suggests, Koalas are featured prominently. Koalas sleep for 23 hours a day so in order to care for them properly and allow for tourists to engage with them (and lets face it, bring it some big dough) there are a LOT of koala and they are rotated through the viewing areas throughout the day. Animal encounters such as holding Koala, photos with dingoes, and patting koalas are an additional fee ($15 for pats, $30 for cuddles which includes a souvenir photo and handful of koala poo if you're lucky! 2/22/23) ..... the cost definitely adds up though there are few other places in the world (outside of Australia) where you can do this. There is a minimum height to hold a koala - 130cm. Animal experiences are limited in daily numbers and tend to sell-out so best to book online before you go. The grounds are fully accessible and stroller-friendly. There is lots of shade and outdoor covered eating areas. Some animals are seen indoors - but most are outdoors. In general, we find the kangaroos are well-fed so we don't both with the 2$/bag off Roo-food and none of them want to eat. In preparation for the trip, our youngest child read "Diary of a Wombat" every day for a month..... so when we found a lot of sleeping wombats, he was thrilled.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary combines the cuteness of the koalas and other Australian wildlife with a positive learning environment that makes it a worthy place if you are in the Brisbane area. While there are certainly several of these locations throughout Australia, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is literally littered with koalas throughout the entire lot. Many of which are sleeping, which is what a majority of the koalas do for most of their day. However, with so many, you are bound to find several out and about actively eating or walking to and from their homes. For the highly sought after koala picture, they have set times when they will take guests to take photos. Therefore, if possible plan your trip ahead and try to get in before the lines get super long. It appeared that the earlier times were much shorter than the later times. PLEASE NOTE: If you are in a group, only one person can hold the koala. If another person wants a picture holding the koala, you must pay for another picture. However, they will take photos for you on your phone at no additional cost. Other shows and educational talks are shown at the entrance. This can help better plan your day especially if there are several things you want to see. Some of the talks were incredibly informational and worth attending. There is also a petting area with kangaroos, wallabies, and emus walking about. If you want to also feed them, make sure to get a small feed from the pet store. However, I realized that many of them will still take a picture with you even without food. Fortunately, the whole park is connected with free wi-fi and even designated social media sit down areas. Overall, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a great stop for anyone in the Brisbane area especially if you want to get that special koala picture.

The park is full of Koala and Kangaroos. I was able to pet a Koala and Kangaroo. The Kangaroos are in a open field I thought the holding of Koala was disorganized. There was no way or information on how to get tickets for the Koala. I would recommend selling them online to reduce the overall confusion. We had traveled specifically here to hold the Koala but were not able to do so.

I've been to plenty of zoos and this really felt more like a place to care for the animals and allow safe interactions than just a zoo. They allow you to feed kangaroos and wallabies which is amazing. They also have a spot where the animals can chill and not be bothered. Most people seemed pretty respectful. The kangaroos seem very well fed but were good sports about the adoring fans dying to be their friends. The koalas of course are the star attraction and there are lots of them. It's pretty magical. They seem to be well cared for and have their boundaries respected. The place has some eucalyptus farms so they are well fed and fascinating. For a fee, you can get a picture holding a koala, dingo or a few others. Super cool. The cafe is standard zoo food with chicken nuggets and the like but it hit the spot.

Lovely time great people who are dedicated to protecting the local animals. We loved it

I was here as part of an international competition and what is more Australian to show to students than a koala sanctuary? We first went to the sheepdog show per our driver's suggestion and it was a great idea, even with teenagers. We got to see how incredibly smart the Australian sheepdog is and the sheep where our merino wool sweaters come from. The audio quality wasn't the greatest but there was plenty of seating. The kangaroo feeding area is a gorgeous green field that you can just walk up to the animals. It was so gorgeous and I could have stayed there the whole time. The lunch was typical cafeteria food and I'd have rathered a healthier option but our ticket included a meal. The birds are aggressive and will take any unattended food and actually flew into the table. But it's Australia so exactly what I expected! It costs extra to hold a koala but the lines weren't too crazy. It's popular, one of our coworkers recognized it from our photos.

Worth a visit Atleast once! You have to pay to hold and take a pic with the koala but totally WORTH it!!! And it helps fund them :) I recommend feeding the kangaroos it's so fun and free and checking out the entire sanctuary you can take the bus there for cheap transport

This place was incredible. So many different animals and things to see. I got there at the right time for the free raptor show and the dog sheep show. Both were perfectly brief and entertaining. The highlight for me was feeding the kangaroos. They just let you walk into a field of kangaroos and find and feed whichever one might be hungry. I found the sweetest littler one who ate right from my hand and stole my heart. I also paid $29 for a "hold the koala" session. It was really rushed and then the stinker pooped on my hand while I was holding him haha. He was adorable and it was a once in a lifetime experience so I'm happy I did it but it was just more rushed than I thought since it's advertised as a "15 min experience." I grabbed a quick bite at the cafe of chicken nuggets and chips which were both average, reasonably priced and not too greasy. I would highly recommend lone pine to anyone visiting the Brisbane area.

An incredible experience! My husband and I visited Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary on our own (without kids) and had such a wonderful experience. Some times we find that child-friendly destinations are often over-run with kids running about but Lone Pine is a great time for all, no matter the age. You can truly tell how loved and cared for the animals who are lucky enough to live at the sanctuary are and the staff makes education and conservation their #1. Although it is a bit outside of Brisbane proper, I can't recommend Lone Pine enough. It was a 15-20 minute uber ride there from the city center and Uber's were easy to catch on the way back as well (even without cellular service by using Lone Pine's wifi). Recommend 3 hours here to see everything and enjoy some of the live talks!

I hate going to Zoos because I prefer to see animals in their natural habitats. But hearing that there was a Sanctuary in the area intrigued me and we had to check it out. I'm really glad that we did because it was one of the highlights from our trip! TIP 1: Consider riding the bus! We didn't rent a car on our trip to Brisbane, but we were able to visit this place by taking public transportation (You can purchase a Go Card at the news stand in the middle of Queen Street mall). Just catch the 430 bus at the Queen Street Bus Station. You won't be sorry. The bus literally drops you off right in front of the Lone Pine Sanctuary. TIP 2: Don't forget to bring your student ID and/or passport for Senior rates! They also have a bunch of other great deals and yearly passes. TIP 3. You can purchase a $1.00 program which includes information like (1) daily schedule of events; (2) information about the animals at the sanctuary; and (3) the map of the sanctuary. TIP 4. It can get hot. Some vending machines were out of order in the sanctuary. However, you can get drinks and frozen treats at both the gift shop and the cafe. One of my favorite things that we got to do at the park is check out the wild Lorikeet feeding. I thought that this meant that one of the staff members was going to feed the birds. However, the feeding is actually very engaging and interactive. You learn about how these birds need a liquid diet. The staff member then pours the food in feeders and tells people that once the birds come down to eat, that you can pick up the feeding bowls (which are on sticks) and hold them out for the birds. We were warned that since these birds are wild, that their behavior is not always predictable and that there was no way to guarantee that they would come to eat at that time. However, we were really lucky because at the 9:45am feeding, a bunch of Lorikeets swooped down and had their meal! Next, their free flight raptor show was interesting. They displayed some of the birds that they actually rescued. For example, one of the raptors had one wing that was shorter than the other because they believe that it was hit by a car and found on the side of the road. However, the sanctuary was able to get the raptor back up to health. They also had a beautiful barn owl that they brought out as well. There are a bunch of other things that you can do at the Sanctuary. Other scheduled events include a sheep dog show, snake photos, koala keeper talk, platypus keeper talk, and tasmanian devil keeper talk. The different animals that you can check out include: wombats, cassowary, tasmanian devils, kangaroos, various amphibians, dingos, bats, and platypus. In the Koala exhibit, you also have the option to take photos with one of the Koalas as well. Be sure that you purchase your ticket at the cafe, then stand in line. They have professional photographers and volunteers who will take your picture if you have your own camera/phone/ipad, etc. The last thing I wanted to mention is that you can pick up food to feed the kangaroos. By the time that we purchased food for the kangaroos, it was a little after lunch time, so a lot of them were hanging out in the shady rest area. Only a few kangaroos decided to graze on the food. But it was so cool to see the little joeys in their mama's pouch. So my recommendation is that if you want to see a lot of active kangaroos, go there earlier before a bunch of people have fed them already. Overall, I had a wonderful time at the sanctuary and am glad we checked it out!!!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was the main attraction my family was looking forward to on our Brisbane vacation. The reason why we were so hyped for Lone Pine was because during our visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo we weren't able to hold a Koala nor were we given the opportunity to feed Kangaroos, so once we found our Lone Pine offered both we booked our tickets to Brisbane . Many of the TripAdvisor reviews advised to take the boat with Mirimer Cruises going there and back so you can sightsee along the river but we opted not to do that and instead take the bus. I'm glad we did that because we were able to beat the crowd for holding Koala. Folks that arrived on the cruise had to wait in a long line for likely an hour or more which cut into their visit time because Mirimer had a tight schedule. The bus wasn't all that bad either, it cost us about $3.60 round trip each which saved us a ton of money and time. Note it's only one bus ride no transfers that took about 40 minutes. My daughter enjoyed touching the koala but even more fun feeding the kangaroos. Be patient as some kangaroos aren't hungry so you'll have to find a hungry one. They are friendly and harmless even to kids. By the way, they sell kangaroo food at one of the cafes where you pick up your koala pictures. We're definitely gonna come back!

I think this is a must go if you visit Brisbane. The main reason is you can cuddle a koala without leaving the city. If you haven't seen a koala before, it's the cutest creature ever, no matter what age you are, you will love it. You can also see other Australin animals here, eg kangaroo, wombat, Tasmanian devil, emu and you can feed the kangaroos of you want. There is a cafe inside the property, I ordered fish and chip, it tastes really good., not oily nor salty and comes with salad.

There's not many places that allow you to hold a koala and Lone Pine is a perfect place to do it. The sanctuary is relatively small and quiet and you can tell animals are well cared for. I am not keen on cages, but sometimes shoring up interest for conservation comes at a price. Go early if you want to hold the koalas and feed the kangaroos--a line builds up from 9am (opening time) to purchase koala holding cards, which are sold around 9:45am, with photos starting at 10am. By around 11am the koalas have had enough and visitors will be blocked from being able to take photos. The kangaroos also are fed early by visitors, so if you get there later, they are already sated. We arrived around 9:15, went straight to the koala line and then around 10:30, after taking our photos, went to the kangaroos, in which some were still hungry but by 11am, they were disinterested. Then you can meander at your own pace to see the other attractions and animals. Overall, very enjoyable!

MAGICAL PLACE ! My Mom brought here when I was a little boy. I brought my 2 year old daughter here 30 years later. She loved hand feeding the Kangaroos and the Parrots. Lone Pine is great memories !

Koalas are SO cute!!! But this place ain't just for koalas! Wanna pat a kangaroo? Or maybe an emu? If you come here you can! They also have loads of other animals to learn about. So after you're done cuddling your koalas, you can see birds, lizards, and lots of other interesting creatures. Is this as good as the Australian Zoo? No, it pales in comparison. But if you're in Brisbane and don't want to trek to Steve's zoo, this is a great option. Say g'day to the koalas for me!

I love that you can interact with the animals. The koalas are in arms reach and you can also hold one for a photo for an additional cost. It's totally worth it. You really get to connect with the koala, hold it as it holds onto you. My koala wanted to look me straight in the eye for a few seconds, it was pretty cool. "Tully" had this musky eucalyptus smell that I'll always remember. The handler prepares you for the picture and are standing by cautiously but not hovering to make you feel uncomfortable. If you don't want to pay the extra fee to hold the koala yourself you can still get a chance to get a picture with one during the Meet A Koala session. Go to the gift shop and get some kangaroo feed for the massive area that you can just hang out with the kangaroos. Most of them are huddled in the back where you can't get to them but there's enough just laying about in the open area. We only learned about the wild lorikeet feeding when we were there. Right before the feeding time, the lorikeets gathered over by the fountain in the area for a bath. There were tons of them. Then during the feeding time you can hold one of the feeders and the birds just flock to you and they are beautiful. The gift shop might have marked up prices but profits help the animals and the sanctuary. We spent about 4 or 5 hours there and there was enough to keep us busy all day.

This place is a must see for any animal lovers in Brisbane! In terms of getting there, it's a bit far from the city and public transport took 3x longer than driving, so we took an Uber from CBD. We arrived right after it opened Saturday morning to try and beat the crowds. Once inside we immediately lined up for the koala pictures! It's $25 to take photos with a koala, but you can split the cost in a group photo (only one person gets to hold the koala but everyone can pet it). Other highlights were seeing a sheep dog show and petting kangaroos. One tip: WEAR CLOSE TOED SHOES because there is animal poop everywhere in the petting area.

The costs start to add up with tickets, koala pictures, kangaroo food, etc...but this is THE PLACE if you want to pet/hold koalas, see them up close (sleeping, eating, climbing, and walking) as well as pet and feed kangaroos and wallabies (there are probably about 100 of them in a large, fenced, field, and see other cool Australian native animals such as the echidna, platypus, dingo, emu and Tasmanian devil. The sanctuary or zoo as I think of it, is a bus ride away from downtown Brisbane (I think it was like 3-4 dollars on the go card) and takes about 30 minutes. We spent about 3 hours there since it's pretty small, but again, worth it for the experiences mentioned above.

So many cuddly animals!!!! We made sure to add Queensland to our Australia itinerary when we found out it's the only state in Australia where you can hold a koala. After finding out that Lone Pine is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary we decided to go here instead of a zoo. To hold a koala you must purchase a photo ticket. They have a few shows you can watch and the have a large field where you can feed kangaroos/wallabies. Tip: buy your ticket online to save a few bucks!

Absolutely magical place! For an American girl who wanted nothing more to see koalas when she was visiting Australia, this wonderful sanctuary made all my dreams come true. Let's start with the koalas. There were baby koalas, elderly koalas, male koalas, mommy koalas, etc etc each one cuter than the last. I had the opportunity of a lifetime to meet one of these furry little guys and seriously I have never had a brighter smile in a photo in my entire life. Despite the 98 degree weather (trust me I wish I was exaggerating) I was beaming because my dream to meet a koala finally came true. For all of you crazy people who don't adore koalas as much as I, there are still plenty of other wonderful animals to see as well. There were exotic birds, platypuses, dingos, emus, and even a kangaroo petting area where you can feed the kangaroos!! This is a wonderful place for both children and adults, super interactive and you can tell the animals are well cared for and enjoying this beautiful place. Would go back any day!

KOALA-TY PLACE - MUST SEE 'Ello chaps! If you're a local, or visiting Brisbane, this is the one place you MUST SEE. We booked our trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary via Visit Brisbane, with tickets on board the Mirimar cruise boat. The Mirimar crew were phenomenal for the roughly 45 minute trip there, pointing out the highlights along the river. Once we arrived at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary we were captivated by how well kept the facilities are, and how close you feel to the wild life. This is a true gem. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is about 45 acres in size, accessible by boat, taxi, public bus, and car. There is an abundance of koalas, and other wildlife. No one in the family will be disappointed. This seems to be one of the few places in all of Australia where you can actually hold a koala. Their care takers told us each koala does encounters for a limit time each week. They seem to be healthy, in good spirits, and enjoyed the human cuddling. A park employee told me each koala can be held in encounters for no more than thirty minutes per week, and the fees for encounters are used for protection projects, research, and other initiatives that further the cause of koala care. It was truly a lifetime memory . The cost to hold a koala is approximately $20, INCLUDES a printed photo of your encounter, and the cost is in addition to the park admission fee. There are multiple exhibits throughout the park with koalas of all ages on display, allowing visits to have a bit of space and really feel they are close to koalas. There is an open yard area as well, where visitors can pet and take photos with free range kangaroos, wombats, and birds. Crocodiles, dingos, and other animals are also on display throughout the park. There is a café and gift shop on site. You can do the whole park, briskly, in about an hour or so, but taking your time, you could spend upwards of three hours in the park seeing it all.

Awesome place to see the wildlife in Brisbane. Not to far from the city. Beautiful place.

I agree with the other reviews that this place is cool. We took the Miramar cruise from the CBD to Lone Pine. It was a nice and relaxing way to get there. Along the way, we heard a recording about the area, historical homes, and how the floods of 2011 affected Brisbane. We enjoyed our cuddle time and photo with a koala named Mindy and seeing the dingos, lizards, birds, cassowaries, bush turkeys, platypus, emus, and of course feeding the kangaroos. It's a great place to see all these animals in one place. Feeding the kangaroos was really fun, even if they are well fed and aren't terribly interested in the tourist food.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE DESERVE 5 STARS. There's so much to do in Australia that you might only be able to fit one animal sanctuary visit in and THIS IS THE ONE. What a wonderful day filled with tons and tons and tons of Koalas (from baby to "retired") and kangaroos (lots of joeys in pouches and super jacked ones too) and ostriches and fruit bats and owls and pigs and sheeps and dog shows and all of the australian stuffs. We even saw lots of wildlife animals that didn't belong in any exhibits, but obviously liked their sanctuary to call it home. You can get very up close and personal with many of the animals, good for awesome selfies and pictures. We got suckered into paying for holding koala shots (they feel like shaggy carpet) but saw that many other celebrities (including Grover from Seasame Street) did too. They are very good about rotating their shifts so koalas don't get overwhelmed or tired. We explored most of the park in one day, but still feel like we didn't get enough. Definitely one of my favorites on our Aussie trip!

When I was told I would be going to Brisbane for work, I immediately put this on my to-do list. I got to Lone Pine first thing on a Sunday morning, and there were virtually no crowds. I waited about 10 minutes to take a picture with the Koala, and that was really the only time I saw a "crowd" until I left around noon. I'm usually not big on zoos because I hate seeing animals confined, but the animals here seemed well cared for. I spent most of my visit in the kangaroo/wallaby area watching the animals and feeding some. It was really awesome to see them when they get moving quickly! Overall, I was really happy with my visit here. It was also a great activity for a solo traveler.

Whoa! What an experience this was!! Ok, right to the highlights: 1. We loved interacting g with the animals without feeling like we were stressing them out. 2. This was a great experience for both adults and kids! 3. The General Store ran efficientlyI and sold beer! Yay! This was a 5-Star experience all the way. The animal keepers were knowledgeable and polite. Could not say more positive things about this trip. If you are on the fence about going to the Koala Sanctuary, just go!!!

[Koalas and Kangaroos] As part my first time in Australia, I had wanted to hold a Koala more than anything else. That said, a visit to Lone Pine was a no-brainer. It's a bit outside of town but worth the trip. I bought tickets online which saved me roughly $5 per person. As previously mentioned, the Koalas were my favorite part. It's $18 per person to hold one and get your picture taken. You hold them for less than a minute but you get a commemorative photo along with any you'd like from your own camera. It was worth every penny. The middle of the park is a large enclosed area where the Kangaroos are free to roam - essentially a large petting area. Roo food is available for purchase at $2 a bag. There was also a random emu in there which I was a little hesitant to pet as it stood taller than myself. Various other animal enclosures filled the park but be sure to time your visit for the wild lorikeet feeding - quite the experience with dozens of these wild birds landing on shoulders and heads. Lone pine was worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and drop by.

Really lovely. None of the caged exotic animal nonsense of your typical zoo, but rather a focus on native animals including Ozzie birds, reptiles and of course koalas and other marsupials and mammals. The sanctuary isn't huge but we visited on a school holiday and it didn't feel crowded. One negative I found is that there were very few raised benches along the enclosures for children to stand on (so that they can take a peek at what's inside by themselves).

Amazing experience. Got to hold a koala and spend time with kangaroos and joeys. This place clearly cares about the well being of wild animals and this was on display throughout. Thank you for a once in a lifetime experience.

We enjoyed our trip to the Sanctuary. Being able to hold a Koala and feed the kangaroos was awesome. However, we found the habitats for the animals to be very poor, and some of the animals looked very unhealthy. The overall condition of the zoo and the animals was slightly unsettling.