Smeagol

On my trip to Aus i am really looking forward to seeing koalas and am interested in your opinions on Lone Pine Koala sanctuary. We will be in Sydney then are driving up the coast to brisbane airport. is it worth the slight detour to LP.
I am DESPERATE to hold a Koala and have noted that LP koalas are only held for 1/2 per day so as not to stress them (this is something that is concerning me if it stresses them too much). can anyone tell me their experiences regarding holding koalas?
Many thanks
Smeagol

Bokhara

They're heavier than you would think, chunky bodies,deepish fur which feels a bit like wool, sleepy and occasionally piddle on politicians.

stormbird

Hi S,
It would be fantastic if you could get to hold a koala - they're very cute.

We actually live in a koala corridor and we came out one morning to find a baby koala lying in our garden - we thought it was dead - but as it turned out it was alive. We called the koala ambulance (yes the koala ambulance) and they arrived and wrapped the baby up and then asked if I would nurse it while she tried to entice mama koala out of the nearby tree. I said weeelll, alright, if you insist.

What a wonderful experience! Mama koala had abandoned the baby because it was sick (just a bit of pneumonia as it turned out). Mama wouldn't come down and the baby went off to hospital where it was nursed to good health and then when old enough it was released back into the area. Mama koala was gone the next day.

It's hard to image a koala looking stressed but do some research as some places now no longer allow you to hold them. By the sounds of things I think you would really enjoy the experience.

SnRSeattle

we held a koala (and have the pictures to prove it!) in 2004 at the zoo in Cairns. I believe that it is not allowed in New South Wales but is in Queensland. When we were there they had lots of koalas and rotated the holdees so no one koala got held too much. We were glad we could do it, but it is like holding a large furry lump.
Sally in Seattle, sunny again

Susan7

Wow, Stormbird how fantastic!

Smeagol, if you are driving Sydney to Brisbane take a detour around Port Stephens, there's a Koala area there at Tilligerry Peninsula. You can't hold them but you get to see them in the wild and can sometimes see them up close. There's a caravan park called, I think Koala Park, if you walk around the peninsula from there you are very likely to see one.

LizzyF

Check out the Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie in NSW.

pat_woolford

smeagol - I did check the koala cuddling thing with Koala Foundation in Brisbane a couple of years ago. Was told although illegal in NSW and Vic, legislation for its banning in Qld was "pending". There are some wildlife parks in Queensland which don't allow it, ie, Rainforest Habitat and Hartley's Creek, but they only have a few koalas.

Lone Pine in SE Qld keeps a lot of koalas and hopefully not one individual animal is over-handled; the one Sally mentioned at Cairns Tropical Zoo also has many which have always looked pretty happy to me.

CindyinOz

I went to Lone Pine two weeks ago. The policy is EACH koala can't be out for longer than 30 minutes, but there are many koalas that are brought out. The lil koala was so sweet and cute! I was there for a rotation of koalas so don't worry, they bring them out constantly. You buy a package or a single photo of you and the koala and then they also let you take photos with your camera or video recorder. They will take the photo for you as well. They also give you a few minutes to just enjoy the koala. I got the package of two photos (larger than 5x7) for A$25 I think and then also had them take a photo with my camera. This experience was well worth it. You also get to go in the kangaroo yard and feed the kangaroos and pet them. It is not like a petting zoo. The area is HUGE and the kangaroos and wallabies are extremely friendly!
Also, the best way to travel there is on the Mirimar Cruise Line. It leaves around 10am each day and cruises down the Brissy River to the sancuary. The commentary about the river and the sites on the river is great. Highly recommended!
Hope you have fun! Its a great lil park!

Smeagol

Many many thanks for all your responses. I think it was because i had heard Koala cuddling was banned in NSW that i became alarmed. Obviously i wouldnt want to do anything that would be stressful to the Koals. However when i read about the rotation at Lone Pine i thought that sounded ok. Cindy's description of the place sounds fab so am sure we will visit.
We are also stopping off at Port Stephens so i will try and check out the place Susan7 suggested.

Hopefully the Koala won't piddle on me (but he they do we will have the photos for everyone else to laugh at!!!lol)
Thanks again
Smeagol

oliverandharry

We have also been to Lone Pine as it was our top stop in Brisbane for the koalas. We were there early in the morning just ahead of the Japanese swarms off the tour buses and we got great pictures, too. You'll love it. Yes, it is only legal to hold them in Qld, but there was another opportunity to hold at a small animal park in Kuranda, and other places will let you pat. Remember, too, they have claws, and at Lone Pine there is a sign that warns, "Remember, YOU are my tree!"

onefairlady

I would recommend Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. My child got to take a picture holding a cute baby koala, for a fee. ooooo ... they are so cute and adorable that you feel you want to take it home with you. You couldn't do that in a zoo. Yeah, we saw lots of different animals, reptiles, etc. and saw the snake show too. Yeah, we got to meet and touch the kangaroos.

prue

You can also hold them at the Sanctuary on Kangaroo Island.

anita63

Just outside of Sydney there is the Koala Sanctuary. The website claims that you can hold a koala. I emailed them and specifically asked about the holding of them, not just standing next to one for a photo, and they ASSURED me that you can hold one. I was thrilled that I didn't have to travel far away to hold a Koala and we made plans to go on March 10th. We got there and sure enough, you are NOT allowed to hold them, just put your arm around one for a photo opportunity. I can't tell you how dissapointed we were since we specifically asked...had I known, I would have gone to the one in Cairns since I was there anyway.

Just thought I would mention that incase you considered this place.

oliverandharry

The OP asked this question nearly a year ago so I'm sure she has visited already. Unfortunately, the only place one can hold a koala is in Queensland, it's forbidden in NSW and everywhere else. Sometimes the Aussies use the word 'cuddle', which means you put your arm around the koala and have your picture done. It doesn't mean 'hold'. That can be confusing. We went to a park outside Sydney with hopes of patting a wombat, which we did, but there was NO hope of holding one. I have patted a Tasmania devil up in Bicheno, while the keeper who hand raised it held it, but obviously, that's not recommended!

AustraliaZooIsGreat

It sounds like something you'd really like to do and there is no reason you can't. Lone Pine isn't very far outside of Brisbane. It should be possible assuming you have the time.

hula

DEFINITELY take the time to hold the koala - we held one first at Lone Pine in 1971 (I'm from U.S. but lived there for a while - loved it) and then again in 1989 and 2000. I wouldn't answer since you have so many responses but no one mentioned that there are also koalas to hold at the Gold Coast, if you are going there, at the Karrumbin Bird Sanctuary which is also an awesome, awesome place (also kangaroos, wombats, etc.) Anyway, DO the koala bear - G"day mate.....