Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria

Healesville Sanctuary, Healesville, Victoria, Australia is one of the best places to see australian animals and birds.

Today I went to Healesville Sanctuary, which is just a few kilometres from the small and bustling village of Healesville and about a one-hour drive from Melbourne, Victoria. This is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Australia with a wide range of Australian animals to see and expert handlers and wildlife guides to answer all your questions. The sanctuary is small enough that you can see most of the animals in a day visit. There are kangaroos and wallabies, emus, koalas, nocturnal animal habitat, insects, platypus and echidnas, birds of prey and parrots, lyrebirds and cockatoos, eels in the creek and kookaburras in the trees. A new addition to the park is the Wildlife Rescue Centre, which has hands on activities for children as well as wonderful explanations about the protection and care of Australian animals. There is also a veterinary clinic within the Centre that cares for sanctuary animals as well as those brought in from the wild. If you are lucky enough you can observe their care through the glass wall. The veterinarians will explain what they are doing as they proceed to care for the animals. Sometimes operations are also conducted, but this area is separate and you can choose if you would like to watch.

A day at Healesville Sanctuary is an excellent way to see Australian animals up close and in a caring environment. There is an emphasis on education at the Sanctuary with guides trained to answer questions, an excellent area for children and adults to feel the fur and feathers of the animals and have a short and clear explanation of some of the more unusual aspects of Australian wildlife. The natural setting enhances your visit and you can bring along BBQ fixings and use the free facilities or there is a small café.