Healesville Sanctuary is the wildlife park of choice for anyone who wants to see Australian animals without trekking into the bush. Run by Zoos Victoria, it sits on 30 acres of bushland just outside Healesville and houses koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypus, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and one of the country’s best raptor collections.
The Spirits of the Sky show — a free-flying raptor demonstration in a natural amphitheatre — runs twice daily and is the highlight for most visitors. The Australian Wildlife Health Centre is an open-air vet hospital where you can watch the team treat injured wildlife through a glass wall; it’s quietly extraordinary.
Allow at least half a day; animals are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The on-site cafés are fine; bringing a picnic is better.
