Best places to see kangaroos in Australia (where you can pat and feed these amazing animals)

Best Places to see kangaroos in Australia

Here is the ultimate guide to unforgettable experiences with beautiful Kangaroos

You might have seen videos of boxing kangaroos. Yes, it’s true that male kangaroos in the wild can sometimes be aggressive. However, the good news is at wildlife parks right across Australia there are some very friendly and extremely gorgeous kangaroos waiting for you!

Get ready for kangaroo selfies, because we’re going to tell you exactly how you can get up close with Kangaroos, pat them, hand-feed them, even laze around with a roo in the Australian sun!

Best places to see kangaroos in Australia (quick take)

Cleland Wildlife Park is the best place to see Kangaroos when it comes to getting up close and being able to feed and pat friendly kangaroos. Entry to the park is also great value. However, if you can’t get to South Australia, there are many other great options, including Cave Beach Campground and Australian Reptile Park in NSW, and The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Port Douglass Wildlife Habitat in Queensland.

Read on for more and some amazing pictures…

1) Cleland Wildlife Park (South Australia)

A recent visit to Cleland Wildlife Park with my partner didn’t disappoint. These must be the friendliest Kangaroos in Australia!

The park is located in the Adelaide Hills – just 20 minutes from the Adelaide CBD by car. There are also bus services from the Adelaide CBD that stop right at the front of the park.

There is a big range of wildlife inside the park, including Koalas, but it’s the kangaroos that really steal the show.

Take a look at this adorable video of Jarrad (my partner) hanging out with his new friend.

Entry to the park is great value. It is just AU$32.30 for an adult. For $5 extra you can buy a bag of kangaroo food (we bought two bags. It was worth it!).

The kangaroo area is huge. There are three different species to meet – Red Kangaroos, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, and Western Grey Kangaroos. All will happily eat food right out of your hands and most of them seem to enjoy a pat!

It really is the ultimate Kangaroo experience, at a very affordable price.

Up close with a new friend at Cleland Wildlife Park
Feeding kangaroos at Cleland Wildlife Park

Visit Cleland Wildlife Park website

2) Cave Beach Campground (New South Wales)

Next on our list of best places to see Kangaroos in Australia in the Cave Beach Campground at the Booderee National Park in Jervis Bay.

For anyone living or holidaying in Sydney, Jervis Bay is a great place to go on a road trip. Along with amazing beaches and parks in the area, the kangaroos (and wallabies) at the Cave Beach Campground will provide an unforgettable experience.

Almost as soon as we got out of our car, curious Kangaroos came hopping our way. Most seemed quite happy to get a pat and we could even snap some great close-up photos with the wild, but friendly kangaroos.

The best part – the experience was totally free.

Aussie Talk Tip – pack some food for a picnic and enjoy lunch in the Australian bush, surrounded by friendly kangaroos at the Cave Beach Campground! Remember you shouldn’t feed Kangaroos human food.

Best places to see Kangaroos in Australia
Trying to get a selfie with a Wallaby at the Cave Beach Campground!
Best places to see Kangaroos Cave Beach
The guy was a bit of poser! (Cave Beach Camp ground)

Information about the Cave Beach Camp Ground

3) Australian Reptile Park (New South Wales)

Australian Reptile Park is located in Somersby, approximately an hour’s drive north of Sydney. It’s a great option for anyone in Sydney wanting to hand-feed kangaroos.

Kangaroo food is available to purchase at the park kiosk for around AU$5. It won’t be long before you have a Kangaroo eating from your hand – the park is home to some very friendly Eastern Grey and Kangaroo Island Kangaroos.

Entry is AU$54.99 per adult if you purchase at the gate, or $47.99 if you buy online.

There are a lot of other amazing Aussie animals at the park too. For the entry price you’ll see koalas, dingoes, and as the name suggests, some interesting (or scary) reptiles including crocodiles, alligators, snakes, and lizards.

Best places to see kangaroos - Aussietralk.com
The entry to Australian Reptile Park in Somersby NSW. (Image: Destination NSW)

Visit the Australian Reptile Park website

4) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Queensland)

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a must-do if you’re on the Gold Coast and you love animals! The iconic wildlife park has been operating since 1947 and is now home to big variety of Australian animals.

There are kangaroos, koalas, wombats, crocodiles, native birds, and much more.

When it comes to the kangaroos, you’ll find them happily hoping about or lazing around in a big paddock. Like most parks, if you want to try hand-feed them, you will need to buy a cup of kangaroo food from the kiosk for AU$4.

Unfortunately they weren’t very hungry when we visited, but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless!

The park has very friendly and knowledgable staff, and a big range of different experiences and educational tours you can take part in all through the day.

A day pass to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for an adult cost AU$64.95.

Aussie Talk Tip: Head to the park in the morning, then check out some of the famous beaches nearby including Coolangatta Beach, Snapper Rocks and Burleigh.

best places to see kangaroos - Currumbin Wildlife Park
Kangaroos lazing around at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

5) Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas (Queensland)

Wildlife Habitat has one of Queensland largest collection of Kangaroos and Wallabies. The park is located over 2 hectares at Port Douglass.

In the Kangaroo area, guests can hand-feed the kangaroos and get up close for a pat and photos. All seem very friendly and accustomed to being around humans.

The park also has a massive range of other Australian animals such as koalas, crocodiles, snakes and native birdlife.

One interesting sight at Wildlife Habitat (that you probably won’t see anywhere else) is the Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. This is a rare and endangered type of rainforest kangaroo native to Tropical North Queensland.

A Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo at Wildlife Habitat. (Image: Wildlife Habitat/CaPTA Group 2024)

Entry to Wildlife Habitat cost AU$46 for an adult. It is located just a few minutes by road from the centre of Port Douglass. If you don’t have a car there are shuttle bus services from a number of popular locations in the area.

Visit Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas website

Do you have any suggestions or comments about this list of best places to see kangaroos? Email team@aussietalk.com or leave a comment below.

Alba Aussie Talk
About the author
Alba Juan
Born and raised in Catalonia, Spain, Alba now lives in Sydney, Australia. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and is undertaking further study in Digital Transformation. Alba has traveled through North America, Europe, Asia, and across Australia. In her spare time her favourite activities include visiting Sydney's weekend markets, sailing, and exploring the national parks that surround Sydney.

1 thought on “Best places to see kangaroos in Australia (where you can pat and feed these amazing animals)”

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