Koalas

Cuddly Koala Encounters

One of the most iconic animal encounters in the world.  Queensland is lucky enough to be only one of two states in Australia that offer visitors the opportunity to cuddle a koala!

• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast
• Paradise Country, Gold Coast
• Dreamworld, Gold Coast: Home of the world’s only known captive bred Blue-eyed Koala!
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary with over 130 koalas.
• Alma Park Zoo, Brisbane 
• Australia Zoo, Sunshine Coast
• Hamilton Island, Whitsundays
• Billabong Sanctuary, Townsville
• Bungalow Bay Koala Village, Magnetic Island, Townsville: The only resort in Australia that can boast its own wildlife park on-site
• Wildlife Habitat, Port Douglas, Cairns
• Cairns Tropical Zoo, Palm Cove, Cairns
• Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda

Striving to make it a great experience for both visitor and koala, they adhere to a strict Koala Handling Code of Practice.

Koala Infographic

Random Koala Facts

• Uniquely Australian marsupial only found in small fragmented habitats along the eastern coast of Australia.
• There is only one species of koala, however they can look quite different from each other depending on the climate they live in.
• Northern Koalas (found in New South Wales and Queensland).
• Southern Koalas (found in South Australia and Victoria) are larger, furrier and have darker fur than the Northern Koala of the warmer states.
• Koalas are fussy eaters!  Eating approximately 50 species of the 700+ species of Eucalyptus trees in Australia.
• Koalas sleep for 18+ hours per day, due to their low energy diet of Eucalyptus leaves.
• The word Koala is Aboriginal word for ‘no drink’ as they hardly ever climb down for water.  They get most of the water in their diet from the leaves of the Eucalyptus trees.
• Like people koalas have fingerprints.
• Males are up to 50% larger than females.
• Baby koalas are called Joeys and are born the size of a peanut.
• Joeys are born blind, without fur and with ears that are not fully developed.
• Baby koalas stay in the mothers pouch until about 7 months and after that ride on the mothers back only returning to the pouch for milk.
• Koalas are fully independent of their mother from around 12 months of age.

One of the most iconic animal encounters in the world.  Queensland is only one of two states in Australia that offer visitors the opportunity to cuddle a koala! 

Here in Queensland, there are plenty of places for you to get up close and personal to meet our furry friends and take home a souvenir photograph of your uniquely Aussie experience.