Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is a private run wildlife park which supported by its local families and business. Set among the beautiful Hunter Valley it has 10 acres of land with everything from Native Australian animals to exotic animals such as monkeys and meerkats. Hunter Valley Wildlife Park has picnic areas and cafes so come and make it a family day out. We have special feed bags which can be used to feed our farmyard animals and our walkthrough kangaroo and bird aviary. Visit our website for more information.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.5
475 reviews
Excellent
338
Very good
115
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
3
nisemc49
Lake Munmorah, Australia22 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
We visited the zoo to use our discover vouchers, so only cost us $3
Nice small zoo good for those with young children as you can feed some of the animals , a stroll around took 90mins , there are BBQs and picnic tables if you were prepared . Lots of birds and smaller animals there are lions , giraffes, camels , lots of alligators.
Very suitable for the under 10 year olds
But with price for a family of four $90 many could not afford this
Nice small zoo good for those with young children as you can feed some of the animals , a stroll around took 90mins , there are BBQs and picnic tables if you were prepared . Lots of birds and smaller animals there are lions , giraffes, camels , lots of alligators.
Very suitable for the under 10 year olds
But with price for a family of four $90 many could not afford this
Written 7 June 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.
Indulgent_travel
Sydney, Australia89 contributions
July 2024 • Family
This is our second visit. We don’t usually enjoy going to zoos but the keepers here seem to really care about the animals. We booked a giraffe feeding experience which was absolutely amazing. To be that close to a giraffe (we weren’t allowed to touch them, only hold out food for them to eat if they wish to) was an experience we won’t forget.
We also got to the zoo around 9.30am so it was empty and the kids got to visit the animals with no crowds.
We also got to the zoo around 9.30am so it was empty and the kids got to visit the animals with no crowds.
Written 11 July 2024
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 Indulgent_travel,
Thank you for your fantastic 5-star rating and your very kind words.
We are delighted that you and your family enjoyed your visit to our park and had the opportunity to feed our magnificent giraffes! Aren't they the best?
Thank you so much for your incredible support. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Written 13 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fins70
Coffs Harbour, Australia18 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
We were unaware that there was a zoo before our holiday to the Hunter Valley...but we were so glad we discovered it. We were impressed that they house lions, alligators, giraffes and camels in a fairly small zoo. We also liked the interaction you can have with the animals like the petting zoo and aviary. Would also recommend the cafe for lunch too..
Written 22 January 2024
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 fantastic review and kind words. We are so glad to hear you enjoyed discovering Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and hope to have you visit again soon.
Written 27 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Travelled61
Lorn, Australia67 contributions
June 2024 • Family
I went here with my 6yo granddaughter on the long weekend. If you are travelling from Maitland, do not go via Farley and Bishops Bridge unless you have a four wheel drive as the road is appalling. It is full of potholes and the shadows from the trees made it impossible to see some of the holes.
When we arrived at 10.20 there were already lots of cars but no queue to get in. It cost $66 for one concession and one child (compared to $62 to get into Taronga Zoo).
For something to do on a lovely sunny public holiday it was fine but I'm afraid I was underwhelmed. The zoo is quite small with many of the animals confined to cages including some rather large birds and the smaller mammals.
There were plenty of kangaroos and farm animals to pet if you have younger children. Don't bother paying $7 for the overpriced animal feed as most of the animals had already eaten their fill by 10.30 and weren't interested in being hand fed by then. They were happy to be patted whether you fed them or not. We gave most of our feed to the small wild birds running around the park.
There were more than enough picnic tables to use and it was great to be able to take our own food. The prices at the cafe seemed reasonable. The toilet facilities were clean, although I couldn't find any hand soap to wash my hands.
My 6yo enjoyed the day, however, I don't think older children would be impressed. Overall, if you have a few spare hours, live close and have younger children it would probably be worthwhile having a look.
When we arrived at 10.20 there were already lots of cars but no queue to get in. It cost $66 for one concession and one child (compared to $62 to get into Taronga Zoo).
For something to do on a lovely sunny public holiday it was fine but I'm afraid I was underwhelmed. The zoo is quite small with many of the animals confined to cages including some rather large birds and the smaller mammals.
There were plenty of kangaroos and farm animals to pet if you have younger children. Don't bother paying $7 for the overpriced animal feed as most of the animals had already eaten their fill by 10.30 and weren't interested in being hand fed by then. They were happy to be patted whether you fed them or not. We gave most of our feed to the small wild birds running around the park.
There were more than enough picnic tables to use and it was great to be able to take our own food. The prices at the cafe seemed reasonable. The toilet facilities were clean, although I couldn't find any hand soap to wash my hands.
My 6yo enjoyed the day, however, I don't think older children would be impressed. Overall, if you have a few spare hours, live close and have younger children it would probably be worthwhile having a look.
Written 10 June 2024
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.
Norms
Swansea, Australia78 contributions
Nov 2020
What an amazing day out! We had booked the Meerkat experience ahead of time and then also booked the Emporer Tamarin while we were there. The zoo is great, it is easy to walk around, with access for wheelchairs, walker and prams. It is an easy walk around with the animals in close proximity for great photos and seeing them up close. The meerkat experience was one to remember, with the little guys climbing all over me and posing for photos. The Emporer Tamarin are little monkeys with big moustaches :) they were very friendly and loved picking out the worms from the food bowls we had with us. They loved the camera. Another treat was seeing the pygmy monkey in with the other ones, they are so tiny and were a bit timid but loved it when we handed them worms to have a snack on! Both encounters were 20 minutes, the meerkats $100 p/p and monkeys $80 p/p. We had a nice cup of coffee and a wrap for lunch from the reception/kiosk which also served hot pies and sausage rolls on request, cold drinks and snacks. It's a great zoo for the whole family to enjoy. Make sure you go especially if you are local to the area. It's only an hour from Lake Macquarie or even closer from Newcastle.
Written 2 November 2020
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.
Kyls73
Newcastle, Australia417 contributions
July 2021 • Family
This is a small scale zoo but with so much to offer. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon which also included a meerkat encounter. I would highly recommend the many encounters on offer, we were able to feed the meerkats and the staff were very obliging with knowledge and taking many photos using our devices. Definately worth a visit for a great family day out. Worth paying a few extra dollars for animal food, beware...the ostrich loves food! 😉
Written 10 August 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.
iiween
Sydney, Australia13 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
read good reviews on here so decided to give it a go and was not disappointed. The zoo isn't big, just the right size for family with kids to spend about 4 to 5 hours. Highly recommend purchasing the food to feed the animals as this was the highlight for the kids and kidults ;)
Written 4 January 2020
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.
D-Rock 2000
134 contributions
Mar 2020
Every time we visit this zoo they have made improvements to enclosures or the grounds, or got some new animal in. This place just keeps getting better, which is what you want to see in a zoo, which is surprising because entry is quite reasonable. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable, and the amount of different animals they have is mind-blowing.
The real highlight though is if you spend a little more and get an animal encounter. I recently revisited the zoo with my wife to finally get around to using the vouchers I got her for Christmas. My lucky wife got the chance to hang out with Black and White Ruffed Lemurs AND Meerkats on the one day. I also treated myself to the Meerkats to enjoy the experience with her. One word.... AMAZING!!!! Obviously you get the best experience from sitting on the ground with the Meerkats, but the staff at the zoo are happy to accommodate if this is a problem. I would imagine as a worse case scenario if you couldn't get them crawling all over you, you could at least get a "cuddle party." The Lemur experience is quite accessible, and there is a park bench to sit on inside.
This place is well worth checking out, and their experiences make great gifts that are appreciated and remembered, not like a computer game or a toaster oven.
The real highlight though is if you spend a little more and get an animal encounter. I recently revisited the zoo with my wife to finally get around to using the vouchers I got her for Christmas. My lucky wife got the chance to hang out with Black and White Ruffed Lemurs AND Meerkats on the one day. I also treated myself to the Meerkats to enjoy the experience with her. One word.... AMAZING!!!! Obviously you get the best experience from sitting on the ground with the Meerkats, but the staff at the zoo are happy to accommodate if this is a problem. I would imagine as a worse case scenario if you couldn't get them crawling all over you, you could at least get a "cuddle party." The Lemur experience is quite accessible, and there is a park bench to sit on inside.
This place is well worth checking out, and their experiences make great gifts that are appreciated and remembered, not like a computer game or a toaster oven.
Written 7 March 2020
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.
Sonya S
7 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
Oh my gosh. What a beautiful place. Zoo is my kind of thing. I have been to most of the major Zoos in Australia and New Zealand. I have never seen a place like this. Small, but beautifully presented, animals just look so happy and relaxed. It's the vibe and the experience. What a wonderful place!!!
Written 30 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.
Thanks for the excellent review Sonyaj970!
We greatly appreciate your support and are so delighted to hear you loved our vibe here at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.
We hope to welcome you back one day soon.
Written 8 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mrwjc
Sydney77 contributions
Jan 2022
My wife & I have recently had a visit to the Hunter Valley Zoo, to tell you the truth we never knew there was a zoo at the Hunter Valley. We had quite a surprise what we found, there is quite a wide range of animals. There are a number of animal experiences you can do at a extra cost. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, we will certanly go back in the future.
Written 12 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.
Looking for recommendations on the animal encounters. I’m finding it hard to decide which one to do. Thanks.
Written 10 October 2020
That would depend on if you were interested in the keeper talks and whether you wanted to make it a day out with picnic lunch as bbqs are supplied. We got there around 10am and did a couple of talks and a meet encounter. Had picnic lunch. You could do it in a few hours or make a day of it depending on your options.
Written 7 August 2018
Does anybody have a rough price for the Meerkat Encounter? Can’t seem to find anything on their website.
Many thanks!
Written 28 November 2017
Hi Jillian
It is $100pp max 4 people
I typed in Hunter Valley Zoo Meerkat Encounter then scrolled down.
It listed all the information and costs.
I hope this helps.
Cheers
Helen
Written 30 November 2017
Ian W
Underwood, Australia
I am sorry but I cannot answer your query. The Zoo is a little off the beaten track but if you are in the vicinity I am sure that the local Tourist Bureau can help you.
Written 8 December 2016
As the others have said you could use a taxi or try one of the driver services which can also take you to places around Pokolbin.
Written 10 January 2017
It was mostly pram friendly so you should be ok
Written 9 December 2016
On tripadvisior are there anythings rated 100% terrible?
-Thankyou 😃
Written 22 September 2015
I rated my experience at Hunter Valley Zoo 100% because it was a perfect day out for my children & I. The zoo has a lovely atmosphere, the staff are friendly and the animals are well cared for. We enjoyed our time there and our day out left us with a lot of happy memories. If you enjoy spending time with animals, you will love this zoo!
Written 22 September 2015
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