Blackbutt Nature Reserve — Attraction in Newcastle-Maitland

Spent the afternoon here with the family last weekend and we were blown away. The kids were thrilled to see kangaroos just hopping around like they owned the place - which I guess they do! The walking trails are well-maintained and perfect for all fitness levels. We did the shorter loop with our 6-year-old and she managed it no problem. The wildlife viewing areas are fantastic, and we were lucky enough to spot a koala snoozing in one of the eucalyptus trees. The visitor center is really informative and the staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. They gave us great tips on the best spots for wildlife spotting and what time of day to visit for the most activity. Free entry is amazing value, and the picnic areas are clean with good facilities. Already planning our next visit - maybe for the dawn chorus walk they mentioned! Perfect for families, nature lovers, or anyone wanting to escape the city for a few hours....

Great for a family day out or a place to hang with friends. There are plenty of spots to sit and have a picnic, including picnic tables. Kids area is great. Cafe has a good selection - all sorts of flavoured croissants, biscuits and cakes, as well as a full menu of breakfast and lunch food. I had a Nutella cookie and it was extremely good! The main nature walk includes koalas, wallabys, lizards, frogs, and birds of all sorts. The emu and kangaroo area is always good to walk around. There are plenty of walking tracks through the reserve. Entry is free, but parking is not. Not really any public transport options, and the road outside the reserve is pretty dangerous to try to cross and theres minimal space to walk on that side of the road. Very much not walkable to there if you...

I wish I could rate this place zero stars. This is not an ethical nature reserve by any means. My peers and I read about this ‘reserve’ expecting to see animals in an open space. However, there was not even a degree of freedom for the animals. They were all clearly depressed and anxious. When walking through the nocturnal area, there were 10 animals in a glass box of about 4 square metres at most. The ranger was shining torches on them. Birds had no freedom to fly anywhere, frogs and reptiles were in tiny boxes. Not a single one of the animals was treated fairly, except for the peacocks who were free to roam. This is a glorified zoo that is inhumane and an incredibly unpleasant. If you care about the safety and freedom for animals, you will not...