TOURS

To book a tour, please select a date from the list displayed underneath the calendar and choose ‘Devils in the Wild Tour’.

To book a gift card, please select any date in the calendar below and then choose ‘Gift Card – Devils in the Wild Tour’.

Tour Dates

DEVILS IN THE WILD TOURS

Want to get up, close and personal with our devils? Well, now you can!

Aussie Ark’s Devils in the Wild tours are available on defined dates throughout the year. These fully escorted tours run for 2.5 hours, and are led by one of our Aussie Ark Rangers.

On this guided tour, you’ll get to see Tasmanian Devils up close in our free-range enclosures, and learn more about wildlife conservation – and how we do it – at Aussie Ark! You will experience the rare opportunity of being in a Tasmanian Devil’s natural habitat, while witnessing firsthand, a communal feed and exhibition of Devil’s natural behaviour in the wild.

Aussie Ark maintains the largest insurance population of Tasmanian Devils in the world – and you’ll be sure to see and learn a lot about and from this species! Also, depending on the time of year you visit us, you may even get the chance to hold and interact with our newest Devil joeys (joey season runs from September to February – so your best chances of meeting a joey is to come on a tour during this period)!

Tour Breakdown

All tours start and finish at the Aussie Ark Interpretive Centre, where you can enjoy a tea or coffee  and watch Devils’ feed in the enclosure below while learning about the history of the Ark, our big conservation milestones and our ambitious plans for the future!

You’ll then walk down through our Species Recovery Unit to learn about the day-to-day running of the sanctuary. On entering into our Eastern Quoll facility, you will see the wild environments that have been created especially or them and get the chance to see some individual quolls up close (please note that this species is timid and nocturnal, so viewing is not guaranteed).

You will then have the opportunity to enter one of our Devils in the Wild enclosures and get exceptionally close to our Devils during another communal feed. After this, you’ll get to view our Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby enclosures and other small macropod (Rufous Bettong, Parma Wallaby, Long-nosed Potoroos and Bandicoots) facilities.

Finally, we finish your tour with the opportunity to get hands on with some of our cutest residents – the joeys being raised by our dedicated staff (subject to availability of joeys – best time being September – February).

Then you will have the chance to pick up something from our merchandise range or symbolically adopt one of your own (Tasmanian Devil, Koala, Eastern Quoll, Squirrel Glider or Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby) to commemorate your visit and enjoy another cuppa, tea and a biscuit before hitting the road.

At Aussie Ark, we encourage and facilitate wild behaviours in all of our animals. Devils are naturally motivated by food and will convene for a feed, however, do understand that our enclosures are incredibly vast and viewing of our other species may not be guaranteed.

Public Devils in the Wild tours

Public Devils in the Wild tours are only available on set dates throughout the year. These dates can be viewed underneath the calendar to the left on this page.

Pricing:

Adults (16+): $150

Children (4-15): $100

Infants (3 and under): FREE

Private Tours

Want to embark on a private tour? Private tours are a suitable option for couples or families who prefer to travel independently, customers with special requirements or groups of friends wishing to travel on an exclusive tour. Whatever your needs are, we will do our absolute best to accommodate you!

Private tours are charged at the same rates as our public tours, but have a minimum booking fee of $650, which is absorbed in the cost of a booking once it exceeds this price.

Example Rates:

2 Adults, 2 Children = $500 + additional $150 to cover minimum booking fee.

5 Adults = $750 (minimum booking fee absorbed in price).

Why does it cost so much?

Primarily, Aussie Ark is a wildlife conservation organisation. Our rangers are trained first in how to take care of our species, and their duties towards the animals will always take priority. Much of their time is spent making daily rounds, engaging in anti-predator practices, landcare and general maintenance of over 20 species in over 500ha of land. Their time and expertise is highly valuable to us, so when we run tours, we need to be sure the time they spend away from their duties is adequately compensated. While we cherish our supporters, ecotourism is secondary to the care of our site and animals.

For more information about our private tours contact us on (02) 4326 5333 or [email protected]

General Tour Information, Accommodation and Accessibility

Aussie Ark is 2 hours away from Scone, 3.5 hours from Newcastle and 5 hours from Sydney. Public and private tour guests are to meet rangers onsite at Aussie Ark’s Interpretive Centre. No rangers will meet guests outside of this facility for tour purposes.

Guests driving via Gloucester are advised to follow signage from the T-Junction at Pheasant’s Creek Road and Tomalla Road to Aussie Ark. Guests driving from Moonan Flat will find signage to Aussie Ark at the turn-off to Hunter Road. Guests are advised to follow signage past this point to convene at Aussie Ark’s Interpretive Centre.

The tour will require you to remain standing for the majority of its duration (2.5hrs), with limited seating is available at various points. Guests will be required to walk intermittently for a combined duration of 30-40 minutes. Guests with limited mobility are advised to book a private tour and contact [email protected] with details of mobility. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair-bound guests, as the terrain is narrow, uneven and rocky.

Aussie Ark and the Barrington Tops can be muddy, dusty and dry during different times of the year. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty, and always check the weather before arrival! Temperatures can range between high 30’s (c), and be chilled to the point of snowfall in winter. With an elevation of 1,350 metres, the temperatures will usually differ to those at the base of the mountains, so be sure to keep this in mind before you embark on your journey to us.

Lastly, there are loads of accommodation options in Scone, Gloucester, Muswellbrook, Aberdeen and Moonan Flat if you would like to stay after your tour. You may want to consider staying with us, at Quoll’s Cottage or Devil’s Retreat! Once you have booked, you will receive an information kit and advice on what to bring. We look forward to seeing you there!

Gift Cards

Looking for the perfect gift to give to a loved one or a wildlife enthusiast in your life, head to our online shop to purchase a Devils in the Wild Tour Gift Card! Click here.