Had some extra time in the afternoon of one of my last days visiting Melbourne so I decided to…read morecheck out the zoo as I wanted to see some local animals like koalas, kangaroos, and dingos! It was a pretty average zoo and I was able to get through all the animals in the last couple hours they were open. They had some insane (and terrifying) birds. My favorite was seeing the adorable dingos, sleeping red panda, and seeing a baby kangaroo pop in and out of its mom's pouch!

First zoo visit in Australia, was definitely worth a visit! You can take public transit which drops…read moreyou off at the "northern" entrance. Plenty of animals native to the country and beyond are here. Maps and signs everywhere make it easy to navigate.

We enjoyed our recent visit to the Moonlit Sanctuary. The sanctuary operates as a wildlife rescue,…read morebreeding and education centre. We were lucky enough to hear the Dingo's howl once inside the park preparing us for the sound that occasionally breaks the silence of our next destination, the Australian semi arid zone and the Red Centre. We timed our trip to include feeding kangaroos on the wallaby walk and the keeper-led talks on Cockatoos, Parrots and Koalas. Aurora the Red tailed cockatoo patiently sitting on her egg in the Cockatoo enclosure being fed by her mate Antonio was particularly sweet to see. Mo the Koala put on a show once he was offered some West Australia Eucalypt leaves known as Koala junk food. We learned that Koalas have a gestation of 35 days before moving to the pouch for 6-8 months and then finally mums back til they are weaned of Pap and left to fend for themselves. With a lifespan of 10-15 years Koalas don't mind the rain with a waterproof and double coat that keeps the rain off and cold out even high in the gum trees. Our tour guide delivered a quick synopsis on Wombats and their curious cubed poo and self defense system before we attended the conservation training show where we got up and personal with Pikelet the long nosed Potoroo and Mikah and Obsidian the flighty Bush Stone Curlews.

One of the best places to visit in VIC, the Moonlit Sanctuary is a life altering experience!…read more A bit off the beaten path for most tourist, the sanctuary is about an hour drive from Melbourne. A trip I wouldn't mind making any time I'm visiting the area! You can of course feed the animals as you see them around the sanctuary but if you are going there, I absolutely recommend booking as many of the tours and experiences as you possibly can! From kangaroos, to wallabies, to koalas, you can't go wrong! Highlights for us included taking pictures with the Koalas and walking the Dingos! The staff is outstanding. Their love and dedication to the animals is obvious from the moment you walk in and is reaffirmed throughout the whole experience; they are truly cared for and this isn't just a tourist trap. They never attempt to force the animals to do anything they don't like and if that means you don't get your perfect shot, too bad! I really respect and appreciate that. The sanctuary isn't large but it isn't small either. The atmosphere is lovely and you are surrounded by wildlife. I would highly, highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves nature and animals!

I was honestly disappointed. I've been to multiple aquariums in the USA and I was expecting this…read moreone to be much nicer. I didn't see any workers to help guide or discuss at all throughout the exhibit. Many animals were missing from the tank with a sign saying they've been moved. There honestly wasn't much to see and it was a disappointment. The penguins and sharks were the best parts and the only reason this got 3 starts... and the only good part. It was mostly just tanks of different fish. If you are coming with children then this is the place to go, for adults it's crowded and annoying.

Fantastic day for all ages. I was very impressed with the new penguin exhibit. The penguins are…read morevisible and energetic and easy to interact with. All sealife and environments looks extremely clean, healthy and well maintained. Easy process to buy tickets and once you are in you can explore at your own pace and in any order.

Staff were friendly and all the animals are so cute, I recommend coming here with friends or familyread more

DO NOT GO HERE! This place is not ethical and I'm mad at myself that I didn't do my do my due…read morediligence before visiting. While there is enough space for the koalas (who don't require much) and MAYBE the Kangaroos (though honestly, I think they need more)... the dingoes, singular pony (why do they have this?!!!), emus, cassowaries, reptiles, owls, kookaburras wombats, and wallabies all live in enclosures way too small. Except for some cockatoos and peacocks, the birds are kept in cages and the kookaburra was all alone. The emus and cassowaries were pacing single sides of fences, as if in distress. They also don't have staff anywhere to be seen unless they are taking someone to an additional paid experience or if they are doing one of their talks and so no one is around to ensure that visitors are following the rules and obeying the signs. We saw several people feed emus and other animals where there was a "do not give kangaroo feed" sign and also feeding directly from the containers which is not allowed and not a single person who worked there trying to stop this. Also they have a sign that says wallabies like to live alone and have multiple living together and dingoes sitting around in the kind of square footage I wouldn't even consider adequate for my dogs. I'm embarrassed to say that I came to this place and will be figuring out how to report them to the RSPCA/Vic Gov

This was one of our excursions.... Last year Australia had a major fire... several animals were…read moretransferred to this sanctuary... it was a rainy/sprinkling day..... some of the animals were not out... We did see kangaroo's, koala's, parrots, dingo's and few other animals...

I visited Healesville on a group tour since it's the only one that's approved due to their…read moreconservation efforts. It's a medium-sized zoo that focuses on Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. I got to see a few koalas, several kangaroos, emus, wallabies, and various birds. I even got to see the lyrebird do its jumping dance. The staff here seem to enjoy their jobs as they take care of the animals. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good zoo and I enjoyed my time walking through and seeing all the animals.

Took my 2 and half year old niece here and we had a fun time. The ride through the zoo was…read moreinteresting. We were able to see many animals like zebras, giraffes, rhinos, ostriches and more. One of the rhinos had a baby just the day before and we were lucky enough to hold a glimpse of the new born baby running around. There is a lot of walking involved to see all the animals and we were a bit exhausted. Had to walk a bit to see the lions, it was worth it.

Absolutely recommend coming to Werribee open range zoo. It is really easy to get to from Melbourne…read more You can take a train from Flinders Street station direct to Werribee after you get off the train stop at Werribee, there is a bus that runs to the zoo. They run pretty frequently on the weekend and are always filled with tourists going to the zoo or the mansion. During the weekday, the bus runs hourly, so make sure you check out the schedule or it is really easy to grab an Uber from the train station as an alternative. The highlight of this zoo absolutely has be the safari. If you go during peak times or on the weekends, there's going to be a very long line to go on the safari. It is very similar to the animal kingdom safari if you have gone to Disneyland in the states. You get to see a variety of animals in their natural habitat and learn a lot of fun facts about the zoo one of my favorite fun facts was that the Water buffalo smell absolutely terrible. Food options aren't great at the zoo but you can get a burger and some good coffee. There are some nice spots to eat by the train station so maybe build in some time to stop there before heading home. TLDR definitely worth a visit. You can also expand your trip and go to the mansion. Really easy and fun day trip from Melbourne.

For many years the lake at Banksia Park was empty. But now, the park is restored to its former…read moreglory after strong rains and volunteer work. The park backs on to the Heide property and features walk trails, a cherry blossom garden, a playground and a lake filled with black pacific ducks and waterfowl. The walking track that takes you in a loop and along the Yarra River is a great place to spot local wildlife including parrots and honeyeaters .The soundtrack is the bellbirds that sing in the branches of the trees. Gums, wattles, and other native trees provide beautiful scents and attractive foliage along your walk. This is a leash park, and you are encouraged to clean up after your dog. There are little barbeque areas and a few bins. The open grassy spaces are great for getting a group of friends together on a sunny day, and the nearby playground provides an excellent place to let the kids run around. Banskia Park is perfect on a sunny day with a lot of space to host a barbeque or go for a walk. In the warmer months you may have to watch out for snakes.

I love the dog park at Banksia Park!…read more There are so many other great owners who are super friendly and will talk to you about your dog and other dog-related chats. I love that there is a fence so that all dogs are safe within the vicinity! Additionally, it's not an open space, there are bushes and trees that break up the land so that shyer dogs can get away and have some space to themselves! However, I wish that the grass was cut a bit more frequently and that there was a doggy poo bin with doggy bags. Another difficult issue is that the entrance gate closes at 6pm on the dot when it is not daylight savings - pretty hard for owners to get to the park after work during peak hour traffic. Other than these, it's a great dog park and I love the people and their dogs there!