Lone Koala Sanctuary - An Insiders View

[jaxjax123]

We’ve booked on Lone Koala Sanctuary - An Insiders View, the description is super vague on the celebrity website. 
 

We’ve asked both the sanctuary and Celebrity but neither could give us any further info. In fact Lone Koala Sanctuary - An Insiders View says our cruise doesn't stop there. 

 

Has anyone been on this specific trip and know what it entails? We're wondering if there are any animal encounters on the trip. 

[buchhalm]

Lone PINE koala sanctuary?

[jaxjax123]

Yes, https://lonepinekoalasanctuary.com I was having a funny 5 minutes and missed the PINE bit out. Whoops

 

[Tripmode33]

Lone Pine has been a favourite with Queenslanders for decades so I'm sure it would be a popular tour if offered.

Haven't been there personally but we are blessed with Koala, Kangaroo, Platypus etc on our property where we live every day.  But amazing animals to visit if you haven't had the opportunity before.

[beatleman]

Great place to visit suggest you take the ships excursion as it is located a few miles the other side of Brisbane.

[Relaxing Robbies]

No idea what the Celebrity excursion includes, but we enjoyed our visit to Lone Pine in February with some English friends visiting Australia. There were lots of koalas available for close up viewing. You could wander through the kangaroo enclosure and feed them special food pellets purchased onsite. Lots of other Aussie animals and birds to see, including platypus and Tasmanian devils.

 

I think you could pay to cuddle a koala, but we did not bother with that.

[Jean C]

I too went there in July last year, as a debark tour before being dropped at the airport. Thoroughly enjoyed it - on entry we were given a small bag of pellets to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. It's well worth a visit, lots of birds as well. We were a small group so our bus driver came in with us and provided a detailed commentary for us.

[jaxjax123]

4 hours ago, Jean C said:

I too went there in July last year, as a debark tour before being dropped at the airport. Thoroughly enjoyed it - on entry we were given a small bag of pellets to feed the kangaroos and wallabies. It's well worth a visit, lots of birds as well. We were a small group so our bus driver came in with us and provided a detailed commentary for us.

ah, fabulous, thank you, 

[jaxjax123]

18 hours ago, Tripmode33 said:

Lone Pine has been a favourite with Queenslanders for decades so I'm sure it would be a popular tour if offered.

Haven't been there personally but we are blessed with Koala, Kangaroo, Platypus etc on our property where we live every day.  But amazing animals to visit if you haven't had the opportunity before.

Wow, how fabulous. We’re really excited to see Platypus. I can’t imagine having them living so close. 

[jaxjax123]

15 hours ago, beatleman said:

Great place to visit suggest you take the ships excursion as it is located a few miles the other side of Brisbane.

Yes, others are suggesting it quite far. It’s best to be safe with timings isn’t it? 

[jaxjax123]

15 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

No idea what the Celebrity excursion includes, but we enjoyed our visit to Lone Pine in February with some English friends visiting Australia. There were lots of koalas available for close up viewing. You could wander through the kangaroo enclosure and feed them special food pellets purchased onsite. Lots of other Aussie animals and birds to see, including platypus and Tasmanian devils.

 

I think you could pay to cuddle a koala, but we did not bother with that.

 

I’m undecided whether we hold a koala, from a selfish point of view I’d love to, however, just seeing them up close and learning about them will be enough. 

[Jean C]

4 minutes ago, jaxjax123 said:

 

I’m undecided whether we hold a koala, from a selfish point of view I’d love to, however, just seeing them up close and learning about them will be enough. 

One of our group spent $25 and held a koala, and got a photo. I'll be on a cruise in November with family and we will be going to Lone Pine, it will be a good experience for the grandkids. One has set her heart on holding a Koala - not my cup of tea, they're fat, solid things. You have to queue to hold one and then it's like a production line, you hold the Koala just for a very short while, they take your photo and then it's over. Not worth it in my opinion, but those queueing obviously felt differently. 🐨 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, jaxjax123 said:

Yes, others are suggesting it quite far. It’s best to be safe with timings isn’t it? 

Lone Pine is 45-50 minutes' drive form the cruise terminal.

[jaxjax123]

58 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Lone Pine is 45-50 minutes' drive form the cruise terminal.

Thank you 

[jaxjax123]

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

One of our group spent $25 and held a koala, and got a photo. I'll be on a cruise in November with family and we will be going to Lone Pine, it will be a good experience for the grandkids. One has set her heart on holding a Koala - not my cup of tea, they're fat, solid things. You have to queue to hold one and then it's like a production line, you hold the Koala just for a very short while, they take your photo and then it's over. Not worth it in my opinion, but those queueing obviously felt differently. 🐨 

Absolutely, I think it’s a lovely thing to do and I would like to do it. I’m not sure if the koala would want to hug me though! 🤣 

[capriccio]

6 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Lone Pine is 45-50 minutes' drive form the cruise terminal.

We usually don't take cruise ship excursions but in April we took the Princess Lone Pine excursion because of the distance.  As everyone has noted, the Koala Sanctuary visit is great.  The drive to and from the Sanctuary (2 different routes) with a tour guide was really well done and included two photo stops (Mt. Cootha and another riverside stop in the city).

[jaxjax123]

1 minute ago, capriccio said:

We usually don't take cruise ship excursions but in April we took the Princess Lone Pine excursion because of the distance.  As everyone has noted, the Koala Sanctuary visit is great.  The drive to and from the Sanctuary (2 different routes) with a tour guide was really well done and included two photo stops (Mt. Cootha and another riverside stop in the city).

Thank you. We’re really looking forward to it. 

[Aus Traveller]

9 hours ago, capriccio said:

We usually don't take cruise ship excursions but in April we took the Princess Lone Pine excursion because of the distance.  As everyone has noted, the Koala Sanctuary visit is great.  The drive to and from the Sanctuary (2 different routes) with a tour guide was really well done and included two photo stops (Mt. Cootha and another riverside stop in the city).

The photo stops would make the ship's excursion worth taking compared with going independently. The Mt Coot-tha lookout isn't on the direct route to Lone Pine, so it is great that it was included.

[Lonedaddy]

We had the  Koala Discovery Tour | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary  Booked ... a behind the scenes 60 minute tour and holding a koala.  unfortunately our cruise line, Regent, changed our port to Mooloolaba and we had to cancel.  They nicely gave me a gift card since there are no refunds however not sure we would be able to get back down under to use it.  If anyone interested, I'd sell it for 100 USD.  The gift card is 300 AUD and good until august 24th 2026. 

[cubanspice]

On 8/26/2023 at 5:44 PM, Lonedaddy said:

We had the  Koala Discovery Tour | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary  Booked ... a behind the scenes 60 minute tour and holding a koala.  unfortunately our cruise line, Regent, changed our port to Mooloolaba and we had to cancel.  They nicely gave me a gift card since there are no refunds however not sure we would be able to get back down under to use it.  If anyone interested, I'd sell it for 100 USD.  The gift card is 300 AUD and good until august 24th 2026. 

hello.  We are going to Austrailia in a couple of weeks & was looking into the discovery tour.  Do you still have the gift card & are you still looking to sell?  Thanks.

[Lonedaddy]

15 minutes ago, cubanspice said:

hello.  We are going to Austrailia in a couple of weeks & was looking into the discovery tour.  Do you still have the gift card & are you still looking to sell?  Thanks.

Yes I do you can emial me at m.leo@att.net.  It is good until aug 2026