Embark on an unforgettable adventure at Ballarat Wildlife Park! Discover the wonders of Australian wildlife up close and personal, from cuddly koalas to hand-feeding our free-roaming kangaroos.
Don’t forget to call ahead on the day of your visit to book an animal encounter!
9:00am to 5:00pm
Christmas Day
$40.00
$30.00
$20.00 (5yo - 15yo)
$100.00 (2 Adults & up to 4 Children)
$36.00
$27.00
$18.00
$95.00 (2 Adults & up to 4 Children)
10:00am to 5:00pm
10:00am to 3:30pm
Christmas Day
With the largest colony of koalas, and the only place in Victoria to hand-feed a tiger, our animal encounters are not to be missed!
Bookings can be made via phone (03) 5333 5933 on the day or upon arrival at the Park.
Our encounters do book out, so we recommend booking in early on the day. Encounters are weather dependent and subject to change.
All paths are concrete or gravel. There is some uneven ground. One of the main kangaroo areas is grass/dirt. The top of the Park at entrance is flat with paths on a gentle slope; however, other areas of the Park are on an incline. All paths are accessible by wheelchair, but some visitors could find some surfaces and slopes difficult to manage.
The ground can be slippery when wet.
Crunch is in an elite group of world heavyweight crocodiles – A true giant of the animal kingdom. It appears that there is much exaggeration when the length and weights of crocodiles are discussed. Crunch was accurately measured by us at 5metres (16.4 feet) in length and 500kg (1102lbs) in weight. He is approximately 65 years of age.
A crocodile of this size has tremendously powerful jaws. Crunch’s jaws exert as much as 3700lbs. of force per square inch – hence the name “Crunch”! A human’s bite pressure has been recorded at 120lbs per square inch. Crocodile tooth pressures of up to 350,000lbs per square inch have been recorded in other heavyweight crocodiles. the measurement for bite force is taken at the rear of the jaws.
By car
Take the 110km journey along the Western Freeway. Ballarat is just an hour and 30 minutes from the Melbourne CBD.
By train
Direct from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, hop on the V/Line train and arrive in less than 90 minutes at the historic Ballarat Railway Station in the centre of town.
Via the airport
The road trip from Tullamarine or Avalon airports to Ballarat takes about one hour. Transport options direct from the airport include hiring a car or booking the Airport Shuttlebus from Tullamarine.
We recommend visitors wear comfortable clothing – especially shoes! We also suggest visitors avoid wearing white. You may want to sit down next to a kangaroo to get that perfect selfie, or enjoy an encounter with our meerkats (and they climb on you!).
Even if it is hot, please avoid wearing thongs.
In the colder, wetter weather – it’s great to consider gumboots for the kids! And rug up with a coat and beanie.
With over 100 kanagroos, 6 emus and 2 alpaca roaming free around the park – expect lots of poo! We pick up mountains of poo each day, but you won’t be able to avoid poo on paths and the grass.
On weekends and school holidays, our Tiger team put on a tiger talk while offering our tigers some food or enrichment items. This is a wonderful time to see these magnificent anaimals.
Hand-feeding the free roaming kangaroos is an absolute must
The ticket box and souvenir shop sell small bags of kangaroo food for $4. You can then wander the park and hand feed the kangaroos at your leisure. There are info signs around the park showing how to do this to make sure you and the kangaroos enjoy your visit.
