Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — Attraction in Brisbane City

World’s Oldest Koala Sanctuary – An Inspiring and Educational Wildlife Experience!

Our visit to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was deeply enriching and unforgettable. As the largest and oldest koala sanctuary in the world, Lone Pine is a must-visit for anyone passionate about wildlife, conservation, and learning more about these beautiful Australian creatures. With over 100 koalas and a wide range of other native animals, this sanctuary is a true gem just outside of Brisbane.

Our Koala Encounter We had the pleasure of participating in a very informative and respectful koala experience led by Nadia, our exceptional guide. She took the time to walk us through the types of eucalyptus leaves, letting us smell and compare the different flavors the koalas prefer. We were fascinated to learn how eucalyptus is harvested and sorted to match the koalas’ diets and moods. Nadia also explained the crucial role of bats, especially flying foxes, in transporting the pollen of eucalyptus blossoms from tree to tree by drinking their nectar – something most people overlook but is essential to koala habitat sustainability.

During our session, we met Spike and Ranger, two absolutely charming koalas we were able to observe closely. Though you don't hold or pet the koalas in this encounter, standing beside them and witnessing their behavior is already an incredible privilege. Later, we had a photo session with Mallon, guided by his dedicated keeper Erin, with Nadia supporting us throughout the experience. The love and care from the staff toward the animals were evident in every step.

It’s important to highlight: these are wild animals, not pets. Interactions are respectful, ethical, and in line with the animals’ comfort. Even though they’re soft and adorable, the experience is focused on learning, understanding, and appreciating them without needing physical contact – and that’s exactly how it should be.

Wildlife Beyond Koalas Lone Pine is home to many other native animals, and the sanctuary is much larger than we expected! Some of the highlights include:

A large kangaroo reserve where you can walk among and feed the roos

Emus, wombats, dingoes, and even a platypus enclosure

Reptile and bird sections, including parrots, cockatoos, and birds of prey

A bat aviary, which connects perfectly to the pollination theme we learned about

Several educational shows and keeper talks throughout the day

Every enclosure is spacious and well-maintained, with plenty of information provided both through signage and the knowledgeable staff.

Practical Info & Recommendations

Our guided tour and animal encounter lasted about 3 hours, but you can easily spend a full day exploring everything the sanctuary has to offer.

There's a café and gift shop on-site with snacks, souvenirs, and great koala-themed merchandise.

Paths are accessible and well-marked – suitable for families, couples, or solo travelers.

We recommend arriving early to get the most out of your day, and if you're booking any encounters or photo sessions, reserve them online in advance as they fill up quickly!

Final Thoughts Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is more than a tourist stop – it’s a sanctuary in the true sense of the word, dedicated to conservation, education, and the respectful treatment of native Australian wildlife. We left inspired, better informed, and with memories that will stay with us forever.

Thank you, Lone Pine, and special thanks to Nadia and Erin for making our visit so meaningful. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Brisbane!

5 stars – truly a...

Look, my life story is a long one and I don’t need to go into all the details, but I have been diabetic from aged 7. I had a sub arachnid haemorrhage (SAH) two years ago. I have an ABI which caused a stroke and I still don't have full mobility. Because of this I tire quickly when walking. I'm immune suppressed from a double transplant of kidney and pancreas therefore I get anxiety with big crowds. I won’t even start with the 3 emergency c sections. That’s for another day! Due to my immunity choosing adventures outside is always good for me, fresh air is a good medicine and less germs.

Obviously I’ve had a lot of change, I have had to learn to adapt to a new way of living multiple times since 7 years old. However,I now need to plan my days around my mobility and the access to a venue. I use a walker at times however for big days I use my wheelchair.

I make the most out of life and enjoy trying new things. It can just be exhausting at times trying to plan for support workers, access, people staring, people assuming. Life. Ah The layers of life.

I also have trouble finding the right words and need people not to slowly talk to me like I’m stupid but also not talk at me at a million miles an hour. Just please have a conversation with me and give me a chance to respond. The world can be so fast and especially when trying to process new information.

I saw the social media stories about Cérge and wasn’t sure whether it was for me. I checked it out online and asked some questions to get clarity from the Cérge team. I don’t like to stand out but I do like to get involved in life. I liked that Cérge seemed like a wide variety of people were using it and that you could literally just access the information and go about your day. I like that I’m in control. A support worker is completely different to using Cérge.

Using Cérge is like being able to support myself fully because I have the information before I go and then use support for the things I’ve already decided I’d like to do not the other way around. I browsed through the different venues and started to feel very excited, there is an access guide and visual story plus a virtual tour. I get more information about the venue online than even being at the venue itself and missing stuff hahah

I chose to visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. What a day. Wow! I find it really hard when ppl look at you and see the disability and treat you different. Here I didn't feel that. I felt like everyone else enjoying the animals and the nature. Oh the nature!

I saw so many koalas, saw a Tassie devil growl…. And yawn. They aren’t terrifying at all! Hehe I got to feed kangaroos and wallabies. The paths are awesome, heaps of tables for me to wheel up to!We’re cruising along and I saw the dingos being walked. I got to get up close and personal as the handler said it was good training for them to be around wheelchairs.

The encounter with the Dingo was pure timing and chance. My lucky day :)

Cérge, thank you! Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, thank you.

I am so full of adventure and life and feel excited about all the venues I can now try out and add to my life and...

visiting from canada and i wanted to hold a koala, so i bought the $40 ticket to do so, in addition to entry ($50). the road right before the entrance has construction right now with only one lane for 2 ways, so be prepared to wait a little for your turn.

you can buy kangaroo food at the entrance, but even without it you can get up close and pet the kangaroos for free. we did buy food and it will make them grab onto your arm and eat, which is pretty cool. the kangaroo feeding was def the highlight, but apparently most places have this type of enclosure for their kangaroos. i suggest they check the exit area where you wash your hands more. we went twice to the kangaroos and both times the soap was still empty - if you want your guest to wash their hands as per the signs you need to make sure soap is available!

i thought you get 15 minutes to hold a koala, but actually it’s 1 minute (if even). read the website carefully as they word it in a way that may trick you. it felt a bit rushed. the lady didn’t let me face the other way for the hold instead - i feel for $40 a minute you should be able to choose to stand left or right, no? i have rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes certain areas flare up - today, it would have been better for me for the koala to rest more on my right side, but they do not accommodate any health disabilities which was quite disappointing to me. overall i would try another place next time to hold a koala (for example after more research i found there is another place that only charges $10 to hold and the website is upfront - states you get approx 2 min).

there’s also a few shows a day where you can sit and learn about certain animals. they are short so you can attend them all. they are free but you can pay to take a photo with some

the other exhibits were cool to see, and this place is on the smaller side so i agree with other reviews that you could finish in 2-4 hours depending on what you do or how many photos you take. i’d give this place a 3.7/5 stars

there is also the river near the entry area which is beautiful, and a tree with swings and a...