We enjoyed our recent visit to the Moonlit Sanctuary. The sanctuary operates as a wildlife rescue, breeding and education centre. We were lucky enough to hear the Dingo's howl once inside the park preparing us for the sound that occasionally breaks the silence of our next destination, the Australian semi arid zone and the Red Centre. We timed our trip to include feeding kangaroos on the wallaby walk and the keeper-led talks on Cockatoos, Parrots and Koalas. Aurora the Red tailed cockatoo patiently sitting on her egg in the Cockatoo enclosure being fed by her mate Antonio was particularly sweet to see. Mo the Koala put on a show once he was offered some West Australia Eucalypt leaves known as Koala junk food. We learned that Koalas have a gestation of 35 days before moving to the pouch for 6-8 months and then finally mums back til they are weaned of Pap and left to fend for themselves. With a lifespan of 10-15 years Koalas don't mind the rain with a waterproof and double coat that keeps the rain off and cold out even high in the gum trees. Our tour guide delivered a quick synopsis on Wombats and their curious cubed poo and self defense system before we attended the conservation training show where we got up and personal with Pikelet the long nosed Potoroo and Mikah and Obsidian the flighty Bush Stone Curlews. read more

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One of the best places to visit in VIC, the Moonlit Sanctuary is a life altering experience! A bit off the beaten path for most tourist, the sanctuary is about an hour drive from Melbourne. A trip I wouldn't mind making any time I'm visiting the area! You can of course feed the animals as you see them around the sanctuary but if you are going there, I absolutely recommend booking as many of the tours and experiences as you possibly can! From kangaroos, to wallabies, to koalas, you can't go wrong! Highlights for us included taking pictures with the Koalas and walking the Dingos! The staff is outstanding. Their love and dedication to the animals is obvious from the moment you walk in and is reaffirmed throughout the whole experience; they are truly cared for and this isn't just a tourist trap. They never attempt to force the animals to do anything they don't like and if that means you don't get your perfect shot, too bad! I really respect and appreciate that. The sanctuary isn't large but it isn't small either. The atmosphere is lovely and you are surrounded by wildlife. I would highly, highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves nature and animals! read more

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One of the highlights of my trip to Australia is the visit to The Moonlit Sanctuary! Koalas, Kangaroos, Wombats, Wallabies, Emu, birds....the list goes on and on! Where else can you roam with the Kangaroos and feed them right out of your hands? This reminded me of a trip to Nara Park in Japan, where we got to interact with the deer and feed them. The deer would come up to you and bow their heads/antlers. Here in Australia, the Kangaroos don't bow but they reach out to you with their paws and reach for your hands! OMGGG So cute! Wanna pet a Koala and take a photo with them? For a donation of $25AUD, you can! It is well worth the $25AUD and the money goes to a great cause. Do it! See my many posted photos and go visit this sanctuary! Please support them! read more

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The Moonlit Sanctuary was such a cool experience. I initially booked the night tour and I loved it so much that I came back during the day for the Koala encounter. The kangaroos and wallabies were so adorable and friendly, during the tour they'd walk right up to us looking for treats. At one point, we were surrounded by about 20 kangaroos and wallabies of all sizes. I fell in love with Twix, a 1-year-old kangaroo from Kangaroo Island. He followed us around the sanctuary, and he would stand upright with his hands resting on his belly waiting for a treat. It was the cutest thing ever. The night tour was cool because the animals were in their element and there seemed to be a lot more kangaroos out and about, but if you're looking to take photos of the animals and yourself, I would highly recommend coming during the day. My night nighttime photos weren't very clear. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend visiting the Moonlit Sanctuary during your stay in Australia. read more

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Up and personal with some of the animals. Night time the best. You can feed the kangaroos. They were all very friendly. Great, wonderful experience read more

An awesome visit to the Moonlit Sanctuary in Australia. I've waited many moons to get up close and personal with a Koala and finally my dream has come true. It was so great to see kangaroos and wallabies hopping around freely with visitors hoping to get a treat that you could purchase for them. Feeding them, petting them and taking pictures with them was an amazing experience! The Sanctuary people were very welcoming and informative about the animals. Lots of open, clean and inviting spaces for the animals to enjoy. read more

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This was one of the most up close and interactive places we have been and we loved it so much that we spent two full days here! As an animal lover and biologist, this place was like a dream! You can get up close with kangaroos, wallabys, ducks, teals, geese, coots, dusky moorhens, and more as you wander around with snacks to give to them! Get a selfie with a wallaby and I promise you will not regret it! They also have some paid animal experiences that were incredible! They were educational, gave lots of photo opps, and you get to touch the cuties!!! The sanctuary's footprint is relatively small, but there is enough to see and do that you can bring your kids for the day! The staff were friendly and happy to share information about their animals. I cannot wait to visit again when I am back in Melbourne. If you want to see Australian animals up close, you can't miss Moonlit! read more

Moonlit Sanctuary is home to lots of Australian animals and birds that you otherwise wouldn't get the chance to see up close and personal. I'm not big on holding/petting animals at these types of places, but they have plenty of options to add that on to the price of your ticket if you want. We spent a few hours here and saw so. many. animals. They all seem to have large enclosures with plenty of room to roam, fly, or get cozy and nap. The coolest part is that the kangaroos and wallabies are free to roam around. We purchased food for them and since so many people do, it's a little hard to get much interest. I was able to have a wallaby come up to me and eat from my hand which was an awesome experience! Another highlight of our time here was watching the koalas eat since you can get pretty close to get some great photos or videos. read more

Best place to take your koala photos. Its$20/person but you get to at least touch the back of the koala. It beats taking a photo at the zoo where the koala is sleeping and you can't touch them. Here you also get to feed and take photos with wallabies and kangao. They sell food so $2 I velyit was. There are other few random animals here as well. Great place to visit. read more

Upon arriving into Melbourne, my cousin initially was going to bring me to Healesville Sanctuary. We called about koala encounters, and none were available at the time because it was too hot, so the koalas were indoors. The lady on the phone said that encounters cost $20. We looked at the website, and the only encounter available was petting a lemur for $200. No thanks! My cousin did more searching online and found this place. I am glad she did! It was only $20 to pet a koala (get about 15-20min), and it's $2 per packet of food if you want to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. Since the latter two roam the sanctuary wherever whenever (rough life!), there are plenty of opportunities to feed. There are also ducks at the ready to pick up any food dropped by the bigger animals; my nephew enjoyed feeding the ducks at the pond. There are other Australian animals in enclosures, such as the Tasmanian devil, wombat, dingo, etc. There are other encounters you can buy, e.g. someone decided to pay to walk the dingoes (or the dogs as my cousin joked). There are also bathrooms and a small cafe with indoor and outdoor tables. Entry into this sanctuary was not too bad either. For 2 adults and 1 child admission, 3 koala encounters, and 4 packets of food (glad I bought an extra one), it was AU$124. You can spend hours here because there is no time limit on feeding the kangaroos and wallabies. You can always go back to the cashier and buy more food packets. I would definitely return if I am in Melbourne again! read more

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We are an American couple on our first trip to Australia. What a cool place. Went there from Melbourne on a day trip that included Phillip Island. My hope was to see kangaroos in their own setting. It turns out we were able to feed them. In fact one hopped over to me and we got a great video of it. Highly recommend it. read more

Moonlit Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Pearcedale, VIC

We came by on a travel show and had a fantastic time with the Koala's and Kangaroos. If you can, try to visit later in the day, or sign up for an evening walk. The kangaroos are more active in the evening than at mid-day and they have some unique nocturnal critters. Feeding a kangaroo at Moonlit was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Australia. It was evident that the people who work and run Moonlit really care deeply about the animals in their care. Thanks again for the tour! read more

Moonlit Sanctuary - Me, a 'roo, and a cameraman... - Zoos Near Me - Pearcedale, VIC

I was so lucky to visit here when holidaying in melbourne. Lovely santuary with lots of kangaroos that you can get up close with and they are so tame! I paid slightly extra to have the joey encounter which was amazing and a memory i will never forget. There is a lovely cafe on site that has loads of gluten free options. Thank you for a great day out and amazing memories read more

Moonlit Sanctuary - Zoos Near Me - Pearcedale, VIC

Awesome experience at the Moonlit Sanctuary! A must visit if you're in Melbourne. We visited Moonlit Sanctuary on the way down to the Philips Island Penguin Parade but it turns out Moonlit was the star of the show. At Moonlight, we got up and personal with koalas (everyone needs a koala photo if you are visiting Australia) and got to feed kangaroos and wombats. Both the koala encounter and the food to feed the kangaroos cost a little extra but it was well worth it. For the koala encounter, you take turns petting the koala as it eats its favorite eucalyptus leaves. Each person had ~3-5 minutes with the koala for photos and petting. They also have an emu, tasmanian devil, dingoes, and a variety of birds onsite. A couple of tips: 1. Check the time tables to see when the koala encounters are. We arrived 10 minutes before the 3:30 PM encounter and nearly missed it. (It was the last encounter of the day). 2. There are mosquitoes as you are walking around a wooded, grassy, area with a lake. There is mosquito repellent by the bathrooms outside the visitor center. read more

I cannot recommend Moonlit Sanctuary enough! If Yelp allowed me to give them 10 stars, I would do it instantly. As someone who had never been to Melbourne (or Australia) before, the animals in the area were very foreign to me and I really wanted to have some up-close experiences. This eco-tourism sanctuary was perfect: it's a place where you can pet a koala, hang out with dingos, hold a python, feed wallabies + kangaroos, and learn a lot! As it's a sanctuary and not a zoo, all the animals seem to have a lot of space to roam (the kangaroos + wallabies just kind of wander about, which is awesome). I didn't mind paying the entrance fee or the additional fees for the animal encounters (you can do the koala, python, and dingo encounter combo for AUD$35) because I knew it was going to a good place. Also, the keepers are all very kind and willing to answer any questions you might have. Did I mention you can pet a koala? read more

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I feel so fortunate that this sanctuary is just 25 minutes away from where I am currently living. Admission is super reasonable- I actually got an annual membership because I plan on going back several times. For an extra $2, I got food to feed the kangaroos and wallabies- so fun! I also sprung for the koala encounter and attended a few of the keep presentations. The staff were all very friendly and I look forward to my next visit! read more

A great smaller zoo with plenty of animals to hand feed. Although watch the Emu's I offered the theif a bite from my bag and he took the lot and threw it on the ground! Had some good pictures here and will go again. read more