Wildlife Habitat

The Wildlife Habitat is always a great place to visit when coming to Port Douglas. It's very easy to get too and located on the main Port Douglas Road with parking always available. The Habitat offers plenty of Australia's unique wildlife plus close encounters with Kangaroos, Emus, and Wallabies. It's easy to walk around and the staff are very friendly and informative. It's been great to see the steady upgrades to the park over time, and it's always fun to feed and gently pat the kangaroos and wallabies. It's always an enjoyable experience, and I recommend for anyone visiting Port Douglas for the first time, especially if you love wildlife!

We did the breakfast with birds package. We really enjoyed the birds and staff were great. The breakfast itself was a huge let down. There used to be a buffet but now the food is served to you once you are seated at the table (which wasn’t communicated to us). We were served fruit, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and fried tomatoes. The food was cold unfortunately. The bread was hard and stale. It would be nice to see a bigger variety of foods especially for those who are vegetarian. Without changes I wouldn’t come back for breakfast again. The park itself is awesome. There was a good variety of animals and a lot of interactive activities e.g feeding kangaroos and turtle and fish feeding. (Make sure you bring $1 coins for this).

Great thing to do solo or with the family. My daughter loved interacting with the birds at breakfast. Food was reasonable - better coffee could have been available however. Good fun and would definitely recommend

Great place to visit for a morning or afternoon. Kid friendly, you can feed the kangaroos and fish, and hold the birds. We visited on a sunday after lunch, and it was very quiet with only a few other groups there.

This place, close to Port Douglas, is worth visiting. You can feed the kanguroos, see Koalas, many birds and much more. You will need approximately 2 hours for the visit.

We had so much fun getting to see the wildlife here. It really felt like you were in their environment and exploring rather than the typical zoo feeling where the animals are just in enclosures. It was more fun getting to interact with the animals and still feel safe. You explore on your own but the staff is always there to help if you feel unsafe or have questions. We loved feeding the kangaroos and taking photos with the koalas but our favorite part was the birds in the cafe area. Mitch was our favorite bird, he would follow us around everywhere. He even followed us to the gate when we left and when we came back 30 minutes later he was still sitting there waiting for us.

In an effort to see more unique Australian wildlife, our family took an afternoon trip to the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas. We did not have a rental car, but were able to get there through the SR shuttle. I was pleasantly surprised at the wildlife that we saw there! We only had a couple hours at the end of the afternoon, but the staff provided us information on the sites that would be closing early. The staff also provided an informative pelican presentation and helped me to spot the kookaburra on site. We loved seeing the cassowaries, wallabies, kangaroo (which we happily fed), various birds, emu, and koalas. By the time that we visited, the snack bar was closed and vending machine wasn’t working, but the gift shop did have some drinks and ice cream available for sale. We bought a few souvenirs before heading out. It was a lovely experience for our whole family. Thank you!

Spent a wonderful 5 hours wandering through the various areas, listening to the wildlife talks and feeding the kangaroos. Had a couple of hours to fill on our last morning, so took advantage of the return ticket. Wonderful clean and tidy park.

Must visit in Port Douglas if you haven't had a chance to hug a koala yet and if you want to see cassowary bird. The Wildlife Sanctuary is relatively far from the center of Port Douglas and ideally you would need a transportation. In case you are not staying in a hotel where you can prearrange your transport you can pick a shuttle for five AUD in front of the Irish pub on the main street. The same shuttle will bring you back to your preferred location. Walking there is an option that I did not find very pleasant in the end. We chose to walk on the four miles beach, but we had to walk to the main road at one point and we almost missed the koala presentation. The habitat has five koalas and one of them works thirty minutes a day for you, meaning you can hold it and have your picture taken. This in the end is one of my very special highlights of our trip, my koala encounter ultimately made me very happy. The koalas and the tree kangaroo are in special section, where you can observe them really closely. There are a lot of amazing birds too, including beautiful parrots and in one of the birds section resides the very shy cassowary that we manged to see mainly the back of. There is another section with wallabies, kangaroos, emus and crocodiles. Don't bother buying the kangaroo food, only the geese were interested in it. The animals in the habitat are fed with such a nice variety of fruit and grains, no surprise they won't pay attention to anything else. The Wildlife Sanctuary is a wonderful place to spend a relaxing morning or afternoon, don't miss it!

Pros: - extremely friendly and knowledge staff, we learned a lot here - great natural environment made where different species can interact with each other - can hold a reptile or the famous koala (pics available in print and digital) - can pet the animals - great tours, we got to feed the animals as well and tours are free - free re-entry for five days from purchase - while eating person with parrots come around for pictures Cons: - so much feeding going on the animals are stuffed and dont really take food from us, wouldn't recommend the feeding bag, we did way more successful feeding on the tours - food was just decent

We really liked this experience. The team is sweet, knowledgeable, and passionate about the animals here. Holding a Koala was a great treat. Feeding he kangaroos was fun too. This is worth an afternoon to stroll and to enjoy the wildlife. My 12-year old daughter said she really loved it and wants to come back for the owls and bats at night.

Awesome venue. Good place to visit as a tourist. Lots and lots of animals to see. Guides were very knowledgable and kind to answer questions about the animals. Learned a lot about the cassowary which was cool. Took a photo with a koala that smelled heavily of eucalyptus. Lots and lots of kangaroos and wallabies in the open. Kangaroo food could be purchased at the gift shop. They will smell it in your bag and surround you. My favorite thing, however, was the tomato soup they served. Friends and I did the lunch with parakeets option. Best tomato soup I've ever had. Would love the recipe. Bread was also freshly baked. I had many servings of the soup and bread. Guides brought around parakeets for photo ops during lunch. Port Douglas shuttles can drop you off and pick you up. There's also a supermarket across the street so you can shop after you see some animals and pick up some groceries if you're staying in an apartment.

Cozy zoo in Port Douglas. + Hand feed kangaroos and wallabies. Food can be purchased at the gift shop ($2/bag). We were fortunate to even see a baby joey only a week or so out of it's mama's pouch jumping, playing and exploring. + Animal photo ops. Similar to other zoos/animal parks: have your picture taken with a koala or "Feature Creature" (snake, croc, etc. - changes daily). Be aware that compared to other zoos/animal parks we've been to, the photo times/opportunities at Wildlife Habitat are more limited, however. If I remember correctly, you are only able to have your photo taken with a koala or other animal during 3 or 4 posted times. (Whereas at Cairns Zoom, it's hourly, for example). This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but just plan your visit with this in mind if you're planning to have an animal picture taken. + For an extra fee, you can have a meal (breakfast or lunch) with and amongst various birds. + Nocturnal Tour (didn't do this but would love to next time). + Various informational tours and presentations scheduled throughout the day. + Tree Kangaroo! Apparently, Wildlife Habitat is one of a few zoos that house and breed this strange but fascinating animal. + Easy to find (if you're self driving).

Holding a koala wasn't on my bucket list. And my attitude going into today's visit to the Rainforest Habitat reflected that. I mean, I enjoy animals as much the next, but the thought of paying $32 to walk around (what I thought would be) a small zoo just didn't excite me as much as it excited the rest of the group I was traveling with. But then a baby kangaroo ate food from my hand and it was all over. I was in love. This place is incredible. The level of interaction with the animals is what really blew me away. Split between rainforest and grasslands habits, you're not looking at amials behind fences or glass barriers, but actually hanging out among them. Case in point - this is one of the few places in the world that you are able to hold a koala. So heck yes I'll give you $16 for the opportunity! See? Listen to me now - they've Dolittle'd me. The staff is professional and beyond friendly and it's clear they are exceptionally passionate about what they are doing. Don't get me wrong, it's anything but swank and splashy, so don't expect grandiose displays. Humble and unpretentious are words I'd use to manage expectations going in. On that note, I'd say come first thing in the morning. While the breakfast wasn't as delicious as we'd hoped, all of the animals were way higher energy than they were when we left in the afternoon. Expect to spend 2-3 hours wandering around and taking tours with the staff, and check the times for the koala show as that's the only time holding a koala is an option.

I normally shy away from places where animals are kept but I caved and I'm totes glad I did. This place is like hospital with a mirror ball, an old folks home with a ball pit, a kindergarden with a bouncy castle. The animals freaking love it here, so much so, they breed. We walked around the wetlands before lunch. Again, I normally cringe at buffet lunches but there's vegan options and more fruit than a Carmen Miranda, the food was fresh, tasty and plentiful. During lunch, the bird keepers visit each table offering birds to hold and giving brief talks about each bird. We joined a 30 minute tour after lunch where we fed birds, leant about breeding programs and gained a little more insight into the good work being completed by the animal keepers. The tour was super punchy and interesting and I highly recommend taking one of the many tours on offer. We finished off our visit by feeding the kangaroos, wallabies and other hopping animals. We even saw ducks and enough crocodiles to last a lifetime. If you're up in Pt Douglas and have kids or just like animals, spend a few hours here - if we'd had more time, we would've been back for the night walk.

Loved the Habitat. I did not eat breakfast at the hotel and for $13 it is all you can eat, including healthy options such as muessli, soy milk, gluten free toast, eggs and then the bad stuff (like sausage and bacon and other typical stuff). Then you see the koala exhibit at 9AM. After that, they allow you to hold the koala (extra fee) and they hand you a professional picture. You can take your own photos though while the Habitat's photographer takes your picture. They also have kangaroo food so you can feel kangaroos. I hand fed several roos, including a baby one. One of them even let me pet it while eating from the palm of my hand! This Habitat stop was part of a longer day tour but if you are in Port Douglas and can make it here, it is fun. Especially if you live in a country where koalas and kangaroos are not the norm (which is every country except Oz). Enjoy and definitely enjoy their awesome breakfast! LOVED this place!

We have been here 3 times over the last 10 years as each time it has been a easy way to experience to view Australian wildlife. One downside has been the food available which is of poor quality. The Koala photos have changed in that you are actively discouraged to take your own photos due to the staff looking after the Koala's health by minimizing the time they are handled. They still have the professional photo which they will also email you the digital copy.

This is a great Wildlife Habitat and a perfect way to support the local animals. You are able to see the birds, kangaroos, wallabe, all kinds of birds, etc... (see their website for list of animals). I am not a fan of reptiles, but they had those too. A very educational and you can get a guided tour if you are interested. When you buy your ticket at the front desk, don't forget to buy some kangaroo food so you can feed and pet them (if they are willing). The kangaroos will come right up to you so don't set your bag of food down! They also have kolas you can hold and get your picture taken (~$15) if you are interested. Be warned, they do not smell very good. :-)

This was one of the highlights of our honeymoon. Someone had told us that it was THE reason to visit Port Douglas, and we mostly agree. Normally, zoos have a depressing feel, especially seeing depressed animals in small cages. This habitat is the opposite: BIG open spaces, animals thriving and looking engaged and happy. We ended up spending about twice the amount of time there as we anticipated because it was just so informative and interactive.

If you want to feed a kangaroo from the palm of your hand, this is your chance! I literally spent hours there doing just that. And trying to not get pecked by the black swan who also wanted some of the feed. The birds in the kangaroo area are quite aggressive. This is also your chance to have your photo taken holding a koala - sure to be the most popular photo on your Facebook timeline ever! They also have a few cassowarys, tons of colourful birds, a cafe, and a small reptile area. If you're on the fence about whether or not to go, in my opinion, it's worth it.

Intimate space boasting a variety of animals. Breakfast with the birds was fantastic and fun the whole family. Lots of opportunities to get photos holding birds, touching reptiles and enjoying the surrounds and close proximity of the animals. Highly recommended!

I thought this habitat was like a zoo, but boy was I wrong. It was really neat, though perhaps could use some work on improving the habitat part. The animals in the three sections (drylands, grasslands, wetlands) are just kinda wandering around. It was a little unnerving at first, but I expect they are used to people walk around since they mainly minded their own business or (if they came up to my friend and I), they were very gentle. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in Port Douglas area, and don't forget to get a bag or two of kangaroo food. It was fun feeding the animals - the birds are particularly eager for the bag of goodies, but the wallabies and kangaroos want their share too. There's even a place where you can get your photo taken holding a koala or a snake or even a baby crocodile! Just keep an eye on the presentation times so you aren't disappointed if your first choice isn't available. My friend and I came on a weekday which was nice since it wasn't busy. It was also a warm sunny day, but it wasn't too bad walking around since there are plenty of places with shade.

We visited here during our stay in Port Douglas as part of our honeymoon adventure. I definitely recommend coming here to see all of the animals. We did a breakfast with the birds and the food was INCREDIBLE and the cost was about half of what we would have paid at our hotel. I strongly recommend visiting and eating here. We also fed the roos and held a koala. Typical tourist stuff but it was great! If we had stayed longer in Port Douglas, we would have gone back with the 2 free re-entry days and paid for breakfast again. Everyone was so nice and knoweldgeable as well. I'm so thankful we got to experience this and we would definitely do it again.

This place is absolutely magical. Here, I was able to hold a full on Koala TWICE!!! Not only that, but I was able to hand feed and pet grey back kangaroos. I was taken off guard by a large spider web exhibit over my head which nearly gave me a heart attack, but that didn't ruin my experience. Wonderful memories are made here!