A Wild Night Out –  our Tents are waiting for you

Tents – A Wild sleep Out

Do you love the idea of a night in the Australian bush, but you don’t really want the hassle of pitching a tent? How about if you had your own family sized safari-style tent, all ready, set up and waiting for you?  Share a tent with your friends or family, each comfortably big enough for 4 adults, or 2 adults and 3 small children. And yes, there are hot showers. Showers and toilets are a short walk from the main campsite.

The Australian bush puts on an entrancing display of wild nature after dark. Bring a torch so you can explore the tracks at night to discover what the animals get up to in the evening and after dark. Meeting Walkabout Park Wildlife Sanctuary’s furry and scaly and spiky residents in the trees and undergrowth.

Self-guided spotlighting and exploring the bush

You are welcome to bring a flashlight and do your own night walk and spotlighting. We will give you a safety briefing and information about how to be considerate towards other guests and the animals who appreciate a tranquil night. If you would rather have a ranger-led experience, you can purchase this separately (subject to availability).

Ticket Types: Adult & Child

Wild Sleep Out: Whether you’ve got children with you or you’re just a big kid yourself, this is the most amazing way to meet Australia’s weird and wonderful wildlife.

Adult: Age 16 or over. Every tent must have at least one adult.

Child: Age 3 to 15.

Infant – sorry minimum age in tents is 3: Age 0 to 2. We are sorry, we can’t accommodate babies in tents because they can disturb other campers. You are welcome to bring your baby to a Wild Night Out program in our wildlife sanctuary, but you would need to rent a cabin instead of a tent.

You may want to add an “Optional Extra”:
If you are staying in the campsite, you may want to ADD a Ranger-led Wild Night Out walkabout tour to explore the tracks and meet the animals at dusk.

Extras

Extras: Ranger-led adventures

Wild Night Out

You can purchase tickets for a ranger-led Wild Night Out separately. The Wild Night Out is an evening and after dark guided walkabout tour. It does not run every night. Click here to check availability and to book, or phone us on 02-43751100 (international +61243751100).

Personal Ranger or a Speed Date

You can purchase Personal Ranger or Speed Date tickets separately. These are available between 9am and 4pm on most days.

Ranger-for-a-Day

You can purchase your Ranger-for-a-Day tickets separately. This is available most days.

Extras: Add sleeping gear

Your tent has a camping mattress for each person. You are welcome to bring your own sleeping gear (sleeping bag or duvet/doona and pillow) and towel. However, if you prefer, you can hire these from us. You can just hire for those who need them. You don’t have to hire these for everyone in your tent.

Sleeping Gear:

Add $25 per person. Your Sleeping Gear Pack includes a sleeping bag, pillow and towel. These are washed and sanitised after every use.

Extras: Add an early or late check-in or check-out

Usual Arrival and Check-out:

Usual arrival and check-in is between 3:00pm and 4:30pm.
Usual check-out is between 8:30am and 10am, after which you can enjoy the sanctuary until the park closes at 5pm.

Early or Late Arrival add $50:

• EARLY arrrival between 9am and 3pm. Please note your tent may not be ready for check-in when you arrive, but we can store your luggage while you enjoy full access to the sanctuary.
• LATE arrival between 4:30pm and 7pm. You will need to prebook this with us so we can ensure someone can let you in to the sanctuary as the gates are locked at 5pm to keep the animals safe. Please note that the evening tour starts at the arranged time (5pm winter, 6pm summer, unless otherwise advised). If you arrive late, you may miss part of the guided walkabout tour.

Early Check-out add $50:

EARLY check-out between 6:30am and 8:30am. Leave before the gates are unlocked for the public.

Catering

You should plan to self cater.

Please note that we do NOT have a restaurant at or near to Walkabout Park, and the entry gates are locked between 5pm and 8am.

We do serve light kiosk-style meals during the day at the visitor centre, but only between 11am and 3pm.

It is important that you pack your food in an esky or other animal-proof container so that the kangaroos and emus don’t raid your tent while you are out. There is a fridge but this is shared with other campers, so we recommend that most of your food not need refrigeration.

Your campsite has a basic communal/shared camp kitchen. Your camp kitchen is a sheltered undercover area open on the sides, with

• one microwave.
• one kettle.
• one toaster.
• double sink with cold water.
• single domestic-sized fridge. This should be sufficient to store your milk and a small number of other items. However, you will be sharing the single fridge with other families in the campsite, so please ensure most of your food items do NOT need to be refrigerated.
• one gas BBQ.

Please bring your own cooking and eating utensils and cleaning products as these are NOT supplied.

Why it is so important that you pack light

As your tent is inside the wildlife sanctuary where the animals roam freely, it would be too dangerous for the animals to let people drive their cars to their tents, so be ready for a short walk (approximately 200 meters).

You will need to carry your gear to your tent. Although you can pull wheeled cases part of the way, you will need to pick up your bags where the ground is bumpy.

We do not have porters. Although our rangers will help you whenever they can, the rangers are usually busy caring for the animals so may not be around to give you a hand with your luggage.

What to expect

What to expect: On arrival

Usual arrival and check-in time is between 3pm and 4:30pm, unless you have made other arrangements with us (see “Add an early or late check-in” above). We don’t recommend an early check-in as part of the magic of a Wild Sleep Out is first meeting the animals at dusk. Most people prefer to arrive in the evening, then spend the next day getting to know the animals they met the night before. If you have pre-arranged to arrive after 4:30pm when the gates may be locked, you will need to phone us on 43751100 to get in.

When you arrive, take your luggage to reception to complete the check-in process. Your ranger will give you a park map with a schedule of activities for the 2nd day of your visit. Most importantly, you will be given easy-to-follow safety information about the animals. This animal safety information is vital as you will be stepping into the animals’ world.

Once you have the safety information and your map, you can take your luggage to your tent and settle in. After that, you are free to wander around and start meeting the animals. If you have not booked a ranger-led tour, when you check in we will explain to you how to enjoy the park after dark, keeping in mind your and the animals’ safety.

IF YOU HAVE BOOKED  TO ADD A ranger-led tour, you will need to return to the veranda at the Visitor Centre 5 minutes before your tour is due to start. Your ranger will meet you there.

What to expect: Dinner

You should plan to have your dinner before or after the tour. You have use of the communal/ shared camp kitchen in the campsite.

What to expect: Campfire

Depending on the weather, we may have a campfire. For safety reasons, the campfire is supervised, and is extinguished safely at around 2 hours after sunset. The reason we must put the campfire out for you is that our kangaroos are attracted to sweet sticky stuff like melted marshmallows so we MUST make sure the fire is not only out, but cold, so our animals don’t burn their feet or their mouths.

What to expect: Check-out and departure

8:30am to 10:00am

Usual check-out time is 10am. You can book an early check-out in case you need to leave the sanctuary early before the gates open and the reception staff are on duty.

The fun continues after check-out time. If you don’t want to leave, you don’t have to! Pick up your map with its schedule of ranger-led talks and tours and head out to see the animals and explore the bush tracks. You are welcome to stay until the park closes to the public at 4:30pm.

Preparing for your Wild Night Out

Minimum age

Every tent must have at least one responsible person over the age of 18. Minimum age for guests is 3 years old, but adults must supervise the children in their care at all times and ensure children behave considerately towards people and animals, follow the directions of the rangers, and comply with all Walkabout Park rules.

Alcohol policy

You are welcome to bring along wine or a beer to enjoy responsibly with your meal, on condition that this does not interfere in any way with other guests, the rangers or the animals. Please enjoy your beverages discretely at your tent, and do not walk about with them. We require that your limited your alcohol intake as if you were driving – we must make sure everyone is safe and no-one feels uncomfortable about someone else’s alcohol affected behaviour. Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park reserves the right to limit or prohibit the consumption of alcohol at any time, solely at the ranger on duty’s discretion, and visitors engaging in dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour will be required to leave at their own cost, even if this requires a taxi, in which case there will be no refund!

What to bring with you

• Dinner and breakfast (we recommend something easy to prepare, or you might prefer to bring a picnic).
• Camera and spare batteries.
• Torch and spare batteries – think about the fact that your tent has no light when choosing what kind of torches to bring.
• Mobile phone charger, your tent does not have power but there are power outlets in the camp kitchen.
• Closed comfortable walking shoes or boots.
• Sunscreen.
• Toiletries.
• Personal medication.
• Warm jacket.
• Wet weather rain jacket (this is an all-weather adventure, and it can rain at any time of the year).
• Sleeping bags (or duvets), pillows and towels – unless you have arranged to hire these from us.

What you will find in your tent

Camping mattresses

What you can buy at the gift shop

If you need anything from the shop at the visitor centre, tell your ranger who can assist you.

• Fresh-ground coffee from our wonderful barista machine (yes, your coffee is made with fresh milk)
• Chocolates, chips, ice-creams and cold drinks
• Bottled water
• Headache tablets, sunscreen, insect repellent
• Rain ponchos
• Toys, games and souvenirs

Booking and payment policy

Bookings are essential, and may be made by email at or telephone (02) 4375 1100. Full payment must be made at the time of booking.

Terms & Conditions

If you have to cancel because you are required to self isolate or go into quarantine, or you are not allowed to leave your area, due to covid, we do refund your booking fee in full.

In all other instances, we don’t refund but, if you give us at least 72 hours notice, we can change the date of your booking or the number of guests on payment of a $25 administration fee.

Optional extras may be added at any time but are subject to availability, so it is best to add these at time of booking to avoid disapointment.

A current credit card plus photo ID must be produced on check-in. You will need to pay a $200 security deposit to cover damages, including breakages, extraordinary cleaning or losses. This is fully refunded when you check out providing that there are no damages.

Cancellation by Walkabout Park

This is an all-weather event so we usually go ahead in the rain. However, if Walkabout Park believes the weather or other conditions may be unsafe for people or animals, we will cancel a booking. Whenever possible, you will be contacted in advance so it is important that you give us contact details that we can use to reach you right up until the time of your arrival. If we cancel your booking you will be given the option of either rescheduling to another date, or receiving a full refund. In the event of bad weather and if you have not heard from us, please call (02) 4375 1100 before 11am on the day of your booking to find out whether the program is going ahead. Note, cancellation due to weather is extremely unlikely as this is an all-weather event, so bring your rain gear as the rain just adds another dimension of fun to the experience.

To book…
Phone our Wildlife Sanctuary: (02) 4375 110
Email: info@walkaboutpark.com.au