Healesville Sanctuary

Tucked in to the foothills of the Yarra Ranges, Healesville Sanctuary offers a distinctly Australian wildlife experience and an introduction to the sights and sounds of the bush. Get close to over 200 species of Australian wildlife, including platypus, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, lyrebirds, wombats and eagles.

A path weaves through the 30 hectare natural bush setting, leading to spacious areas where birds and animals live in their native habitats. See colourful king parrots and the helmeted honeyeater – Victoria’s bird emblem and an endangered species – in the Flooded Forest Aviary.

Visit the nocturnal creek habitat, complete with living ferns, mosses and lichens growing above pools and waterfalls, at the Sidney Myer World of the Platypus for a glimpse of one of our most captivating animals.

Daily ‘Meet the Keeper’ sessions are an ideal way to learn from the experts who care for the animals. Catch the spectacular ‘Birds of Prey’ presentation, starring the wedge-tailed eagle with its two-metre wingspan, and the peregrine falcon as it dives from the top of a gum tree.

The Sanctuary is a haven for threatened species such as the brush-tailed rock wallaby and rehabilitates injured and orphaned animals, many of which join the Sanctuary ‘family’ when restored to good health.