From a wild koala breeding facility on the north coast to a platypus rescue centre in the state’s west, you’ll find heart-warming animal conservation stories as well as sustainability-focused wildlife tours all across New South Wales. Here’s how to meet some of Australia’s most beloved creatures in respectful settings and support vital conservation efforts on your next holiday, all while immersing in spectacular natural beauty. 

See Sydney’s wild places 

You might be surprised to learn you don’t need to leave Sydney to enjoy an authentic wildlife experience. Get up close to some of the city’s marine wildlife with Ecotreasures, an ECO-certified champion of conservation and sustainability. You’ll discover a whole new underwater world on its flagship Manly Snorkel Tour of the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, a popular diving and snorkelling spot at the southern end of Manly Beach.  

Slip under the waves and feel your pulse race as your expert guide helps you spot some of the 200-plus species, from electric-blue gropers to giant cuttlefish and tiny sea dragons, living across the seven distinct marine habitats of the 20-hectare reserve. When you surface, Ecotreasures can whisk you away on a private eco-tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, just a 90-minute drive from the harbour.  

Close encounters on the mid North Coast 

North of Sydney, you’re spoilt for choice of captivating wildlife encounters. Before you begin your EV-friendly Legendary Pacific Coast road trip, get some Pelican Time at The Entrance on the Central Coast– one of Australia’s first ECO-certified destinations. Marvel at the spectacle as Marine Wildlife Rescue volunteers feed wild pelicans on the town’s foreshore and recount how they care for these giant birds.  

Follow the coastline north of The Entrance to Lake Macquarie, the port city of Newcastle and beyond to vast expanses of untouched bushland lining the NSW North Coast. Learn about the conservation efforts of the ECO-certified Oakvale Wildlife Park, around a 40-minute drive from Newcastle, during a Conservation Encounter. Witness how sick and injured wildlife are rehabilitated on-site during this behind-the-scenes tour, then interact with native animals roaming free across the park grounds.  

Jump back in your car for the 20-minute drive to Port Stephens to see one of Australia’s most iconic animals in its natural habitat at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Watch the dedicated staff of the Port Stephens Koala Hospital in action as they care for sick, injured and orphaned koalas, roam through the canopy of a eucalypt forest on the elevated Sanctuary SKYwalk and learn all about koala habitats on the Sanctuary Story Walk. And wake up to the sound of koalas grumbling in the gumtrees in your glamping tent or suite in the heart of the sanctuary. 

Linger in the Port Stephens area and spend a glorious day exploring the Great Lakes Marine Park on an ECO-certified Imagine Cruises voyage, departing from the marina at Nelson Bay, around a 10-minute drive from Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Set sail on the four-hour Dolphin Adventure for the only permitted wild dolphin swim in New South Wales, join a whale-watching cruise during the winter migration season, or get your binoculars ready as you embark on a pelagic bird-watching tour with this eco-tourism pioneer.  

Discover conservation efforts on the North Coast 

Ready for a detour off the Pacific Highway that’ll change your perspective forever? Learn all about Aussie Ark’s ambitious conservation mission near Barrington Tops National Park. It’s a unique sanctuary protecting breeding populations of threatened Australian mammals like Tasmanian devils, long-nosed potoroos and eastern quolls. Just over half of all Tasmanian devils in Australia live within the grounds of Aussie Ark: see them up close on a Devils in the Wild Tour, which runs two to three times a month.  

Heading north again, settle in for the drive to the coastal town of Port Macquarie, home to the largest wild koala population on the east coast of Australia. It’s also home to Guulabaa - Place of Koala, the world’s first wild koala breeding centre. Immerse in the fascinating details of this vital breeding program, which is operated by Koala Conservation Australia in partnership with Taronga Conservation Society and the Australian Museum, and see how much love goes into the care of koalas being treated at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital’s on-site clinic. You can make a real difference during your visit – and come away with a unique souvenir – by adopting a koala who’s unable to return to the wild. 

Less than a two-hour drive north of Port Macquarie, you’ll find Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, a leading marine wildlife rescue, rehabilitation research centre in the heart of the holiday hotspot of Coffs Harbour. Help care for bottlenose dolphins before swimming alongside them during an unforgettable Dolphin Experience at any time of the year. Kids aged 8 to 16 will thrill to going behind the scenes on an Animal Carer Experience, held daily during school holidays. 

Bliss out with animal encounters in Byron Bay  

After soaking up Byron Bay’s chilled-out atmosphere and bohemian spirit, take the 20-minute drive from the beachside town to interact with the equally laid-back residents of Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Get up close to native Australian animals from possums to reptiles and koalas, book a VIP Wildlife Experience for exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the eight-hectare sanctuary, or come along during school holidays for kids’ programs like Wildlife Guardians, for younger children, and Keeper for a Day for older kids.  

Seek out the wild inhabitants of the Byron Bay hinterland on an epic Byron Bay Wildlife Safari with Vision Walks Eco Tours. You’ll traverse three distinctive habitats: eucalyptus forest, rainforest and grassland during this seven-hour odyssey, learning how to tell the difference between kangaroos and wallabies with the help of your environmental scientist guide. The advanced ECO-certified tour group also offers a Platypus Walk, a Koala Tour and a Night Vision Walk, where you’ll don night-vision goggles for an evening of spotting nocturnally active animals such as tawny frogmouths and bandicoots.  

Witness how platypuses are protected 

Drive five hours northwest of Sydney and travel approximately 167 million years into the past when you step inside Platypus Rescue HQ, a purpose-built platypus habitat within Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Marvel at Mackenzie the platypus as he hunts for prey with the electrical receptors in his bill, just like his ancestors would have when Australia was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent. You’ll also be able to watch on as the researchers and staff of the world’s largest platypus conservation centre work to rehabilitate and rewild these remarkable mammals and ensure the ancient species’ long-term survival.