Perth’s Caversham Wildlife Park
Feed koalas, hold a wombat and pat a koala in Western Australia
When visiting Perth, Western Australia, a day out at the Caversham Wildlife Park will introduce to Australia's great animals like kangaroos, koalas, wombats and more.
A big part of Australia’s appeal is its unusual wildlife. Not only are koalas and wombats adorable, and kangaroos simply magnificent, but there are great birds like kookaburras or cute-until-hungry creatures like Tasmanian devils to see. If you’re visiting Western Australia’s capital city, Perth, then spending a few hours at the Caversham Wildlife Park is a must.
What You’ll See at Caversham Wildlife Park
The Caversham Wildlife Park is a large area with enclosures for a huge variety of native Australian animals. The most popular exhibits include the kangaroos and koalas, the most well-known of Australia’s unique marsupials.
At the kangaroo enclosure, you can walk through a large area inhabited by numerous kangaroos, who will usually be lying around relaxing in the warm sun. Special feed pellets are freely available so you can coax a kangaroo to eat from your hand. They are all tame and friendly and you can easily touch them or pose for photographs.
The koala enclosures have special opening times, so check this as you arrive so you don’t miss out. Koalas sleep around 20 hours per day so the contact with humans is rotated amongst them all. Visitors are instructed to stroke their backs gently, using the back of their hands – so you’ll be able to learn for yourself that koalas are as soft as they look.
Other special moments include being able to hold a wombat (weighing around 20kg or 45 pounds), watching Tasmanian devils feed, or hearing a kookaburra laugh. There is also a section for farmyard animals, where small children can hop into the rabbit pen and meet pigs, sheep and ducks. Nearby, there are opportunities to ride camels which, although not native to Australia, now live wild in the northern desert areas of the country.
Visiting Facts for Caversham Wildlife Park
Situated half an hour east of the city center, the Caversham Wildlife Park can be found within Whiteman Park, a large area of protected bushland in the Swan Valley region. If you don’t have a car, the park recommends you come by taxi or by a bus from the city center – the bus takes you to Whiteman Park, and a Caversham courtesy car takes you the rest of the way. Many organized tour buses also visit the park. It’s open every day except for Christmas Day, from 8.30am to 5.30pm, and at a cost of A$16.50, it’s not bad value for all the great contact with animals you get. There’s a small kiosk for snacks within the Caversham Wildlife Park, or a short walk to the restaurant and picnic grounds of Whiteman Park.
