Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

I recently visited a charming spot that serves as a great alternative if you miss Mona’s regular Thursday to Sunday opening hours. The sanctuary is a bit of a trek from Hobart city with limited transportation options. Getting there via Uber was straightforward, but securing a ride back proved challenging. Therefore, it's essential to plan your day ahead. The sanctuary offers a modest selection of animals and an engaging tour. Although it may not boast a vast variety of species, the visit is worthwhile if you’re keen on supporting animal rescue efforts. The experience is both educational and heartwarming, making it a valuable trip for those who have a passion for wildlife conservation.

I loved our visit to Bonorong! I've never been so close to a kangaroo! It was such an experience to be able to feed them too. I would love to have done the tour but we skipped it as there were a lot of people joining at same time so it was difficult to hear. We enjoyed wandering around at our own pace. Many of the animals they are taking care of are nocturnal, therefore found many sleeping or not visible during the day. Some of them woke up for a stretch and a wander though! The information boards at the front of cages are informative and interesting. The sanctuary is doing important work. Recommend a visit to support them.

We were very happy with our visit to this Sanctuary. It is well laid out and fun, especially being able to hand feed the Kangaroos that are wandering freely. I'd never stroked one before, and their fur was so soft. I finally got to see a wombat up close. Great visit.

Not a zoo but a wildlife sanctuary where injured or orphaned wildlife are nursed back to health in preparation for release back into the wild. Excellent guided tours or the ability to roam independently to view animals and birds. Feeding kangaroos is also a highlight

Had a lovely experience here. Staff were super knowledgeable and obviously loved their work here. Not too big an area to navigate but big enough to house some incredible animals. They do an amazing job. 👏 Personal fave was the Tasmanian Devil and the Wombats...LucyGoosey was super cute too!!

Love the place. Such an amazing sanctuary for injured and orphaned wildlife, with the best hospital being built currently, with highly skilled staff, and volunteers who work tirelessly to help wildlife. The sanctuary is set up well, easy to navigate around and there are plenty of educational resources on site, wildlife talks, tours and more. The cafe has a great selection of vegan food and drinks. There is also a 24 hour wildlife rescue line and training courses for those who want to help. Jacqui Cleijne

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary has some interesting animals, and the staff are friendly, but it doesn’t offer enough to justify the high entry fee. The place is quite small, and beyond a few enclosures and kangaroo feeding, there’s not much to do. While their conservation efforts are great, the experience itself feels limited. A fair price would be around $30 per family, not the $100 they charge. Unless you're really passionate about wildlife, it’s hard to justify the cost.

Loved every minute of it! The park isn't huge, so you'll have the opportunity to see everything. We did the wombat experience and had the best time cuddling a baby wombat and learning all about them. We also did the free daily talk, and had a great keeper talk to us about echidna, wombats, and Tasmanian Devils. Highly recommend the whole park, as well as spending big at the gift store (the park is run solely on donations).

Cannot say enough positive things about this place. The work they do for Tasmanians animals is wonderful. The guides are really special and their knowledge is unsurpassed. Do not visit Tasmania and miss this place. I visited as part of a tour so cannot speak to admission prices.

Bonorong is a great place to learn about the local animals. Their mission is to rehabilitate and release, if possible, the animals brought to them because of injury - or to give them a home if they would perish in the wild. The public gets the benefit of visiting these animals that need to stay and are able to learn so much about them. I highly suggest the 30 minute tour or other experiences as these guides have lots of information and interesting stories. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with all the animals and ended with a visit to the kangaroos. Many of them were contentedly resting, but we were able to find a smaller kangaroo that was interested in our food. Such a delight to feed them and scratch them on their chest. This kangaroo just seemed to melt with the scratching. Apparently, that is the spot they can't reach. I was delighted to pay my admission ticket knowing I was supporting such a fantastic program for the wild animals in need.

The name 'BONORONG' is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'native companion'. The Sanctuary is on land originally owned by the Mumirimina people. They were dispossessed of their land and did not survive the early colonial period of Tasmania. The Palawa people, today's Tasmanian Aboriginal community, are considered the traditional owners of the land. Many of the animals we met here no longer exist anywhere else. For others, Tasmania is a last refuge. We saw Tasmanian devils, wombats, sugar gliders, forester kangaroos, tawdry frogmouths, echidnas, Tasmanian bettongs, exotic cockatoos, koalas .. We were given a complimentary bag of food for the kangaroos. We were told that they will love meeting us, eating out of our hands and being given a gentle scratch on the chest. There was an animal Hospital to the side where injured animals are brought in and treated. There was a small expensive gift shop and Cafe.

What a fantastic place! You get to feed the kangaroos, there are Emus, Tasmanian Devils, all sorts! They do tours several times each day, and it's just a really fun place to see lots of animals. And while you are there, try the fries! We got a little hungry wandering around, so we ordered the fries. Best fries in forever!!!

Best place to see Wallabies, devils and wombats. Now one can hold and feed tassie devils and sugar gliders for 50 each. One thing I don't like is seeing birds in small cages, but they might be too injured to fly. Great place overall just needs a little tlc.

This is really an awesome place to take your family. My two year old son really loved this place. He was able to see a wide variety of local wildlife. This is an animal rescue shelter so they provide homes for animals that otherwise would have been left without a mother or too sick to survive. I spent about 90 minutes here and it was one of the highlights of my trip to Tasmania. My son was able to feed a kangaroo and pet a koala bear.

To think that so many like minded folks have generously donated their time and talents to protect Tasmania's local animals (and a few who aren't quite native) is incredibly impressive. This is a wonderful place to visit and you may never have another opportunity to see so many of Tasmania's anImal kingdom up close. You can walk among the 'roos and wallabies, feeding them, scratching their tummies (you will learn why not to not pat their heads or backs), see the Koalas, emus, possums, Tasmanian devils running circles and playing tag with their friends, kookaburras, and of course the wonderful wombats. You may even get to pet or hold (if it's quiet and there's no cruise ship in port). You can even pop your head in to the operating room and see any life saving procedures that may currently be underway - although don't get upset if there's not, in this case, it's a good thing.

Heart warmed. Possibly one of the best animal experiences, Bonorong Wildlife Park is absolutely worth the trip when you're in Tasmania. Tassie devils, koalas, and blue-tongued lizards - they have a selection of Australian animals to see, and there is something for visitors of all ages. Best of all, unlike other animal sanctuaries we visited in Australia, Bonorong Wildlife Park felt more like a habitat than zoo. While yes, this may mean less variety than an actual zoo, the up close encounters you engage in make it well worth it. Once you enter the wide plains with mountains fringing the horizon, you can stroll along, and find a bevy of adorable kangaroos happy to be petted or fed. In addition, food is stored in boxes throughout the space, so you can easily grab handful upon handful of feed to entice new friends to come over and say hello. While we were given clear instructions about how to handle ourselves before entering (I.E. where they do and do not like to be touched and how to hold your palm as they eat), so long as you stick to the rules you can really get up close and personal and enjoy the adorable roos. All the admission fees go to caring for the animals and to animal rescue throughout Tasmania, so not only do you get to partake in a special experience but you are also contributing to a wonderful cause. Definitely make sure to add Bonorong Wildlife Park to your Australian itinerary, it is worth the journey.

Truly one of the coolest places I've ever visited!! I have always been a fan of the cartoon tasmanian devil character when I was a kid. So after all these years, I finally got to see a couple of them in real life. After we arrived, each visitor was given a bag of kangaroo food. The sanctuary has zookeepers doing animal talks every hour to explain the stories of some of the keep residents inside the sanctuary. The first one was the cute chubby wombat, who was rescued after her mom was killed in a car accident. She was super shy and kept hiding her head in the zookeeper's lap. The next was the young Tas devil who was very hungry and chewed through a large piece of pork leg, amazing! Then it was the koala, who was super lazy and basically just slept all day by wedging her fat bum between 2 tree branches. Think she was too overweight to move at all. We each got to take closer photo with her and rub her furry bottom. Super cute! There's also a ton of exotic birds, local species on display. The kangaroos and peacocks were just running around wild in the park. Most of them slept, and jumped around only when necessary. We got to feed several of them, and took lots of photos with them. An amazing experience! Must see when in Tasmania!

We had one day left in Hobart and we decided that we wanted an interaction with animals. Someone had suggested to us that the Bonarong Sanctuary was a MUST see so with a recommendation like that, how could we turn that down? We decided to go in the afternoon but plan your trip there carefully. The best part for us were the animal interactions and you can choose from wombat, echidna, sugar gliders, frogmouths and one more... (I'm forgetting). For our group of 9, we decided to do the wombat, echidna and the frogmouths which were FANTASTIC. You must do these as they were definitely the highlight of our trip there. We got to interact with their wombat, Comet, who lazily moved around and across our laps. You can't hold him, per se, unless he chooses to nestle in your lap. Great photo op. You get to pet and feed the echidnas as part of that experience as well and they are terribly cute. The frogmouths were fun as well. You step into their cage and watch them get fed which was super neat. If you have a large enough group and if they are not too busy you can do all of the interaction activities at the time that is convenient for you. Just give them a call to give them a heads up. With your entrance fee, it includes kangaroo feed and interactions with them along with a guided tour that lasts about 45 min. They have Tasmanian devils, wombats, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, snakes, cockatoos and many more. All of these animals were rescues and if they are able to be released back into the wild, they will be but otherwise some will be hanging out at the sanctuary for the long run. Don't forget to check out the vet hut as well where they examine animals that have been brought in with injuries. We got to see a fairy penguin examine which was neat! Be prepared to send 3-4 hours there especially if you do the interaction. You'll be spending at least 45 min with the kangaroos who are so much fun. They're a little bit out of the way so be sure to book your bus/taxi/uber ahead of time so they can pick you up as soon as you're ready. Pick up a souvenir and support Bonarong!

Of the aquariums and zoos that I visited in Australia, I would say that my trip to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary was the best. I visited this animal sanctuary as part of a Tasmanian day trip that I had booked. This was the afternoon portion of the itinerary. Bonorong is about a half hour drive north of Hobart in a suburb called Brighton. The admission fare is $28 which is comparable to the animal attractions in Sydney. What makes Bonorong a must see in Tasmania are the kangaroos. Upon entering the sanctuary, you are given a complimentary bag of kangaroo food. Yes, to feed the kangaroos with! I have never seen more kangaroos in one place than I saw here. There are not just a few kangaroos here, they were all over the grounds. To feed the kangaroos, grab some food with your hand and hold out for the kangaroos to eat. Try to walk around and not feed all of your food to a few of the kangaroos closest to the entry. There were some really big kangaroos here, so you may want to keep a bit of a distance from them for your safety. In addition to kangaroos, there are other interesting animals like Tasmanian devils which don't really look like the Warner Brothers cartoon. Their teeth are quite amazing as I saw a couple devils have a long tug of war with their teeth over a piece of meat. They also have wombats which resemble gophers. They like to stay in the dark so it was cool to see them in person and even touch their backs which are really tough. The sanctuary also has koalas though they weren't very lively when I visited. Sleepy as they usually are. Being that the whole grounds are outdoors, it was quite chilly on the day that I visited as it was the first day of winter. If you visit during the cooler months, make sure to wear warm attire. While Bonorong does not offer as many animal exhibits as a big city zoo, I think it is worth visiting to see kangaroos up close in a natural habitat like setting.

Bonorong is a wildlife sanctuary about 20 miles north of Hobart city, and a fantastic place to visit while in Tasmania. It was amazing experience to get close to some of the adorable animals which are unique in Australia, such as wombats, Tasmanian devils, koala, kangaroo and echidnas. Highly recommended.

One of the best places to see a Tasmanian Devil in Tasmania! A very well organized wildlife park for tourists. This park is fully funded by visitors coming to the park. A great sanctuary for injured and orphaned animals. It even has a working hospital where you can see surgery on injured animals or animal check ups. Amazing! Excellent animals talks by the keepers! Very friendly kangaroo sanctuary too. Entry fees include a bag of feed for the kangaroos!

Wonderful and as we came with a cruise tour, we had a special night tour. This place does such good work and is only financed through your visit, so do visit them! Wear good walking shoes as terrain is challenging in spots.

Both myself, my wife and our kids are all season pass holders for Bonarong Wildlife Sanctuary. It's a great place to visit some of the coolest and cutest Australian animals.

As I waited for the bf to get done with whatever he was doing in the car, I spotted a large sulpher-crested cockatoo sitting on the fence nearby. I slowly approached and the nearer I got, the louder my whispers got "Jeff! Jeff! Check it out, he's not flying away!" I was stunned as I reached up and the bird lowered its head to allow me to massage the back of its neck. No leash, no shackles, free. Turns out his name was "Oscar" and he belonged to the Sanctuary. I was in his playground. This is a sanctuary, not a zoo. And all the animals within are here to survive by the care of volunteers and a staff dedicated to the prevention of further extinctions. Endangered Eastern Quall, the Tasmanian Pademelon and Bettong, golden possums, potoroos and emus to the brilliant spotted-tailed qualls, wombats and echidnas all get special treatment here and you will be rewarded with a renewed perspective on how fragile life can be without caring individuals working to protect them. "The only thing worse than the Tasmanian Devil's evil demeanor is it's foul odor." I remember them saying. And yet I was soon stroking the back of one of these fanged and furry "monsters". To refer to them as "devils" is a misnomer as their deviltry doesn't come close to that of humans who have hunted these poor creatures to near-extinction, just as they did to the "Tasmanian Tiger" (Thylacine), gone forever but for a few photographs. (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=tazmanian%20tiger&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CGYQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fid%2F50654638%2Fns%2Ftechnology_and_science-science%2F&ei=OUw2UazEH-SMyAGY64FA&usg=AFQjCNFzMvrRkDa5tgwA7CCLdmdZjVkg1Q&bvm=bv.43148975,d.aWc) If you're going to cross the Tasman Sea to this incredibly beautiful and undeveloped island, a trip to Bonorong is a must. Then head to town to get some of the freshest and cleanest seafood you've ever seen, pick out a bottle or two of some killer Oz or New Zealand wine and pick an isolated overview on this rugged, untamed coastline. Your perspective will change.

Wonderful experience!!! We visited today and were not disappointed! Of course we were impatient and started off with feeding the Kangaroos they were great! It was everything we hoped for, we even got to take a few selfies with them. we also did the tour at 11:30 which was a great experience as well! Overall a wonderful time. We are only visiting for one day while traveling Australia and this was a great way to spend our morning!

This place was the BEST BEST ever! Entrance fee is AUD$25 which includes a bag of food for the wallabies that you will soon be surrounded by. There's also a free guided tour where our guide walked us through the wombat (lucie) pen, tasmanian devils, and koalas. Our guide (sorry forgot his name) was pretty awesome and filled us with tons of information about the animals. The best part was you really got a feel for the sanctuary and the love and dedication they have for the animals. Sanctuary even has a 24 hour hotline for any animals that need rescuing. Tons of wallabies to feed and they can be pretty aggressive and cute at the same time. If i'm ever back in Tasmania, this will be a must stop again.

This animal sanctuary is just 35 min from Hobart and you could easily miss it with just one sign at the entrance but you really should stop here! It's a very casual atmosphere and the animals all seem in their natural environment. It easily covers most of the major Australian wildlife and there are free tours once you have paid $28pp admission to join throughout the day. You will be able to pat a koala but be gentle as they will likely keep sleeping through it. You also get pellets to feed and pat kangaroos. They can get a bit hangry so beware but it's cute to see the joeys as their mamas hop around. There are even some animals roaming or flying overhead so a very comfortable environment and great for kids. The views from the park overlook the farms and valley. It's a peaceful experience that is worth the journey.

Loved it here!! I came here by myself when my wife was off working and I had a blast!! The tour guide was super nice and knowledgable. The wildlife seemed well taken care of and the facilities were clean. It was a wonderful experience!

Stopped here as a part of Tasmania Tours. I loved this park! The things they do for these injured animals are incredible! I would highly recommend you take the tour with a park guide.

These folks are doing a great service. They take in hurt and orphaned animals from around Tasmania. Check out the pictures.

Such a majestic place!!! As soon as I walked through the front doors I was transported to a place of wonder & adventure. The enclosures were clean & well kept; your questions were answered & you were allowed to interact with the sanctuary animals. I left a piece of my heart here

As somebody who lives outside of Australia, this was such a fun way to see all the animals that are native to only Australia (or even just Tasmania!) I enjoyed the kangaroo feed that you get upon buying your ticket, as there are over 80 free-roaming kangaroos in the whole sanctuary. We found the big ones that be a little overly aggressive (had its paw on my dad's belt and wouldn't let go!!) but the cute small ones were adorable. I love the sanctuary's mission in rescuing the wildlife and educating visitors. I did manage to see one Tasmanian Devil (I was NOT going to leave without seeing one) but only got to manage to take one photo of it pooping before it was out of sight again. In addition to what other reviewers said, you get to see the other animals such as the local parakeets and kookaburra. A must visit if you're in the Hobart area!

Awesome place to see wonderfully fauna Tassie has up close and personal. There are free short tours run a couple of times a day by one of the keepers. The enterance fee includes a free bag of food for the wallabies so you can do some hand feeding which also allows for some great photo opportunities. They have the Tassie 'big five' on display - Tassie Devil, wombat, wallaby, koala, and echidna in very animal friendly enclosures. Other aussie natives are also around the park. Please note that some of the animals are nocturnal so maybe tucked away sleeping. The sanctuary are involved with care of injured wildlife from around Tasmania. Whether you are a tourist or not this is a great place to see Tassie Devils up close.

Wow! This place is awesome. Not only did I get to pet a Koala bear, but I got to interact and feed Kangaroos! You can literally sit here and hang out with them all day. A big shout out to all the helpful guides that made it such an educational and fun experience.

One of the best experiences ever! Do the Feeding Frenzie if you're an animal lover-the experience is unparalleled. The staff is amazing, incredibly knowledgeable and will arrange transportation if needed. This place is clearly run with love and the animals needs are foremost. This is a place you can visit and know you are supporting an amazing organization; the animals are well cared for. Spot on. Worth the trip from Chicago!!

Outstanding grounds and wild animal rescue facility! Easy close-up access to all animals who are handled with tlc. This is the next generation for zoos.

While this is a very beautiful and well-kept place, it is not a great idea to arrive before the tour starts at 11:30. We arrived around 10 because we had several things we were aiming to accomplish for the day, however most of the animals were not visible at this time. It was quite a shame- we really did not see much and there were no staff members peppered throughout the sanctuary at that time period between 10-11:30 or so. Maybe it was also because it was winter? I do not know. It was just highly disappointing. The birds were out and about in all their glory as were a pair of tasmanian devils. Kangaroos were happy to be petted and fed but we literally did not see one single other mammal in the park in any of their spaces (well, except maybe a sleepy koala or two...). My guess is come later in the day? I would call and ask them when the animals will be out and about. I was excited to be attending such a well-put-together sanctuary but was sad that I was not able to see much if anything during my visit. My guess is that this can be a highly exciting and memorable or highly disappointing experience- definitely check ahead! NOTE: This was a MUCH more well-cared-for facility than Lone Pine in Brisbane- it was very clear of the care Bonorong staff take with the animal enclosures which are pristine and beautiful and I assume appropriate/specific to the respective animals.

My wife and I visited Bonorong today as part of a shore excursion while cruising on the Noordam. It was a wonderful day seeing all of these beautiful, and not so common, animals! Hats off to the staff that see to the exceptional care of these beautiful creatures!!!

Bonorong is an absolute must see! This wildlife sanctuary is run by passionate people who truly care about the animals. We paid extra for the Feeding Frenzy tour and it was more than worth it. The animal caretaker Robyn was very educational and the animals really seemed to trust her. We especially enjoyed our time with the cutest wombat named Maria (pronounced muh-ry-ah). She voluntarily sat in our laps and quickly won our hearts. We also loved seeing the endangered Tasmanian Devils up close and personal as we fed them an afternoon snack. Bonorong is an amazing sanctuary and we highly recommend that you check it out!

The Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary was the highlight of our trip to AU. They offered unlimited hands on kangaroo petting and feeding which was so much fun in a beautiful setting. The roos were sweet and gave you gentle nudges when they wanted more food. There were several pens for close up views of Tasmanian devils, koalas, wombats, and a variety of birds and other animals. I could have spent the whole day here.

I'm glad that we were able to get to Bonorong. We did hire a car to drive around for a few days and fortunately we found this sanctuary online before leaving home. It was easy to locate, not far out of Hobart. Included with the price of admission is food for the Wallabies and an introductory tour of the park by one of the knowledgeable and passionate guides. There was a cute baby Wombat, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, Quolls, Wallabies, Emu, birds, snakes and more. Cory was sweet and allowed us to follow along as he fed some of the animals. It was especially exciting for us to see the Devils being fed and seeing first hand that they are not the scary creatures we previously thought (now I think they are kinda cute). I don't think we would have seen the Quolls without Cory, because they came out as he fed them. The staff members here really care about the animals in their care. The objective is to return animals to the wild when possible. They want to educate the public about wildlife; things like a dead Marsupial could have a live infant in its pouch, and what to do with an injured animal. I highly recommend a visit to this sanctuary. Leave an extra donation and/or make a purchase in their gift shop. They can use the extra funds to keep this terrific place open.

We visited Bonorong, not knowing what to expect and were greeted by incredibly friendly staff! It was a matter of chance that Bonorong was able to fit us in for the premium night tour, the day of, and boy were we lucky! The owner Greg came to greet us and showed us back to their classroom. When we entered there was not only a glass of bubbles but also red wine for us to try from a local vineyard, sourced by the owner himself. Our host for the night proceeded to tell us the history of Bonorong and his personal story for beginning his rescue service/animal sanctuary. His story is beyond moving and inspiring, while instantly setting the theme for the remainder of the evening. Our adventure and time at Bonorong was unlike any other animal experience we've ever had. There aren't enough positive words we can say about this TRUE animal sanctuary! The kangaroos are amazing, the koalas are sleepy and awesome, the Tasmanian Devils are anything but Devils and the Quolls are just cool! The private premium your was worth every penny!

We live in NYC and had booked a trip to Sydney when we found out about Bonorong...immediately added a flight to Tasmania to our trip just so we could visit this place and SO GLAD!! We did the "feeding frenzy" tour and our guide Jeff was fantastic---helped us into the habitats of the animals where we could lure them out with food, get to spend time with them, hold them up close and most importantly LEARN about them - their origins, natural habitat, diets, quirks! Super-informative and well-coordinated tour - despite the torrential downpour while we were there. Thanks, Jeff! Say hi to Tina (the wombat) and Fidget (the albino possum) for us! The Feeding Frenzy tour exceeded expectations! A must-do for all animal/ wildlife enthusiasts. And thanks Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary team for preserving such a gem down there in Tassie!