Things to do

Photo credit: Maxime Coquard, Queensland Government

Meet our amazing wildlife

In 1951, Australian naturalist, David Fleay, created a wildlife park where visitors could enjoy and learn about wildlife in as close to their natural environment as possible. Today, you can learn how our dedicated Rangers care for our wildlife, listen to their stories, and see Australia’s iconic wildlife, from the comfort and safety of boardwalks and in a nocturnal house.

Dr David Fleay has inspired many people to embrace the diversity of our natural environment and its protection. The environmental education and conservation role of the park is just one of his many legacies.

Join us at David Fleay Wildlife Park and be inspired!

Photo credit: © Robert Ashdown, Queensland Government

Explore different habitats

Spot koalas, pademelons, dingoes and rock wallabies as you stroll along boardwalks that take you though many different natural habitats and pathways that lead you through shady rainforest and tall eucalypt forest settings.

Discover the near-threatened Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, adapted for life in the trees instead of the ground. They often rest in the forks of branches, so take a closer look—you'll be surprise at how well they are hidden.

See an amazing variety of Australian birds including magestic wedge-tailed eagles, noisy lorikeets, graceful emus and and elegant brolgas.

Spy on our ‘rainforest gardeners’, endangered southern cassowaries (pictured) from the rainforests of North Queensland, busy spreading the seeds of rainforest fruits in their dung.

Take a close look at one of the oldest and most successful predators on the planet—the crocodile. Discover the differences between freshwater and estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles from the safety of the boardwalk that leads you through the park's wetlands.

Watch Wally in his watery enclosure as he goes about his normal day's activities.

Photo credit: Maxime Coquard, Queensland Government

Visit the Bilbies on the Gold Coast. They are a long way from their hot, dry grasslands of outback Queensland.

Photo credit: Maxime Coquard, Queensland Government

Visit the nocturnal house

Peek on some of Australia’s rarest and most unusual creatures in the nocturnal house.

Many of our native animals are nocturnal (active at night) and rarely seen but in the nocturnal house, you can get up close and personal with some of these fascinating night creatures.

Meet Wally, our resident platypus. Spend time getting to know him as you watch his playful antics as he forages and feeds, occasionally demonstrating his wet and wild ability to turn a waterfall into a water slide! Platypus are particularly difficult to spot ‘in the wild’ so meeting Wally is a very special experience!

Watch some of our cutest animals, the gliders, at play. You’ll be captivated by the beautiful mahogany glider, once thought to be extinct, that was ‘rediscovered’ in 1989. Since then, lots of effort has been put into producing a strong colony that can be reintroduced to the wild in the future.

You’ll be captivated by the elusive Bridled nailtail wallabies, once thought to be extinct for over 30 years! The Queensland Government has been working hard to re-establish the species at our scientific reserve. Fleay’s is the only place in the world that visitors can see them up close.

See the greater bilby and be delighted by its Easter bunny-like appearance!

Bilbies are endangered and much effort is being made to conserve them. In Currawinya National Park, near Cunnamulla, a 25sq km electrified fence protects the bilbies from their predators.

As bilbies live in the hot, dry grasslands of outback Queensland, this is probably the best chance you will ever have to see these fascinating creatures!

Spy on the speedy spinifex hopping mice, a tiny insect-eating marsupial with razor-sharp teeth, nimble jaws and lots of personality!

Enjoy ranger wildlife talks

Across the day our Ranger team will provide a range of talks and presentations – don’t miss our 11:00am Reptile chat and 1:00pm Fleays in Flight show within the Amphitheatre. On arrival ask our Admission staff for details on other wildlife talks that may be scheduled for the day.

Relax in the cafe

Why not enjoy a relaxing snack or lunch on our deck listening to the local wildlife Choir….you may even enjoy a visitor from our Ranger and wildlife Ambassador team.

Birthdays, weddings and venue hire

The restaurant and surrounding park grounds make David Fleay's Wildlife Park a great place for events, whether special occasions or regular meetings. Have a birthday party with a difference, with your very own Wildlife Ranger and native Australian critters! Why not wedding photos with wildlife! The choice is yours. Read more about the cafe.

Volunteer with bush tucker garden refurbishment.

Photo credit: Jen Bartlett, Queensland Government

Volunteering

Our volunteers are the life-blood of our iconic wildlife park. Whether as a boardwalk visitor guide, assisting a wildlife ranger to look after the park's many animals (pictured), doing general maintenance or horticulture (pictured), undertaking administration, cafe hospitality or storytelling, come and make a difference and help deliver a great experience for our visitors.

Please contact the park to find out more about our volunteer program.

Explore more Gateway Visitor Centres

Why not take some time to discover other Gateway Visitor Centres in Queensland’s National Parks:

• Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre at Enoggera Reservoir in Brisbane. This bushland oasis located on the edge of D’Aguilar National Park and just 12km from the heart of the city, is perfect for families, friends and visitors to Brisbane. Explore the Information Centre and enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational activities in picturesque surrounds.
• Mon Repos Turtle Centre at Bargara in Bundaberg. Learn about the special journey turtles and people have taken and join a Ranger on a Turtle Encounter to catch a glimpse of a turtle’s world—at least for one night! (operates November – end March).
• Daisy Hill Koala Centre is a dedicated koala education facility nestled among eucalypt trees just 25km south of Brisbane. Meet our resident koalas, explore the interactive displays and learn about how you can contribute to koala conservation.

School excursions

View information on our school excursions which feature environmental education activities linked with the Australian Curriculum.

Holiday program

View information about upcoming school holiday programs at David Fleay Wildlife Park and Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre.