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Apollo Bay Tours
Walk with Wildlife: Guided Tour in Great Ocean Road
5

Walk with Wildlife: Guided Tour in Great Ocean Road

By Wildlife Wonders
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Ages 0-100, max of 20 per group
Duration: 1h 15m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More


  • 75-minute walk with a conservationist guide along a 1.4km all-abilities path
  • Walk through grassland, forests, bush and tree fern gullies, spotting unique wildlife along the way.
  • All tour participants are provided with binoculars for their guided walk
  • All tour participants will be provided with headsets to listen to their conservationist guide while moving quietly through the landscape
  • Pause at the Conservation Ecology Centre Research Hub


Start:
  • 475 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay VIC 3233, Australia
    All guided walks leave from the Visitor Centre at Wildlife Wonders. Wildlife Wonders is 5 minutes west of Apollo Bay, on the Great Ocean Road.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
    • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 288392P1

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 288392P1

    From
    AU$59.00
    per adult
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    Itinerary
    • 475 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay VIC 3233, Australia
      All guided walks leave from the Visitor Centre at Wildlife Wonders. Wildlife Wonders is 5 minutes west of Apollo Bay, on the Great Ocean Road.
    • 1
      Your visit includes a 75-minute walk with a conservationist guide along a 1.4km all-abilities path. Your guide will lead you through environments including grassland, forests, bush land and tree fern gullies, spotting unique wildlife along the way. You will learn about the ecology of the spectacular Otways and the research protecting the Great Ocean Road’s threatened species. During your tour, you will pause at the Conservation Ecology Centre Research Hub to learn about the conservation projects that Wildlife Wonders is supporting and see research techniques in action. Before or after your tour, you can relax in the cafe and enjoy a light lunch and refreshments, and browse the gift shop to pick up a memento of your visit
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Wildlife Wonders
      145
      Australia
      Joined in October 2020
    • marinabV4347AU
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing tour
      We truly enjoyed our experience. Everything was great: delicious supper, friendly and knowledgeable tour guide, lots of animals, some with their cute babies, beautiful sunset.
      Written 5 October 2024
    • 150megm
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Dusk Walk with my son
      I took my 7 year old son on the nighttime wildlife tour and it was absolutely incredible. Neither of us will ever forget it. Our guide Erin was incredibly informative and really enthusiastically enamoured with her job and because of that she made it so enjoyable. She was also so inclusive of my son and his desire to participate and spot animals. We both loved it. Highly recommend!
      Written 29 September 2024
    • Sil0012
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Our visit to Wildlife Wonders
      A fascinating tour and amazing experience, we thoroughly recommend visiting when you are in the area. Seeing the kangaroos and Emu close up was awesome.
      Written 25 August 2024
    • joshbU9829UF
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great experience.
      Dusk tour was excellent - we were a group of 6 with ages from 9yo to 75yo. Initially when booking we thought it was a bit expensive, but the experience was great value with a very nice dinner and wine included. Lots of opportunity to spotlight with the red lights provided, seeing up close plenty of koalas, potoroos, bandicoots, pademelons, kangaroo, emu. Gift shop has a good selection of nature books. Thank you to our lovely guide Erin.
      Written 8 July 2024
    • coachhouseh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing sights of animals at dusk
      We were made to feel very welcome and served with a very good quality light supper. Arriving early we had time to browse in the shop and learn about Wildlife Wonders. We were well equipped with binoculars and and as the evening wore on we saw increasing numbers of native Australian animals in their protected natural habitat. We saw bandicoot, poteroos, swamp wallabies, kangaroo, emu and of course koalas. Our guide was very helpful and enthusiastic, spotting the animals and telling us all about them. All in all it was a very enjoyable evening which I would recommend to anyone interested in learning about and seeing these elusive animals where they are protected from non native species.
      Written 18 April 2024
    • rochelleforster
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful reserve with lots of wildlife
      A must do! We happened to arrive 5 minutes before the 1 pm tour (you must go with a guide) on a walk around this reserve. The animals are free to roam, and are wildlife so not guarantees on what you will see. They don't feed them as they are wild! We were lucky to see so many animals even with the 20 people in the group. We saw 3 emus, a kangaroo family with their joeys, a swamp wallaby, a kookaburra (who then flew off and sang to us!!!). We saw koalas, one of whom suddenly woke from his midday nap and started climbing and then needed a snack of eucalyptus leaves - quite a show. It was fun to to watch. We saw a gang gang cockatoo, a bandicoot and some other birds, lots of flora. The path is flat is so easy to walk around. Our group kept spotting animals which helped the guide a lot. Our guide spent a bit too much time talking - we were interested in the history and animal info but some times it is nice for quiet to just enjoy the wildlife(we took off the head phones). Would definitely recommend this reserve to visit.
      Written 7 April 2024
    • SLGround
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Perfect place to see native wildlife in a natural setting.
      I found this place by accident as I was driving the Great Ocean Road. I had spent 2 weeks in Australia at that point and hadn’t seen any native wildlife. The prospect of seeing kangaroos and koalas was too much to resist and I decided to call in and take the tour. The young lady who led the tour was amazing, her passion for the animals was infectious and she captivated the group of 6 people she was showing around. We were enthralled and saw koalas in the trees, little paddymelons and of course the stars of the show, the kangaroos just completed a perfect day. This is a beautiful place with amazing staff and you really should go!
      Written 29 February 2024
    • 387graemec
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent, professional wildlife experience
      Stopped off at wildlife wonders just off the great ocean road and glad I did. This is a fairly small reserve ( surrounded by a predator fence) and is accessed via the guided tours only ( I think). A lovely facility ( nice cafe, shop etc). The tour started with a briefing and we were kitted out with earpieces and binoculars. The tour itself was about 90 mins and was really interesting and showed the clear focus on ecology etc. as well as seeing some amazing wildlife, I learned loads on the tour and it was interesting to see the trail cameras and other eco exhibits. Well worth a visit, highly recommended.
      Written 5 February 2024
    • J3336VQpaulb
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Dusk discovery walk
      We had a great time on the tour, our guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and helped make for an unforgettable evening. The reserve is in a great setting and we were able to see the animals wandering around at close quarters. Recommended if visiting Apollo Bay area
      Written 4 February 2024
    • teresarF3574QP
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent wildlife experience highly recommend to anyone visiting the area
      Excellent opportunity to see some of Australia’s native species in a natural environment. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide Del. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the Great Ocean Road
      Written 4 February 2024
    • N255XWdougd
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Brilliant experience for young and old
      Our highly knowledgeable guide enabled an exceptional experience including multiple sightings of a wide range of the remarkable wildlife of the Otways
      Written 29 January 2024
    • AllanAB15
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Guided tour through natural habitat
      Booked tour at 14:00 as earlier slots fully booked, half expecting the wildlife to be half asleep. Completely wrong as saw multitude of active koalas including one climbing up from the undergrowth, and another low level close to the path. Between the group and our sharp eyed guide Sasha spotted couple of pademelons , red shoulder and swamp wallabies, a family of kangaroos and pair emus. An easy walk along a well maintained path, which with the extra sightings took two hours, although did not feel that long. And for those who appreciate wood, admire the path blackwood handrail, a labour in love by a very skilled craftsman. Or if into security ask about the fence design as clearly very effective in creating and maintaining this wildlife oasis since opening three years ago.
      Written 21 October 2023
    • Simoncarrie92
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wilderness dusk tour
      Delaney was a fantastic knowledge guide ! Lovely supper of paella! We saw koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, bandicoot, potoroos,pandemelon! Beautiful sunset on the coast! Highly recommended and an excellent cause! Thank you 😊
      Written 18 October 2023
    • MelbourneTed
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Delightful way to see Australian native animals
      Such a delightful early evening tour of this fabulous wildlife conservation area. The individual head sets were an excellent way to ensure everyone could hear. Our guide Louisa had a soft voice and it was perfect for this. She was an excellent guide and keenly shared her knowledge with us about all the wildlife we saw. Afterwards our tour group sat and shared a delicious meal that was included in our tickets. Highly recommend visiting this reserve and doing a tour.
      Written 8 October 2023
    • deannal448
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best wildlife encounter experience
      The tour was extremely well organised, they had headsets for every one which allowed our guide to speak softly and not disturb the wildlife but we could all hear at the volume we need. Fantastic for people with hearing impairment. Our guide Louisa was very knowledgeable and attuned to the environment, able to alert us to sounds and point out animals we would not have heard or seen on our own. On this particular tour we were able to spot every single species they had on the beautiful property including the reclusive echidnas, the potaroos and the emus. The tour concluded with a very convivial sit down meal and a glass of wine. One of the best experiences we had in the area and great value, also nice to know the money goes back into conservation and research. No hesitation to recommend to everyone travelling in the Apollo Bay area.
      Written 2 October 2023
    See all 145 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles110 reviews
    Excellent
    103
    Very good
    3
    Average
    1
    Poor
    2
    Terrible
    1

    Jude
    North Yorkshire, UK62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2023 • Friends
    Recently visited the animal sanctuary during our stay at Apollo Bay and had the most amazing time. If you think it is a little expensive it is worth every penny and you are supporting the sanctuary to continue with its fabulous work. We were expertly guided around the site, which is a comfortable walk even though the weather wasn’t too good it made no difference as a poncho was provided along with a headset to hear our guide and binoculars. I felt at ease to ask any questions and had close encounters with all the wildlife which, for me, was simply amazing. When you have finished your tour I would recommend staying for a coffee and homemade cake in the cafe area. All in all, for us, it was a fabulous few hours in an all year round venue.
    Written 3 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Leonie
    Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2022
    Great selection of books and the cafe outdoor area was well designed.
    Staff were very helpful. Potoroos were very special to see.

    Need to emphasise that the centre runs on tours that need to be booked - people were arriving wanting to wander through and turned away as tours were full..
    Research centre a disappointment as it wasn’t clear what the focus was or what its program aims were or links to the site and its inhabitants.

    Its early days for this special place. Hope it continues to grow and evolve. The current entry price is too expensive for what it currently is.
    Written 1 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Leonie, we’re sorry that your experience with us did not meet your expectations. We do encourage people on our website and on the phone to make a booking to avoid disappointment on the day, especially over the busy festive/summer period when the town is full, and particularly during this challenging staffing time with COVID-19. For the research base, which guests visit on our tour, it is by no means a comprehensive overview of the work of our partner research organisation (the Conservation Ecology Centre, based at Cape Otway), but is intended to give guests a snapshot of some of the projects that all profits from Wildlife Wonders contribute to. Some people like to engage more, but a lot of guests are just looking for a brief introduction to this work. We are always happy to provide you with more information or links to the science research at the Visitor Centre. Your feedback is valuable though and we will discuss it with our guides to see how we can improve.
    Written 6 January 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Caitlin W
    Melbourne, Australia22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2021
    I really enjoyed my guided walk at Wildlife Wonders.

    This is an immersive experience that allows you to walk through a beautiful Otways ecosystem and learn about it as a whole, where plants and animals work together. Our guide was an experienced academic who really knew her stuff!

    We received a presentation at the start and were given our earpiece and binoculars. This is great because it meant the guide didn't have to shout during the walk and it meant that we could watch the wildlife doing their thing without being disturbed, it was really fascinating being able to watch the wildlife so close. This sort of experience cannot be offered by a 'zoo' as these are wild animals.

    I got to see (and hear) a variety of different species. I also enjoyed learning about the importance of plants n the ecosystem.

    I felt comfortable with the ticket price knowing that my money would go towards research and conservation at the Conservation Ecology Centre.

    There is plenty of parking, a cafe and shop. Well worth a visit.
    Written 14 April 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks so much for your wonderful review Caitlin. The audio sets and Nikon binoculars are aspects we gave a lot of thought to and I'm so pleased they worked so well for you (and for the animals!). I agree, it's magical to be able to watch the animals so closely without disturbing them. We do look forward to welcoming you again!
    Written 20 April 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Peter
    Torquay, Australia1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wildlife Wonders is a remarkably integral ecological education attraction. Offering guided walks by qualified ecologists, extraordinary first class facilities featuring outstanding craftsmanship of local timber both at the centre and on the walking track. We saw koalas, rosellas, red necked wallabies, parrots, brilliant coastal panoramic views and were enthralled by the displays at the interpretive centre.

    The cafe, gift shop and reception centre is beautifully presented, again featuring beautiful local Blackwood furniture and a children’s play area.

    Gosh, this is one heck of a wildlife park. Best of all, all proceeds from this built for-purpose attraction fund the award winning research at the Cape Otway Conservation Ecology Centre. Apollo Bay has a new jewel in the crown - a GOR must see attraction; Wildlife Wonders.
    Written 20 February 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Many thanks for your wonderful review! We are delighted that you enjoyed you time at Wildlife Wonders. As such a new business, positive feedback like this is very important to us. We hope that we will see you again soon!
    Written 21 February 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    jodiecree
    Manchester, UK10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022 • Couples
    The tour was great, our guide Johnny was brilliant, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of interesting information with us about the flora and fauna in the sanctuary. We saw lots of Birdlife, Wallabies, koalas and a bandicoot (which is unusual during the day!). The centre does a lot of important research and conservation work, it's a great place.

    Bear in mind this is not a zoo so you are not guaranteed to see some of the mammals there but well worth it as a learning experience and to put money back into conservation regardless.
    Written 18 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for this wonderful 5-star review! We're so pleased that you enjoyed your guided nature walk with Johnny. It sounds like you had a fabulous visit (how wonderful that you got to see a bandicoot). Thanks again and we hope to see you again in the future! We'd love to welcome you back to Wildlife Wonders :)
    Written 16 October 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Sylvia v
    Melbourne, Australia14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2021
    I took my nine year old grandson to Wildlife Wonders yesterday. We did some paper folding of birds and butterflies to add to their art installation, we had a really yummy lunch and then we went on a guided walk with one of the Nature Guides. When I asked my grandson if he had enjoyed himself he said it was "AWESOME" - no better recommendation than that.
    Written 20 October 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much to you and your grandson for the wonderful review Sylvia, we’re so pleased to hear that he enjoyed everything that we have to offer our guests. The paper folding for our community art project has been a big hit with children and adults alike, and it is very special to follow it up with our guided tours, where you learn about the ecosystems of the Otways and what we can do to protect them. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
    Written 20 October 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    kylieonholiday
    Melbourne, Australia20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2021 • Family
    This was an amazing guided wildlife walk and definitely worth the money. We saw so many koalas and emus, which exceeded our expectations. Our guide Joti, was very patient with the children and her love and knowledge of the area and surrounding wildlife was evident. The design of the centre and the walkways was in keeping with surroundings. The centre is very new and well equiped with portable earpieces and binoculars for all. To top it off, our lunch afterwards at the cafe was delicious.
    Written 5 April 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks so much for your lovely review Kylie. We are so delighted to hear you had such a great day. 100% of profits from the operation of Wildlife Wonders directly support conservation programs across the region so feedback like this is very encouraging. Thank you for your support.
    Written 10 April 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Amanda S
    Melbourne, Australia4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2022 • Couples
    The walk with wildlife tour is a must when visiting Apollo Bay. We were greeted by two emus as soon as we walked out the door at the start of our tour. This was followed by two red shouldered wallabies and eight koalas! Our guide was very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. We learned about the centres conservation efforts and how they were able to proposers an endangered plant species. Best of all the profits go back to support conservation, so have lunch in the cafe too. You won’t be disappointed.
    Written 28 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for your 5-star review Amanda and your glowing recommendation! We really appreciate the time you took to detail your experience to others. We are so pleased to hear that you had a resounding welcome from the animals in our sanctuary & that you enjoyed the information shared by your guide. And yes, Wildlife Wonders is a social enterprise, contributing 100% of its profits to conservation research (through the Conservation Ecology Centre), so we really appreciate every visit and every purchase made here- whether through the cafe, gift shops or our sanctuary tours. Thank you again!
    Written 5 April 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Paradisenow2014
    Springwood, Australia9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2022
    I highly recommend Wildlife Wonders- getting to see wildlife in their natural environment was really great- I saw koalas, kangaroos and lots of birds. The guide was really knowledgeable and the centre is doing a lot for conservation. Really good value for money
    Written 20 December 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for this lovely 5-star review! We really appreciate that you would take the time to recommend Wildlife Wonders to other people. A visit to Wildlife Wonders is a fabulous way to support wildlife conservation, whilst also having the unique opportunity to walk through a sanctuary with a trained nature guide and to observe native animals in a natural environment similar to what would be found in the wild. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your guided walk and we hope to see you back again in the future. We'd love to welcome you back to Wildlife Wonders.
    Written 17 January 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Anna M
    27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2023 • Family
    This visit was an add-on to the Platypus Paddle through Around and About tours, at the recommendation of our guide TOTALLY worth it. Although the animals were not “technically”wild, they had a vast predator free enclosure to roam in, and you are not guaranteed of seeing any of them, which adds to the experience. It is very much like seeing them in the wild, which unfortunately isn’t possible anymore for some of these rare and endangered animals. Great views and lots of information about Long-nosed Potteroos, Koalas, and Pademelons plus Emus too. Really, don’t miss this place. Your admission fee supports vital conservation work. AND …. as a bonus, we loved the cafeteria!
    Written 18 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Walk with Wildlife: Guided Tour in Great Ocean Road provided by Wildlife Wonders

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