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Australia
Victoria
Chewton
Things to do in Chewton
Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre
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Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre

See all things to do
See all things to do
Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre
4.5
#1 of 6 things to do in Chewton
Nature & Wildlife Areas
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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About
Jirrahlinga is a Unique Wildlife Sanctuary, for the young and older generation, which is tucked away in a rustic bushland setting, show-casing many Australian Native Animals. Everything from Koala's, Emu's, Dingoes, Wombat's, Reptiles/Lizards, Barking Owls to a vast array of beautiful birds and so much more. Our Sanctuary has a get up close and personal approach, with hands on experiences with some of our beautiful animals. Our Encounters are at 10am & 1pm. All Encounters and photo's are free, so once you pay your entry fee, there is nothing else to pay. We have a small cafe on site with snacks and coffee/tea available. So why not come along and see our amazing sanctuary for yourself. We are a not-for-profit Sanctuary, who rely heavily on visitors/donations. Our animals are waiting to see you all !
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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See what travellers are saying
  • A L
    1 contribution
    A brilliant fully immersive experience of Australian wildlife - for adults & kids alike
    This was a great experience all round. So interactive with all different types of animals, it exceeded expectation as to how close we could get. Patting koalas, wombats, feeding emus, cuddling a dingo pup and stroking snakes and lizards. Our kids just loved it. And our guide Paris was very knowledgable and friendly.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 December 2022
  • roberttB4168ZR
    4 contributions
    Yes, do go there.
    We took our 3 granddaughters (13, 11 and 7 yo) here and they loved it. The guide was excellent, the site was lovely and the animals well cared for. The contact experience with the animals was the best I have encountered from any zoo or sanctuary. There are improvements to the site that they are undertaking (to parking area, pathways etc) that will enhance the place. We were very impressed with the whole experience.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 January 2023
  • Mooltan H
    Samos, Greece40 contributions
    A Great Experience for the Whole Family
    Excellent regeneration of the site and a serious and thoughtful introduction to a range of Australian animals. Being allowed to touch and feel adds a new dimension. The group leader was very attentive to the needs of the group and provided information at many levels. A great outing for all the family from 3 year old to 80 year olds. Also lovely little picnic spots with comfy chairs.
    Visited January 2023
    Written 27 January 2023
  • Carter B
    1 contribution
    Up close and personal
    Rowan is an incredible guide—very knowledgeable, and attentive to our group and his love and care for the animals is palpable. Jirrahlinga is a must for Australian first-timers: get to know the wildlife of this wondrous continent at a personal scale. A magical place not to be missed!
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 February 2023
  • justjanet1952
    Maldon, Australia33 contributions
    A truly special experience
    We visited with our granddaughter aged 7 on Saturday and it was a truly wonderful experience. Rohan took us on an adventure meeting and handling lizards and snakes, patting possums, koalas, wombats and dingos....all the while sharing his knowledge of their habitat, behaviour and needs. The property is a superb and tranquil oasis, after driving through old gold mining bushland you come across a garden of Eden.
    Visited February 2023
    Written 12 February 2023
  • Christina H
    1 contribution
    A special experience with our quirky aussie animals.
    I visited with my family for my birthday on a beautiful day, and got to see and feel many animals up close. Rowan knows each animal well and it shows. It's a much needed reminder of the diversity we are lucky to have in Australia - and the individual personalities of the animals. I especially loved the birds, talking, barking, squawking. It will be nice when the cafe opens and people can sit and enjoy the sounds. Thanks Rowan and all the caretakers at Jirralinga!
    Visited February 2023
    Written 23 February 2023
  • Rhonda J
    1 contribution
    Lush Oasis with native animals
    Today we visited Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre in Chewton. What a beautiful retreat it is. Rowan, our tour guide was very informative and he was ably assisted by our daughter Lauryn, who gave us hands on experiences with snakes, lizards, koalas, possums, a Dingo named Cairo, a wombat called Dev and an emu called Buzz. The sanctuary is a credit to the owners Tehree and Hamish and all the staff and volunteers. Great day out!
    Visited March 2023
    Written 4 March 2023
  • catharine o
    28 contributions
    Wonderful native animal rescue centre
    Our guide was very knowledgeable and handled all the animals with great care and affection. It was fantastic to gently stroke or even sometimes hold, various animals such as a couple of small lizards, a python, an emu, a white possum, a wombat and a koala. Lots of other birds and parrots to see. No charge for photography. A lovely place to visit with children. Highly recommended.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 March 2023
  • MAXINE B
    Gisborne, Australia347 contributions
    What a marvel of a place to see Australia animals
    We are so glad we went to Chewton. Thank you to Rowan for a very informative 2 hours. To be able to touch some of the animals was special, not only for myself but my cousin that is here on holiday from the UK. Baz put on a show too!!! What a marvel of a place. There is room to take a picnic too.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 18 March 2023
  • Debby-Lee E
    1 contribution
    Did you know there were black dingoes?!
    A pleasant surprise. The venue went above and beyond what I was expecting. So many beautiful creatures thoughtfully homed and cared for. A very sincere and knowledgeable tour guide. Many interactive opportunities. It’s not everyday a dingo sneaks you a pash. 🫣 A place after my own heart. If I lived closer I would jump at volunteering.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 April 2023
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4.5
196 reviews
Excellent
118
Very good
58
Average
11
Poor
7
Terrible
2
Ellen G
1 contribution
excellent experience
Oct. 2023 • Family
We learned so much about wombats and dingos (whom we heard send up a full-circle howl from all around us). We also saw echidnas, koalas, wallabies, strange geese, and many other astonishing animals. Seeing a few of them later in the wild was made more meaningful by the knowledge gained here.
Their mission of outreach, education, and providing for injured animals is well worth supporting.
Get Tehree talking (it isn’t difficult) and you’ll hear some excellent stories!
Written 26 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.
Penny W
2 contributions
Great family day out.
Oct. 2023 • Family
We had the pleasure of visiting the dingo sanctuary on Sunday. It was pleasant surprise to find we didn't need to pay extra for the animal experiences and felt no pressure to hurry our time spent petting the animals and the handler was knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. The park is well run and has a cafe, although basic, adequate, with tea, coffee and cold drinks available as well as pies and sausage rolls and lollies. There are plenty of little seating nooks with tables and chairs for picnickers or just to rest. I would like to see larger aviaries for the birds however, they are extremely well cared for and don't appear distressed. All in all a great day out with my 6 year old grandson.
Written 13 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.
Jane L
Berlin, Germany6 contributions
Highly recommended
Oct. 2023 • Family
This was a wonderful, immersive experience which my 10 year old and I loved. I was surprised she was happy to stay for so long. Staff were friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming too. Highly recommended.

Be aware that if you have mobility issues, it is built on a hillside and there are gravel paths, some are a bit steep. Also follow their guide on how to get there, the last couple of ks are through the bush. Look for the arrows!

Overall, this was a very worthwhile experience and I look forward to visiting again.
Written 29 October 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.
Sam W
1 contribution
An excellent couple of hours
Sep. 2023 • Family
This was an excellent couple of hours with a great range of indigenous animals. Up, close and personal encounters with reptiles, koala’s, emus, wombats and dingoes. You’ve got to touch and interact with all of these things. It was great.
Written 28 September 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.
Edie B
1 contribution
Excellent overview of the centre, its animals and the surrounding environment
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We booked a morning session as we were holidaying in the area. On the same morning there was a school group so we were lucky enough to have a separate guided tour and wildlife encounters with another couple and their grandchildren. The tour was comprehensive and thorough and we were able to ask many questions. We were most impressed by the knowledge, passion and commitment of everyone we met who worked and volunteered there. The care the animals received and the focus on sustainability of native wildlife, and the environment was clear. Individual conservation initiatives such as Jirrahlinga are inspiring and crucial but regrettably they may not receive the recognition and financial support they deserve. A thoroughly enjoyable and educational morning, we were extremely pleased we had the opportunity to visit and would definitely recommend a visit.
Written 23 September 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.
Leigh
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
Love this place
Sep. 2023 • Couples
What a terrific place to spend time and learn about the animals there .The tour was informative and you get up close to these beautiful animals as well. Such a wonderful experience.
Written 2 September 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.
Rosemary N
Melbourne, Australia48 contributions
Jirrahlinga needs to clarify it’s reason for being.
Aug. 2023 • Family
Disappointing. Publicity material stated tours twice daily. This has been changed. Now guides have specific times for meet and greet with various animals. In between people roam unsupervised. Whilst viewing reptiles the guide made reference to blue tongue lizards making great pets. Surely keeping wild animals as pets should be actively discouraged. The terrain is rough, uneven and can be slippery so take care. However the staff are caring towards the animals and in some ways informative and friendly too. The park is strewn with kitsch, irrelevant, concrete animals including a dinosaur and debris. Also some published reviews and publicity refer to a previously owned park in Barwon Heads.
Written 17 August 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.
Voyager821797
Hi Rosemary Thank you for your review - we take all reviews very seriously. I am unsure as to your review stating Publicity Material stated Tours twice daily. Which was certainly true, however due to the popularity we changed the wording to Encounters. Our encounters are exactly the same as the tours we were running, twice daily, just the terminology changed. As for people wandering around unsupervised, this is a Sanctuary and people are more than welcome to wander at their leisure to see all the other animals we have living with us. In response to the blue tongue lizard comment making good pets, a child asked our Ranger if this was the case, and he said yes. These lizards can be purchased at any pet store that sells wildlife??? Regarding the uneven even ground, you are correct and we are awaiting contracters to help rectify the issue. Unfortunately, not being Government Funded, most of our money goes into the care of our animals. We are not a perfectly manicured Sanctuary by any means - because we are located in the middle of the bush. In response to irrelevant dinosaurs, the kids absolutely love these and it's something a little different for them. We are sorry that you did not come to us and discuss your issues, as we are more than happy to have had a chat. Thank you for your visit.
Written 25 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
domeyer
Brisbane, Australia22 contributions
Close Encounters of the Furry Kind
Aug. 2023 • Family
While staying at Mt. Macedon during a recent holiday to Victoria with our overseas guest, we were looking for an attraction that offered a uniquely Australian experience. We'd not heard or read anything about the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre prior to our visit. We booked our tickets online that included a series of "animal encounters" with reptiles, koalas, emus, wombats and dingoes. The encounters involved a guide providing interesting information about the animal and answering any questions. Contact with the animal by visitors was permitted under the supervision of the guide. The Centre is located in bushland on quite spacious grounds. There are also several aviaries with different species of birds.

I've visited Australian zoos and animal centres, and have also been fortunate to visit some overseas zoos. I have mixed feelings about the existence of zoos and the containment of animals outside of their natural environment. While I enjoy the opportunity of seeing animals up close, I also take note of the state of the animals and the quality of their enclosure.

It's clear that Jarrahlinga lacks the capital resources to provide the sort of tourist experience that major zoos generally offer. But what it may lack in commercial polish, it positively shines in the way that its animal handlers/guides care for the animals they individually present. I wish to make specific reference to our guide Rohan who led us through the various animal encounters and Brad, who was our guide for the dingoes. Their respect and love for the animals in their care was all on show. Over the course of a couple of hours, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time listening to their presentations and appreciating the opportunity to touch and engage with the animals in a way that most zoos don't allow.

We attended on a weekday and few people were present at the Centre. Perhaps that was an added attraction for us personally, as the low attendance probably enabled a greater level of interaction with both guides and animals.

Our visit to the centre certainly exceeded our expectations and I would readily visit the Centre again!
Written 14 August 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.
Danielle K
1 contribution
Must see
Jul. 2023 • Family
A must see! Such a beautiful place. Loved the eerie sound of all the dingos barking in unity when you arrive. My kids loved the birds the best. It was very hands on and my children loved all the extra detail they had put into the park. Lots of quirky photos spots. Will definitely go again!
Written 12 August 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.
Karla R
Melbourne, Australia3 contributions
The animal encounters are very special
Aug. 2023 • Family
This was our second visit to Jirrahlinga and we had the most fantastic experience! The sanctuary is in a beautiful setting and all the animals are very well cared for. The keeper who led the animal encounters was knowledgeable, friendly and we were able to pat a koala, wombat, emu, blue tongue, snake and, the highlight... 3 dingo puppies! Thank you Jirrahlinga, we will definitely be back soon.
Written 10 August 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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Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre
Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre is open:
  • Thu - Tue 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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