Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary visit: tickets and feeding times

A Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary visit starts with the lorikeets. Every day at 8 AM and 4 PM, wild rainbow lorikeets fly in to be fed by hand, and you do not need a ticket to join in. The sanctuary sits at 28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin, on the southern Gold Coast, and it is easy to reach by car from Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads or Coolangatta.

This guide covers the free feeding, tickets, parking, directions and what else to see, using the sanctuary's own pages as they stood in spring 2022.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lorikeet Feeding; Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Parking, Location & Transport.

Lorikeet feeding times

The sanctuary lists lorikeet feeding at 8 AM and 4 PM, daily. It says the birds are not shy of people. They eat from your hands and often land on your head and shoulders.

The feeding is free to watch. You pay a gold coin donation if you want to feed the birds. No entry to the sanctuary is needed, so you can come early or late without buying a day pass. The sanctuary marks the spot as G16 on its park map.

The sanctuary asks visitors to follow a few simple rules:

• Adults must supervise children.
• Wear a hat and a long sleeve shirt to avoid scratches from the birds.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after handling animals and before you eat or drink.

The sanctuary also points out that the feed may contain traces of milk and nuts.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lorikeet Feeding (page as archived in March 2022).

Tickets and passes

Entry to the main park needs a ticket. The sanctuary's ticket page offers three things: a Day Pass (general admission), an annual membership and animal encounters. A Day Pass covers one visit for one person. A membership gives unlimited visits for a year, which can pay off if you plan to return.

The sanctuary also sells paid animal encounters, such as a Koala Photo, a Capybara Encounter, an Echidna Encounter and a Behind the Scenes Tour, plus breakfast and afternoon sessions with koalas. These are extras on top of general entry.

We do not list prices here. The sanctuary changes them, and its ticket page shows the current price when you book. Its menu also carries a Pre-Book option, so check there before you travel and book ahead for busy days.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Tickets & Encounters (page as archived in May 2022); Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Parking, Location & Transport.

Getting there and parking

Driving is the simplest way. The sanctuary gives these directions:

• From the south: follow the Gold Coast Highway from Coolangatta to Currumbin, then turn right at the traffic lights onto Tomewin Street.
• From the north: travel south on the Gold Coast Highway to Currumbin and turn left at the lights onto Tomewin Street.
• From the M1 Motorway: take exit 95 to Stewart Road, turn left onto the Gold Coast Highway, then turn right onto Tomewin Street.

The sanctuary has its own car park on Tomewin Street. In March 2022 it was open from 7.30 AM until 5.30 PM, except on event days, which suits the 8 AM and 4 PM feedings. Parking costs $10, and the money goes to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. Members of the National Trust of Australia park free. There is also free street parking nearby.

If you do not have a car, check the current bus options with Translink before you go, as we have not confirmed a route.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Parking, Location & Transport (page as archived in March 2022).

What else to see

The lorikeets are only the start. The sanctuary lists daily shows including a Pelican and Eel Show, Blinky Bill's Rookie Ranger Station, WildSkies (a bird show), Aussie Scales and Tails and an Aboriginal Culture Show. Check the Shows and Times page on the day for session times.

Lost Valley, opened in December 2017, is the exotic animals area. It has lemurs, red pandas, capybaras, cotton-top tamarins and tree kangaroos, and a large walk-through aviary with free flying birds. Native animals include koalas, kangaroos and wallabies, crocodiles, dingoes, wombats, echidnas, emus and Tasmanian devils.

A miniature train has run around the grounds since 1964. The sanctuary also runs a wildlife hospital, and your parking fee helps fund it. Allow most of a day if you want to see the shows and the animals at an easy pace.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Shows & Times (page as archived in March 2022); Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Park Highlights; Wikipedia, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (version of May 2022).

A short history

The sanctuary began in 1947. Alex Griffiths, a beekeeper and flower grower, opened a lorikeet feeding display to the public, and visitors could join in. He did it partly because the local lorikeets were damaging his flower plantations. By at least 1953 the place was known as the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary.

In 1976 Griffiths gifted the sanctuary to the National Trust of Queensland, under the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary Act 1976. It was renamed Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in 1995, and it still runs as a nature-based tourism venture. The Queensland Heritage Register listed it on 18 September 2009. In 2022 the sanctuary marks 75 years since the first feeding.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (version of May 2022), which draws on the Queensland Heritage Register entry 602720; Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary website, 75 Years banner.

Planning tips

• Come for the 8 AM feeding if you want fewer crowds and cooler weather, then buy a Day Pass for the rest of the day.
• Check the sanctuary's opening hours page before you go, because hours and closures can change.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen and water. The park is outdoors.
• Look at the sanctuary's maintenance page, since some attractions close for works.

Sources for this section: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lorikeet Feeding; Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Before You Arrive.

Sources

1. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lorikeet Feeding: currumbinsanctuary.com.au
2. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Parking, Location & Transport: currumbinsanctuary.com.au
3. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Tickets & Encounters: currumbinsanctuary.com.au
4. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Shows & Times: currumbinsanctuary.com.au
5. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Park Highlights: currumbinsanctuary.com.au
6. Wikipedia, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: en.wikipedia.org