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Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Coni F
    55 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sunset tour - the highlight of our trip to Kangaroo Island!
    We booked the evening tour and found that we were the only customers and they still took us out for the full tour. Josh was our tour guide and he was amazing! Even though it ended up being just us - we never felt rushed and he showed us so many koalas, wallabies, kangaroos and Cape Barren Geese. I loved seeing the koalas so active - and in a natural setting (not a zoo)! I highly recommend this tour. We learned a lot about the bushfires and the seeing the regeneration of vegetation and about the koala management program that the sanctuary is working on with partners to ensure their health and survival. I consider that this was the highlight of our time on KI.
    Thanks for visiting. Spring is great time to visit because the koala mating season is just warming up like the weather. Glad you enjoyed your visit to KI.
    Written 17 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 October 2023
  • saragio15
    Leeds, United Kingdom147 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An excellent wildlife tour - Highly recommend !
    We went on this tour with Josh as our guide who was highly informative about the range of wildlife on the estate, the impact of the 2020 forest fire and the regeneration efforts made since. A group of 6 of us set off with Josh on foot initially and saw about 8 Koala bears, two with their baby joeys. Josh gave us tips on how we might locate koalas in the wild by looking at markings on the bark and for fresh poo. We then set off with him in his van and saw several kangaroos, as well as cape bitten geese and black swans. He provided us with lots of information about yucca plants, the regeneration project and the scale and impact of the fire. Also info about different species of koalas and their susceptibility to certain infections. An excellent tour well worth the money
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 November 2023
  • Jules P
    Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom53 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant tour ! You’re guide excellent
    What a fantastic and informative tour we had. Josh the guide was great, friendly, knowledgable and funny. We saw Koalas and Joeys, kangaroos and geese. It was a great experience being so close to these beautiful creatures and to hear how the island is recovering from the dreadful fires that decimated parts of the island, the flora and fauna and the amazing wildlife. Thank you being part of making our island experience complete.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 November 2023
  • Teresa D
    19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nocturnal tour was great
    Amazing experience with close encounters with many koala and kangaroos. Josh did a great job keeping the pace and content engaging for all ages. Beautiful sunset pictures. Highlight of our time on KI
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 December 2023
  • Heidi
    Homer, Alaska4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best tour on Kangaroo Island!
    Best of the best tours, especially the evening wildlife walk! SO many koalas, up close and most were awake and moving. All of the koalas I have seen are asleep in a tree, not here! The guide was knowledgeable and entertaining! Thanks, Josh!!! We saw all kinds of kangaroo, wallabies, and even an echidna. All the wildlife was close and gave us great viewing and photo opportunities. Loved my time here. I would highly recommend and do again!
    Thankyou for your review. Our nocturnal tour is a great way to observe and learn about the iconic wildlife.
    Written 25 October 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles535 reviews
Excellent
343
Very good
140
Average
40
Poor
8
Terrible
4

Peter
Santa Ana, CA5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
We did both a daytime tour and a nighttime tour. Both were superb and I highly recommend them. Our guide Jim, was extraordinarily knowledgeable and had a deep commitment to conservation and the land and numerous animals that can be found in the sanctuary. We saw several koalas with joeys, including one with a tiny 6 month old that we had never seen before. We saw numerous kangaroos and wallabies. Everytime we come to Kangaroo Island, the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is always on the top of our priority list. This year, like others, did not disappoint.
Written 27 October 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.

impossible50
Sydney, Australia748 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Our group of 4 did both the daytime tour and a dusk tour, on two separate days. We were in small groups and Jim, the owner, gave us a real insight into both the wildlife and the impact of the big fires in 2020.
The vegetation is regrowing at a great rate, and there was plenty of wildlife to see. Lots of koalas, Roos, and Tamar Wallabies, and we saw two echidnas up close on the dusk tour. Staying at Western KI cabins gave us close easy access.
Written 6 April 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.

suzzyc161
Byron Bay, Australia14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
Jim gently guided our group around his sanctuary where we saw mating kangaroos, mother koalas and joeys up close. Spectacular ‘Yakka’ that were in full recovery from the bush fires were in abundance. We learnt about the initial inhabitants and those that came later, their survival and what came next. Plant species were explained and we learnt how just how life changing the 2020 bush fires were. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Written 4 November 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.

impossible50
Sydney, Australia748 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
Our group of 4 did both the daytime tour and a dusk tour, on two separate days. We were in small groups and Jim, the owner, gave us a real insight into both the wildlife and the impact of the big fires in 2020.
The vegetation is regrowing at a great rate, and there was plenty of wildlife to see. Lots of koalas, Roos, and Tamar Wallabies, and we saw two echidnas up close on the dusk tour. Staying at Western KI cabins gave us close easy access.
Written 5 January 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.

Fiona L
Perth, UK50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
The nocturnal tour was first rate ! Highly recommend. Learn about , and see, wild animals as well as nature’s ongoing recovery from the wildfires. Peter was a very engaging and knowledgeable guide. A privilege to see koalas living free in the wild not in a zoo type environment. Lots of Kangaroo including 2 boxing then mating! Plus wallabies going about their nighttime routine. Great balance of walking amongst the wildlife and forest and some classroom presentation. Absolutely fascinating. Don’t miss it. Go here not the zoo place in the middle of island !
Written 5 March 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.
Thank you. The sanctuary is like a night club....things really start hopping when the sun goes down! Wallaby "rush hour" is very special to witness. In my opinion the nocturnal tour is essential to fully comprehend western KI! Glad you enjoyed it!
Written 19 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

saragio15
Leeds, UK147 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
We went on this tour with Josh as our guide who was highly informative about the range of wildlife on the estate, the impact of the 2020 forest fire and the regeneration efforts made since.

A group of 6 of us set off with Josh on foot initially and saw about 8 Koala bears, two with their baby joeys.

Josh gave us tips on how we might locate koalas in the wild by looking at markings on the bark and for fresh poo.

We then set off with him in his van and saw several kangaroos, as well as cape bitten geese and black swans.

He provided us with lots of information about yucca plants, the regeneration project and the scale and impact of the fire.

Also info about different species of koalas and their susceptibility to certain infections.

An excellent tour well worth the money
Written 12 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.

joyce018
Melbourne, Australia260 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
What a day exploring Kangaroo Island. We did a circuit from Kingscote. Visited the Raptor Domain. Went on to Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. We nearly left when we did a circuit and couldn't see any reception area. Fortunately we persisted and called the mobile number posted on a handwritten sign by the gate. Jim answered and obliged us with a personal guided tour in his Land Rover 1958. After a most informative 2 hours, we were so impressed with what he had done since the bushfire in Jan 2020 which roared through the 2000 hectare sanctuary.
Don't wait till KI has fully recovered from the decimation caused by the fires and Covid. Regeneration has begun. Go now and tell Jim that Joyce sent you.
Written 30 March 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.

Dan Z
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2023 • Couples
My wife and I booked the nocturnal tour. Our tour guide, Josh, was amazing! He was enthusiastic and really knowledgeable about the animals in the sanctuary. We were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to see two male koalas sizing each other up as well as a further six females resting amongst the trees. Truly an unforgettable experience.
The set up of the tour was great - we were driven to different spots around the sanctuary and had the chance to walk amongst the animals. We learnt so much about the area and how it was affected by the bushfires in 2020 too. It was so awe inspiring to see how much the vegetation had bounced back from being practically barren after the fires.

Definitely an experience worth doing if you’re down on Kangaroo Island.
Written 3 July 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.

Richard S
Shepparton, Australia15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
We arrived late as we had not booked...no problem we were warmly accommodated by our guide Mel...obviously the tour and finding the Koalas then the informative Mel keeping us well advised regarding the progress of the recovery after the fires. This is an impressive tour tom understand the habitat of the Koala and the restoration of that.
Thanks Mel and Jim
Written 10 March 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.

Creschendo
Sydney, Australia59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Before even leaving the rendezvous point, Jim provides you with a great deal of knowledge regarding the history of the sanctuary, it's place in the koala ecosystem and the impact of the 2020 fires. Then it’s time for the stars of the show - koalas in the wild. It’s great to be able to see these wonder creatures looking healthy in the protected environment of the sanctuary. The visit continues with an introduction to the other unique flora and fauna of the sanctuary. Jim patiently answers all your questions with in-depth knowledge and a clear passion for his subject.

Don’t miss it !
Written 4 April 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.

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Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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