There aren’t many places where your kids can stand among a mob of kangaroos with a handful of pellets, then cuddle a koala an hour later. Gorge Wildlife Park in Cudlee Creek is one of them, and it’s been a favourite with Adelaide families for six decades.
The park opened in 1965 and is still run by the same family. Set across 14 shady acres in the Adelaide Hills, it’s small enough for little legs to explore, but packed with enough animals to fill a whole day.
Hold a koala at Gorge Wildlife Park
The big drawcard is the koala holding sessions, held daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm. Kids and grown-ups can pat a koala for free, or pay $20 to hold one and get that once-in-a-lifetime photo. Keepers are on hand to answer questions about the animals too.
To hold a koala, you need to be at least 130cm tall, so younger kids will be patting rather than cuddling. On days forecast to reach 32°C or more, the 11.30am session is close-ups only, with no holding. If a cuddle is the main event, check the weather and aim for the afternoon session.
Hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies
Pick up a bag of feed from the kiosk and wander into the open enclosure, where the kangaroos and wallabies roam freely. It’s the moment most kids remember best, as soft noses snuffle pellets straight out of their palms.
Meet the rest of the residents
Beyond the Aussie favourites, there’s a surprising mix of animals to discover:
- Native wildlife: Tasmanian devils, wombats, dingoes, echidnas, quokkas and koalas
- Exotic animals: American alligators, meerkats, otters and monkeys, including golden lion tamarins and tufted capuchins
- Birds: A free-flying colony of rainbow lorikeets, plus ostriches and fairy wrens
- The reptile house: Snakes, lizards and frogs, perfect for animal-mad kids
On Saturdays and Sundays at 1.30pm, a free reptile presentation brings out the big personalities: pythons, young crocodiles or alligators, water monitors, iguanas and giant Aldabra tortoises. It doesn’t run on the last Sunday of the month or in very hot or cold weather.
Animal encounters for older kids
For a more hands-on experience, book a keeper-led encounter. Older kids can hand-feed meerkats, ring-tailed lemurs, capybaras or quokkas, or get up close with the reptiles. Encounters are for ages 8 and up and must be booked ahead through the park’s website.
Food and facilities
Pack a picnic and make a day of it. There’s a large undercover area with free gas barbecues that seats more than 60 people, plus lawns and gazebo seating for picnics. You’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks. The kiosk sells takeaway food, coffee, ice-creams and treats, and there’s a gift shop on the way out.
Plan your visit
Where: 30 Redden Drive, Cudlee Creek
When: 9am–4.30pm daily (closed Christmas Day)
Cost: Adults $26, children (3–15) $15, students and concession $23, family (2 adults and 2 children) $72. Under-3s go free.
Koala holding: $20 per person, daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm (minimum height 130cm)
Bookings: gorgewildlifepark.com.au
Make a day of it
Gorge Wildlife Park is an easy day trip into the Adelaide Hills, with winding roads and gum trees for the drive and plenty of animal stories for the trip home. Arrive in time for the morning koala session, have a barbecue lunch, then feed the kangaroos in the afternoon. It’s a day out that hasn’t changed much in 60 years, which is exactly why families keep going back.
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