A week in Melbourne, Australia- 5/4- 5/10/2024

Day 5-Phillip Island day tour -5/8/2024

Moonlit Sanctuary

This morning we are set off on a 12-hour day tour to Phillip Island, starting with a bus ride from Melbourne. The first stop is Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, a bushland haven where visitors can walk among kangaroos and wallabies, spot emus, and see koalas resting in the trees. The sanctuary also shelters wombats, dingoes, and many native birds, offering not just close encounters but also insights into vital conservation work that protects Australia’s unique wildlife.

Moonlit Sanctuary is a wildlife conservation park located on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Spread across 25 acres of bushland, it recreates the natural habitats of Australia’s native animals. Visitors can wander along winding trails where kangaroos and wallabies roam freely, or pause to see koalas dozing in the trees.

The sanctuary is home to more than 60 species, including wombats, dingoes, pythons, and colorful parrots. It was founded in the 1990s with the goal of conservation and education, and today it plays a key role in breeding programs for endangered species while offering guests an intimate and immersive wildlife experience.

Walking through Moonlit Sanctuary feels like stepping into the heart of the Australian bush.  The first thing you see are kangaroos and birds roaming freely on the property.

A wombat and a Gang-Gang cockatoos behind an enclosure.

 The common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), also known as the bare-nosed wombat, is a marsupial, short-legged, muscular, are native to Australia.  Common wombats are sturdy and built close to the ground. They have small ears and eyes, and a large bald nose. Their fur is thick and coarse and its colour varies from light brown to grey and black.

This is a Dama Wallaby.  They are gentle and curious with their soft grey-brown coats, expressive dark eyes, and delicate movements, they seem approachable and friendly.

 At the sanctuary, you can often hand-feed them pellets, and they’ll come right up to you, balancing on their hind legs while using their tiny front paws to steady themselves. Their presence makes the experience feel very personal and interactive.

 The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is one of Australia’s most iconic animals, and in the large open enclosure at Moonlit Sanctuary, visitors get to meet them in a way that feels both natural and personal. These kangaroos are taller and stronger than the wallabies, with sleek grey coats and long, muscular tails they use for balance. As they hop gracefully across the grass, they exude both power and gentleness. When they come right up to you, lowering their heads to nibble food from your hand, you can feel their soft whiskers and see their big, liquid eyes up close. It’s a rare moment where the wild and human worlds meet in harmony.

In the big kangaroo enclosure at Moonlit Sanctuary, the Eastern Grey Kangaroos are the main attraction, but free-roaming birds like ducks have learned that visitors often carry feed. They’ll wander in and out of the area, nibbling on stray pellets or waiting patiently (sometimes not so patiently!) for handouts.

Some of the Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the enclosure can grow quite large, with the males standing over 6 feet tall when upright. Despite their size and strength, the ones at Moonlit Sanctuary are remarkably calm and used to human presence. They’ll often let visitors stroke their backs or shoulders while they feed, their fur feeling soft and slightly coarse under your hand.

It’s a special experience standing next to such a big animal that could easily bound away, yet instead stays close, gently eating from your hand and allowing a quiet pat. Their friendliness is part of what makes this encounter so memorable. Here the duck is telling me he wants some food too!

This little guys came to me and put his paws on my arm and then sniffed the food.  He definitely knew how to get the food from people.  What a cutie pie.

Walking around in the sanctuary.

The kangaroos are roaming freely in the park.  Some are more timid than other and some are really friendly and will let you pet them.

Look at how cute this little kangaroo is next to Hoa.  They are definitely not scare of people.

This is a Cape Barren Goose.  They are large, sturdy birds native to southern Australia, with soft grey plumage, black spots on their wings, and that unmistakable fluorescent greenish-yellow beak. Even though they look a bit goose-like, they’re actually quite unique and are considered one of the rarest geese in the world. At Moonlit Sanctuary, they often wander freely around the grounds or graze on the grass in the open areas. Despite their size, they’re generally calm and not aggressive unless provoked, they’re more curious than anything.

There are also birds in the sanctuary.  On the left is a Black-winged. They are elegant wading birds and are instantly recognizable by their slender build, strikingly long pink legs, and thin black bill. Their plumage is mostly white, with contrasting black wings and sometimes a black cap on the head. They’re often seen in shallow water, delicately picking at insects, crustaceans, and other small aquatic life.

On the right is an Australasian Swamphen which we already saw at the Royal Botanical gardens in Melbourne. They are renowned for its distinctive blue-purple plumage, striking red frontal shield, and strong red legs

A pair of Greater Sooty Owls.  They have a fine while spots on their head, back, and wings.  They have a large heart-shape facial disk, white feathers covering most of the bill.  Their tail is short and their feet are large and strong, with big talons for holding on to prey. They live in deep, wet eucalyptus gully forests in South Eastern Australia from Victoria to Queensland. Clearing and fragmentation of habitat are presumed to be the main threats to the species.

On the left is a Laughing Kookaburra that are found in Eastern Australia and have been introduced into Tasmania and the extreme West of Western Australia.  They live in woodlands and open forests, were they are suitable trees fro nesting and open areas for hunting.  The Kookaburra has a distinctive call or "laugh" that is used to mark their territory. 

On the right is a Rainbow Lorikeet, a species of parrot found in Australia. 

A sign explaining to visitor that the Wallabies and kangaroos are nocturnal marsupials, and spend most of the day resting in the shade and are most active during the night.  Their wild diets consist of grasses and leaved. They enjoy eating the special made wallaby mix that you can buy on the Sanctuary, and they will nibble from the palm of people's hand. To feed them, people should kneel down to their level, holding the hand out in front with a small amount of the mix. 

Rest area for the Wallabies and Kangaroos, the birds are also hanging around in this area.

Visitors are not allowed behind the fences so if you want to feed them you have to reach in.

Rest area for the Wallabies and Kangaroos.  When they are full they get to this area and rest without any humans bothering them.

A wallaby eating from the palm of my hand.  It is so cute!

We are having a lot of fun feeding the animals.

Nap time!

Moonlit Sanctuary is set on about 25 acres of bushland on the Mornington Peninsula, and the layout is designed to feel like a mix of natural habitat and open wildlife park.

At the heart of the sanctuary, there’s a large lagoon-like body of water surrounded by trees and reeds. his water feature is more than just scenic, it attracts wild birds, ducks, and waders, making it a lively spot where sanctuary wildlife and free-ranging native species mix together.

The area is very calm, almost wild feel, as though you’ve stepped into a natural wetland.

Walking the paths around the lagoon, you get the sense that the sanctuary isn’t just about enclosures,  it’s about recreating the landscapes where these animals truly belong. It’s this blend of open bush, shaded walking trails, and water that makes wandering the property feel immersive.

At Moonlit Sanctuary, the dingoes are some of the most fascinating residents. They look a little like domestic dogs, with their sandy coats, upright ears, and bushy tails, but they’re Australia’s native wild canines, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Dingoes play an important role in balancing ecosystems, though their relationship with humans has often been complicated.

In the sanctuary, you’ll usually see them in a secure enclosure, but staff also bring them out on leash walks as part of enrichment and education. This gives visitors a rare chance to see their graceful, almost cat-like movement up close and notice how alert they are to every sound and scent around them. Unlike dogs, dingoes don’t bark much, they tend to howl or yelp instead, and they have a quiet, watchful presence that sets them apart.

The Chestnut Teal is a striking little duck native to Australia. The males are especially eye-catching, with their rich chestnut-colored bodies and a glossy green head that shimmers in the sunlight, while the females are more mottled brown and perfectly camouflaged. They feed on aquatic plants, insects, and small invertebrates, using their bills to sift through the shallows. Seeing them in the sanctuary adds to the feeling that the property is a living wetland, where both free-flying native birds and resident animals share the same space. Their presence also balances the scene, the kangaroos and wallabies create excitement on land, while the teal and ducks bring serenity to the water.

This tree is called the Silver Dollar Gum and is one of the most distinctive eucalypts we came across. It’s especially recognizable because of its round, silvery-blue juvenile leaves that grow in opposite pairs along the stems. These leaves are so striking that they’re often used in floral arrangements, but on the tree they create a soft, almost misty-blue canopy that stands out against the darker greens of other eucalypts. As the tree matures, the leaves become more elongated and darker, but the young foliage is what really makes it special.

We are now headed to the Koala enclosure.

The koala enclosure is a calm, shaded space where you’ll see koalas perched in the forks of trees or on low branches, often dozing with their round, furry ears and button noses visible against the grey-green leaves. Koalas sleep up to 18–20 hours a day, so most of the time they look very relaxed, but when they’re awake you might spot them slowly reaching for a eucalyptus leaf and chewing with surprising focus.

Moonlit Sanctuary also offers close-up experiences, where keepers explain their unique diet, they feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus, and even then, only certain species. The Argyle Apple we saw earlier is one such food source. Koalas’ strong claws and padded paws let them grip the branches securely, even while they nap..

Being in this enclosure feels special because koalas are iconic yet vulnerable, and here we get the chance to watch them safely and quietly in a setting that emphasizes conservation and care.

We also spotted a few Intellagama lesueurii, more commonly called the Eastern Water Dragon. They are a large lizard native to eastern Australia. At Moonlit Sanctuary, you’ll often see them basking near the lagoon, on rocks, or even climbing low branches. They’re impressive reptiles, with long, powerful tails that make up about two-thirds of their body length, and rough, spiky scales that give them a prehistoric look. Their coloring is usually a mix of grey and brown with darker bands, though some individuals have striking red or green tints along their bodies.

Standing tall with shaggy grey-brown feathers, long necks, and alert orange eyes, emus are Australia’s largest bird and the second-largest in the world (after the ostrich). In the enclosure, you can really appreciate their size, often towering over visitors when they come close to the fence. Despite their size, they’re curious rather than threatening, often pacing along the edge or lowering their heads to peer at you. Their feathers are soft and hair-like, which help insulate them against heat, and their strong legs are built for speed.  In the wild, they can run up to 50 km/h. Watching them at the sanctuary gives you the chance to notice their quirky, almost prehistoric look, especially with their small wings tucked against their bodies.

We are done with our visit and so we went to the coffee shop in the sanctuary for a little pause.

Coming from California, it was our first time seeing Australia’s iconic animals up close like kangaroos, emus, koalas, and wombats all felt unforgettable. Around the lagoon, we spotted ducks, chestnut teal, Cape Barren geese, and graceful stilts, while dingoes and even wild water dragons added to the adventure. The visit ended with a relaxing coffee at the café before the next stop.

NEXT... Woolomai Beach/Cowes Beach