Maru Koala and Animal Park
Maru Koala and Animal Park
Maru Koala and Animal Park
4
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Get in touch with wildlife at Maru where you can pat and hand feed many of the animals. Pat a koala and feed the albino kangaroos, see wombats, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, snakes and more native animals. Then set sail on an adventure at Pirate Pete’s Mini-golf as you putt your way around the Pirate Ship, encounter life-size Pirate figures, the Great White Shark and brave the gold mine under the waterfall. Enjoy something to eat and drink in the licensed Homestead Bistro with views out into the animal park. Come and enjoy the award winning friendly service and atmosphere from this family owned and operated business. Grantville Pirate Festival and other events held at Maru each year, see our website for more details. Finalist in the Victorian Tourism Awards 2011 and 2012.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Composure E1 contributionExtraordinaryHonestly well worth every dollar, I went along with my two sons they had the best time, my youngest decided he wanted to go with just daddy on his birthday there was a slight mix up but in the end he got a bonus of meeting a snake aswell. Everytime we go my kids have an amazing experience with both staff and also the animals. They love the fact mini Golf is unlimited, the course is very good they say. And the experience add ons meeting the animals. Thank you again and again. Time to get a family pass!Hi Composuree, Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that the children have had a great time meeting the Animals of Maru, and that everyone has a great time on the Mini-Golf course. Thanks for the kind words and we look forward to seeing you and your family again.Written 30 December 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 December 2023
- Pamela WReservoir, Australia4 contributionsGreat day outGorgeous animals. Great to be able to feed the kangaroos. Interesting talks by staff. Nice Bistro though rather pricey. Mini Golf included in the admission price was fun.Hello E6145FZpamelaw, Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. It is great to hear that you enjoyed meeting the animals of Maru and that everyone had a great time on the Mini-Golf course.Written 12 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 6 January 2024
- Cathie R8 contributionsFantastic family day outI took my four grandchildren today. Ages 3, 7, 8 & 9 We had a fantastic day. We were there for hours and hours. The kids and myself loved everything. Our favourite was feeding the kangaroos. And the kids loved the mini golf. Staff were so friendly and helpful. Everything was clean and organised and set out so well. Great price for a great day out. ThankyouHi 558cathier, Thank you for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that everyone enjoyed meeting the animals of Maru, and we greatly appreciate your kind words. Thanks again for visiting.Written 26 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 14 January 2024
- JR-NC700Gastonia, North Carolina74 contributionsInteract with animals!An incredible adventure! We did the koala feeding experience and thoroughly enjoyed it. The keeper was very informative and answered all of our questions. It was fun being up close to the koalas. We had a great time after that feeding kangaroos and wallabies. The grounds of park are on the small side, but that is plus on a hot day as we were able to see all of the exhibits before us and the animals got too hot. We finished the morning in the Bistro with tea and scones. The food was of excellent quality. We did not play mini-golf and finished our time here just before noon. The staff was all friendly and seemed to care about the well being of the animals. I would definitely come back here again!Hi JR-NC700, Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed meeting and participating in feeding the Koalas of Maru. We appreciate the kind words, and we hope to see you again!Written 7 March 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 March 2024
- Paul K1 contributionAn awesome day out!We love coming to Maru with all our international visitors! Amazing experiences, including feeding the kangaroos. Always end with the mini golf too which is a fun an creative course. And food never disappoints. Great day outHi Paul, thanks for visiting us with your international guests, and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that everyone always has a great time at Maru and look forward to seeing you again!Written 23 March 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 23 March 2024
- RickimusMaximusNashville, Tennessee63 contributionsUp close and personal with koalas and kangaroosMy wife and I signed up for the Koala Feeding Experience. We arrived for the early entry at 9 a.m. We met Ian and he was so very helpful, kind, and hospitable. We were able to feed at least 8 koalas and pet them as much as we wanted. Unfortunately, you can't hold koalas here but we were able to have so much time with them. From there, we were able to hand feed the wallabys and kangaroos. This is not a huge animal park but it is a well-run quality experience. They have some great dingos and other animals here too. But, if you really want to pet and get close to koalas, this is the place to be. Loved it. I can't say enough about how much Ian took care of us and made this an incredible experience. (and don't miss the penguin parade if you are already down on Phillip Island.)Hello RickimusMaximus, Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that you and your wife enjoyed meeting and feeding the Koalas of Maru. We appreciate you kind words about the animal park.Written 4 May 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 3 May 2024
- Marty KMelbourne, Australia6 contributionsVery Impressive.Wow, what an improvement since 15-years ago. The Park is very well presented and laid out with lots of Aussie Animals. The staff are friendly, knowlefgeable, and passionate. Well done and thank you Maru Koala and Animal Park.Visited September 2024Travelled with familyWritten 28 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
495 reviews
Excellent
270
Very good
127
Average
50
Poor
22
Terrible
26
MelJ
1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Family
Drove up from Inverloch to play some mini golf with the family. It is not cheap - cost over $50 for two adults & three kids. The course is badly designed and not maintained. Two of the holes were not working and the staff were aware there were issues, but failed to tell us until we complained. Big waste of time and money!!
Written 5 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.
Hello Powlett,
We are disappointed to hear that you did not enjoy our Mini-Golf. We can assure you that our course is regularly maintained, however some of the look is due to the Pirate theme of the course.
There are a couple of holes that can fail due to the weather, but we always try to notify our guests of these issues whenever possible, and recommended what they can do so that they can still play a full game of golf.
Written 6 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sulu
4 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
With a young family this was perfect to engage my baby and toddler. Just the right size animal park to keep young minds engaged and interactive with feeding kangaroos and animal talks. Lovely areas available for lunch either catered or byo. Mini golf was heaps of fun too. Can’t wait to go back
Written 17 December 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.
Hi Sulu1012,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review.
It is great to hear that we were the perfect fit for your family and that everyone was engaged and had a great time.
We look forward to seeing you again next time!
Written 18 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Trail41611909435
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Very expensive for something the size of my back yard
Areas closed due to wasps
Kangaroos look very old and dont want to be there
$130 entry and it literally took 25 mins to walk the whole place
Lady at the front demanding to see the card we booked with who carries cards these days when you have it on your phone
Then of course extra money if you want to do mini golf which we didn’t because we were so disappointed
Do yourself a favour drive the extra 30mins and go to the wildlife park on the island
Areas closed due to wasps
Kangaroos look very old and dont want to be there
$130 entry and it literally took 25 mins to walk the whole place
Lady at the front demanding to see the card we booked with who carries cards these days when you have it on your phone
Then of course extra money if you want to do mini golf which we didn’t because we were so disappointed
Do yourself a favour drive the extra 30mins and go to the wildlife park on the island
Written 24 September 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.
RickimusMaximus
Nashville, TN63 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
My wife and I signed up for the Koala Feeding Experience. We arrived for the early entry at 9 a.m. We met Ian and he was so very helpful, kind, and hospitable. We were able to feed at least 8 koalas and pet them as much as we wanted. Unfortunately, you can't hold koalas here but we were able to have so much time with them. From there, we were able to hand feed the wallabys and kangaroos. This is not a huge animal park but it is a well-run quality experience. They have some great dingos and other animals here too. But, if you really want to pet and get close to koalas, this is the place to be. Loved it. I can't say enough about how much Ian took care of us and made this an incredible experience. (and don't miss the penguin parade if you are already down on Phillip Island.)
Written 3 May 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.
Hello RickimusMaximus,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that you and your wife enjoyed meeting and feeding the Koalas of Maru. We appreciate you kind words about the animal park.
Written 4 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
helen d
Greater Melbourne, Australia31 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
This is a lovely place to visit with young children who love and have an interest in Australian native animals.
Koalas are most in evidence with many to see and obviously enjoying their home here. The many staff are wonderfully knowledgeable and interact with visitors making this a special experience.
Not only koalas but many other animals, bird's and reptiles to see and learn about. You can actually participate in feeding the kangaroos, wallabies and emus in a safe environment.
It is not expensive with lot's to see and do for the children and adults also get lots of enjoyment here as well.
We and the grandchildren found the talk's that were delivered by the enthusiastic Park staff were wonderful.
The cafe has good value meals and was very clean with efficient and helpful staff.
Toilets were clean and easy to find.
At the end of your visit you can also enjoy a round of mini golf on a surprisingly challenging course.
Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
In summary this was a wonderful day for all ages, it was good value, the photos we were provided have wonderful memories for us.
Koalas are most in evidence with many to see and obviously enjoying their home here. The many staff are wonderfully knowledgeable and interact with visitors making this a special experience.
Not only koalas but many other animals, bird's and reptiles to see and learn about. You can actually participate in feeding the kangaroos, wallabies and emus in a safe environment.
It is not expensive with lot's to see and do for the children and adults also get lots of enjoyment here as well.
We and the grandchildren found the talk's that were delivered by the enthusiastic Park staff were wonderful.
The cafe has good value meals and was very clean with efficient and helpful staff.
Toilets were clean and easy to find.
At the end of your visit you can also enjoy a round of mini golf on a surprisingly challenging course.
Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
In summary this was a wonderful day for all ages, it was good value, the photos we were provided have wonderful memories for us.
Written 25 January 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.
Hello Helen,
Thanks for taking the day to visit us! It is great to hear that you and your granchildren enjoyed seeing and interacting with all of our animals. We hope that everyone was able to learn a lot from our Park Keeper talks as well.
We appreciate your kind words about our park and we hope to see you again at some point in the future!
Written 26 January 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah C
2 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
We went here expecting a wildlife park where animals would be free roaming from the photos I had seen advertised. This was a mistake and instead we were confronted with an array of wildlife trapped in small enclosures with little to no reprieve from weather and tourists. The birds had very small enclosures that didn’t provide sufficient room for flight, the wombat enclosure was so small and exposed that I saw a single wombat pacing up and down in what appeared to be distress while visitors clamoured to take pictures on their phones. But the most heart-wrenching was the freshwater crocodile enclosure. Trapped in a small tin room behind a glass wall with no natural light or grass absolutely no space at all to escape from tourists. The enclosure had a strip of synthetic grass and a small plastic tub filled with water. I would expect more from a conservation sanctuary in Australia. If this meets minimum standards then standards need to lift because it’s obvious to anyone that genuinely cares for animals that these conditions are not suitable for any wild being. If you are looking for close up animal experiences that don’t compromise animal welfare I would suggest the penguin parade, Churchill Island Farm or Koala Conservation Reserve all within a short driving distance
Written 4 September 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.
Composure E
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
Honestly well worth every dollar, I went along with my two sons they had the best time, my youngest decided he wanted to go with just daddy on his birthday there was a slight mix up but in the end he got a bonus of meeting a snake aswell. Everytime we go my kids have an amazing experience with both staff and also the animals. They love the fact mini Golf is unlimited, the course is very good they say. And the experience add ons meeting the animals. Thank you again and again. Time to get a family pass!
Written 21 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.
Hi Composuree,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that the children have had a great time meeting the Animals of Maru, and that everyone has a great time on the Mini-Golf course.
Thanks for the kind words and we look forward to seeing you and your family again.
Written 30 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melanie S
New South Wales, Australia45 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Maru Koala & Animal Park was an absolutely amazing experience that I did today. The staff were all super friendly and extremely helpful. The animals all looked well kept and happy - not to mention friendly! The kangaroos in the petting exhibit were so calm and walked straight up for a scratch. It was great to see all the native animals enjoying themselves. We did the Dingo encounter and had the pleasure of meeting Banjo! The love the staff/keepers have for the animals was also just beautiful to see. Would definitely recommend doing the animal encounters. We also played Pirate Pete’s mini golf and it was probably my favourite mini golf that I have played! A great course, so much fun for everyone. Gift shop prices were definitely more than reasonable - as well as overall price. 100% recommend everything about this place and can’t wait to come back and visit next time we have a holiday in Victoria!
Written 2 October 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.
Hello MeGeSc,
Thank you for visiting and telling us about your day at Maru! We appreciate the 5-stars.
We are thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic exerience meeting all of our animals and staff. We hope that you have a lasting memory of Banjo!
Thanks for you kind words about our Mini-Golf course as well.
We look forward to seeing you again sometime!
Written 7 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brandi R
18 contributions
May 2022 • Family
Amazing experience from start to finish. Warm greeting when entering. We were seated promptly and served the most delicious fish and chips. Not soaking with grease, crunchy and hot. The lady who took our order was so courteous. The restrooms were clean and the entire establishment was clean and bright. After we had lunch, we enjoyed time around the animals. It’s was so special and informative. The young gentleman, Dylan, was extremely knowledgeable, patient and friendly. The animals enclosures were very clean and the animals looked very well cared for. It was a truly wonderful time. I’d recommend Maru Koala to anyone.
Written 18 May 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 71-Brandi-85,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave us a review.
We are glad to hear that you had a great time all throughout our establishment. We hope that you were able to learn a lot of new information about the animals we have at Maru, and we appreciate the kind words that you left about our facilities and staff.
Thanks again!
Written 11 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FeehilyFour
Scituate 13 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
We had a great time at Maru!! Cool animal encounters with the Koalas and Dingos along with plenty of time to feed and hang out with the kangaroos and wallabies. One of the toughest mini golf courses too :). We even had a great breakfast there to split up the day too. We would definitely recommend this to anyone.
Written 22 November 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.
Hi FeehilyFour,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to give us a 5-star review.
It is great to hear that you enjoyed your visit, and we hope that enjoy your Encounter Photos, along with meeting all of our animals.
Thanks again for visiting!
Written 18 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Can you bring a picnic basket so you could have a picnic lunch while there
Thanks Mary
Written 12 December 2020
Hi Mary,
We have lots of outside areas for our guests who want to bring there own lunch.
Thanks
Written 18 December 2020
hi. is there any parking charges at this park? we plan to drive there from melbourne City
Written 30 November 2018
Parking is provided for free
Written 30 November 2018
Hi, I noted that your website is under maintenance. Is the park undergoing renovations? If so, when will you re-open? Whats the opening hours like in May and June? Thank you.
Written 7 December 2017
Hello Carol
Yes we are upgrading our website as we are about to add in the ability to purchase koala close encounter tickets online. Our park is still open every day except for Christmas day. In May and June for winter time we are open 9:30am - 5pm
We look forward to seeing you
Written 7 December 2017
Hi, We have 6 adults here. Would like to know whether online purchase in advance cost AUD15/pax and it is cheaper than purchase at the entrance which cost AUD20/pax?
Any special terms and conditions which I should aware for online purchase?
Written 8 August 2017
Hello candle_ha
If you have found an online site that sells our tickets for only $15 then you are onto a bargain as entry is $20AUD/adult for the Animal Park. From our Maru website we offer 6 months to use your online purchased tickets, but from any other websites I recommend you check their own terms and conditions. We look forward to seeing you at Maru soon.
Written 8 August 2017
If you want to book ahead give them call and inform them if its a large group its better to book ahead. Also you can email them as well.
Written 4 February 2016
How far to O,Connell Street in city centre and best and easiest transport to use ie bus or taxi. Is the hop off hop on tour bus easy to join from hotel. Thank you for any info.
Written 6 December 2015
I am afraid if you are thinking from o;connell street Melbourne it is about a two hour drive so you need to hire a car however, on the maru home page it does give a link for transport to get there. . The transport in the Gippsland area is few and far between so plan you travel carefully. You could very easily fill your day if you wanted to take in Phillip island as well lots to do and see or better still make a weekend of it. I know there are tour buses which go to the island but am unsure how they function. Hope this helps
Written 8 December 2015
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