Contrary to popular belief, there are actually two zoos on the Sunshine Coast. For those who want a magical animal experience that’s a little slower paced and epitomizes what we like to call “Sunshine Coast mode” (think ‘chilled out, friendly vibe’), then Wildlife HQ Zoo is the place for you.
Sitting alongside the Sunshine Coast’s iconic Big Pineapple, Wildlife HQ offers a great, family-friendly experience that should definitely be on your ‘Must Do’ list!
Here are 10 reasons why…
Why Wildlife HQ Zoo should be on your ‘Must Visit’ list:
1/ It’s easy to navigate and with super friendly staff. The zoo is nestled alongside a beautiful sub-tropical rainforest and has a wide range of animals in expansive enclosures that still make it easy for you to see all the animals.
A baby koala and mum at Wildlife HQ Zoo
2/ Wildlife HQ Zoo offers an amazing range of experiences, all included in the standard entrance price. In a one-day visit, our family got to experience: patting a koala, patting a dingo pup, patting an alligator, seeing a baby koala cuddling his mum and snacking on a few eucalypt leaves, seeing a wild snake on the bush path (not in an enclosure!), holding cute little chicks, and feeding a range of animals including kangaroos and emus.
3/ It’s great value for money! For $79 for family entry (two adults and two children) it was a fantastic day out. Adult tickets are $29, children $15 and under 3s are free. (Also, keep an eye out for the discount family entry vouchers the zoo hands out around the Sunshine Coast from time to time.)
4/ You can pay extra (ranging from $20-$50) to get up close and even feed many of the zoo’s exotic and native animals. Our daughter also got to feed Meerkats as a special birthday treat which she absolutely loved! (READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE)
A red panda at Wildlife HQ Zoo
5/ There is the whole range of animals, from native koalas and kangaroos (which are always favourites for international visitors) to exotic animals like red pandas, meerkats and Queensland’s only Asian sun bear, Maly!
6/ There’s a farm yard section and two kangaroo walk through areas where you can hand-feed a multitude of animals, including kangaroos, emus, wallabies, goats, pigs, cows, miniature horses etc.
7/ There are heaps of monkeys, ranging in size from tiny Emperor Tamarins to Golden Lion Tamarins all the way up to Capuchin monkeys and Baboons. Many made the move to Wildlife HQ Zoo when Brisbane’s Alma Park Zoo closed in 2014. They make for fascinating watching and the kids love them.
The Big Pineapple Train to Wildlife HQ Zoo
8/ There’s a train! You can pay an extra $5 each for the train ride down from the Big Pineapple, which our kids loved. But if you’re children are a little older you can skip the train and drive down to the main entrance instead.
9/ It’s lovely and quiet! Sit still for awhile and all you can hear is the animals, the birds and the rustling of the leaves.
10/ It’s a chance to get back to nature. The zoo also includes a short bushwalk through the sub-tropical rainforest between sections of the zoo and a slightly longer bushwalk for those that want to experience the local environment firsthand.
Holding a little chick at Wildlife HQ Zoo
Where is Wildlife HQ Zoo?
Wildlife HQQ Zoo sits alongside the iconic Big Pineapple, at 76 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye.
You can either drive down to the zoo’s main entrance, or for $5 each you can get the train down from the Big Pineapple itself.
For adults and older kids, we’d recommend just going to main entrance, but as our kids are still relatively young, the train is all part of the fun!
*Information correct at the time of publication.
OTHER ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS:
1/ MAKE FEATHERED FRIENDS AT MALENY BIRD WORLD
