Koala Tours Northern Rivers
Discover the world of koalas with a free educational koala tour in our Koala Care Centre & Koala Hospital in Lismore, NSW.
Welcome to the Friends of the Koala, koala tour!
An our koala conservation and education centre Burribi in Lismore, we offer regular small group koala tours where you can get up close and personal with the real work of koala conservation.
Here you will get a chance to fall in love with koalas!
A fun, educational experience for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages
Led by our passionate volunteer tour guides or veterinary nurses, you'll learn everything there is to know about how koalas live, the challenges they face and how we are working to protect them.
On this koala tour you will:
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meet our amazing volunteers who rescue and rehabilitate koalas
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see our conservation efforts and understand what it takes to save the species
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discover simple ways how you can help save koalas
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meet our resident koalas
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get a chance to explore our koala conservation reserve, and if you’re lucky you might spot wild koalas!
This highly educational tour is suitable for people of all ages, whether you're travelling alone, with family, or a group of friends, this koala tour is a must see in the Northern Rivers.
We only host small groups, so the tour will be adjusted based on your group and your interests.
What to expect on your koala tour in Lismore
We welcome you to our Community Education Centre Burribi, Koala Hospital and Koala Care Centre in Lismore, Northern Rivers NSW!
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KOALA PRESENTATION
Enjoy a 30 minute koala presentation with one of our resident experts. Discover everything there is to know about koalas, including koala facts you’ll never see in a textbook.
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
We love curiosity and encourage all your koala questions! Get fascinating insights from the people who spend the most time with koalas.
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MEET OUR KOALAS!
Meet our sweet resident koalas, Charlotte & Ivy, and learn their history. This is your chance to see koalas in real life!
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KOALA SOUVENIERS
Unfortunately, you can’t bring a koala home, but you can bring home some fab koala merchandise! Please also consider a donation to help us continue our work.
IMPORTANT TOUR DETAILS
Koala tours are hosted at our Community Education Centre Burribi, Koala Hospital and Koala Care Centre in Lismore, Northern Rivers NSW.
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Koala tours are currently available Monday-Thursday at 2 pm. (Please check our calendar for available dates.)
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Maximum 6 people per tour.
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Our educational koala tours are free!
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Please consider supporting our work with a donation.
Do you have special needs for your group?
Please contact us and we will try our best to accommodate your needs.
Join us for an unforgettable visit!
Discover the exciting work of Friends of the Koala.
Book yourself or your group and enjoy a koala packed adventure you will never forget!
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT US
Koala Tours FAQ
Our koala tours appeal to conservation and animal lovers of all ages! Koalas, as well as being super cute, are also fascinating and unique creatures. Find out what it really takes to save a single koala, not to mention the whole species. Meet our volunteers and our resident koalas in our koala conservation reserve.
If you have very young children we can shorten the presentation piece if required to accommodate younger attention spans.
The maximum amount of people allowed on a koala tour is six individuals. Having a small group ensures that each person on the tour has a personalised experience with the koalas.
We love that our visitors can learn about koalas' behaviour, habitat, and lifestyle and it makes for a special experience.
Our educational koala tours have a maximum of 6 people per tour. If you have a group smaller than 6, you may share the booking with other visitors on the day.
Yes, we offer private and VIP tours for visiting delegates, celebrities etc. We understand that some of our visitors may require a more tailor-made koala tour and we offer a range of options.
Please make enquiries directly through our office.
Absolutely! We love that our permanent resident koalas are bringing joy to our visitors. So grab your camera and snap away! Please note the koalas live in protected and fenced runs, so you will see them from a small distance and through a fence.
If you walk around our koala conservation reserve you may spot wild koalas and can take photos of them in their natural habitat.
In New South Wales, it is illegal to hold a koala as it is harmful to their well-being and may trigger undue stress. However, you can see our friendly in house koalas from a safe distance!
Yes, however, it is important that children remain quiet when meeting the koalas. If children are too loud, we cannot allow them close to the koalas.
Our 30-minute presentation may be too long for very young children. We can adjust the time to accommodate families with young ones.
There is not much walking in our centre and koala conservation reserve as everything is conveniently located within 30 meters. We also have accessible parking on site, and we warmly welcome guests in wheelchairs.
While there is no cost for the tour, we kindly accept contributions through various payment methods including bank cards, credit cards, Square, Apple Pay and cash.
No problem, but please give us as much notice as possible and we encourage koala tour cancellations to please make a donation to our projects:
The tour is onsite at Friends of the Koala - 23 Rifle Range Road, East Lismore. There are many beautiful places to stay in the Northern Rivers, so there are plenty of options:
We are located:
- 45 mins from Byron Bay,
- 30 mins from Bangalow,
- 30 mins from Ballina airport,
- 2.5 hours from Brisbane airport,
- 35 mins from Lennox Head, and an hour and
- 15 mins from Gold Coast Airport.
Here are some websites that include local places to stay:
Tours are currently Monday – Thursday at 2 pm – check the booking calendar for the options available to you.
Please note that only 6 people can visit on any given day, so please plan in advance!