NSW’s wildlife is diverse, remarkable and very cute. From camel rides and seal snorkelling to koala habitat visits and alpaca brunches, meet NSW's creatures on a range of guided tours and experiences.
Mar 2025 -
7
min readBrunch and stay with alpacas
At Iris Lodge Alpacas, an eco-certified alpaca farm on the Central Coast, interact with the adorable furry creatures over brunch. As part of the experience, you’ll meet Ellie the Wiltipoll sheep (and Lola and Abby the Maremma dogs who guard the flock), catch up with sweet babydoll sheep and Will and Harry the llamas, and hand-feed, and learn the personalities of, the more than 100 alpacas before tucking into a farm-fresh brunch spread.
Similarly, Blackwattle Alpaca Farm in Murrumbateman, Country NSW, puts on a range of alpaca experiences including walks, feeding tours, brunches and picnics.
If you want to invest more time in getting to know alpacas, spend a few days at the Hunter Valley's Starline Alpacas Farmstay. This working farm surrounded by the Broken Back Range offers a range of accommodations, plus an alpaca encounter and feeding experience. Visitors to Kenzell Farm in Oberon can similarly choose to stay in the charming homestead accommodation or take part in an on-farm experience meeting alpacas, sheep, miniature cattle and more.
Starline Alpaca Farmstay, Hunter Valley
Explore sand dunes on a camel
A camel ride can be wonderfully calming or a barrel of laughs, it depends on the camel. Either way, the animals' slow pace offers plenty of time to take stock of your surroundings. At Oakfield Ranch Camel Rides, you’ll journey across the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere in Port Stephens – the sunset ride is particularly special.
In Port Macquarie, camel safaris are also available with Port Macquarie Camel Safaris, where you’ll learn amazing facts and stories about the animals as you traverse Lighthouse Beach.
Port Macquarie Camel Safaris, Port Macquarie
Swim with the seals
Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve is a very special place. Situated off the far South Coast, its renowned for its unspoilt environment and is one of the few places where you can see whales, seals, penguins and more than 90 bird species in one area.
One of the most memorable experiences to have on the island is swimming in close proximity of seals. While you can take part year-round, the best time to book it is September to November when they’re more present – it’s also the best time to see migrating whales. With Montague Island Adventures and Underwater Safaris you can snorkel nearby the playful creatures in their natural habitat, and admire the abundant fish, too.
Montague Island, Narooma
Catch the whale migration
The Humpback Highway runs alongside the NSW coast and each year more than 40,000 whales make their annual migration from Antarctica to the Pacific (and back again) between May and November. Jervis Bay is halfway along the whales’ 5,000-kilometre migration route, and they often stop here to rest and play with newborn calves. With Jervis Bay Wild or Woebegone Freedive you can get close to the action. Alternatively, travel to Penguin Head at Culburra, Cave Beach or the viewing platform in Booderee National Park to watch from the shore.
In Newcastle, CoastXP offers whale-watching experiences also, while in Port Stephens, grab your binoculars and head to Tomaree Headland, Barry Park at Fingal Bay, Fishermans Bay, Birubi Point and Stockton Beach north of Newcastle.
You can even see them in Sydney. Watch whales pass by from the lookouts at Sydney Harbour’s North and South Head, and at the tip of the Northern Beaches where Barrenjoey Head at Palm Beach offers an elevated viewpoint. At Mona Vale Headland, grab a picnic or fish and chips and perch on the expansive grassy area to look out for the passing pod. For on-the-water experiences, Captain Cook Cruises, Fantasea Cruising, Oz Whale Watching and Manly Ocean Adventures are just some of the whale-watching cruise boats that leave from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Manly.
Whale watching, Sydney
Spot dolphins from the coast
Port Stephens is Australia’s dolphin capital, with more than 150 resident bottlenose dolphins that can be seen there year-round. With 26 beaches and an undulating coastline, there are many vantage points to see the pods swim by. If you want to get even closer to these curious, intelligent creatures you can head out on a cruise or even swim alongside them (Dolphin Swim Australia and Moonshadow TQC Cruises are great options).
Further north in Byron Bay, Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay and Cape Byron Kayaks offer dolphin-watching experiences, as do Jervis Bay Wild and Sea Kayak Jervis Bay, in Jervis Bay on the South Coast.
Jervis Bay Wild, Huskisson
Meet a pod of pelicans
The Australian pelican is magnificent and mesmerising to watch but it’s unusual to see a whole flock of them in the wild. That’s what makes the free, Pelican Time experience at The Entrance on the Central Coast so special. Operated by volunteers at Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast, this weekend-only experience at Pelican Plaza offers free educational talks about pelicans, their life in the wild, care and rescue.
Pelicans, The Entrance
Encounter marine life
A day at Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters introduces visitors to these beautiful creatures in a controlled environment. Situated in Anna Bay, the lagoon-style enclosures mimic natural environments, helping you learn about the importance of ocean ecosystems. The centre also offers a guided snorkelling tour and zebra shark encounter.
Ecotreasures Manly Snorkel Tour offers the opportunity to discover Sydney’s marine life in Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve. On this eco-certified guided experience, be immersed in native marine life and learn about conservation of the area.
Similarly, Lord Howe Environmental Tours offers a range of experiences bringing people closer to marine life of Lord Howe Island, such as snorkelling tours (including night adventures), and coral viewings.
Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Manly
Snorkel with turtles
Less than one kilometre off Fingal Head on the Tweed Coast lies Cook Island Aquatic Reserve (Jungarra Ngarrian), home to a permanent population of green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, and a huge variety of tropical and subtropical fish. A wonderful way to explore the water is via a snorkelling tour with Watersports Guru, where you’ll travel up the Tweed River and out to the reserve, likely seeing a pod of dolphins on the way, before jumping in the clear water to swim with the turtles. In summer, keep an eye out for harmless leopard sharks.
Cook Island Aquatic Reserve, Fingal Head
Ride a horse on the beach
Byron Bay’s beaches are world-famous for their incredible beauty and clear waters. On your next visit, explore the North Coast icons from a different perspective and explore them by horseback. Zephyr Horses offers a sunrise or sunset ‘forest to beach’ tour, where you’ll follow a forest trail, witnessing the area’s diverse flora, to the beach.
Down south, explore the pristine Seven Mile Beach in the Shoalhaven region with Regal Riding School. Here, guides will take you along the fringe of the nearby national park and onto the beach for an easy, peaceful amble.
Zephyr Horses, Byron Bay
Stroll the beach alongside kangaroos
In NSW you can combine two of the most iconic Australian experiences in one: sighting kangaroos at the beach. Emerald Beach on the Coffs Coast is one such spot where this can happen – you’ll most likely catch the resident roos at sunset or dawn on the headland.
Kangaroos can also be spotted in their beachy habitat at Pebbly Beach in the Shoalhaven – it’s a popular camping spot located in Murramarang National Park. Keep your eye out for the abundant birdlife, too.
Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach
Learn about koalas
Koalas are one of Australia’s most beloved animals, but they’re vulnerable to extinction due to loss of habitat, disease and other factors. Fortunately, there are several institutions in NSW that rescue, rehabilitate and release koalas back into the wild. At Port Macquarie’s Koala Conservation Wild Breeding Visitor Centre visitors can observe koalas from viewing decks (to ensure they’re kept as close as possible to their natural habitat), learn about their world-first wild-breeding facility and check out the ‘Big Koala’ sculpture. It’s the 88th sculpture along the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, which is sure to delight the little ones.
Further south, visit the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Here visitors can walk along the elevated 225-metre skywalk to treetop height so they can get a unique perspective into the resident koalas’ habitat.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
Try spy a platypus
Arguably the cutest native Australian animal of all, platypus can be quite elusive and mysterious – wild sightings are not as common as those of kangaroos or koalas. On a Vision Walks Eco Tours dawn Platypus Walk in Byron Bay, a guide will lead you on a 2km walk along a creek in attempt to spot one, all while learning about the creatures, followed by a breakfast picnic by the creek. While sightings aren’t guaranteed, you can try again another time for free if they evade you.
Vision Walks Eco Tours, Byron Bay
