There are heaps of fantastic places around Sydney where you can get up close with a range of native animals, but there’s only one experience like the Australian Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary.
This place is a working wildlife sanctuary where visitors can immerse themselves in the animals’ natural world. You can grab a map and go to meet the animals yourself, or you can join in with one of the many programs offered by the park.
There’s speed dating, where you can have a very close encounter with your favourite animal for ten whole minutes — you really do get right up next to them.
Or you can be a ranger for the day. This program is designed to let you walk in a ranger’s boots, doing everything the ranger does from preparing food, feeding animals, cleaning their environments and helping out around the park.
Walkabout Park is on Guringai and Darkinjung land, and features a bush tucker garden where you can take a bush tucker or bush medicine workshop. Or you can take a walk through the bush and discover Aboriginal rock carvings and cave paintings that mark the cultural significance of this place.
You can even stay overnight in one of the cosy eco-cabins or have a wild sleepout in the tents on site. It’s an animal lover’s dream and it’s only an hour from Sydney.
