Kangaroo Valley·NSW
Bendeela Recreation Area
A free riverside picnic and camping ground run by WaterNSW, and the most reliable place in Kangaroo Valley to see a wombat.
9 ideas
Wildlife and animal encounters
Whales, dolphins, koalas and the zoos that do it properly.
Strongest for this
Where to go
Every one of them
Byron Bay·NSW
Cape Byron Lighthouse Walk
A 3.7km loop past the most easterly point of mainland Australia. Dolphins below most mornings.
Coffs Harbour·NSW
Coffs Harbour Butterfly House
A walk-through tropical butterfly enclosure. Fully undercover, so it works in the rain.
Hervey Bay·QLD
Hervey Bay whale watching
Humpbacks stop and rest in the sheltered bay rather than passing through, roughly July to October.
Huskisson·NSW
Dolphin and whale cruise from Huskisson
Resident bottlenose dolphins year round, and humpbacks on migration between May and November.
Port Stephens·NSW
Swim with wild dolphins, Port Stephens
Around 100 bottlenose dolphins live in the bay year round, and some operators let you get in with them.
Nowra·NSW
Shoalhaven Zoo
A hands-on zoo on the banks of the Shoalhaven River, with animal encounters and a good amount of shade.
Sydney·NSW
Sydney whale watching
Humpbacks pass the heads between May and November, close enough to see from a boat out of the harbour.
Mosman·NSW
Taronga Zoo
A zoo built into a harbour hillside, so half the enclosures have a view of the Opera House.