Currumbin is not a zoo with a conservation angle bolted on. It is a not-for-profit sanctuary across 27 hectares of native bushland, running a wildlife hospital you can watch through the glass, and it has been doing it since 1947.
Here is what a ticket covers, what costs extra, and the handful of details that change how the day goes.
It started in 1947, when a local beekeeper named Alex Griffiths began feeding lorikeets to keep them off his flowers. The birds kept coming back. People started showing up to watch. Before long, there was a sanctuary.
Almost eighty years on, the lorikeets still turn up at the same spot, same times, every day. It’s run as a not-for-profit under the National Trust of Queensland.
The on-site Wildlife Hospital is one of the busiest in the world, treating thousands of injured native animals a year, and you can watch the vets at work through viewing windows during your visit. It’s an odd thing to run into mid-day out, and it’s usually the part people talk about most afterward.
A standard ticket covers the full sanctuary for the day: all exhibits and habitats, the daily shows and keeper talks, the Lost Valley rainforest precinct, the Extinction Trail, the newer Outback Springs area, the Wildlife Hospital viewing, and unlimited rides on the miniature train that loops the grounds — genuinely useful if you have young kids or anyone who’d rather not walk 27 hectares.
| Ticket type | What’s included | Notes |
| General admission | Full sanctuary, all daily shows, Lost Valley, Extinction Trail, Outback Springs, hospital viewing, miniature train | Covers most first-time visitors |
| Koala photo encounter | Hold a koala and take a photo | Limited daily slots that sell out — book ahead, not on arrival |
| Kangaroo feeding | Hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos | Small additional cost for feed |
| Wildlife Hospital behind-the-scenes tour | 60-minute guided access to rehabilitation areas | Runs mornings, separate booking |
| TreeTop Challenge | High ropes and zipline above the canopy | Separately operated, allow 1–2 hours |
| Breakfast with Koalas | Small-group keeper experience before general opening | Pre-booking essential |
| Astra Lumina | Evening light trail through the bushland | Friday and Saturday nights, extra dates in school holidays; separate ticket |
Book general admission at AUD 54, or Astra Lumina separately if you want the night trail.
Worth knowing before you plan anything else: the wild lorikeet feeding happens at 8am and 4pm every day, and no entry ticket is required to attend. You can watch for free, or take part with a gold coin donation for a nectar tray.
The 8am session runs an hour before the sanctuary opens. It’s cooler, quieter, and the birds arrive in numbers that catch first-timers completely off guard — they land on arms, shoulders and heads without hesitation.
The practical implication: arrive at 8am for the feeding, then walk straight into the sanctuary when the gates open at 9. You get the best session of the day and a clear run at the park before the crowds.
Currumbin offers koala holding as a paid add-on. It sells out — often days ahead — so book it before you book anything else. If you’ve missed it, ask at the front desk at 9am about same-day availability rather than assuming it’s gone.
One correction worth making, since it’s repeated everywhere: Queensland is not the only state where holding a koala is legal. It’s permitted in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, and prohibited in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Queensland simply has the widest choice of places offering it. Handling is tightly regulated wherever it’s allowed — individual koalas are limited in how long they can be held each day, and joeys and mothers with young are never handled.
Open 9am to 4pm daily, last entry 3:30pm. The only two closures in the year are ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
Allow four to five hours minimum. Two hours doesn’t cover the bird show, the hospital presentation and one lorikeet feeding, let alone the Lost Valley or Outback Springs.
Families routinely turn it into a full day, especially with the TreeTop Challenge or an Astra Lumina session in the evening.
Weekday mornings are quietest. Weekends and Queensland school holidays fill up, particularly around the koala encounters, so pre-book add-ons if missing out would spoil the day.
The sanctuary sits at 28 Tomewin St, Currumbin, just off the Gold Coast Highway — about 10 minutes from Gold Coast Airport, 25 minutes from Broadbeach, and 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise. From Brisbane, take the Pacific Motorway south and exit toward Stewart Road.
On-site parking costs $10 per car for the day, in the car park opposite the main entrance on Tomewin Street, open 7:30am to 5:30pm. All parking proceeds go to the sanctuary and the wildlife hospital. Free street parking exists in the surrounding streets if you’d rather not pay, though it fills early on busy days and during events.
Currumbin does something most wildlife attractions don’t: the ticket price funds a working hospital you can watch in operation, and the animals aren’t arranged for your convenience. Book ahead, get there for the 8am lorikeet feeding, secure the koala encounter before anything else, and budget the full day.
If you are building out the rest of the trip, the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk pairs well with a wildlife day, and the wider list of things to do on the Gold Coast covers the theme parks and beyond.
General admission through TickYourList is AUD 54, against a gate price of around AUD 59. Koala encounters, kangaroo feeding and the TreeTop Challenge are priced separately. Children under 3 enter free.
No. On-site parking is $10 per car for the full day, with proceeds supporting the sanctuary and wildlife hospital. The car park runs 7:30am to 5:30pm. Free street parking is available nearby but fills quickly.
No. The wild lorikeet feeding at 8am and 4pm is open to everyone without an entry ticket. You can watch for free or join in with a gold coin donation for a nectar tray. The 8am session is an hour before the sanctuary opens.
Yes, as a paid add-on to general admission. Slots are limited and sell out days in advance, so book early. Contrary to a widely repeated claim, Queensland is not the only state permitting this — it’s also legal in South Australia and Western Australia.
Almost. It’s open 9am to 4pm daily with the last entry at 3:30pm, closing only on ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
Four to five hours to cover the highlights properly. A full day is common for families, particularly if you add the TreeTop Challenge or stay for Astra Lumina.
Friday and Saturday nights, with additional dates during school holidays. The trail opens once the last light fades, with doors an hour earlier. It’s ticketed separately from daytime admission.
