Paradise Country — Attraction in Gold Coast City

A Dream Come True – Unforgettable Koala Encounter at Paradise Country!

Our visit to Paradise Country was nothing short of magical – truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Among all the highlights, our most treasured memory was the special koala encounter with Kaiser, our adopted koala through the Australian Koala Foundation. She is absolutely lovely, gentle, and beautiful – and this encounter left a lasting mark on our hearts.

We were incredibly lucky to participate in a unique behind-the-scenes experience, where we not only got to hold Kaiser in our hands but also feed her favorite eucalyptus leaves. Seeing her up close, feeling her soft fur, and watching her nibble happily was a peaceful, emotional moment that brought us even closer to Australia’s amazing wildlife. The staff shared so much valuable knowledge – from Kaiser’s personality to how the koalas are carefully cared for with attention to detail, comfort, and well-being.

Behind the Scenes Access: The tour included a rare look at the leaf-sorting areas, where different types of eucalyptus are sorted to match the koalas' preferences. We also learned about the koalas' natural habitat, their behavior, and the vital wildlife conservation efforts in place. It was reassuring to see how well-regulated and ethical the animal encounters are: each koala is only allowed 30 minutes of contact per day, and only three days a week, depending on their willingness and mood. No pressure is ever placed on the animals – their welfare clearly comes first!

Thank you to the incredible staff at Paradise Country and the Australian Koala Foundation for making this unforgettable moment possible. You can feel the passion and care in every detail of the park.

Tips for Visitors:

Animal Encounters & Photos: Make sure to book your animal encounters well in advance – they sell out fast, especially the koala experiences! There are also photo sessions available with selected animals, which make for wonderful memories and souvenirs.

Tickets & Entrance: Upon arrival, walk about 350 meters from the parking area or bus stop. If walking is a challenge, a shuttle bus is available to bring you directly to the park entrance – very convenient. Head straight to the small house on the left for ticket admission. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Transport & Parking: Getting there by public transport is easy and highly recommended – a smooth journey without stress. If you arrive by private car, there is parking available. Just note the short distance to the entrance.

Park Highlights: Paradise Country offers much more than just koalas. You can enjoy:

Kangaroo feeding areas

Kolas, dingoes, emus, and wombats

A farmyard zone with sheep, goats, and chickens – great for kids

Sheep shearing shows and stockman performances

Beautiful picnic areas and plenty of space to relax

While there are fun experiences for all ages, the park is more focused on families and children, with interactive zones, shows, and educational animal talks tailored for younger visitors. That said, we as a couple also found it very rewarding and emotional – especially the unique animal encounters.

Dining & Souvenirs: They have nice meal options at the farm-style restaurant inside the park – hearty, fresh options available for all diets, including vegetarian. Afterward, we explored their gift and souvenir shops, which had a great range of plush toys, local products, and keepsakes to remember the day. Don’t miss the koala-themed gifts – we brought home a lovely plush version of Kaiser!

Final Words: Whether you're a wildlife lover, family with kids, or a couple looking for a special experience, Paradise Country is a must-visit destination on the Gold Coast. The care for animals, knowledgeable staff, peaceful surroundings, and once-in-a-lifetime koala encounters make it an unforgettable experience. We left with full hearts and priceless memories.

5 stars and the highest recommendation from us! Thank you again, Paradise Country and AKF – we’ll always...

Paradise Country Wildlife Park offers a delightful experience when it comes to the animals—there’s no doubt about that. The koalas, kangaroos, and other wildlife are absolutely adorable, creating memorable moments for families and animal lovers alike. However, the overall experience was unfortunately dulled by several factors related to the park’s operations and staff professionalism.

First off, the transportation situation is quite inconvenient for families who don’t have a car. We planned to arrive when the park opened at 10am, but the shuttle bus from the TX7 bus stop, which takes you directly into the park, doesn’t start until 11am. This forced us to either wait for an hour or walk the 20 minutes from the bus stop, which is not ideal when you’ve got small kids and strollers in tow. It’s a simple fix that would make the park much more accessible if addressed.

Once we arrived, there was another hiccup at the front admission counter. The park opened at 10am, yet there we were, standing outside in the hot sun as we saw staff members inside laughing and chatting. It wasn’t until 10:01am that they even began letting people in—quite frustrating when you’ve been waiting with children in the heat. Professionalism in this area could definitely be improved; it felt as though guest experience was not their priority.

Further, when we tried to ask for help at the front desk regarding transportation options like Uber or taxis, the staff seemed utterly lost. The person we spoke to wasn’t able to provide any guidance, seemed unsure, and overall was not very helpful or friendly. This is surprising for a theme park that caters to families who may rely on public transport or ride-share options to get around.

The disappointment continued with the wildlife photo experience. The koalas were, of course, as lovely as expected, but the staff in charge of the photo session seemed distracted and more concerned with their own conversation than paying attention to the guests. When you’re paying for a special experience, you expect the staff to be fully engaged, yet that wasn’t the case. They barely made eye contact, and the whole thing felt rushed and impersonal.

While the animals at Paradise Country truly made the visit special, these operational and staff-related issues significantly dampened our enjoyment. It’s unfortunate that a few staff members and logistical inconveniences were able to overshadow what could have been a fantastic, family-friendly day out in a beautiful setting. There is so much potential here, but improvements in customer service and transport logistics are sorely needed to make the experience...

Worst experience with staff on this place!!! I got 4 theme park packages ticket with my partner, sea world was fine some of the machines not open but animal are good, movie world is the same some of them not open but still good vibe, wet and wild nice but paradise country I went yesterday It was small no show interest and not much animals at all still Im happy with just seeing goat ,sheep and koala and kangaroos I dont mind. The thing is the day before, I went to movie world I wasnt sure about the day pass ticket how it works in 5 days one of the staff there said i can get in and out in 4 theme park as much as i want in 5 days from the first day base on my ticket description. Then today I went back to paradise country again scan ticket, the lady around age mid 50 at scan counter scan my ticket and say it didnt pass I explained i came here yesterday and told her about what the staff in movie world explain to me, I understand that I can only do single pass from her explanation but I needed to go toilet (number2) I held it for a long time on the way there so I asked her and say my partner will wait outside after about 10 minutes i come out found 2 staff in toilet with radio I thought its normal I just came out and saw her and ask for my partner since I didnt see him on the desk, he waited outside and keep calling me, the lady said where did u go(raise voice and upset) said she check toilet and I wasnt there I said I was there the whole time and she said no and argue with me said she check all the room(I was there lock the room) then I cant be bother so I said check cctv footage if u want and come with me to meet those staff they saw me when I walk out of toilet then she cant argue said “ just go thank u” and walk off and didn’t even say sorry for excuse me that I went to the park without permission. I said you cant excuse things I didnt do then she ignore me and go see others customers I couldn’t be bothered and walk off shocking!!! Is it that necessary for this action I see my phone later my partner say come out quick she is piss security looking for me when I was in the toilet next to the reception desk all the time!!! Guys its my first time in Gold Coast and I love it here but this is how you treat customers!!! I didn’t know if it’s because im Asian too or so? Why is she need to be this aggressive and this exaggerated action for 10 minutes toilet!!!! Not recommend...