Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary is an Australian conservation icon, nestled in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. The land, a dairy at the time, was originally purchased in 1969 by environmentalist John Wamsley. Dr Wamsley converted the paddocks into five native habitats, including rainforest and wetlands. He protected these habitats with a 2 metre high, feral-proof fence.
Warrawong is now a safe haven for all manner of rare and endangered native wildlife. Kids in Adelaide are so happy to be one of the sponsors of Warrawong and you’ll see our logo right there at the entrance! We’re kinda chuffed about that!
It is also the only place on the South Australian mainland where the elusive platypus live and breed naturally.
Other wildlife includes Koalas, Potoroos, Bandicoots, Bettongs, Kangaroos, Emus, Wallabies, Snakes, Lizards and more. Over 100 bird species have been spotted at the Sanctuary.
It’s such a beautiful spot to walk around. We took our pram, and although there are a few stairs to navigate it was definitely do-able. If bubs will go in a baby carrier instead that would be ideal.
Kids will love wandering around the tracks that criss-cross the park. Upon arriving at Warrawong, we were told that this is an animal sanctuary…not a zoo, so not to expect to see animals in cages. We were told to look up, look down, look behind and see how many of the different animals we could find. We turned it into a game of “Animal Spotto” which was fun!
The Wildlife Show at 11:30am and the Reptile Handling at 1:30pm are not to be missed! You can even hold a snnnake if you dare! You can get up close and personal with Animal Ambassadors including; Hoagie, the Koala; Scar, the Dingo; Charlotte, the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo; Penny, the Barn Owl; Violet, the Squirrel Glider; and Harry, the Long-Nosed Potoroo. Both hands-on and interactive, the kids will not only learn a thing or two about Australia’s native animals, but they’ll also have a load of fun!
Another really cool experience offered at Warrawong Sanctuary is the Animal Encounters. With a range of different encounters to choose from you’ll be able to learn and engage with koalas, dingoes and a variety of birds and reptiles. For a more affordable option and a highlight for many children, you can also pat a koala for an additional fee of $10 with all funds going straight back to the welfare of the animals to help protect and provide them with a safe and secure home.
The Shed Cafe is available every day the sanctuary is open from 11 am til’ 3 pm. Sit by the floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoy watching the beautiful birdlife. The rainbow lorikeets are divine and both adults and kids will LOVE this area! Serving delicious light meals, fantastic coffee and yummy cakes and slices, the Shed Cafe is the perfect spot for lunch. Oh, and just a heads-up – the bowl of chips are huge and some of the best we’ve ever tasted!
During School Holidays Warrawong run a very popular “Keeper for a Day” program that we’ve heard really great feedback on. Open to children 6 to 15 years of age, this incredible, behind-the-scenes experience allows young animal lovers to feed, pat, hold, and care for a huge range of animals at the Sanctuary. Places are limited though with only 5 children per day able to participate so book in quickly, they fill up fast. For more info and online bookings click here.
If you can’t make it to the Sanctuary, you won’t miss out. They can bring the Sanctuary to you. Warrawong2U is a mobile wildlife sanctuary, where they bring native animals to schools, birthday parties, community groups, businesses, functions, and events.
Camping at Warrawong
Did you know you can now also camp the night at Warrawong! Overnight camps require a minimum of 8 people and includes your very own wildlife show and dusk guided walk! B.Y.O tent and bedding required. Hot showers, BBQs, and campfires are available for use.
As with all things Warrawong, it’s educational, it’s entertaining. Now that’s “edu-tainment”!
Opening Times
Weekends: 11am – 4pm (last entry 3pm)
School Holidays and (most) Public Holidays: 11am – 4pm (last entry 3pm)
Weekdays: Closed, except for group bookings (15+ people)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WarrawongWS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/warrawong_wildlife_sanctuary
Website: www.warrawongws.com.au
Birthday Parties at Warrawong: https://kidsinadelaide.com.au/birthday-parties-at-warrawong/
Junior Keeper Experience Bookings: https://warrawong.rezdy.com/catalog/313914/junior-keeper
Encounter Bookings: https://warrawong.rezdy.com/catalog/313913/encounters
General Enquiries: info@warrawongws.com.au
You might also be interested in
-
If you love bird watching the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary presents an exciting opportunity to explore and appreciate birds in their natural habitat. According to the Parks SA website: "The Bird Sanctuary encompasses over 60km of coastline north of Adelaide, adjacent to Gulf St Vincent, Adelaide’s northern suburbs and spans across four local council areas. Within the bird sanctuary sits the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park - Winaityinaityi Pangkara. Winaityinaityi Pangkara means ‘a country for all birds and the country that surrounds these birds’ in the language of the Kaurna people. The Bird Sanctuary sits right at the southern end of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) and is one of the key feeding and roosting sites for migratory birds who use the flyway each year. Birds fly from as far as Siberia and Alaska, passing through 22 countries. The area acts as a crucial habitat on this migratory route which is used by more than 5 million birds a year, 27,000 of which call Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary home. Whilst being one of Adelaide’s longest continuous conservation areas, the Bird Sanctuary is home to 263 unique fauna and flora species. In particular, the Bird Sanctuary helps protect resident and…
-
The Gorge Wildlife Park is not your average wildlife park but a place where people and animals get together. Situated in the picturesque Adelaide Hills and only a 40-minute drive from Adelaide, the park offers an up-close and personal experience to an extensive range of Australian and exotic animals, birds and reptiles. We have visited many times now with kids of all ages. recently visited with the kids aged 8 and 4 and the whole family loved it! We LOVE the variety of animals at Gorge Wildlife Park. There are all your favourite Australian animals such as koalas, wombats, dingoes and Tasmanian devils. Pick up some food from the entrance and then head to the walk-through the enclosures where you can walk among and feed the friendly kangaroos and wallabies, who will eat straight from your hand! Mention "Kids In Adelaide" to get a FREE bag of food! There are also a great variety of exotic animals to be seen, including family favourites such as Meerkats, Camels, Alligators and a number of monkey species. The camels LOVE opening their mouths for you to throw some food in. Make sure you allow some time to sit and watch the monkeys -…
-
Kangaroo Island is synonymous with Australian animals. I mean, it literally has KANGAROO in the name! But even if you've grown up in Australia & are used to seeing our animals, there is still something super exciting about spotting a kangaroo or koala or seeing some cool birds that you don't get to see everyday. You can't go to Kangaroo Island without having at least one or two animals encounters & we all know that kids get beyond excited when it comes to animal fun. Here are some of the spots around the Island to have the best fur, scales & feather experiences. Kangaroo Island Wildlife ParkAlmost smack bang in the middle of the Island, you'll find Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park . There are over 600 animals with everything from dingoes, wallabies, penguins, pelicans, reptiles, koalas & of course, kangaroos. You can wander the park, watch one of the Keeper Animal Presentations or even book a cuddle with a koala! Since the KI Bushfires in January 2020, the Park is also home to the Kangaroo Island Koala and Wildlife Rescue Centre, so the kids will also have a chance to learn about animal rescue. Seal BayWe love Seal Bay so…
