Our thanks to Visit Brisbane for hosting our stay so we could write this detailed report about our experience.
Our epic trip to Fiji and Australia had to come to an end but before getting to this next chapter, here’s what we experienced along the way:
Part One: Flight review: Our 11-hour flight on Fiji Airways from Los Angeles to Nadi
Part Two: Getting from Nadi International Airport to Castaway Island in Fiji
Part Three: Hotel review: Castaway Island Resort Fiji
Part Four: Hotel review: Nanuku Resort Fiji
Part Five: Flight review: Fiji Airways from Nadi, Fiji to Sydney, Australia
Part Six: Roar and Snore at the Taronga Zoo: Hands down the coolest place to stay in Sydney, Australia
Part Seven: Flight review: Flying Qantas between Sydney and Brisbane, Australia
We left off after our Qantas flight from Sydney to Brisbane. We called the Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane home for our time in the city, and it was the perfect location. It was close to everything and was just a five to 10-minute walk to catch the Miramar Koala and River Cruise to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
Unfortunately, we made the foolish mistake of not following the perfect directions on our itinerary and instead, asked a local which dock we needed to head to. They pointed us in the exact opposite direction of where we needed to go.
So, we walked to the wrong dock (the one with a lot of people and action). Luckily, a River Cat commuter ferry pulled up and I asked the deckhand if this was our ferry and she said no and that we were on the wrong dock. We had five minutes to run a quarter of a mile to the right one. We made it, hearts pounding and dripping with sweat and water (it was raining). My eight-year-old son led the charge.
The boat’s deckhand was very nice and said, “I was going to give you (the late crowd) five extra minutes.” The most important part is that we made it and the 80-minute cruise up the Brisbane River was slow and relaxing — just what we needed after the morning’s unexpected sprint.
Onboard, there’s a busy café and bar that sells a variety of drinks and food items, including meat pies. There’s a recorded GPS commentary that talks about all of the points of interest along the way and the history of the river, including how it has flooded four times – the last time in 2022. TIP: Thanks to the photos and videos we took on our walk from the hotel to the dock and then on the boat ride, both my phone and my wife’s were almost dead, not leaving a lot of juice for photos at the koala sanctuary, the highlight of the day. So, just a friendly reminder to always have a portable phone charger on you when you head out for a day of exploring.
When we arrived at 10:20am, we walked up a steep hill to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which, I can tell you right now, was definitely worth the visit. The cruise and entry to Lone Pine costs $110 per person roundtrip or $95 one-way. If you drive there, the entry fee is $54 for adults (18+ years), $39 for children (3-13 years), $43 for students (14-17 years or with either Australian or International valid ID) or $166 for families (2 adults + up to 3 children (3-13 years).
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is located in a suburb of Brisbane and is a popular wildlife park dedicated to the conservation and care of native Australian animals, with a particular focus on koalas. Established in 1927, it is one of the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuaries.
Lone Pine is extra special because visitors can get up close and personal with koalas, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes and a variety of bird species.
The sanctuary provides educational programs and supports wildlife research and rehabilitation efforts. It is a well-loved destination for both locals and tourists, offering a chance to experience Australia’s unique wildlife in a natural setting.
Lone Pine Sanctuary is home to dozens of animals and we only were able to see some of them in two hours. Here’s a peek at some of the animals they currently have on property, according to their website:
Mammals
Standing amongst a troop of kangaroos catching some shade on a sunny day was definitely a highlight, not just for the kids but for me and my wife as well. The up-close experience is truly incredible and sanctuary really is the right word to describe this peaceful place.
Other animals visitors can expect to see are the Northern koala, red kangaroo, platypus, Tasmanian devil, dingo, common wombat, short-beaked echidna, Southern hairy-nosed wombat, Southern koala, little red flying fox, grey-headed flying fox, red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby, and Eastern grey kangaroo.
Birds
Guests will see plenty of birds like the gorgeous rainbow lorikeet pictured above. Others include the Southern cassowary, wedge-tailed eagle, sulphur-crested cockatoo, red-tailed black cockatoo, laughing kookaburra, Major Mitchell cockatoo, barking owl, emu, barn owl, gang-gang cockatoo, bush stone-curlew, tawny frogmouth, Princess parrots, brahminy kite, black kite and my son’s favorite bird of prey, the peregrine falcon, the world’s fastest bird.
The sanctuary is also home to plenty of amphibians and reptiles, including freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, freshwater turtles, black-headed pythons and various lizards. Barnyard animals include border collies, miniature pigs, miniature goats and sheep.
My kids really got a kick out of all the water dragons running around and counted at least 20 of them.
But just walking around amongst the kangaroos who are just lazing around, is unforgettable. You can also feed them with food that’s sold on-property.
Guests are also invited to take a seat and enjoy a live animal show. We watched the raptor show featuring the world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of 186mph (300km). There were also owls and the the wedge-tailed eagle (also known as the eaglehawk), which is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. Note: Visitors must stay seated during the 20-minute show because some of the birds fly right over your head. Another incredible up-close experience.
Next, we did a private tour to see the koalas, the animal we’d really come to see. We learned that a koala’s gestation period is about 35 days, they’re the size of a jellybean when they’re born, they stay in the mother’s pouch for about six months and then get around by holding onto their mother. The koalas are so cute and made the kids squeal with delight. At the time of our visit, the sanctuary had 107 of them.
We also learned that koalas sleep about 20 hours a day and only eat certain types of eucalyptus leaves. They like the baby leaves on the ends the best.
BTW: The word ‘koala’ derives from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘no drink’. Because koalas so seldom venture down onto the ground, it was thought they had no need to drink water. While they do get most of their water requirement from leaves, there is always fresh water in the koala enclosures.
Unfortunately, it was pouring (and I mean pouring!) rain so we cut some of the tour short but before we did so, we were able to spend time with a koala and have our photo taken by their on-staff photographer. The photo is printed instantly and you get a QR code so you can download it as well. You can also take lots of photos of your koala experience on your phone.
As you might expect, there’s a café and a gift shop that you exit through. It’s air conditioned and they sell some seriously delicious mango popsicles.
The kids each bought a stuffy before we headed out to our next stop.
Our next stop was a 15-minute drive to Felons Barrel Hall, which reminded us a bit of Rock & Brews in El Segundo, a fun, family-friendly restaurant co-founded by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS (and three others). I mean, Felons is about 20 times larger, but it has the same fun, relaxed, family-friendly vibe. However, unlike Rock & Brews, they serve mostly Thai food, which was delicious.
At their restaurant next door, they do have pizzas and I was reminded that a cheese pizza in Australia has no sauce, just cheese and garlic, which my kids didn’t love. It’s basically what we would call a delicious cheesy garlic bread.
On Sundays between 11am and 3pm, it’s very kid friendly. Kids eat for free during these times and there are lots of activities (like pinball machines and ping pong tables) to keep them busy while they wait for their food. While we were visiting, we were lucky to meet Nandor Schreiter, a balloon fashion designer and world champion balloon artist. He was making balloons for a long line of kids and ours got some pretty unique creations: A T-Rex and an adorable baby wrapped in a blanket. His designs are so unique and if you want to see some truly incredible creations, follow him on Instagram at @balloonstylistaustralia.
There was a band setting up but we didn’t stick around for the live music as we were heading out to our next stop: Bluey’s World. Read our review here: Bluey’s World is a fun, immersive experience the whole family will love
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