A Wild Sleep Out – Eco-Cabins

Sleep in an ECO-CABIN where the Wild Things are …

A Wild Sleep Out – Eco-Cabins

Cabin: $240 for first person. For each additional person add $70 per adult age 16+, $60 per child age 3-15, $50 per infant age 0-2.

Cabin – A Wild sleep Out

Do you love the idea of a night in the Australian bush, but you don’t really want to sleep rough? How about a cottage with all the comforts of home nestled in the bush alive with friendly wildlife? Share a cabin with your friends, your own private haven with everything you need. Open plan, fully equipped kitchen, en suite bathroom, comfortable bed, hotel quality linen, ceiling fan and oil fin heater, dining suite, sofa and even a TV. When you wake with the kookaburras in the morning, don’t be surprised if there is a kangaroo on your veranda and an emu at the window.

The Australian bush puts on an entrancing display of wild nature after dark. Bring a torch so you can explore the tracks at night. You may want to add a ranger-led spotlighting tour for a program jam packed with animal action, from meeting Walkabout Park friendly furry and scaly and spiky residents, to playing tug of war with the devils and spotlighting for wildlife in the trees and undergrowth.

Open plan (studio style) eco-cabin

Please note that your cabin is a small cosy single open plan room incorporating the bedroom/ lounge/ kitchen/ dining room). Everyone sleeps in the one room.

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, includes all night and next day sanctuary access

Cabin includes 1 Adult age 18 or over: $240

Extra Adult age 16 or over: $70

Child age 3 to 15: $60

Infant age 0 to 2: $50

Every cabin must have at least one adult aged 18 or over.

We do NOT have a minimum age for children (as many ‘zoo snooze’ programs do), but you do pay for infants.

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 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 per cabin (and per vehicle entrance):

EARLY arrrival between 9am and 3pm. Please note your cabin may not be ready for check-in when you arrive, but we can store your luggage while you enjoy full access to the park.
LATE arrival between 4:30pm and 7pm. Gates may be locked. Phone 43751100 on arrival to arrange admittance.
Early or Late Check-out add $50 per cabin (and per vehicle exit):

EARLY check-out between 6:30am and 8:30am. Leave before the gates are unlocked for the public.
LATE check-out between 10am and 2pm. Use your cabin’s facilities until after lunch.

Self-catering

You should plan to self cater as we do NOT have a restaurant at Walkabout Park, there are no restaurants nearby, and the sanctuary gates are locked at 5pm to keep our animals safe.

Coffee, snacks and soft drinks can be purchased at the visitor centre from 9:00am to 4:30pm. During the day, between 11am and 3pm, we also serve light kiosk-style meals.

Your cabin has a fully equipped kitchenette, with cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery, so all you need to bring is your food.

Why it is so important that you pack light

As your cabin 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 cabins, so be ready for a short walk (approximately 200 meters).

You will need to carry your gear to your cabin. 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.

Shortening the check-in process by pre-filling documents

If you would like to complete your check-in documents prior to arrival to shorten the check-in process, you can download the documents here. Just complete them and bring them with you.

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 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 and get your keys. You will be asked to pay a security deposit, just as you do when checking into a ‘normal’ hotel. 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 walk to your cabin (you will need to carry your own luggage) 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 a ranger-led tour, 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: If you have booked the Wild Night Out ranger-led Walkabout Tour

If you have purchased a Wild Night Out ranger-led tour…

This tour encorporates animal encounters and spotlighting, is designed for all ages, and runs for 2 hours.

Meet Walkabout Park’s friendly resident animals, then go spotlighting to spy on the animals as the bush comes alive at dusk. Play tug of war with the Tasmanian devils. Get up close and hands-on with Australia’s weird and wonderful wildlife.

It will usually finish with a one hour campfire. Occasionally, because of extreme weather (e.g. if there are high winds or a total fire ban), we cannot go ahead with the campfire. However, this is very rare. We supply the marshmallows for toasting.

TOUR TIMES

The autumn/winter period starts when we switch over from “daylight saving time” in the first week of April, until we switch back onto “daylight saving time” in the first week of October.

Autumn/Winter schedule: The tour starts at 5pm. The tour ends at the campsite at 7pm. The campfire (weather permitting) is from 6:45pm to 7:45pm. Guests not staying overnight depart with the ranger at 8pm.
The spring-summer period runs from the first week in October to the beginning of April, when Sydney is on “daylight saving time”

Spring/Summer: The tour starts at 7pm. The tour ends at the campsite at 9pm. The campfire (weather permitting) is from 8:45pm to 9:45pm. Guests not staying overnight depart with the ranger at 10pm.
Autumn/Winter tour time is from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The autumn/winter period starts when we switch over from “daylight saving time” in the first week of April, until we switch back onto “daylight saving time” in the first week of October.

Spring/Summer tour time is from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The spring-summer period runs from the first week in October to the beginning of April, when Sydney is on “daylight saving time”.

What to expect: Dinner

As you are self-catering, you can have dinner any time you like.

However, if you have booked the Wild Night Out tour, we suggest you plan your dinner so that you can be finished before the tour starts, or can enjoy when you get back to your cabin. If you have young children doing the tour, we recommend that you have some snacks in a backpack for them to eat during the tour, as 2 hours may be a long wait for little ones. We have learned, with children, that it is important to keep their blood sugar and hydration levels up.

Your cabin has its own kitchen with cooking utensils, stove, microwave, toaster and kettle. Your pantry is stocked with Nescafe coffee, tea, sugar, 2% milk for coffee/tea, salt, pepper and spray-and-cook. You may prefer to bring along some easy to prepare fresh ingredients, or pre-prepared meals, to make your own dinner and breakfast.

What to expect: Campfire… only included if you have booked the Wild Night Out ranger-led tour

Because we are in the Australian bush, campfires have to be attended by one of our rangers. It is therefore not possible to have a campfire if you have not booked to join the ranger-led Wild Night Out tour.

What to expect: Check-out and departure
8:30am to 10:00am

Usual check-out time is 10am. Subject to availability, you can book a late check-out (2pm) so that you can continue to use your cabin facilities until after lunch. 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 for the night at 5pm.