Koalas in the wild
 

I know this will probably sound dumb but where are the best places to spot Koalas in the wild. We will probably be travelling to several areas around Sydney, Carins, Melbourne, Adelaide, Taz. I just want the best chance to see them in their natural environment.

Thanks

Annelli

And this is probably a dumb answer! But though you sometimes see roos or wallabies unexpectedly while walking in bushland relatively close to a city, the only times I have seen koalas in the "wild" is in a place you are taken to because they may be there - is that what you mean? In which case, Tower Hill in Vic; a private reserve on Kangaroo Island.

But I did once see one just because I was there - a known habitat - but still I was lucky - was in Noosa Nat Park. You can walk there from Noosa.

I would suggest going to a petting park where you can hold one and get a photo. I was on Kangaroo Island and in the wild, it looks like there is something in that tree. Not a Kodiac moment.

Koalas are tough to see in the wild, because they generally cling to the trunk of trees in as high a spot as possible. If you go to eucalyptus groves with binoculars, you should be able to spot a few amongst the leaves, but you need to be sharp-eyed.

G'day Annelli,
3 places in Victoria where I always see Koalas when I get there
( approx once per month at one of them ):
As has already been mentioned, at Tower Hill which is a Nature Reserve about 15 km west of Warrnambool,
on top of Mt. Bunninyong near Ballarat and at Stieglitz in the Brisbane Ranges.
At Stieglitz they are a bit hard to find if you don't know your way around.
Cheers,
Mike

You won't see them in the wild around Cairns because tropical vegetation and blossom (rainforest) is not their diet. Tree dwellers here include about 9 species of possum (totally unlike the American possum), tree kangaroos, cuscus, sugar gliders, flying foxes, etc, these are nocturnal and you really need a guide to spot them, although the spectacled flying foxes are pretty obvious at the moment in daylight. Many birds and animals have been displaced by Cyclone Larry and have made their way to Cairns/Daintree in search of food. Koalas are kept in Cairns' wildlife parks, where the certain eucalypt leaves they eat are trucked in daily. They're easy to spot in the wild at Magnetic Island, off Townsville, south of Cairns.

Around Sydney, your chances are slim, although someone did mention, on a site, a place where they had spied some. You might have to search this site to see if you can dig up the post.... and maybe it wasn't even this site, maybe it was Tripadvisor.

I live in the Blue Mountains, which is about as "natural" a habitat as you can get around the Sydney area, and the only place I have ever seen a koala is in a zoo or wild life park.

Tasmania, which is less-developed than the other states (on the western side, anyway), and less-prone to bushfires (which, as you would imagine, don't do a thing to help the already-struggling koala population) would definitely be your "best bet", so I hope that you get a reply from a Taswegian. However, if you'll take my advice, you will not spend too much time on your holiday seeking wild koalas.... just as likely to see the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, I fear. Lots of wild-life parks, however, including the Koala Park in West Pennant Hills (Sydney).

We stayed at the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Resort, and got up one morning just at dawn to see koalas at the neighboring nature preserve. We were the only people there; kangaroos were hopping around; and koalas were sleepily looking down at us from the trees. I got some great pictures with my Canon 12x digital zoom.

There is supposedly a koala colony at Hawks Nest (near Myall Lakes, approx 2.5 - 3 hours from Sydney). If you were venturing up the coast a little, this might be a good option. YOu can actually walk through it apparently. Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest is a lovely part of the world (try the co-op on the left hand side just before you go over the bridge for yummy seafood). It's also very close to Myall Lakes, which are lovely and the sand dunes are very cool. good camping in there and there's also an eco-lodge at bombah point (called myall shores I think) which looks really nice. I haven't stayed as we always camp, and it is one of my fave places to camp. lake on one side, big long often desserted beach on the other (unpatrolled beach though and can be quite rough, so exercise caution if you choose to swim).

We saw 8 koalas on a recent three day trip to the Great Ocean Road. They were all in the wild.

Have been to Tassie twice now for 2 weeks each time and haven't seen hide nor hair of a koala.

I remember a place we visited in 1989, which I think was called Blackbutt Reserve. However, I can't remember whether it was in Sydney or Newcastle. They had a very cheeky cockatoo who used to say 'where you bl---y been, then.' The children loved it.
I have seen the odd koala in the 'wild' just out of Adelaide, as well as a prolific number in the wild on Kangaroo Island, albeit 7 years ago.
Good luck in your search.

We saw some koalas on the Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay, when our tour bus stopped at the edge of the highway. Without the tour guide we would never have seen them, and even then, far up in the trees, in the "v" of a branch, they are too far away for pictures or even a good look. Binoculars were essential. On Magnetic Island near Townsville, we were told they were visible from trails on the island, but time did not allow us to investigate (beaches were far more inviting).
Your best bet is to get to Kuranda or another similar spot, and have your picture taken. Our two children will never forget their 30 seconds of koala cuddling glory.

The latest issue of 'Open Road' (a bimonthly publication of our leading motoring organisation) has an article about a number of 'outback' (ie country) towns.

Regarding Gunnedah (in NSW) it says:

"Known as the Koala Capital of the World, Gunnedah is home to a thriving population of urban koalas. You can spot them walking along the streets or sitting in the gum trees that have been planted especially for them all over town. Locals phone in the latest sightings to Visitor Information staff, so call in and ask."

I don't know if 'koalas walking along the streets' of a town constitutes 'koalas in the wild' (as you requested) but those gum trees in town might just qualify.

They must keep their dogs on a tight leash in Gunnedah these days, we had koalas walking down the street and in our yard at Sydney's northern beach suburbs, but that was 30 years ago. But urban development, traffic, dogs, swimming pools put paid to that years ago. They may be dozy in daylight hours, but come alive at night, especially the males in mating mode.

I do remember a watering hole not far from Gunnedah with hundreds of kangaroos and wallaroos, and quite a few emus at sunset.

AS mentioned above, Magnetic Island off Townsville has a good koala population, I took a photo of one taken in late afternoon from only a few feet away - he was wide awake. There's a walking trail up to an old WW2 fort on top of hill (incredible views out to GBR) and the koalas are usually in gum trees on sides of trail about half way up the hill. Also rock wallabies on beaches at Magnetic.

Maybe, Pat, our poster would like to check the follow-up article in the next Open Road: "Mayor and Town Councillors Exposed: Dressing up as koalas and Hanging from Trees in Main Street of Gunnedah".

The article begins: "In a desperate effort to attract tourists to their long-neglected town....."

Some might suggest there's a reason why Gunnedah is a long-neglected town!

With Alan and Lancefan smirking away on their postings, I feel compelled to come to bat for a worthy candidate. And I hope some Gunnedian Fodorites would also come to the defense of their very fine town.

Anneli, Gunnedah is worth your while if you wish to see the Aussie outback. The same issue of the Open Road breathlessly adds that it it part of a destination that takes you from '...country squires to stunning opal mines, travelling the Kamilaroi Highway, in NSW's far west, offer(ing) you a quintessential Aussie bush experience.'

I googled 'gunnedah koalas' and found some helpful sites extolling Gunnedah as THE place for koalas.

See, for example, the very first site which says:

'Koalas are often spotted in and around the township of Gunnedah. Three generations of koalas have lived in just one tree located right next to the Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre.'
(OK, this is from the Gunnedah tourism website, so it might be the work of town councillors in koala suits.)

But what about this one by ABC? (Annelli, ABC is a highly reputable news provider here, like the BBC, only better):

'Locals have noticed more and more koalas in town drinking from taps and containers of water'

Just one more from another site:

'Koalas often are seen sauntering from tree to tree or even crossing the main street! '

Just imagine - koalas strolling down the streets, some crossing the main street as traffic screeches to a stop, others drinking water from taps, and as you look up you see them sauntering from tree to tree. And should you call on the visitor centre, you have three generations of koalas sitting on the gum tree next to it.

Koalas paradise if you ask me.

All true - about Gunnedah, that is - up there on the web. It's not 1st April so must believe what I read!! So has to be the place to go. Could be worth a bomb to the townsfolk so why isn't it better advertised? The next Kangaroo Island, surely?

Thank you eschaton for the tip, some laughs, and a great piece of writing.

It really is true - Gunnedah "Koala Capital of the World". Not sure that we will be passing that way unfortunately.

Thanks

Annelli

Tantalisingly, Magnetic Island makes the same claim of having the largest koala colony in wild in Australia. www.townsvilleonline.com.au/?page=2029
And the scenery is a whole lot better than that of Gunnedah.

te-he, as a former resident of a neighbouring town of gunnedah, I could not resist the opportunity to stick the boot in! in something akin to the melbourne sydney rivalry, you'll find most places have their 'rival' towns - gunnedah happens to be on my list.

it is a long way to go ... but it you do happen to be going that way, I have to say (completely biased) that you should keep going another 100km to Narrabri. the scenery gets more interesting after gunnedah where it goes completely flat on the western side and the nandewar ranges (including Mt Kaputar National Park) rise up out of the flat on the eastern side. it's known as big sky country and it's an apt description! big open sky, watch the sun into the horizon and fantastic stars.

unfortunately I didn't see too many koalas in Narrabri, but perhaps I could arrange a kidnapping of the gunnedah colony and a quick trip to their new home. that's sure to fire up the rivalry too.

as for why it's not better known - gunnedah is located in a funny spot - it's not on the new england highway (for the alternative syd brisbane route) nor on the newell highway (the mel-brisbane route), so you have to make a decision to go there, rather than just driving through and seeing.

lancefan, wasn't it somewhere around Gunnedah where Dorothea MacKellar penned "My Country"?

it was indeed gunnedah (rats, can't claim that one.) I'm pretty sure the sign into gunnedah used to have dorothea mckellar country on it but perhaps replaced by the koala sign now!

According to Open Road, those resourceful town councillors have given us 'lyrical loos' - visitors to the town are invited to visit their public loos where 'bush verse is etched on the back of the cubicle doors and recorded poetry readings play over the speaker system.'

Sounds more cultured than those verses you read on the doors of Sydney (or Narrabri's) cubicles.

In September 04', we visited Lemon Tree Passage on Tilligerry Peninsula where there is a wildlife reserve (not a zoo nor a wildlife park). There we were fortunate to see many Koalas on our own as well as with a docent from the local visitors bureau. Some of the photos would be the envy of professionals. We also saw hundreds of roos in their natural environment in that area.
For us it was a short pleasant train ride from central Sydney to Newcastle and then a short drive (less than an hour) to Lemon Tree Passage.
Enjoy your holiday; we look forward to returning.

About ten k out from Gunnedah I saw a koala in a tree right by the highway. When we went to the lookout area where there is supposed be plenty didn't see a one. However the trip was interesting, saw some strange sights.

Koalas can occasionally be spotted around the hills in Adelaide, but knowing where and when to look would be difficult. We do have a large park 25 minutes from the city centre called Belair National Park, which might be a good place to try and see some in the wild. Otherwise, Cleland Conservation Park on the outskirts of Adelaide has a petting zoo in combination with natural habitat.
http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/cleland/i...m#introduction
http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/belair/natural/index.htm

Koalas are so plentiful on Kangaroo Island (SA) that the Government has started a program to relocate some of them to the mainland as the food source is not enough to maintain the number of wild koalas.

Cape Otway Nat'l Park, Vic. (along the GOR as a couple of people already said). But saw several in the trees around here - plus a pretty interesting lighthouse in case you don't happen to spot any.

http://www.lightstation.com/