Parndana Wildlife Park, Kangaroo Island

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4gGJp767o4

Experience: MUST DO!     Price: $ Level of Difficulty: Zero

An afternoon at the Parndana Wildlife Park will most likely be one of the best afternoons of your life.  Located slap dab in the middle of Kangaroo Island, you can’t miss this animal haven while driving around.  We arrived mid-afternoon, around 2pm, and, with the exception of the park caretakers, we were the only ones around; just the three of us with a ton of kangaroos, emus, koalas and birds all vying for our attention.  Bob snapped up some ‘Roo food ($1 AUD for a huge bag) and we headed into the park.  The best part about Parndana is how open and trusting they are of the visitors and the animals.  So with no one was watching us, our experience was totally up to the animals, and they were loving us!  Everything I had heard about dangerous kangaroos was thrown to the wayside after these soft and gentle animals cuddled up and grouped around us for food.  I’m pretty sure Bob could have spent the rest of the trip with them- he was in heaven!  Not only chock full of Kangaroos, I was psyched to find myself within reach of some Koalas.

Our experience was amazing, and, beyond our trip, I admire Parndana for the care they give to the Island’s wounded and unwanted animals.  Being open everyday of the year allows them to rescue and nuture animals full time.  They even say that they are “rarely without babies”, allowing visitors to nurse and hold the babies animals.  It’s no surprise that they have won many tourism and zoological awards.  Like I said, one of the best afternoons of your life.