Duration:
1h30m
Take a guided walk through the sanctuary and observe the amazing and beautiful Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, cape barren geese and other species. Learn about the bush fire and the survival techniques used by these amazing animals.
Operated By:
These run for 90 minutes in our “supervised only” areas where our guides will take you to the highlights!.
Bring your camera, water bottle and binoculars.
Bushfires have played an integral part in shaping the ecology of the Kangaroo Island landscape. Major fires have occurred in 2020, 2007, 1968,1958,1954,1953 and 1931 (when records began)
Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately owned fauna and flora conservancy. Since our founding in 1997 we have operated based on the principles of sustainable and regenerative tourism. The sanctuary is considered one of the best places in the world to observe a colony of healthy wild koalas thriving in the wild. In 2015 National Geographic recommended our nocturnal tour.
SUITS
Interests:
Skill Level:
Suitability:
Share:
If you only get to do one thing on Kangaroo Island, this is definitely it! Its amazing to see the animals in their true habitat in de wild. Not being caged or forced to interact with humans. Our guide Tom had amazing stories and a true love for nature.
read moreread less
Milou
24 Feb 2025
We did the evening tour which I highly recommend as the animals are more active. We were lucky to be able to watch a baby koala learning to climb which was incredible. Our guide was passionate and informative. Great evening walk!
read moreread less
Plum
26 Jan 2025
The wildlife walkabout tour with Tom was genuinely superb. His knowledge of this place is simply second to none and he shared so much interesting information about the local ecology and the impact of bushfires throughout the tour. My 71 year old Dad was with me in Australia for 3 weeks, and he said this was one of his favourite things overall during his trip. Thanks Tom, keep up your exceptional tour guiding abilities and thanks for providing a great customer experience.
read moreread less
Sean
20 Jan 2025
We had a lovely stay here. Cabin was exceptionally clean and had everything we needed. Everything is spread out over a massive area so you don't have to worry about your neighbours making noise. The shop had everything we needed, can definitely recommend the frozen whiting which was delicious! Kangaroos and Cape Barren geese strolling around the park. Friendly service at the front desk. Kids were sorry to leave.
read moreread less
Steve
18 Jan 2025
Great Tour! We did the nocturnal tour and saw a lot of koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and even an echnida :-)
We learned a lot about plants and flora and fauna, as well as regarding bush fires.
The place really is a sanctuary with absolut priority on the animals and their freedom and independent living, no tracking / tagging of the animals, no fences, no feeding.
We learned a lot about plants and flora and fauna, as well as regarding bush fires.
The place really is a sanctuary with absolut priority on the animals and their freedom and independent living, no tracking / tagging of the animals, no fences, no feeding.
read moreread less
steffi
13 Jan 2025

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
We are glad you enjoyed your tour. Sunset is the best time for wildlife viewing as most species are nocturnal.

Mayaguy09
22 Dec 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
We are glad you enjoyed your tour. It was recommended by National Geographic in 2015!
The sanctuary is like a night club.....things really start hopping when the sun goes down!

Ingrid
08 Dec 2024

Tom our guide was fantastic! He is a wealth of knowledge on the local area including history and major events. We were able to view Koala's, Cape Barren Geese, Western Grey Kangaroos & Tammar Wallabies as well as the native flora. The casual walk through the bush was so enjoyable having Tom point interesting things out as he saw them and answering our questions.
A wonderful experience thank you Tom.
read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
We are glad you enjoyed.

KermieRuralVictoria
30 Nov 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Glad you enjoyed it. October ,November, December are the peak mating season.

Sunshine576554
10 Nov 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
I will be sure to tell Fiona that you enjoyed your tour. The nocturnal tour in the warmer months is perfect for wildlife viewing.

Resort823445
09 Nov 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 1970-01-01
Thankyou for visiting. The nocturnal tour is the best way to get up close to the wildlife in the wild.

kinderjude
04 Nov 2024
We were doing a private tour in the Sanctuary and it was amazing. Tom was our guide, he was born in the island and you can feel how much he loves the nature!
No fences, no cages, you will see animals being totally free! Do not hesitate and visit them!
No fences, no cages, you will see animals being totally free! Do not hesitate and visit them!
read moreread less
Alvaro
25 Jul 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 2024-06-25
Thank you for visiting and for taking the time to write a review. Wildlife viewing in the wild is dependent on many variables including wind, rain, temperature, time of day, presence of predators and other species. etc It also involves a bit of luck.
We always recommend bringing binoculars in case we cannot approach close enough for your liking. Please remember it is observation not interaction. We are sorry the weather and wildlife did not cooperate to make this a 5 star experience.

Charliedoggy
12 Jun 2024
What an extraordinary experience! We did book the Koala walk on short notice for the next morning and didn't know what to expect, but for sure not to see so many koalas and even a koala joey:-) there were also a lot of kangaroos and wallabies. There are no fences and you keep your respectful distance to the animals - there is no cuddling in the sanctuary. Our guide Keira did an amazing job and we had an awesome time. The sanctuary is still struggling after being completely destroyed by the wildfires in 2020 and can use all the support. Thank you for this unique opportunity!
read moreread less
Maria
22 May 2024

read moreread less
KANGAROOS10, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 2024-04-21
Dear Thomas
We are located 130 km (80 miles) from Penneshaw. Please allow 1.75 hours (one way) to get to the sanctuary and 2 hours plus if travelling near or after sunset.
We offer 100% refund less processing fees if canceled more than 24 hours from tour departure if booked through Viator.
You called 2.5 hours in advance and I note, had you been able to visit you would not have time to get back to your cruise ship.
If you email we will arrange your credit for a future visit.

hamguy8
16 Apr 2024
Our guided tour walk of the sanctuary with Ciara was really enjoyable. We saw many koalas, kangaroos, birds, and unique flora. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable, personable and full of information. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Great value!
read moreread less
Greg
31 Mar 2024

read moreread less

Ramey
30 Mar 2024
Kiera was an excellent guide - explaining the impact of the wildfires and how the sanctuary was recovering. She took us for a short walk around the sanctuary to spot wild koalas. Many spotted - the highlight being two koalas (at head height) bellowing at each other!
read moreread less
Mary
25 Mar 2024

So if you're in-between the LS or Hanson Bay koala tours, I'm of no help as they are both amazing. LS boasts a prettier walk and a land untouched by the destructive fires (so tall trees, and a chance to walk on the breathtaking sand dunes). But as they are a daytime walk, less of a chance to see other wildlife, and they don't teach about the fires as in-depth as Hanson Bay does, as Hanson bay has videos and artifacts to show (great for visual learning). Personally, as a bit of a wildife and KI fanatic, I'm happy to have done both!
read moreread less

scvermeulen
17 Mar 2024

Our tour guide Ciara was enthusiastic and excellent, taking us through various areas, finding kangaroos, echidnas, wallabies and of course koalas. The final display of jumping from tree to tree by a baby koala will be one we remember for a long time.
read moreread less

OxfordAardvark
11 Mar 2024

read moreread less

Anders
13 Feb 2024
My wife and I took the evening tour and had such a good time. Jim was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and it was clear that he really cares about the land and the animals. We saw multiple koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies. I would definitely recommend this tour.
read moreread less
Aaron
11 Feb 2024

read moreread less
Alan
08 Feb 2024

read moreread less
skitrip20142014
02 Feb 2024

read moreread less
Dream03941904459
01 Feb 2024
We had a wonderful experience with our guide, Josh at the Wildlife Sanctuary.
We did the evening tour and saw plenty of koalas, kangaroos and an echidna. Josh was excellent and made it interesting for all on the tour.
Learning about the impact of the fires and understanding that further was very eye opening.
Great tour..
We did the evening tour and saw plenty of koalas, kangaroos and an echidna. Josh was excellent and made it interesting for all on the tour.
Learning about the impact of the fires and understanding that further was very eye opening.
Great tour..
read moreread less
James
30 Jan 2024
We really enjoyed the walk. The tour guide was very passionate and had a vast knowledge on both nature and conservation. A fun family activity that we did with our 8 month old. We had some great koala and kangaroo sightings. Really sad listening to the tragic fire stories across the island but great to see how quickly nature has bounced back already.
read moreread less
Aron
30 Jan 2024

read moreread less
Doriane
27 Jan 2024

read moreread less
Claire
24 Jan 2024
We loved the walking tour to see koalas in their native habitat. The tour guide has a passion for the sanctuary and is knowledgeable about all things koalas. We're locals on the island and took our almost 2 year old on the tour as she loves koalas. We found it family friendly and easy enough to walk around carrying our little one. Definitely recommend to anyone keen to see koalas. The nocturnal night tour is on our bucket list next when our kid is a bit older.
read moreread less
A
21 Jan 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Hanson Bay Sanctuary on the sunset tour. Josh was our guide and did a fantastic job of showing us around and finding so many animals living in the wild. He pointed out the male koala territories and we heard them grunting! Lots of mothers and joeys too. Wallabies and kangaroos everywhere with gorgeous sunset scenery. We saw some of the remains of the bushfire as a powerful reminder of the destruction, but also the amazing way nature heals itself. I highly recommend visiting if you want to see animals in their natural habitat. Be careful driving afterwards; so many animals on the road!
read moreread less
Kelly
10 Jan 2024
Tour guide was funny and informative, answered questions and included everyone in spotting Koalas. Would recommend doing with the family. More of a down to earth experience than a zoo.
read moreread less
Nicole
29 Dec 2023
No accommodations at this time. Josh did an amazing job of keeping the group engaged on our nocturnal tour. Sunset was amazing and we saw tons of koalas very close! Definitely worth it! Highlight of our stay on KI
read moreread less
Teresa
28 Dec 2023
We had an absolutely wonderful time. Josh, our guide was very friendly, knowledgable and we had an unforgettable time. We saw lots of wildlife including koalas with their joeys, kangaroos and black swans. We learnt so much and this was definitely one of the best highlights of the trip.
read moreread less
Meha
21 Dec 2023
On the short walk and drive we saw lots of koalas including moms and babies. We also saw many kangaroos and birds. No echidnas. Nice to see everything in the wild and definitely worth the cost for the daytime tour. Josh was a great guide. Note this a review of the nature tour, not the accommodations (but Google forces you to rate the accommodation questions).
read moreread less
Daniel
16 Dec 2023
I recently had the most incredible experience on a wildlife tour that i would most definitely remember. From start to finish, every moment was filled with wonder and excitement. The tour guide (Josh) was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and made the journey so educational. Me my Mum and Sister had a unforgettable time
read moreread less
Jacob
16 Dec 2023
Fantastic experience! We did a Guided Koala Walk and bush fire ecology tour yesterday and it fulfilled all our expextations and more. The guide took us on a walking tour first and showed us the koala's Hidden in the trees while explaining how they live.
After this, we stept in a van and he showed us the rest of the domain, explaining the flora, fauna and impact of the fires.
It's impressing how nature can recover in 3 years from such a fire and I hope the Wildlife Centre will be rebuild too...
After this, we stept in a van and he showed us the rest of the domain, explaining the flora, fauna and impact of the fires.
It's impressing how nature can recover in 3 years from such a fire and I hope the Wildlife Centre will be rebuild too...
read moreread less
Bert
28 Nov 2023
Great experience. We saw plenty of koalas and joeys, and even an echidna. Our guide explained a lot and was very happy to answer any questions. We were a small group and had plenty of opportunities to watch the animals properly.
read moreread less
Nicole
22 Nov 2023

read moreread less
MrsLeady
14 Nov 2023
Amazing sanctuary tour with Josh who was very knowledgable and passionate about wildlife conservation. We saw lots of Koalas and some with Joeys. Also Kangaroos galore close up and rrare Cape Burren Geese. Can not recommend this tour highly enough. Thankyou Josh
read moreread less
Susan
12 Nov 2023

A group of 6 of us set off with Josh on foot initially and saw about 8 Koala bears, two with their baby joeys.
Josh gave us tips on how we might locate koalas in the wild by looking at markings on the bark and for fresh poo.
We then set off with him in his van and saw several kangaroos, as well as cape bitten geese and black swans.
He provided us with lots of information about yucca plants, the regeneration project and the scale and impact of the fire.
Also info about different species of koalas and their susceptibility to certain infections.
An excellent tour well worth the money
read moreread less
saragio15
12 Nov 2023
We took the sunset wildlife tour with Josh and had a wonderful time! He was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, and particularly the koalas. He spent so much time with us - and when he learned how much we loved koalas, we walked and spotted so many - he was very patient and we never felt rushed.
We learned so much about the sanctuary, the animals and the impact of the bushfires to the local area. I highly recommend this evening tour - when the wildlife is quite active. It was the highlight of our trip to Kangaroo Island.
We learned so much about the sanctuary, the animals and the impact of the bushfires to the local area. I highly recommend this evening tour - when the wildlife is quite active. It was the highlight of our trip to Kangaroo Island.
read moreread less
Coni
11 Oct 2023

read moreread less
jlou-12, Owner at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, responded to this review - 2023-10-17
Thanks for visiting. Spring is great time to visit because the koala mating season is just warming up like the weather. Glad you enjoyed your visit to KI.

Coni
11 Oct 2023
We took a 2:30pm tour here, with Josh as our guide. He was really informative and engaging and a really nice guy. We were lucky enough to see a koala crawling its way to different trees. Also saw kangaroos and geese and other koalas in including their baby joeys. It’s definitely one of the highlights on Kangaroo Island!
read moreread less
Chloe
01 Oct 2023
I highly recommend this tour. If you like koalas in their natural environment, this experience is for you. The must is Josh, the guide, a really nice guy. He knows what he is talking about.
Don’t miss it
Don’t miss it
read moreread less
Luna
29 Sep 2023
We had a fabulous day with our guide Josh and an excellent sized small group. The tour exceeded expectations both in the koala sightings we lucked on and in the easy sharing of knowledge imparted.
However the website is very difficult to navigate and booking is more difficult than it should be.
However the website is very difficult to navigate and booking is more difficult than it should be.
read moreread less
Christine
25 Sep 2023
Highly recommend the Sunset Nocturnal Adventure Tour! For wild life, sunset is their active time. Josh is such a nice and kind guide and we are lucky enough to see koalas with variou activities (baby koala climbing out of the pouch, male koala being rejected by a female with baby in pouch). Even the office lecture session opens our eyes too! Happy to see how great nature to recover itself after the bushfire 3.5 years ago. Great Tour!
read moreread less
Philip
21 Sep 2023
We had a lovely tour with Josh that accomodated our last minute request! We saw kangaroos and koalas. He was very knowledgeable and also shared some stories about the devastating fire that took place 3y ago. We enjoyed it very much and would definitely recommend!
read moreread less
andrea
16 Sep 2023
Beautiful tour, make sure you don’t miss it! We booked the Guided Koala Walk at 10.30 and we had the opportunity to see several koalas, wild gooses and 2 kangaroos in a fully natural context. Jos, our guide, was extremely accurate and passionate in his explanations. Very interesting also the part on how the fires of 2020 affected the Sanctuary and the way nature is recovering since then. Highly recommended if you look for a “real” experience in KI!
read moreread less
Marco
26 Aug 2023

read moreread less

megwiz
23 Aug 2023
We had a great tour with Jim. He's very knowledgeable and we saw lots of koalas, a few echidnas, kangaroos, and Cape Barren geese. Jim was super friendly and so knowledgeable. It was eye-opening to see the footage of the fires and talk to Jim about their experience during the Black Summer. They do great work and your tour money helps support the sanctuary - highly recommend!!!!
read moreread less
Sarah
15 Jul 2023

The set up of the tour was great - we were driven to different spots around the sanctuary and had the chance to walk amongst the animals. We learnt so much about the area and how it was affected by the bushfires in 2020 too. It was so awe inspiring to see how much the vegetation had bounced back from being practically barren after the fires.
Definitely an experience worth doing if you’re down on Kangaroo Island.
read moreread less

danzS7981RB
03 Jul 2023
Incredible tour of the wildlife sanctuary led by Josh. He was very knowledgeable and engaging, teaching us many different things about the local wildlife. Highly recommended!
read moreread less
Billy
25 Jun 2023

His passion for wildlife and life story means he gives great tours of the property, explaining the history, recent past and the animals.
Tours are a mix of driving and walking simply due to the size, but there is a lot to see.
Ducks that sound like pigs, Echidna's that hide very well, Kangaroo's that are not worried about the humans and the Koala's that just sit around waiting for you (or Josh) to spot them.
It's interesting to see a former working property just left and how natures manages the order that is.
The tour is not hard work, there is walking but mainly of level ground and you spend a lot of time looking up.
Certainly worth the cost, even if to just assure that a Koala colony will be secure for time to come due to the efforts and dedication of Josh and the other crew.
read moreread less

UteBloke
03 Jun 2023
Had a lovely tour by tourguide Joshua! We saw kangaroos, koalas and geese. He was very knowledgeable and also shared some stories about the devastating fires. We enjoyed it very much and would definitely recommend!
read moreread less
Lotte
25 May 2023

read moreread less

Annsofie
21 May 2023
My friend and I booked a nocturnal tour of Hanson Bay on the 3rd night of our recent trip to Kangaroo Island. We had already seen quite a bit of wildlife but nothing prepared up for just how abundant the wildlife here would be. When we arrived we were met by Josh, who was a fantastic guide through. He put us at ease and seemed really enthusiastic about the wildlife. We saw a number of Koala's included a large male (we named him Big Kev) and quite a few females as well as a baby. Josh then took us for a drive with and we saw literally hundreds of Kangaroos and Wallabies, a wildlife extravaganza!
Its so hard to believe just how much this area was impacted by fires a few years ago.
A great place to visit, we definitely recommend it!
Thank you Josh!
Ana & Petrina
Its so hard to believe just how much this area was impacted by fires a few years ago.
A great place to visit, we definitely recommend it!
Thank you Josh!
Ana & Petrina
read moreread less
Ana
15 May 2023
My partner and I were the only people on this walkabout with Josh. A very informative guide. We saw 8 koalas and nesting Cape Baron geese. Highly recommend this tour with Josh.
read moreread less
JANET
12 May 2023
Josh was absolutely great. He gave us many insights concerning wildlife as well as the 2020 bushfires. Thanks to Josh we saw many Koalas and Kanguroos. Just really enjoyed the tour. I highly recommend it . It's fun and informative
read moreread less
jasmine
03 May 2023
Great experience to see and learn about koalas and other native wildlife. The owner Jim was very accommodating to our schedule (the facility was not scheduled to be open on that particular day) and gave us a tour. He went over the impact that the massive fire in 2020 has had on the western part of the island with videos and photographs. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours. Highly recommended.
read moreread less
Martin
18 Apr 2023