Healesville

Healesville is located in the Yarra Valley, Victoria and is probably best known as the home of the  Healesville Sanctuary. The Sanctuary showcases more than 200 species of Australian wildlife which can be viewied in natural habitats set amongst 30 hectares of bushland.

You can see koalas, dingos, platypus, kangaroos, wallabys and a range of birdlife. 

Not to be missed is the Spirits of the Sky spectacular which is scheduled at 12 pm and 2.30 pm each day.

The new children's play area is a fantastic place for children to play and explore.

The Land of the Parrots is worth a visit as you will probably get an opportunity to have one feeding out of your hands. 

The Sanctuary also has a range of Magic Moments to enjoy. These cost an additional money but are well worth the experience of getting up close with the animals.

The Sanctuary incorporates a wildlife hospital where you can view the amazing work they do saving and treating sick and injured wildlife.

Healesville has much more to offer than just visiting the Sanctuary, as it's  surrounded by beautiful Australian bushland.  A great place to enjoy this, and located only a short drive from the Sanctuary, is Badger Creek. The picnic ground includes toilets and BBQ's and there are a range of tracks to wander along and experience the beauty of the area. These range in distance, with 2 shorts ones of approx 1 kilometre each being the Coranderrk track and the Lyrebird track.

The Corranderrk track is named after an Indigenous Mission that was established in the area in 1863 after a group of Wurundjeri elders squatted on a traditional camping site on Badger Creek and requested ownership of the site.  The Lyrebird track is named after the lyrebird a ground dwelling bird that has the ability to mimic the natural and artifical sounds of their environment. We saw a female lyrebird whilst wandering along that track.

There are a range of penstocks located at Badger Weir which are used to regulate the flow of water into Coranderrk Weir. This pipe ensures water continues to flow into Badger Creek retaining the water supply to the many animals and birdlife that still live in the area.

1 Day Yarra Valley Private Tour - Wildlife and Wine

1 Day Wildlife and Puffing Billy Private Tour