What to Do - Australia | 4 minutes

BREAKFAST WITH
KOALAS

City skyline

Photo By: John Doe

Grab breakfast surrounded by Australian Wildlife at this unique experience on Magnetic Island.

The Chichen Itza Ruins are one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, so while I was in Mexico I absolutely had to go and check it out. These ruins thrived from 600 A.D. to the 1200’s, and include a massive pyramid known as El Castillo, which is absolutely stunning.

El Castillo

This stunning pyramid is the first thing you notice once you arrive.

Button

Ruins

Wandering around the ruins.

Button

The first time I visited Magnetic Island we stopped by the Bungalow Bay Koala Village; an adorable little sanctuary and accommodation located on the island. We saw that they offered a ‘Breakfast With Koalas Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays. Unfortunately it didn’t overlap with a day that we were on town, and I was bummed we didn’t get to do it.

“Learning about Australian wildlife over mimosas and eggs was a really cool experience that I’ll never forget. This intimate experience was much more than I had expected”

- Lindsey Farrah

When we decided to go back to Magnetic Island for a weekend trip I was over the moon because we were going to get the chance to do the breakfast with koalas! I didn’t know what to expect as I have never gone to something like this before, but I knew it was something I definitely wanted to check out.

It ended up exceeding my expectations and then some! What I loved most about this breakfast was that I got to interact with some of Australia's most interesting wildlife in a small, personable experience which was led by knowledgeable and caring Rangers. When the lead Ranger went into the gated area to greet a Koala, the Koala literally hung around her neck as if giving her a big hug (can you say best job ever!?). You can tell they have a lot of love and passion for the animals here which made the experience that much better.

Ruins

Wandering around and exploring the ruins.

Button

The breakfast was kicked off with a very friendly greeting by the team of Rangers as they handed each person a mimosa. From there we were taken into the sanctuary and got some hands on experiences with some of the lizards on site. The blue tongued skink was my favourite lizard that we got to get someone-on-one time with.

After that, breakfast was served. They had a huge spread including eggs, bacon, breakfast sandwiches, fruits, muesli, smoothies, yogurt, coffee (of course) and so much more. As we were wrapping up breakfast the caretakers announced that people could walk into the Koala area and get up close and personal with Hagrid, a gentle older Koala.

The Rangers also brought out an anaconda, a black cockatoo and some other animals for everyone to walk around at their leisure and interact with. There were only 10 people at our breakfast, so everyone spread out and got some great individual time with each of these animals making it a very special experience. I even got to hold an anaconda! That’s something I never thought I’d do, but given the opportunity I figured it was worth trying out.

After about 30 minutes of interaction with these animals, the Rangers opened up the rest of the sanctuary for guests to walk around. We walked around and enjoyed looking at their other koalas, small crocodiles, wallabies and more.

The last event of the breakfast was the highlight for me- the opportunity to hold a Koala and get your picture taken with her. This is an additional cost on top of the breakfast but it is so worth it! The Ranger brought out Pebbles, a tiny, younger female Koala that is especially snuggly. One by one we got to hold Pebbles and get our photos taken. She was so tiny and adorable! I must note that you only get to hold her for a short period of time as there are strict rules and regulations for handling Koalas. That being said, holding little Pebbles was an awesome experience I will never forget, even though it was only for a short time. Koala cuddles are the best!

I went to this breakfast with my partner as well as my parents during their visit from the states, and everyone agreed this was one of the coolest experiences we’ve ever had. If you can make the trip to Magnetic Island, definitely book a breakfast with the Koalas.