With more than 60 native animals the Moonlit Sanctuary will satisfy any tourist and animal lover. The Sanctuary is located just about an hours drive from Melbourne’s CBD. It also boasts being one of the best animal encounters in the city.

The park is on 25 acres and even has a 2 acre wet land with a lake and water bird habitat. It also specializes in conservation breeding that helps reintroduce endangered species back into their habitat. For more information on their work click here.

The day my family and I decided to all pile into our rented car and drive down to visit, it was early in the morning and typical Melbourne weather, overcast and cool. So we didn’t have to worry about any encounters being closed. We paid $20 each for our one day admission plus $15 for the Koala encounter. They have three slots available during the day when you can have your visit with the Koala. Check the website for times.

We got to see our first Tasmania Devils, which where comfortable inside their little home. As you walk around the park you see wallabies and kangaroos hopping around. They sell feeding bags at the counter so you can try to feed them. I can say at the start neither of the species cared much for our kibble. We had to walk up to them very slowly to finally get them to feed out of hands.

We ended up meeting a few Kangaroos and feed them the pellets we had, they were pretty placid and sweet.

We took our time visiting each animal and reading how each arrived there, their habitats, and how we can help save them. We still had a good hour wait for our meeting with the koalas, so we headed to the cafe and souvenir shop to stay warm and have a cup of coffee.

When the time came to get up close and personal with a koala, we headed outside to the Koala enclosure, where a medium size group of enthusiastic children and adults were anxiously waiting.  The handler gave the group basic information about the inmates and brought one male into the visiting area. She allowed one family at a time inside. We were told we could touch the animal and cuddle up next to it. It was so exciting to actually be able to touch a Koala, and let me tell you it was the best feeling ever. They are super soft and smell strong of eucalyptus. One by one my family took pictures with the little guy.

What a radical experience, I highly suggest heading to the Moonlit Sanctuary and get your Koala and Kangaroo fix. The venue has two business hours day 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and even has night-time hours where they host lantern guided tours. You get see the nocturnal animals come to life. The times change with day-light savings time 7 p.m. or at 8:30 p.m. These tend to fill up, so booking before hand is necessary. I hope you enjoy your visit as much as I did.