Rescued koalas at One Mile

About this experience

This is not a zoo. The Sanctuary was set up by Port Stephens Council and the Port Stephens Koala Hospital to care for sick, injured and orphaned wild koalas, and the aim is to send them back to the bush when they can cope. You walk three things: the Storywalk, a 250-metre path with koala sculptures and the story of the animal; the Koala Hospital viewing window, where you may watch vets treat a patient; and the SKYwalk, a 225-metre boardwalk with platforms raised 10 metres into the tree canopy.

One rule surprises visitors. You cannot hold a koala anywhere in New South Wales, and here contact is kept to a minimum so the koalas stay as wild as possible. Look, photograph, do not touch. The official prices are A$28 for adults, A$15 for children 3 to 17 and A$72 for a family of four, and general admission now comes with a 3 Day Pass issued at the gate, valid for three consecutive days.

Hours are seasonal: 9am to 5pm in summer (last entry 4pm) and 9am to 4pm in winter (last entry 3pm), seven days, closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The SKYwalk shuts 15 minutes before closing. Plan on one to two hours and about 1 km of walking on easy, wheelchair-friendly paths, with an incline up to the SKYwalk. Pets are not allowed, apart from registered guide and assistance dogs.

• Rescued wild koalas in natural bushland
• The Koala Hospital viewing window
• The 225-metre SKYwalk, 10 metres up in the canopy
• The 250-metre Storywalk for kids and adults
• Echidnas and brushtail possums if you are lucky

How the day runs

1. ArriveKoala Centre, One Mile

   Parking is free on site, and Port Stephens Coaches stop on Gan Gan Road, a minute's walk away. Show your ticket at the Koala Centre and collect your 3 Day Pass.

2. First stopThe Storywalk

   A winding 250-metre path through the bush, with large koala sculptures and panels on how koalas live and what threatens them. Bench seats along the way.

3. NextThe hospital window

   Look through the big window into the clinic, where vets and volunteers care for koalas from around Port Stephens. Treatments depend on clinic times, so what you see changes by the hour.

4. Up highThe SKYwalk

   A 225-metre elevated boardwalk and platform 10 metres up in the trees. This is where you are most likely to be eye to eye with a koala dozing in a fork.

5. Before you leaveFat Possum Kiosk

   Coffee, snacks and souvenirs, with proceeds going back into koala conservation. Then use your pass again on another day if you want a second look.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Talk to the volunteers. They know each koala by name and story, and they point out the ones you would walk straight past.
• Koalas sleep most of the day. Use the 3 Day Pass to come back at a different hour, when the one in your tree may be awake and eating.
• Arrive before 3pm in winter. Last entry is an hour before closing, and the SKYwalk shuts 15 minutes before the gates.
• Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and bring water: the round walk is about 1 km.
• Pair it with the dunes. The Sanctuary is minutes from Birubi Beach, so koalas and a beach 4WD run fit in one morning.

Read next:

• Things to do
• Day trip from Sydney

Frequently asked questions

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