Speed Date & Special Encounters with your favourite animals

Some special up close and personal time with one of our amazing animals.

Speed Dates and Behind-the-Scenes Encounters

On your "Speed Date" you can spend 10 minutes getting up close and personal with your favourite animal. Speed Dates are NOT about cuddling animals. They are about getting to know an animal on its own terms.

You can meet an echidna, or a bilby, or a koala, or another of their friends.

Private vs Public Sessions & Maximum Guest Numbers 

Speed Dates are limited to 4 people per session as sessions are "public" and we need to be careful that everyone gets on with each other and with the animals. The other people may not be people you know.

If you want to make your Speed Date private for just you and your friends, you do need to purchase all 4 tickets for the session. Although there is a limit of 4 people for public sessions, if yours is a private groups the - depending on the animal (it's all about the animals) - you may be able to book for more than 4 people. Talk to us and we will tell you if we can add extra people.

Minimum Numbers & Minimum Ages

You can book for just one person. However, if the booking is for a child under age 10, then an adult must be with them and yes, the adult does need to buy a Speed Date ticket too.

Fees & Times

Speed Date rates are in addition to your entry fee (or your Wild Sleep Out fee). Please purchase these separately.

Rates quoted are per person.

Speed Dates - 10 minutes

These rates are in addition to your Gate Entry or Wild Sleep Out fee.

Speed dates range from $30 to $40 per person depending on which animal you would like to meet. 

These rates are in addition to your Gate Entry or Wild Sleep Out fee.

Special Meerkat Encounters - 10, 20 or 30 minutes

10 minutes: $70 Speed Date to Meet the Meerkats

20 minutes: $100 Meet the Meerkats and Explore their Enclosure

30 minutes: $130 Meet the Meerkats and Help the Ranger with Enrichment Activities

Other Special Encounters - Wombats, Devils, Servals, Dingoes

Times & Availability

Meerkat and Serval times are usually once an hour on the hour - 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.

Dingoes are usually once a day at 2:45 pm.

Tasmanian Devils are usually once a day at 10:30am.

Wombats are usually once a day at 3:15pm.

Other Speed Dates are mostly once an hour on the half hour - 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm.

 

These times and availabiltiy may change, as making sure our animals are happy and not stressed is always our number one priority.

Pre-booking is usually required. However, if you haven't pre-booked, ask us. Depending on our workload on the day, there may be a ranger available.

Please note that, even if you have pre-booked, if your animal doesn't want to spend time with you today, you will be offered another encounter or a refund. This almost never happens, but it can. We always put our animals' needs first.

Personal Ranger Hire - 1 or more hours*

*Personal Ranger Hire does not include time with Dingoes, Wombats, Servals, Tasmanian Devils or Meerkats. These encounters must be booked serparately.

If you want some special time with more than one animal, you may prefer to book an hour (or more) with a personal ranger. 

For Personal Ranger Hire, add $160 per hour for the first person, and $80 for each additional person joining the experience.