Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary tickets for family are a great pick on the Gold Coast. With kids, it is one of the simpler full days out, but a few small points can change how easy it feels. Check who can enter for free, then make sure you know what your children are tall enough to ride or do.
Also, plan your arrival time so you are not rushing or waiting around. This is the guide version made for families.
Adult general admission runs around AUD 53–54 booked online against a gate price near AUD 59. Check whether a family bundle beats buying individual tickets for your group size before you book — for a standard two-adult, two-child family that’s worth two minutes of comparison.
The lorikeet feeding at 8am and 4pm needs no entry ticket. You can watch for free, or take part with a gold coin donation for a nectar tray.
The 8am session runs a full hour before the sanctuary opens. It’s cooler, quieter, and the birds arrive in numbers that leave small children genuinely astonished — they land on arms, shoulders and heads.
The strategy that works: arrive at 8am for the feeding, then walk in when the gates open at 9. You get the best twenty minutes of the day before you’ve spent anything, and a clear run at the sanctuary before the crowds.
9am to 4pm daily, last entry 3:30pm. Closed only on ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
Don’t confuse these with the lorikeet times or the car park hours (7:30am–5:30pm). The 3:30pm cut-off catches people out.
| Included in general entry | Extra cost | |
| Full-day sanctuary access | Yes | — |
| Lorikeet feeding | Yes (free to all, ticket or not) | — |
| Free Flight Bird Show and keeper talks | Yes | — |
| Wildlife Hospital viewing | Yes | — |
| Lost Valley rainforest precinct | Yes | — |
| Hop-on hop-off miniature train | Yes | — |
| Koala photo encounter | No | Separate, sells out days ahead |
| Kangaroo feed | No | Small cost for feed |
| TreeTop Challenge | No | Separate ticket |
| Astra Lumina evening trail | No | Separate ticket, Friday and Saturday nights plus extra school-holiday dates |
| Parking | No | $10 per car per day |
TreeTop Challenge requires participants to reach roughly 160cm, and 180cm for the advanced Black Course. That rules out most under-12s. If an older child has their heart set on it, measure before you promise — and confirm current requirements with the operator, since it runs separately from the sanctuary.
Koala encounters sell out days in advance, not on the morning. If holding a koala is the reason you’re going, book it before you book anything else.
One correction worth making, because it’s repeated everywhere: Queensland is not the only state where holding a koala is legal. It’s also permitted in South Australia and Western Australia, and prohibited in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Queensland simply has the most places offering it.
The miniature train loops the grounds and is included in general admission. On a hot afternoon, once younger legs have given up, it stops being a novelty and starts being the reason the day continues.
Boardwalks and ramps cover most of the 27 hectares, so prams handle the majority of the site comfortably. A few of the steeper bush tracks are easier with a second pair of hands. Wheelchairs are available at the entrance — worth calling ahead in peak periods rather than assuming one’s free.
The shade is uneven. The rainforest boardwalks are cool; the open kangaroo paddocks are not. Hats, sunscreen and water matter more than the forecast suggests.
Arrive early. The 8am feeding is calmer than the 4pm one, and animals are more active before the heat.
Weekday mornings in spring or autumn are the quietest stretch of the year.
Check the show schedule at the entrance, not from memory or an old blog post. Keeper talk times shift with season and animal welfare needs. The crocodile show in particular fills up, so arrive early for a decent spot.
Allow four to five hours for the highlights. Families with nappers or determined show-chasers routinely stretch it to a full day.
28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin — about ten minutes from Gold Coast Airport, 25 to 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise, and a straight run down the Pacific Motorway from Brisbane.
On-site parking is $10 per car for the day, in the car park opposite the main entrance, open 7:30am to 5:30pm. Proceeds go to the sanctuary and wildlife hospital. Free street parking exists in surrounding streets but fills early. National Trust members park free.
Buses run from Surfers Paradise with a stop by the sanctuary if you’d rather not drive.
There’s a café on site with sit-down and grab-and-go options. Outside food and drink aren’t permitted, so plan on eating there or on timing the visit around a meal outside the gates.
If you visit more than twice a year, National Trust Queensland membership gives unlimited entry, free parking and access to heritage properties beyond Currumbin. Worth pricing against two family day visits.
Book the koala encounter first if you want it, arrive at 8am for the free lorikeet feeding, budget $10 for parking, and be inside before 3:30pm. The sanctuary handles the rest.
Book general admission, add Astra Lumina for an evening visit, or browse things to do on the Gold Coast.
Yes. Flat boardwalks, the included train, shaded rest areas and gentle animal encounters suit young children well. Under-2s enter free.
Child pricing starts at 2. Under-2s are free. Adult pricing applies from 16.
No. The 8am and 4pm feedings are open to everyone without entry. You can join in with a gold coin donation for a nectar tray. The 8am session is an hour before the sanctuary opens.
9am to 4pm daily with the last entry at 3:30pm. Closed ANZAC Day and Christmas Day only.
No. On-site parking is $10 per car for the day, free for National Trust members. The car park runs 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Generally not. Participants need to reach around 160cm, and 180cm for the Black Course, which rules out most under-12s. Confirm current requirements before booking.
Yes. Sessions are limited and sell out days in advance. Book before anything else if it matters to your family.
Four to five hours covers the highlights. A full day works if you’re catching multiple shows or travelling with children who need a slower pace.
