Healesville Sanctuary: a local’s tips
We’ve visited Healesville Sanctuary as a family more than once now, and it’s one of those places that gets better with repeat trips. The kids love the play spaces and having room to wander, and I still remember watching the bird show myself as a child, so bringing my own family along years later with grandparents too feels like a nice bit of history repeating.
About Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is a Zoos Victoria property dedicated entirely to native Australian wildlife, set across bushland on Badger Creek in the Yarra Valley. Rather than the drive-through safari style of Werribee, this is a walking sanctuary, with a 1.2-kilometre main loop track that takes you past koalas, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and platypus in naturalistic enclosures.
The whole visit has a relaxed, bush-walk feel to it rather than a typical zoo atmosphere.
Insider tips for your visit
- See the bird show if you do nothing else. Spirits of the Sky, the sanctuary’s free birds-of-prey presentation, runs daily at 12pm and 3pm in the outdoor flight arena and lasts 20 to 30 minutes. It’s included in general admission and is genuinely one of the best wildlife shows in Victoria, with wedge-tailed eagles and owls flying low over the crowd.
- Ask about the buggy tour at admissions. On some days, volunteers run guided electric buggy tours (up to three passengers) around the sanctuary at walking pace, taking roughly 1.5 hours. These can’t be booked ahead, so ask when you arrive if you’d like to save your legs.
- Give yourself a full morning or afternoon. Between the animal talks, the platypus viewing windows and the walking loop, it’s an easy half-day outing, longer if you want to sit and watch the animals rather than tick them off.
- The nature play spaces are worth a look even without grandchildren in tow. They’re tucked among the bushland areas and make a nice spot to rest with a coffee while younger family members burn off energy.
- It’s a cashless sanctuary, so bring a card rather than cash for the gift shop and cafés.
A reader tip: one of our readers wrote in to recommend this trip by public transport: take the train to Lilydale, then bus 685 to the sanctuary, calling it a lovely day out among wonderful displays of Australian fauna. It’s a route we’d happily second if you’d rather leave the car at home.
A bit of history
Healesville Sanctuary began life in 1920 as the Institute of Anatomical Research, established by Dr Colin MacKenzie on bushland that had formerly been part of the Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve. The reserve passed to Healesville Council in 1927, and by 1934 it had become the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary, officially opening its gates to the public.
Its most famous claim to fame came in 1943, when director David Fleay achieved the first successful captive breeding of a platypus anywhere in the world, in a platypusary he designed himself. It remains one of only two places to have bred platypus in captivity, the other being Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
Management passed to the Victorian Zoological Parks and Gardens Board in 1978, and the sanctuary has weathered its share of history since, including evacuating threatened species ahead of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. More recently, it’s continued its conservation focus with a purpose-built Australian Platypus Conservation Centre, reflecting the same commitment to native species that shaped the place a century ago.
If you’d like to read more, this Healesville Sanctuary Wikipedia entry has further detail on its founding and conservation history.
Ticketing
There’s a range of ticket types to choose from, so it’s worth checking which applies to you before you book:
- Seniors, receive a discount for Australian Seniors Card, Seniors Business Discount Card or Victorian Carer card
- Concession, for Pensioner Concession Card, full-time student card, Healthcare Card, Disability Concession Card, or DVA Gold/White Card holders
- Child and family tickets, with free entry for children under 15 on weekends, public holidays and Victorian school holidays
- Zoo membership, which gives unlimited entry to Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Kyabram Fauna Park for a year, and can work out cheaper if you visit more than once or two
We haven’t included exact prices here since they change from time to time — the current figures and full concession terms are on the Zoos Victoria ticketing page. Booking online ahead of time is worthwhile in peak periods, though tickets can also be bought at the gate.
Food and drink
There are a few options for food and drink around the grounds if you’d rather not bring your own:
- Sanctuary Harvest, the main café near the entrance, does hot and cold meals, coffee and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating
- Banksia Café, near the Reptile House, offers pizza along with Yarra Valley wine and beer if you fancy something more relaxed
- Additional kiosks are dotted around the grounds for a quick snack or drink between exhibits
BYO picnics are welcome throughout the sanctuary, and there are picnic areas and free barbecue facilities if you’d rather bring your own lunch. Just remember it’s cashless, so bring a card if you’re buying anything on site. If you do step out for lunch elsewhere and want to come back in, let gate staff know before you leave, since scanned tickets can’t be reused.
Accessibility
- Healesville Sanctuary has an easy-to-follow, flat pathway system suitable for wheelchairs and prams.
- Wheelchairs are available to hire free of charge on the day (not electric, and no mobility scooters are available for hire).
- Eight accessible parking bays are located near the entrance, along with a bus bay.
- A Changing Places facility with a tracking hoist and full-sized change table is available (accessed via Master Locksmith Access Key).
- Free entry applies for carers accompanying a Companion Card, Disability Pension Card or Child Disability Allowance Health Care Card holder.
- A sensory map and social script are downloadable from the Sanctuary’s accessibility page for those who’d like to plan around quieter or busier areas in advance.
If you have specific mobility needs, it’s worth calling ahead on 1300 966 784 so admissions staff know to expect you and can point you to the buggy tour or wheelchair hire on arrival.
Getting there
Public transport: Catch a train on the Lilydale line to Lilydale station, then bus 685 to Healesville Sanctuary. Check PTV’s journey planner for current timetables, since this is a two-leg trip and it pays to check connection times before you set out.
Driving: From Melbourne’s CBD, take the Eastern Freeway and continue along the Maroondah Highway through Ringwood and Lilydale to Healesville, turning right into Badger Creek Road just past the township. It’s roughly an hour’s drive. Free parking is available on site, with accessible bays near the entrance.
Drop-off: There’s a dedicated bus bay near the entrance if you’re being dropped off or arriving by coach tour.
Healesville Sanctuary Badger Creek Road, Healesville VIC 3777
For enquiries, please contact Zoos Victoria on 1300 966 784.
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