A guide to visiting Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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Here’s what you need to know before making a trip to the famous South Australian wildlife centre.

Kangaroo Island (also known as Karta Pintingga – meaning ‘island of the dead’) has long drawn visitors with its incredible levels of biodiversity. Separated from the mainland of South Australia thousands of years ago, it has provided a home for animals such as its own species of kangaroo, the Australian sea lion and the tammar wallaby, as well as being a haven to mainland interlopers, like koalas and platypus.

And visiting the KI animal experts and their charges over at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park is a must-do for any holidaymaker.

So, are you ready to get up close to a koala and pat a roo? We’ve answered all your questions about the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.

Feeding two kangaroos at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.
Get up close and personal with Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park’s animals. (Image: Julie Fletcher)

What is Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park?

KI Wildlife Park has been open for over thirty years. Today it is the home of over 150 native Australian species and more than 600 animals.

You can come here to feed kangaroos and wallabies, visit little penguins, interact with marmosets, spot pademelons, and even take a walk with a dingo!

A close up of a kangaroo at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.
KI Wildlife Park is home to over 150 native Australian species. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Where is Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park?

It can be found in the centre of the island, three kilometres past the town of Parndana.

Has Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park recovered from the bushfires?

In 2020, the community of Kangaroo Island was rocked by destructive bushfires, which devastated the local wildlife population. While Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park was saved through firefighting efforts, sadly, many animals were killed and injured around the island.

Since then, the Kangaroo Island Koala and Wildlife Rescue Centre was established at the park. Hundreds of injured and orphaned koalas and other native Australian fauna sent there for rehabilitation, release, or long-term care in the park.

As well as visiting the park’s attractions, visitors can now donate to its rescue centre. They can even adopt their favourite animal; and help provide for its care and wellbeing, long after getting the ferry back to the mainland.

A koala rests in a gum tree at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
Hundreds of injured and orphaned koalas were saved after the bushfires. (Image: Tourism Australia.)

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When is the best time to go to Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park?

The wildlife park is open daily, from 9.30am till 5pm, except Christmas Day. Owner Dana Mitchell says visitors might want to also tailor the timing of their visits according to the time of the year.

“In summer, the morning and afternoon are the best times to visit," she says. “Otherwise, any time of the day works."

Dana also explains that there are different park highlights that change between the seasons, such as in spring: “It’s baby season, which is exciting," she explains. “There are baby koalas, quokkas, birds and more."

Koala's in the tree at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
Spend the day with these furry creatures. (Image: Julie Fletcher)

What other animals can I see at KI Wildlife Park?

Koalas might steal the show and melt our hearts, but there are many other, captivating animals you need to see at the park. Buy a bag of feed to get up close to wallabies and roos and feel the warmth of a snake’s body against yours, as you hold it close.

Now, you can even choose to take a walk like no other – with Loki, the dingo.

“Dingo walks are something that has been newly added," says Dana. “They’re a lot of fun."

There are also new exotic experiences, such as with meerkats and servals (a species of African cat). While all these can be booked individually on the KI Wildlife Park website, you can also organise a private tour for a more curated and personalised experience of the Kangaroo Island wildlife.

A kookaburra sits in a tree at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.
You can see lots of different animals in the park. (Image: Alana Jayne Elgazzar)

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Is Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park good for families?

Th wildlife park is perfect for kids (and, it goes without saying, big kids too). There are plenty of educational activities, and chances for families to fall in love with the natural world. Note that there are some restrictions on what the littlies can do, such as needing to be strong enough to hold a koala for the petting section.

Child pats Kangaroo Island kangaroos.
Kids will love Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park. (Image: Alana Jayne Elgazzar)

Is there food at the wildlife park?

There is a small cafe at the wildlife centre, serving up ice creams and coffees. Nearby there is also a picnic area for BYO lunches. The perfect opportunity to devour a spread of KI produce, no? (You can read more about our favourite places to eat on Kangaroo Island here.)

Little girl feeds a kangaroo at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.
There are plenty of opportunities for families to fall in love with the natural world. (Image: Megan Crabb)

How much does it cost?

Tickets cost $35 for an adult, $30 for a concession, $20 for a child and from $100 for a family ticket. To check out the full, up-to-date list, head to the park website.

Head to our Kangaroo Island travel guide for more on what to do while you’re there.
Kate Bettes
Kate Bettes is a freelance travel writer. Whether having a picnic in Vietnamese jungle with new friends, or partying in the back of a limousine in Hollywood, Kate’s experiences have left her with the sneaking suspicion that the best travel memories happen when you least expect. It’s this feeling - and how to get it - that she loves to write about.
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7 wellness experiences on Hamilton Island for complete rejuvenation

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    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.

    Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.

    1. E-Mountain biking

    mountain bikers on Hamilton Island wellness
    Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)

    For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.

    As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.

    2. HI Fitness Club

    HI Fitness Club reformer pilates
    Stretch out with reformer pilates.

    If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.

    I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.

    3. Walking trails

    runners on hamilton island
    Get the blood pumping on a morning run.

    We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.

    While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.

    4. Spa wumurdaylin

    Spa Wumurdaylin on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.

    In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.

    It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.

    5. Sunrise yoga

    sunrise yoga session at the sundays on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Start your day on the right foot.

    Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.

    Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.

    6. Getting out on the water

    people on sup boards at the sundays hamilton island
    Try your hand at a host of watersports.

    Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.

    Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.

    Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.

    7. Take a swing

    Dent Island Golf course
    Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.

    For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.

    Find out more ways to unwind in the Whitsundays at hamiltonisland.com.au.