10 Surprising Facts About Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
1. 75 YEARS OF CONSERVATION
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the longest-running tourist attractions on the Gold Coast! This year we’re celebrating 75 years since first opening to the public.
When Dr. Alex Griffiths founded the park, originally called the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary, we doubt he could ever have imagined it would someday be visited by almost 600,000 locals and tourists each year!
Alex Griffiths officially opened the Sanctuary in 1947. Back then, it was a small-scale lorikeet feeding display, but it quickly gathered momentum! By 1964, the much-loved miniature railway was born in the park. By this time, a wide array of animals already called Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary home.
In 1989, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital was founded, offering a free service to the community, treating, rehabilitating and releasing sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The hospital’s experienced team has also been contributing to world-leading research programs ever since.
2. THE LOCALS KEEP COMING BACK EVERY DAY
Did you know that the first locals to be return guests at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary were Rainbow lorikeets?
Before founding Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Alex Griffiths was a local beekeeper and flower grower. But he became frustrated by the wild Rainbow lorikeets that were ravaging his prized gladioli blooms. His unique solution was to distract the lorikeets by feeding them!
The flocks of colourful birds, which descended upon Alex Griffiths property daily drew the attention of locals and visitors and became the inspiration for the Sanctuary first slogan "Where the locals keep coming back every day!"
From humble beginnings, the first attraction at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was born. Now many visitors talk of times when they were younger when they visited the Sanctuary to feed the masses of wild lorikeet that came each day.
3. EXTINCTION TRAIL
100 million years in the making, Extinction Trail takes you back in time to the land of Dinosaurs and Megafauna! An immersive outdoor adventure, with special effects and lifelike models that will transport you back in time.
Walk with the dinosaurs and learn about the huge descendants of creatures that still exist today. How will you measure up beside a Giant Wombat or Marsupial Lion?
Aspiring archaeologists can unearth dinosaur fossils and get up close to eggs and bones and even see a giant scale-model skull of a T-rex!
Visit the Extinction Trail today, the attraction is included in your entry ticket to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
4. OUR PREHISTORIC LOST VALLEY
A little piece of the prehistoric world remains at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s Lost Valley!
One of the largest free-flight aviaries in the Southern Hemisphere, Lost Valley is a hidden treasure that is home to more than 300 species of flora and fauna, who run and fly free alongside you as you explore!
Come face-to-beak with Eclectus Parrots, Moluccan Red Lories, Black-capped Lories, Satin Bowerbirds, Emerald Doves, Chiming Wedgebills, Golden Pheasants and Mandarin Ducks. You can meet friendly Ring-tailed Lemurs and marvel at the obscure beauty of exotic reptiles.
Lost Valley offers five acres of stunning rainforest to explore. You’ll experience life on Gondwana before it split, forming present-day Australia as well as many other continents around the world such as Africa, South America and Antarctica.
5. WE HAVE AN APP
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s app is great for kids and grown-ups alike. Stress less by using our interactive map to easily plan out and track your day. Photograph your favourite animals and log your favourite facts to share with family and friends later.
Build a schedule by picking out the shows and encounters you’d like to see and receive push notifications that will remind you when it’s showtime!
Play our bonus interactive games at Lost Valley and Extinction Trail.
Download the app form the App store or Google Play before you arrive.
You can stay updated on when to apply for our volunteer programs online.
6. WE DO EVENTS
With 27 hectares of bushland and rainforest settings, as well as themed wildlife habitats, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary provides unique venues for every kind of event: Breakfasts, Luncheons or Dinners, Social Club Functions, Weddings, Cocktail Parties, Team Building Days, Conferences, and Family Fun Days.
Personalized wildlife experiences and functions in the wild are just some of the options that can be tailored for any event. Our flexible events team can tailor special packages to suit almost any budget and request. The Sanctuary’s in-house chefs craft delicious menus, with gluten free and vegan options available.
For an extra special touch, arrange a guest appearance by one of our furry, feathered or scaly ambassadors…or a private guided tour!
7. YOU CAN GET EVEN CLOSER TO OUR ANIMALS
Get nose to nose with a capybara, take a stroll with a dingo, or learn the ancient art of falconry with our spectacular birds of prey. Our wildlife encounters allow you to get closer than ever to our residents. Encounters make great gifts, with a variety of animal experiences designed for nature lovers. We even have a special encounter for little ones from the age of just four. See our website for terms and conditions. For safety reasons, many of our experiences require children to be accompanied by a paying adult.
8. KIDS, BRING YOUR TOGS
After a full-on day of exploring the Sanctuary, there’s no better way to cool of than our Wild Island Adventure Splash Zone. This fun water park surrounded by our beautiful native flora and fauna offers kids under the age of 13 a range of timed jets, streams and waterfalls to run through. Surrounded by sculptures of Australian wildlife and natural features, there’s plenty for active little ones to climb and explore…so don’t forget to bring your togs when you visit us!
9. WE HAVE 15 CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s team works tirelessly to save our amazing Australian wildlife from extinction. We have 15 different conservation programs, focussed on preserving our native fauna for generations to come.
Our successful breeding programs include Glossy Black-Cockatoos, Koalas and the critically endangered Kroombit Tinker Frog, which, in a history-making achievement, was successfully bred in captivity for the first time at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary this year!
We rely on community support to continue these projects, and we welcome donations from generous nature lovers.
10. OUR HOSPITAL IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THE WORLD
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital is one of the busiest of its kind in the world, caring for more than 14,000 animals just last year alone. In the past 20 years, our hospital has admitted 140,000 animals, and that number continues to grow!
The great, year-round work of our vets and nurses to treat, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned wildlife is only possible thanks to generous community donations. Did you know that treatments for Koala chlamydia or Koala retrovirus, two major causes of fatality amongst the wild population, cost approximately $7,000 per animal?
Our hospital has also worked with leading universities to develop a promising chlamydia vaccine. The Hospital aims to immunise all Koalas that are admitted before they are reintroduced to their natural habitats, to reduce mortality rates amongst the wild population.
You can take a peek behind the scenes and watch the hospital’s talented team at work, thanks to our daily Wildlife Hospital Presentations. Visit our hospital deck and watch our presentation team host live conversations with our vets and nurses as they carry out their life-saving work in real time. You might even see a surgery take place!
BONUS FACT – WE ARE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION!
All of our profits go back into ensuring that we can continue our great conservation work for generations to come!
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the National Trust of Australia (Queensland).
National Trust of Australia (Queensland) is a not-for-profit charity and member-based organisation, committed to conserving Queensland’s natural and cultural heritage, special places and collections within our care, as well as the protection of native wildlife, habitats and threatened species throughout Queensland.
By becoming a member of the National Trust of Australia (Queensland), you not only have access to the wonderful world of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, you will gain admission to all of our properties across Queensland, from Currumbin to Cooktown!
Step back in time at Wolston Farmhouse or Royal Bulls Head Inn or why not taste test some honey at Honeyworld.
Annual memberships start from $69.