Where to cuddle a koala in Australia

Perhaps Australia’s most famous zoo due to the efforts of the Irwin family, the Sunshine Coast’s Australia Zoo offers Koala encounters three times a day at 9:30am, 11am and 1:45pm. Encounters cost $49 per person, with optional photos available for purchase.

If you're up around Townsville, there's this cool place called Billabong Sanctuary to the north. They've got these adorable koalas you can hold and cuddle, and they offer a photo package for $30 that gets you a souvenir photo and a digital copy. And guess what? Your family can snap pics too while you're hanging out with the koalas.

Cooberrie is located roughly 30 minutes from Rockhampton. Set amongst bushland, grassland and rainforest, Cooberrie Park offers koala holding experiences on enquiry. The encounters cost $20 per person and you can even take your own pics while you're hanging out with those adorable furballs.

One of the Gold Coast’s longest running and most popular attractions, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s koala holding experiences are available all day from 8 am to 5 pm. Visitors are able to purchase a koala holding experience with a single photo for $29. You can do it solo or bring your buddies along, but just remember, only one person can hold the koala. Plus if you want the ultimate experience, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has these behind-the-scenes koala experiences too. Only for a lucky group of 10, they'll actually take you right into the koala enclosure with the keepers. And guess what? You get to cuddle a koala at the end of it all – how awesome is that? It's called the Behind the Scenes Koala Experience, and it's $49 per person. You can jump in either at 11 am or 3.15 pm. So, if you're up for something really special, this one's definitely worth considering.

The Gold Coast’s largest theme park has expanded its offerings in recent years to offer more than just rides and is now home to a number of wildlife-oriented attractions including the ability to pose with a koala. Dreamworld’s koala experiences are available from 10 am onwards, with prices starting from $24.95.

Nestled in Tropical North Queensland’s village in the rainforest, Kuranda’s Koala Gardens has oriented around all things koala as well as other species of tropics wildlife including some traditional Aussie favourites. Visitors to Kuranda Koala Gardens can pay a fee to hold and get a picture taken with a koala, which comes with a physical photo.

Brisbane’s long-running and underrated wildlife park in Brisbane city’s only animal sanctuary. Home to one of the country’s largest collection of koalas, it’s no surprise holding koalas plays a role at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Guests can hold a koala here for free however there is an additional fee of $25 for professional photos and a smaller fee to take your own photos. The sanctuary sits just to the north of Brisbane and can be accessed by both road and water.

This attraction aims to give visitors a simulation of a traditional Australian farm, complete with various kinds of native wildlife. Paradise Country Aussie Farm offers two different koala holding opportunities. You can choose from a basic cuddling experience where you can pose with a number of different animals, or you can embark on a behind-the-scenes adventure with a wildlife handler to interact with, feed and cuddle the koalas for $45 per person. You can also enjoy a breakfast with the koalas on Saturdays and Sundays in the koala nursery with the resident koalas and joeys.

Another quality Kuranda-based wildlife attraction, Rainforestation Nature Park is set out over a large area of World Heritage Rainforest and is highly eco-friendly. Those looking to pose with koalas here can participate any time from 8am to 5pm each day, with a cost of $22 for a single physical koala photo, with optional family packs of photos also available.

Nestled in the Adelaide Hills roughly 20 minutes from Adelaide city, Cleland Wildlife Park is a quality attraction that’s far more open and free-ranging than your average zoo. There are a variety of Koala packages available at Cleland including a free koala close-up with the entry fee, a hold-a-koala experience for $32, and a private koala package for an extended package in greater depth and detail.

Located in the aptly-named Cudlee (or is that “Cuddly?) Creek, Gorge Wildlife Park is not only a great wildlife attraction and one of the few in South Australia where koala holding is permitted, but it’s also the only place in Australia where you can hold and take a photo with a koala at no extra charge to the admission fee. You’ll need to take your own photographs. To take advantage of this great value proposition, be sure to attend the available encounters at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm or 3:30 pm daily.

Kangaroo Island is a haven for wildlife experiences in general, and those who want to hold a koala can attend the excellent Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park to take part in one of several koala interaction sessions (10.30 am, 1.30pm and 4 pm). These sessions allow visitors to get up close with the koalas and pose beside them for photos, while bookable holding experiences are also available at 11am, 2pm and 4.30pm for an additional fee of $30 per person.

Located 40 minutes from Western Australia’s capital of Perth, Cohunu Koala Park is the state’s only spot to get your hands on a koala for a souvenir photo. Photo sessions with the koalas are held daily from 10 am to 4 pm, for a price of $30 per person. Given that it’s your only chance to do so in WA, the monetary investment may just be worth it! In addition, if you’re looking for a complete list of tickets for some of these places to cuddle a koala around Australia, be sure to check out our main catalogue page for info and to grab your tickets online!