While making our way up to the Skyhigh Observatory in the Dandenong Mountains of Victoria, Australia, we happened upon a sign directing us to come romp with the wildlife at Bimbimbie Fauna Park. Being the adventurous types, we obliged.
Bimbimbie is tucked up in the winding roads of the mountain about 20 kilometres off the main Dandenong Tourist Trail. You won’t find it amongst the myriad of tourist trap brochures, though, and that is a shame. This park is well worth the side trip. When you get there, you go into the Tea Room and pay your fee of $10 Australian dollars per person. The gal there will give you each a bag of food to feed the various animals with as part of the admittance cost. Also in this Tea Room are public restrooms, a little bit of a science center for kids, and a small collection of generic Australian tourist trap items such as stuffed kangaroos and Aussie hats.
From the Tea Room, you walk through a gate to get into the Bimbimbie Park. We drove to the end and entered down there, being all backwards as we are. I was thrilled to find wallabies and kangaroos wandering about relatively freely. They are a friendly lot. If you’ve never let a wallaby or kangaroo eat from your hand, I highly recommend you do so immediately. They are the cutest things ever, and so very gentle. The young ones will hold your hand as they eat what you have to offer them.
You can also enter the deer enclosure and feed them. There are quite a few deer here; with two of them being the most gorgeous white I had ever seen on an animal. I’d never actually seen a white deer before, so this was very nice. The deer are a little more skittish than the kangaroos and wallabies about eating from your hand, but if you stand still and look non-threatening they will eventually come up and hesitantly take what you offer.
Aside from feeding the deer, kangaroos, and wallaby population, this park has lots of birds… including a cockatiel that followed Lars around like a puppy dog yelling Where ya goin’? It was cute as hell. The lorikeets up by the Tea Room are also worth seeing, being just very colourful.
Bimbimbie has one camel, but you are warned to not come near him, as he is prone to bite. You can feed the goats nearby though. Children can enter the rabbit and guinea pig enclosures, as long as an adult is present. One animal we had been wanting to see that had eluded us up until now is the Dingo. Bimbimbie Fauna Park as two adorable dingoes. You cannot pet them, but they do come up to the fence edge so you can have a good look and snap pictures.
Bimbimbie Fauna Park is not huge by any means, but for a mere 10 bucks including animal food, it is a bargain that cannot be beat. Plan to spend about an hour here, or more if you decide to make this your picnic spot. They have plenty of tables available just for that.
523 Paternoster Road
Mt Burnett, Vic. 3781
Phone: (03) 5942 7238
Fax: (03) 5942 7267
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Comments: 26
Second of all, let me draw your attention to one of the most absurd things I believe has ever been documented. If I were you, I'd be extremely proud of having penned the sentence; "Bimbimbie has one camel, but you are warned to not come near him, as he is prone to bite".
Finally, this fantastical place is located on Paternoster Road. I hope these are pious kangaroos.
Anyway, as you might guess I totally adore petting zoos of any kind. A few years ago my husband was forced to drag me out of the deer park at the WI Dells by my sleeve. It featured more varieties of deer than I even knew existed, as well as a bunch of other animals. The deer were particularly friendly and looked exceptionally, um, well fed.
it's not often that one comes in such close proximity to such friendly wildlife!
I just have to come up with a solution to the long winters before he will consider it seriously... help me out here, folks.
I still hope to get to Australia one day. When I do, I will remember this and be sure to find Bimbimbie on Paternoster road!
(I don't think I've ever seen a deer that tiny, let alone white!)
There's a thought. I write for a few magazines, but hadn't thought of the whole tourist brochure thing before. Hmmmm I may have to look into that.
that looks like a goat to me? I just kidding
Was that bit intentional? If so, I salute your punniness.
It is a deer though, I assure you. They have two white ones. I think they let you into the enclosure with young deer though, which would explain the demureness... possibly as they mature they get a bit more cranky. heh. Just pondering, no idea on it really...
HA! Sweden is better but Norway is cooler... or is it: Sweden is better because Norway is cooler. *snicker*
Truth is, I have yet to make over to Norway to explore. I adore Denmark, though. Both Norway and Finland are on the short list now for future trips.
This is a great article Lori, and congrats on the editors pick. The white deer is beautiful.
I would give almost anything to be able to travel to Australia. I hear that it's absolutley beautiful.
Timothy, you simply must do Australia. It is an awesome country.
Firoze... flattery will get you ragmunk (sp?) along with those meatballs! I've seen the pics of Norway, I really need to make that top priority on the travel plans. It is only a short train ride, then an overnight ferry from me. I have no excuse for not having done that yet.