Are your kids cravin’ some animal love? Maybe they’d enjoy visiting a cute koala or a slithering snake. They’ll find crocodiles, birds, lions, reptiles, and farm animals just to name a few. What an awesome way to learn, and get up close and personal with our native animals. You’ll discover 7 animal encounters, near Lake Macquarie, and all of them are roughly within 1 hour’s drive from here.
Pack up the kids, grab a picnic blanket and some snacks and head to one of 7 of our local animal attractions. Just remember you’ll need to book!
Australian Reptile Park
This park has been around for a long time, but boy has it changed. Did you know that the Australian Reptile Park is the only zoo in Australia that collects venom milk so we can create anti-venoms? Yup. They have their very own milking program which has been around for over 50 years. If you were bitten by a snake or funnel web in Australia, the anti-venom they would use to save your life is made from this milking program. Pretty amazing right?
There is so many awesome animals to see and things to do at the Australian Reptile Park.
- Visit the free-range kangaroo area and hand-feed some of their local kangaroos.
- Be a part of Snappy Hour and get up close and personal with some of the park’s scaly, furry animals.
- Meet Hugo, the giant Galapagos tortoise, and take a very ‘slooooow’ walk with him.
- Have you met Elvis? They say he’s NSW’s crankiest crocodile!
- Visit The Lost World of Reptiles & Spiders where you can see native and exotic species. Wander through Tarantula-ville, home to some of the largest spiders in Australia. Eeek!
- Discover how the park is helping save the Tasmanian devil with its conservation project, Devil Ark.
- You can even get a photo taken with a python or cuddly koala. I know which one I’d prefer!
- Every child simply loves the adventure playground, cafe and picnic area, and free BBQs. So bring your lunch so you can refuel.
- Want more? They also have Behind the Scenes tours and an awesome Kids to Keepers programs.
The Australian Reptile Park is open 9 am – 5 pm every day of the week and you’ll find it Summersby, on the Pacific Hyw, Central Coast.
Click through here to find out more: Australian Reptile Park
Blackbutt Reserve
If you’re after something with less structure and more nature, Blackbutt Reserve offers an environment that’s immersed in nature. Enjoy one of their nature trails, spacious wildlife exhibits, awesome playgrounds, or relax in their gorgeous picnic areas. You’ll enjoy a variety of ecosystems and habitats to view and learn about their animals.
Find a diverse range of animals who live at Blackbutt including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Feed the emus with seeds and grain which you can purchase from the shop when you visit. Purchase an activity pack that the kids can complete as you walk along the boardwalk viewing all the animal enclosures. Book a private reptile encounter or a critters encounter for a group or kids party. Make sure you catch the feeding times to see the animals when they’re most active.
Blackbutt Reserve also has two awesome playgrounds. The main playground, Carnley Adventure Playground, is close to the entrance and perfect for taking a break after you’ve visited the animals. The newest playground is Richley Reserve Mega Adventure Playground. Situated away from the animals and surrounded by gorgeous natural settings, this playground is perfect for your explorer. Inspired by the natural bushland, you’ll find rope courses, bridges, swings and slides, an adventure tower, and loads of open space. Catering for kids of all ages and abilities, it’s the perfect spot to unwind and take a break.
You can enter the park from 7 am – 7 pm with wildlife exhibits open from 10 am – 4:30 pm daily.
To find out more click here: Blackbutt Reserve
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
Located in the heart of the Hunter Valley, this awesome zoo is open daily from 9 am – 4 pm, daily, except Christmas day the zoo is closed. There are plenty of opportunities to meet a range of animals especially if you choose an animal encounter. These include the Black & White Ruffed Lemur, Meerkats, Marmosets, and Emperor Tamarin. You can also meet Boggle the Binturong. He’s quite an unusual character but very gentle and smells like popcorn!
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park has a wide range of animals, including birds, mammals, and reptiles, but not just from Australia. You’ll also see animals from Africa like lions, and cheetahs, as well as animals from South America like the Blue & Gold Macaw, and Maned wolf. They also have very friendly farm animals. It’s a huge variety of animals from around the world set in a very natural and open plan layout.
There’s ample parking out the front and you can use their BBQ facilities if you’d like to bring something to cook. Or you can spread out a picnic blanket at various locations around the grounds and take a break. You’ll also find an in-house gift and snacks shop where you can purchase premade food.
All the kids love it when they can feed the animals and at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park you can purchase an animal feeding back for only $3 a cone. Make sure you tell the kids to hold onto them. The goats and lambs have already worked out what’s in the bags and tend to snatch if given the opportunity.
To find out more click here: Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.
Hunter Wetlands Centre
Did you know that the Hunter Wetlands is the longest-running community-owned wetlands centre in Australia? The centre is renowned for its birdlife but there is so much more to explore, especially as the seasons change. Bring your bikes and take a ride around the site or book a canoe tour. They have a discovery playground or take the kids dipnetting for only a gold coin donation. You can meet the reptiles or simply relay at the cafe or use the BBQ facilities.
Here’s some more information on what you can do:
- Magpie and geese feeding, every day at 10.30 am.
- Guided buggy tour – costs apply
- Dipnetting – for a gold coin donation kids can grab a bucket and net, and head for the jetty. Discover the critters that live in and around our wetland ponds.
- 2 or 3 person canoes for hire – costs apply. This trail is non-operational at low tide so check with the centre first.
- Check out the reptiles in the Visitors Centre.
- book a guided walking tour
- Birdwatching – Check the School Holidays Activities for Kids
- Segway tours
- Enjoy lunch in the cafe which is open from 9.30 am – 2.30 pm. Book ahead.
The Hunter Wetlands Centre is open weekdays from 9 am – 4 pm and is located in Shortland.
Find out more here: Hunter Wetlands Centre
Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters
Irukandji is a unique, interactive aquarium based in their new centre at Anna Bay. Visitors to the centre can experience ocean life in an exciting new way. A visit to the centre will bring you up close and personal with sharks, rays and the wonderful world underwater.
Bring your swimmers because you and the kids can experience animal encounters with many species of Sharks, Rays and sea life. Getting into the water will give you a chance to get up close and personal with these magnificent animals.
Experiences include:
- Shallow encounters – stay dry and simply wade into the shallow for feeding and petting the animals.
- Shark encounters – get into your wetsuit and join the sharks. Feed and interact with them while your tour guide talks about marine life and ocean conservation.
- Tropical snorkel – entre deeper water with a guide and immerse yourself with the animals
- Zebra shark feeding – feed and pet these endangered animals. Learn why they’re called zebra sharks despite their spots!
- Tawny Nurse shark feeding – wade in the water while you feel the suction as their largest sharks snatch food from your stick.
Find out more here: Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters
Oakvale Wildlife Park
100% Australian owned and set on 25 acres, Oakvale Wildlife Park remains a family-owned and operated park for over 40 years. You’ll find a range of animals at the park including reptiles, birds, mammals, and farm animals to meet and spend time with.
Make sure you plan your visit around the daily shows:
- Morning & afternoon feeding show – Bottle feed the baby farm animals and milk a caw.
- Tractor-trailer ride – Enjoy a ride around the park in their very own tractor-trailer.
- Reptile show – get up close to the reptiles.
- Koala talk – find out all about the gorgeous koala.
- Tasmanian Devil talk – learn all about this little devil.
- Cassowary talk – educate yourself about this amazing bird.
If you would like to experience an animal encounter Oakvale Wildlife Park has a selection of encounters to choose from. These include bird, conservation, koala, meerkats, reptile, ring-tailed lemur, and nocturnal encounters.
Even if it is cold, bring the kids swimmers because their Splash Park is also amazing and perfect to break up the animal visits. You’ll also love the cafe with a selection of sandwiches and wraps, burgers and wedges, plus other options for the family. The cafe is open from 10.30 am – 3.30 pm.
Oakvale Wildlife Park is located in Salt Ash and is open 10 am – 5 pm every day.
Find out more here: Oakvale Wildlife Park
Walkabout Wildlife Park
Did you know that Walkabout Park was created to protect animals that come into care, plus breed endangered animals for release? This is definitely not a zoo. You can’t feed the kangaroos here. Walkabout Park is a place where everyone can learn to understand why and how to save animal homes, food, and wildlife corridors. You can literally step into the world of their animals and go walkabout.
Walkabout Park is located in Calga, 15 min past the Australian Reptile Park towards Sydney. It’s open every day from 9.30 am – 5 pm, with shorter hours on Christmas day. You will need to book online before you come.
There are plenty of animal activities every day to enjoy and the rangers rove around the park ready to answer any questions and help you with directions.
Some of the animals are free-range and can’t wait to hang out with people. These include Emu’s, Easter Grey Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, Wallaroos, Parma Wallabies, and Red-necked Pademelons. You could also see Cunningham Skinks, Long-necked Turtles, Goannas and other Monitor Lizards, Diamond Pythons, and other snakes.
In the enclosure or camps, you’ll see animals like Koalas, Dingos, Flying Fox, Hairy-nosed Wambat, and a wide variety of native birds.
The thing that sets this park apart from most animal encounters is not only the way you meet the animals, it’s the rich Aboriginal history of the land and culture. Learn about Bushtucker, the Digeridoo, Cultural Burning, Aboriginal Dance and so much more. Meet the animals on a Wildlife Walkabout or do a Bushtucker Walkabout. Hear the stories of how people are animals too on the Talkabout Walkabout and immerse yourself in the world of Australian history.
You can even stay overnight and enjoy a nocturnal experience.
Find out more here: Walkabout Wildlife Park
