The Hunter Valley boasts numerous attractions for children and families, and among our top picks is the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.
Located in picturesque Nulkaba, a pleasant 30-minute drive from Maitland and just under an hour from Newcastle, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is the perfect destination for a family day out.
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is part of Australian Wildlife Parks and offers the opportunity for visitors to get up close to both wild and domestic animals.
Housing a huge menagerie of Australian native, domestic farm, and exotic animals including giraffes, lions, zebras, American alligators, camels, monkeys, meerkats, koalas, kangaroos, lemurs, deer and more.
A recent addition is baby giraffe Gotti. The park is also developing a new Koala Sanctuary, aimed at enhancing efforts to protect one of Australia’s most beloved species, a visit to Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is great for all ages.
Before entering, don’t miss your opportunity to be photographed with Bazz the big koala!
Bags of animal food are available for purchase on entry. $7 buys one bag containing two ice cream cones of animal food. The farmyard animals, birds (peacocks, chickens and ducks), kangaroos and wallabies can all be hand-fed.
The kangaroos and wallabies are incredibly gentle and my kids, aged 7 and 8, loved the experience of hand feeding and patting them.
Extra caution is required when entering the farmyard petting area as the goats can get a bit greedy when they spot the food. If you’re not careful they will even snatch the bag out your hand and try eating it!
Surprisingly, the camels were one of the kids’ favourites. These big gentle giants came right up to the fence, allowing the kids to stroke and handfeed them.
One of the most interesting animals at park is the male bustard bird that puts on a very intimidating courtship display in which he inflates this throat and struts around producing a loud deep roaring noise that resembles the call of a dinosaur.
I recommend catching one or more of the Daily Keeper Talks. They start at 11am with the Meerkat Keeper Talk. Although short (great for the attention span of younger kids) the Keeper Talks are long enough to be informative and interesting.
The Lion Keeper Talk at 11.30am is one that’s not to be missed, as this is when you’ll see the lions being fed and at their most active.
Another activity that kids will love is collecting the wildlife stamps around the park. Kids are given a free park map on entry and can have fun locating the eight Education Adventure Stops around the park.
Each stop has a stamp attached so kids can stamp their map, as well as a multiple choice question, and a QR code that can be scanned to hear a zookeeper talk and the answer to the question.
On 10 acres, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is the perfect size for younger kids, requiring a lot less walking than bigger zoos. Although the paths around the park are dirt and grass, they are still accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
The park is clean and well cared for and the staff we met were amazing, very friendly and happy to answer any questions the kids had!
With so many exhibits and shows, it would be easy to fill in the whole day. Or, with babies and toddlers a couple of hours are perfect.
Take a packed lunch and enjoy it at one of the many shaded picnic tables overlooking the animal exhibits or there is a Coffee Cart and Marquee Café onsite serving hot food, sandwiches, ice creams, cold drinks, assorted snacks and barista-made coffee. There are also free gas barbecues available.
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park’s wildlife adventures offer allows for an unforgettable, yet affordable, family day out with discounted tickets. For the ultimate wildlife experience the Ultimate Explorer Annual Pass lets you discover over 3000 animals in 3 parks across New South Wales – from
meerkats in the Hunter Valley, the gorillas at Mogo and the quokkas at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and so much more!
For an even more up close and personal experience, Private Animal Encounters are available for purchase. Price for the Private Animal Encounters start at $25 for a giraffe feeding. Age restrictions apply.
Another tour on offer at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, available weekends, is the Wildlife Sunrise Private Tour Plus Breakfast.
Availability and bookings are available online through the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park website.
Good to Know
Address: 138 Lomas Lane, Nulkaba, New South Wales
Directions: From Sydney or the Central Coast – The quickest way is via the Freeman’s Waterhole Exit, through Brunkerville and then turn left at the round-about and head into Cessnock. You can also keep travelling up to the Hunter Expressway and come through Lovedale.
From Newcastle or the Hunter Expressway – Take the Lovedale Exit heading towards Pokolbin (this one is closest). At the end of Lovedale Rd turn left, then take the next road on the left (Lomas Lane).
Phone: 02 9622 1644
Hours: Open daily 8am – 4pm. Open to the Public on Christmas Day 9am – 2pm.
Amenities: Male, Female and Unisex Disabled toilets are all available. Baby Change Table located in Disabled toilets.
Cost (as at December 2024): General Admission tickets – Adults (16+) $44, Child (3-15) $28 Infant (0-2) FREE, Concession (ID required) $40. Annual Passes available.
For more information, visit the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park website.
Disclosure: Newy with Kids received complimentary admission to Hunter Valley Wildlife Park in January 2024 for review purposes. However, all opinions are our own.
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