Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane: Hours, Address, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Reviews: 4.5/5
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover over 70 species of Australian native animals in a beautiful, natural bush setting at the world's first and largest koala sanctuary. Meet a koala, hand-feed kangaroos, marvel at the playful platypus, and enjoy a full daily schedule of keeper talks and activities, including Sheep Dog Show and Wild Lorikeet Feeding. Amenities: free wiFi everywhere, parents' rooms & cafes.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Features animals
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jazzy81
Brisbane, Australia530 contributions
Apr. 2022 • Friends
We’ve been visiting Lone Pine over about 15 years, had annual passes most years.
We visited now in the last holidays and this place is a sad remnant of what once used to be. So many animal enclosures are empty, there is no interaction with animals like there used to be, with the friendly zoo keepers.
We used to love the sheep show, where they’d show sheep dogs controlling and guiding sheep and then they’d shear the sheep. Now they wasted money building some huge ugly seating area and the show goes for like 3 minutes, doesn’t show you anything interesting, the excitement and thrill is completely gone. They used to guide like dozens of sheep and you could pat them when they came into the enclosure, they’d bring the dog outside to meet and greet.. nothing now.
The petting barn used to be the highlight for my kids when they were little. Now they just have a bunch of caged baby chickens in there that you can’t touch, that are fed to the other animals. All the other enclosures are empty. They don’t even have chickens roaming around outside anymore, despite the huge chicken palace on the ground. There are like 2 sheep, where there used to be farm animals in the pasture. Sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs. Nothing. It’s ridiculous.
So extremely sad to see this place being completely run into the ground.
The staff also look sad and depressed.
We won’t be back.
We visited now in the last holidays and this place is a sad remnant of what once used to be. So many animal enclosures are empty, there is no interaction with animals like there used to be, with the friendly zoo keepers.
We used to love the sheep show, where they’d show sheep dogs controlling and guiding sheep and then they’d shear the sheep. Now they wasted money building some huge ugly seating area and the show goes for like 3 minutes, doesn’t show you anything interesting, the excitement and thrill is completely gone. They used to guide like dozens of sheep and you could pat them when they came into the enclosure, they’d bring the dog outside to meet and greet.. nothing now.
The petting barn used to be the highlight for my kids when they were little. Now they just have a bunch of caged baby chickens in there that you can’t touch, that are fed to the other animals. All the other enclosures are empty. They don’t even have chickens roaming around outside anymore, despite the huge chicken palace on the ground. There are like 2 sheep, where there used to be farm animals in the pasture. Sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs. Nothing. It’s ridiculous.
So extremely sad to see this place being completely run into the ground.
The staff also look sad and depressed.
We won’t be back.
Written 9 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Uk-Wickerman
Bolton, UK81 contributions
Apr. 2022 • Family
Fun day and staff very knowledgeable so ask away anything is not a problem. Koalas well cared for so what’s not to like. Not often you can this close to the koalas so give it a go.
Written 25 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Voyager593883
2 contributions
Apr. 2022
We have had annual membership for the past 8 years. There has been less and less effort going into this place, ever since it stopped being Australian owned. It used to be great - with wild life shows, meet and greet the animals as they were walked around by keepers, guinea pig petting, a shearing exhibition and some really friendly and knowledgeable keepers - none of whom are there any more.
Lone Pine now exists purely for the koala and snake photo financial opps. There's no information volunteered on any of the animals - despite the fact there are some great opportunities to educate everyone about the plight of wildlife in Australia.
The place is definitely less shabby than it use to be but all the fun and the education has disappeared. The experience is now dissatisfying and slightly depressing.
First of all they removed the Animal Encounter (several zoo keepers would come out and show off the animals that they looked after - usually a mixture of animals - e.g. possum or wombat, crocodile or snake, or bird of prey - and give an informative, educational and entertaining session which allowed people to see the animal close up and gain some insights from their keepers).
Then the sheep shearing disappeared which was educational and entertaining and showed off an intrinsic part of Australian animal husbandry/culture.
The bird show which used to have an enthusiastic presenter and a little audience participation is nothing like it used to be.
The playtpus house no longer has the educational skeleton, the starry night sky, or the feeding and information session. The comfy sofas for elderly visitors and mums/dads with young children or nursing mothers to rest have been removed. The platypus now displays typical displacement behaviours, swimming in small circles constantly.
The reptile house has fantastic snakes and lizards and amphibians but NO information about any of them.
The exhibits show minimal information about the animals in the enclosures. There is nothing about their habitat, feeding habits, how long they live, etc. Lone Pine has all these amazing animals and purports to be a zoo / animal sanctuary, but it ignores every opportunity to educate or astonish.
The barn animal, encounter has been removed for no good reason. Local young families and children flocked to Lone Pine to support it and loved being able to handle guinea pigs and chicks. And now that simple activity has been removed.
Despite it being a busy holiday weekend there was no food available for people to buy to fee the sheep and goats.
A member of staff was short-tempered and brusque in asking a tourist to move to enable her to carry out her job in a koala enclosure. In the past staff have been so friendly.
The gemstone area where you could do gold-panning/ fossiking was removed - another excellent exhibit for an Australian zoo and a source of entertainment for children (and income for Lone Pine).
Animals that have died have not been replaced. There are no more possums, the Tasmanian Devils are down to one. No bandicoots, quolls, possums or sugar gliders. Dingoes are taken for walks but no one is allowed to pat them now. Wombats are never taken for walks anymore.
Overall Lone PIne is now extremely disappointing - both personally, also as a family and even for the local community who often choose to support Lone Pine.
We recommend that people go to Australia zoo where there are plenty of educational exhibits, information sessions, entertaining talks by keepers, and enthusiastic staff who will willingly answer any questions.
What is the point of a glitzy empty research display (with large amount of Brisbane City Council funding) , and attractive wooden auditoriums if there are no information boards to educate and enthuse visitors, or wildlife encounters that allow you to appreciate the wildlife at close quarters and learn from their keepers?
We'd urge the Japanese owners (Kamori Kankō) to think about what they're doing. They manage hotels and resorts, they have no idea how to run a wildlife park.
Lone Pine now exists purely for the koala and snake photo financial opps. There's no information volunteered on any of the animals - despite the fact there are some great opportunities to educate everyone about the plight of wildlife in Australia.
The place is definitely less shabby than it use to be but all the fun and the education has disappeared. The experience is now dissatisfying and slightly depressing.
First of all they removed the Animal Encounter (several zoo keepers would come out and show off the animals that they looked after - usually a mixture of animals - e.g. possum or wombat, crocodile or snake, or bird of prey - and give an informative, educational and entertaining session which allowed people to see the animal close up and gain some insights from their keepers).
Then the sheep shearing disappeared which was educational and entertaining and showed off an intrinsic part of Australian animal husbandry/culture.
The bird show which used to have an enthusiastic presenter and a little audience participation is nothing like it used to be.
The playtpus house no longer has the educational skeleton, the starry night sky, or the feeding and information session. The comfy sofas for elderly visitors and mums/dads with young children or nursing mothers to rest have been removed. The platypus now displays typical displacement behaviours, swimming in small circles constantly.
The reptile house has fantastic snakes and lizards and amphibians but NO information about any of them.
The exhibits show minimal information about the animals in the enclosures. There is nothing about their habitat, feeding habits, how long they live, etc. Lone Pine has all these amazing animals and purports to be a zoo / animal sanctuary, but it ignores every opportunity to educate or astonish.
The barn animal, encounter has been removed for no good reason. Local young families and children flocked to Lone Pine to support it and loved being able to handle guinea pigs and chicks. And now that simple activity has been removed.
Despite it being a busy holiday weekend there was no food available for people to buy to fee the sheep and goats.
A member of staff was short-tempered and brusque in asking a tourist to move to enable her to carry out her job in a koala enclosure. In the past staff have been so friendly.
The gemstone area where you could do gold-panning/ fossiking was removed - another excellent exhibit for an Australian zoo and a source of entertainment for children (and income for Lone Pine).
Animals that have died have not been replaced. There are no more possums, the Tasmanian Devils are down to one. No bandicoots, quolls, possums or sugar gliders. Dingoes are taken for walks but no one is allowed to pat them now. Wombats are never taken for walks anymore.
Overall Lone PIne is now extremely disappointing - both personally, also as a family and even for the local community who often choose to support Lone Pine.
We recommend that people go to Australia zoo where there are plenty of educational exhibits, information sessions, entertaining talks by keepers, and enthusiastic staff who will willingly answer any questions.
What is the point of a glitzy empty research display (with large amount of Brisbane City Council funding) , and attractive wooden auditoriums if there are no information boards to educate and enthuse visitors, or wildlife encounters that allow you to appreciate the wildlife at close quarters and learn from their keepers?
We'd urge the Japanese owners (Kamori Kankō) to think about what they're doing. They manage hotels and resorts, they have no idea how to run a wildlife park.
Written 17 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Caroline422
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia15 contributions
Apr. 2022 • Solo
Stressed animals in tiny enclosures.
8 koalas in one small yard with 5 fake trees.
Platypus swimming concentric circles in a small pond.
Kangaroos being mobbed by toddlers.
It was not a pleasant experience.
Definitely NOT a sanctuary.
8 koalas in one small yard with 5 fake trees.
Platypus swimming concentric circles in a small pond.
Kangaroos being mobbed by toddlers.
It was not a pleasant experience.
Definitely NOT a sanctuary.
Written 10 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
anyabonnie
Sydney, Australia18 contributions
Mar. 2022 • Couples
My partner and I were really looking forward to visiting this place, as we are not allowed to hold koala in NSW. Animals were great as they always are, but all staff members just seemed a bit bored with their life to be honest. We booked a koala holding experience- it says on their website that it’s 15 minutes when in reality it’s more like 1-2 min. The guy providing this experience was absolutely hating life (his name tag said Mitch I believe ) and was just very unpleasant. Abruptly telling you not to move and to place your hands a certain way. He was getting annoyed at the poor koala for not facing the camera (lol really?)… he told me: don’t touch the koala, I will place it your hands and you can pet it once I take it back. Once he took it back he says: ok who’s next… just really poor customer service. I hope he treats animals better than humans. And even if you don’t like people - bare in mind we’ve just spent 160$ for an entrance and 2 pictures with koalas, the least he can do is be nice for 2 minutes. Go to Australia Zoo to see what good customer service looks like!
Written 22 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rob
Brisbane, Australia1 contribution
Feb. 2022
I quite like this place, it's not huge but it's somewhere to take my child every so often, so for the annual pass cost it's quite good. The only thing I don't like and I don't really understand because it's not an issue at other parks is the fact that every time I go there, I have to line up for 20minutes or so just to show my pass and walk-in. I mean they should just have 2 queues, one for prepaid customers that would go super fast and one for non-prepaid customers, and whilst the prepaid line is empty then just continue processing the paying customers, it's not rocket science, but it just seems to be managed poorly. I mean I can walk into dreamworld without issue in about 2minutes with my annual pass, lone pine is 1/10th the size and it takes me 20minutes.
Written 13 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Janelle N
6 contributions
Dec. 2021
A great place to visit for any age. Lots of koalas in trees in different areas to view close up. Large area where you can hangout and feed (bought at the sanctuary) kangaroos. Many different animals to observe.
Written 11 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
John S
Melbourne, Australia1,830 contributions
Dec. 2021 • Couples
If a family planned to spend much of a day here, visit the exhibits and see all the shows perhaps they might not feel it's expensive, but we felt it was given the relatively short time it takes to see everything.
We'd also booked the koala hold for $29 per person and felt that was very expensive given that it lasted maybe a couple of minutes!
We'd also booked the koala hold for $29 per person and felt that was very expensive given that it lasted maybe a couple of minutes!
Written 2 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
PeterPilt
Mooloolaba, Australia659 contributions
Dec. 2021 • Couples
If you want to cuddle a koala, hand feed kangaroos and emus, get freaked out by birds of prey flying inches over your head, plus a whole lot more, then this is the place for you.
The shows were good. The layout was good. The staff were friendly.
The only negative was the lack of any level of variety of food available for lunch.
Apart from that. It was a great four hours.
The shows were good. The layout was good. The staff were friendly.
The only negative was the lack of any level of variety of food available for lunch.
Apart from that. It was a great four hours.
Written 1 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Belle Laurens
Brisbane, Australia8 contributions
Jan. 2021
This is a staple in any Brisbane child's childhood. It is a cheaper, more personable version of Australia Zoo. Get up close with kangaroos and emus. There are also plenty of shows to learn about different animals. I'm not sure is this is still the case because the last time I went was about 8 or 9 years ago, but they used to let you hold animals like snakes or baby crocodiles after shows, free of charge. My favourite shows as a kid were the koala talk or the sheepdog show.
Written 29 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
bambi84x
Coatbridge, UK
Hi we have booked the boat to the sanctuary tomorrow but do we need to book seperate for the pictures with a koala?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Brisbane, Australia2 contributions
Hi there, koala hold photos can currently be purchased at our Main Koala Exhibit from 9.30am. They cost $25 per photo ticket. Quantities are strictly limited and availability may vary.
traveller087
England82 contributions
Will be in Brisbane 17th -20th Feb should it be ok to book trip by boat one day before and photo opportunity? Can I go to departure point and book for next day rather than online? Staying at Kangaroo point what is best way to boat departure place?
Likestomove
Plainland, Australia90 contributions
Not sure about transport via boat . Weather in few weeks could be very humid and bit wet but still very warm. We booked once we arrived but I believe you can book on line too
Hope you enjoy your stay in Brisbane
コアラの抱っこは開園時間内なら何時に行っても抱っこできるのでしょうか？？
２歳の娘と行く予定です。
カランビン動物園とローンパインで迷ってます。
大きすぎると周りきれないかなという思いと
せっかくいくならという気持ちもあります。
どちらがおすすめでしょうか？
Lal
東京4 contributions
私はローンパインにしか行っていませんが、コアラを「抱っこ」出来る時間は決まっていました。抱っこ終了時間後は、「触れる」時間帯になるようです。私は「抱っこ」出来た最後の一人で、とてもラッキーでした。多分ですが、抱っこできる時間は午前と午後、それぞれ2，3時間だと思います。この方のサイトがお役に立つと思います（「カランビンorローンパイン?数日内に両方行って比較してみた」で検索)。コアラメインであれば、ローンパインの方が良い様な気がします。本当に「鈴なり」にコアラがいるので、「抱っこ」列に並んでいる間も間近で見ることが出来ますし、最悪触ることは出来ると思います。
Sorry just something I wanted to raise...I’ve read on your website that koalas aren’t handled 2 days in a row...then I read on here that if handled for 2 days aren’t handled on the 3rd and then I just read in another comment that if they are handled for 3 days they aren’t handled for 4. So which is it? Also you say if they don’t want to participate they don’t have to...how do you know that they either do or don’t want to?
Indstrl
Los Angeles, CA166 contributions
I was just there and I was shown exactly how they handle the scheduling of the koalas. First off, they are very particular that if a particular quality is not into it he is not brought out. They track every koala who is used for photo shoots. The bottom line is no quality is used to days in a row and they are maxed out with a certain number of visitors per day per koala. And that max out is based on the background and experience of both the koala and the trainers perception of how the koala is interacting.This facility has so many koalas under their care that this should not be a concern of anybody
Roksta79
Ottawa, Canada73 contributions
We are planning to visit Lone Pine during the week in early January. How quickly do tickets for the hold a koala experience sell out? What are our chances of getting to hold a koala if we don't arrive first thing in the morning?
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Brisbane, Australia2 contributions
As January is a very busy time of year, we recommend coming close to our opening hour if you are looking to hold a koala, as spaces are limited. If you are looking to guarantee a spot we recommend checking out our premium wildlife experiences, which are detailed on our website and many include a koala experience.
Todd Poulson
Oklahoma City, OK
Is there an opportunity to pet the Wombats? I was at a reserve down near Sydney and they had this and it was very nice and I want to show this to my wife who was not there.
solotraveller57
London, UK75 contributions
I really don’t think so. There was a wombat enclosure but I didn’t even see one there. If it’s very important to you I suggest calling them.
How far is it from the cruise terminal to the location where the fast cruise departs?
Martin D
Auckland, New Zealand210 contributions
Best answered by Mark M who was able to answer your question.
I cant download my photo using the link on the bottom of my hard copy please let me know how I can obtain an image on line
NatalieJRad
Oldham, UK86 contributions
We got hard copies of the photos & pictures taken on our own camera. Sorry.
Chio Petilla
Marikina, Philippines6 contributions
Hi! We are from the Philippines and we will be staying in Peppers Noosa Resort & Villas on August 18-22 for a business trip. Me and all of my colleagues would want to see Australia's iconic animals in Lone Pine among others after reading a lot of reviews on different websites.
We are looking for the most affordable and convenient way to go there from Peppers. Can you suggest any, or do you have a private transport service and the like?
S K
Brisbane, Australia137 contributions
Hi, Noosa is a long drive to Lone Pine! If you are only wanting to go there, I’d suggest a hire car and drive yourself there & back. Otherwise, Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast is much closer to Noosa & has all of the same animals and many more. I cannot send you the web address as Trip Advisor won’t allow it but google ‘Australia Zoo’.
Good luck!
moniquersvp
New Orleans, LA317 contributions
What is the difference between booking the $150 koala experience versus waiting in line to hold the koala at no charge?
jim Clarke
Coventry, UK49 contributions
You can hold the koala.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is open:
- Sun - Sat 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
- We recommend booking Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary:
- (9.06 km) 99 Kirkland Bed & Breakfast
- (12.01 km) Number 12
- (7.78 km) Opera Apartments
- (9.35 km) The Inchcolm by Ovolo
- (9.70 km) Il Mondo Boutique Hotel
- Restaurants near Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary:
- (1.64 km) Goodness Gracious Cafe
- (7.76 km) Spice Central Kitchen and Bar
- (1.46 km) Three Girls Skipping
- (1.48 km) Il Viale
- (7.95 km) MADO Cafe & Restaurant
- Attractions near Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary:
- (0.59 km) Sherwood Arboretum
- (1.28 km) Rocks Riverside Park
- (8.11 km) South Bank Parklands
- (5.91 km) V Squared Helicopters
- (6.45 km) Fighter Pilot Adventure Flights