FEATHERDALE WILDLIFE PARK
It’s Spring and so the outdoor adventures begin at full speed. One of our first trips had to be to Featherdale Wildlife Park. We had heard so much about it that it was time to check it out for ourselves. I’m really glad we did and I can assure you that we will be back!
Where is Featherdale
Featherdale Wildlife Park is near Blacktown.
The exact address is 217-229 Kildare Road, Doonside, Sydney NSW 2767.
There is free parking on site and across the road it makes life so much easier with this being available.
Public Transport Options
If you dont have access to a car you can get there by train and bus.
The bus stops right outside the Park.
All you have to do is hop on train to Blacktown Station from the City and then from Bus Stand 9 you take Bus 729. Easy peasy – even I could do that.
Featherdale Wildlife Park Features
With over 1,700 mammals, birds and reptiles the Park is very deceptive from the outside. You don’t expect it to be as extensive and as well suited to the animals as it is. Its a perfect hideaway for these animals.
Lots of the animals have been orphaned or abandoned.
The one we did miss out on was the Bilby but I know we will be back
The Animals we saw at Featherdale
Blue Billed Duck
Entering the Park, we couldn’t help but start with the blue billed duck. We are generally quite interested in ducks but can never get them to stay still long enough to have a proper look. The way the pond is set up is that there is a little bridge over it that you can stand on and watch the ducks dip and dive.
Pademelons and Wombats
After the ducks, we then moved on to some birds, little Pademelons and the wombats. I have never come across such friendly wombats. To look at – you don’t touch – because they bite.
It is easy to get stuck in this first area and stay for ages. Resist the temptation because there is a lot to see and you won’t get through it with the kids if you don’t keep walking.
Koala Sanctuary
Next up you pass the Pelicans and move onto the Koala Sanctuary. This is where you can touch a Koloa. You will be allowed you touch its flank gently with the palm of your hand. This is where you get your picture taken with the koala. There are two $20 photograph options so make sure you know what you’re aiming for before you get your pics taken.
By the time we had done these areas the kids were already asking for food but it was midday by this time because we had gotten there late. Next time we will do the animals all around the learning burrow and the Farm yard before having a picnic lunch at the back of the Park. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables and even a BBQ.
Birdlife
From there we moved on to some amazing birds. I haven’t seen owls, Kites, Buzzards and Falcons like that since I visited a bird of prey rehabilitation facility as its lawyer in South Africa. They are amazing birds and so rare to see.
Reptile Center
From the birds we moved back down towards the exit and into the reptile centre. I absolutely hate snakes but it would appear that my 3 year old son is quite intrigued so in we went.
Dingos and the Crocodile
Back past some more Kangaroos, the Dingos and their little ones and past the Crocodile we continued through the park. My son was amazed by the crocodile and kept asking if it was real. I won’t lie, it looks just as big as the statue one at Taronga so I can see why he was uncertain.
Echidna
Just before the kids were about to die of hunger we checked out the Echidnas. We managed to see three of them strutting around their enclosure like they owned the place, it was very very cute.
Featherdale Facilities
You are invited to buy feed to feed at certain points around the Park which comprises of Lucerne in sugar and fat free ice cream cones. There is a lot of feed in one of those cones so you won’t need more than 1 for 2 kids. Even with our one cone we had plenty left over.
The walkways are all flat so easy to navigate and its nice and shaded throughout. There are toilets dotted along the park and at the very entrance is a family loo with a changing table. There is food, wifi and most importantly for sleep deprived moms – coffee.
Other than the occasional ramp or bridge the entire Park is flat and easy to manoeuvre a pram or wheelchair around. I had no trouble pushing the pram with both children sitting it in.
Food at Featherdale
After that my kids HAD to eat, the need was very real. Thankfully there is a restaurant on site.
Both kids had burgers, chips and a drink with cost $10 and came with a pin on koala.
The koalas were an absolute hit and managed to distract the kids until they fell asleep in the car on the way home.
Ticketing and Admissions
Tickets
Ticket prices are currently
Adults $31.00 Child 3-15 years $17.00 Student / Pensioner $25.00 Senior $21.00 Family (2 adults/2 children) $85.00 Family (2 adults/1 child) $71.00 Family (1 adult/2 children) $58.50
You can get some awesome deals from GroupOn or you can look at getting an annual pass which I would do if I lived closer to the Park.
Admission
The Park is open 9:00am to 5:00pm, every day of the year save for Christmas Day.
Top tips for visiting Featherdale with kids
- Aim to get there early because lots of the animal feeds are in the morning.
- Pack food or take a picnic because there are facilities and the kids will get hungry when you’re furtherest away from the restaurant.
- Sun hats are essential.
- Bring wet wipes and hand santizer because the kids will most likely want to touch a gazillion things
- Explain about animals biting before you go so they don’t try get to close to everything. They shouldn’t be able to but I think its a smart move to warn your kids in advance.
- Talk to your kids and prepare them for stroking a koala if you planning on taking a picture with a koala. This is to avoid a toddler melt down during the photo session.
- When paying for your tickets, or picking them up, make sure you have a look at the Passport you’re given, if you’re with kids you will want to make sure they stamp their passport at every stamp station.
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