For a day surrounded by native Australian animals in a relaxed and picturesque setting, travelers need look no further than Sydney’s Featherdale Wildlife Park. Tucked away in the suburb of Doonside, around 45km from Sydney’s CBD, Featherdale offers thrilling animal encounters like no other park in the city.
Animals at Featherdale
Featherdale is home to an eclectic variety of animals, ranging from mammals and marsupials to reptiles and birds. Visitors will find plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with species they’ve only ever seen from afar.
The koala is perhaps the favorite among foreign travelers at Featherdale. The free-roaming kangaroos, wallabies, and bilbies are accustomed to human interaction and love to be fed by visitors. Other marsupials in the park include wombats, quolls, and Tasmanian Devils.
Moreover, the native Australian mammals within the park feature dingoes, echidnas, and bats. Additionally, a farmyard area contains friendly sheep, cattle, and goats that also enjoy being fed and petted.
The park’s reptiles consist of lizards, venomous snakes, and pythons (which are securely contained), along with turtles and a saltwater crocodile. Featherdale also showcases vibrant Australian birds like kingfishers, and larger birds such as emus and cassowaries can be found throughout the park.
Why Featherdale?
For any animal lovers traveling to Sydney, there are numerous opportunities to see native Australian wildlife. While the famous Taronga Zoo offers a scenic location and hosts the largest variety of animals, its zoo setting means that the animals are primarily confined to enclosures, limiting interaction with the visitors.
Similarly, Sydney Wildlife World predominantly displays its animals through glass-cased enclosures. Although these inner-city institutions may showcase a wider variety, the interactive experience of feeding and touching the animals is notably absent.
Park Essentials
Featherdale Wildlife Park welcomes visitors every day except for Christmas, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The koala sanctuary and the free-roaming area, where visitors can interact with kangaroos, wallabies, and bilbies, are both accessible throughout the day.
The crocodile feeding takes place during the summer months at 10:15 am, while the dingo feeding occurs at 3:15 pm and the Tasmanian Devil at 4:00 pm. Additionally, the reptiles, echidnas, penguins, pelicans, and flying foxes are routinely fed throughout the day.
The grounds include a café that offers a selection of fresh hot and cold food, along with coin-operated barbecue facilities. Two shady picnic areas are available for visitors; however, it is important to note that the entire park is a smoke and alcohol-free zone.
Featherdale also provides free Wi-Fi, encouraging visitors to engage with the park through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. A large gift shop is available for visitors seeking souvenirs and photos taken with the animals.
Park entry tickets as of July 2017 are structured as follows:
- Adults: $32
- Child (3-15 Years): $17
- Student / Pensioner: $27
- Senior: $21
- Family (2 adults/2 children): $88
- Family (2 adults/1 child): $71
- Family (1 adult/2 children): $58
Address:
217-229 Kildare Road
Doonside, Sydney NSW 2767
– Edited and updated by Sarah Megginson.
