Maru Koala and Animal Park
Get in Touch with Wildlife
Animal Experiences
Animal Park
Pirate Pete’s Mini-Golf
Homestead Bistro
Santa Photos now available
Maru will be offering Photo Opportunities with Santa, with a number of different Session Types and Packages to provide some joy to families during this festive season. All funds raised from Santa pictures will be used to assist with the care of the wildlife at Mary, along with the running of our Wildlife Shelter to rehabilitate ill, injured and orphaned local wildlife and assist with their return to the wild. Please note that Sensitive Santa & Photo with Santa + Koala are now sold out.
Bookings are now open for December 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th and 22nd. For more information, and to book your Chance to meet Santa this year, visit this link here. Please keep in mind that our Standard COVID-Safe rules apply to ensure that we can safely operate and provide the best experience possible.
COVID-Safe Re-opening and FAQ
With Maru Koala and Animal now being open to everyone including Metro Melbourne, the requirements to entry at Maru Koala and Animal Park will be slightly different to how they before, however they will allow not just us, but the rest of the state to open up more freely in a way that provides safety and assurance to everyone.
The most noticeable change is that we will only be able to allow entry to guests who have been fully vaccinated, and mask requirements will also follow the state guidelines. For a more comprehensive FAQ regarding entry requirements (including Vaccine Requirements) along with a copy of our COVID-Safe Plan, please visit this link here.
For more information on current Victorian State Guidelines, please visit this link here.
Maru Summer Opening Hours
Our opening hours until the 12th of December are 10:00am-4pm on weekdays with Last Entry at 3pm and 9:30am-5pm on Weekends and Holidays, with Last Entry at 4pm. From the 13th of December until Christmas Eve, we will be open from 9:30am-5:00pm every day. From Boxing Day until the 9th of Jan, we will extend our opening hours to 9:30am-6:00pm everyday, and then from the 10th of January until the 31st of January, we will be open from 9:30-5:00pm every day.
Online Booking for Entry is available here, and tickets for our Animal Experiences are available here. We recommended booking your tickets to avoid missing out as limitations will apply.
You can also help by sponsoring the planting of a tree in our new Eucalyptus plantation. When you donate $55 we will plant a new tree for you of one of the Eucalypt species that koalas like to eat. So not only will it provide ongoing food for the koalas in our care, but also financially support us at this challenging time to keep caring for all of the animals here at Maru. The plantation will also provide a natural haven for wildlife in our area. Visit our Sponsor a Koala Tree page for more information.
Maru Koala and Animal Park has also come up with a unique way that people can donate to support the care of the animals, but also a local family or person in need. Simply purchase a ‘Pay It Forward Membership’ and Maru will use those funds to help pay for the feed and care of the animals but we will then ‘pay forward’ the membership to a local family or person in need that is financially challenged and would not otherwise be able to afford to visit. For additional information, please visit our Pay It Forward page here.
We will continue to update our Facebook and Instagram pages daily with pictures of our animals. We hope this can bring some joy during this difficult period, and we hope that everyone is able to Stay Safe. We look forward to welcoming everybody back in the near future.
We also have an Annual Memberships available. This allows for unlimited entry of our Animal Park and Mini-Golf for one year from the purchase date. Click here to see our Membership Booking Page.
We thank-you for your continued support.
Welcome to Maru Koala and Animal Park
Maru is a family run attraction where you can see koalas, wombats, crocodiles, kangaroos, Australian birds, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, emus and even more! This wonderful animal park is paired with the exciting Pirate Pete’s Mini-Golf where you escape into another world as you encounter life-size pirate figures including Captain Jack Sparrow! There are eighteen holes of fun that navigate you through different Australian landscapes from beach to bush to outback. After you’ve met the wildlife and putted your way to victory its time to eat some delicious breakfast or lunch at the Homestead Bistro.
Located on the Bass Highway in Grantville in South Victoria, only fifteen minutes from Phillip Island and the penguins. A perfect day trip from Melbourne or stop on your way to your Phillip Island adventure.
Maru Koala and Animal Park’s Animals
At Maru you can hand feed many of the animals, pat them and take as many photos as your camera or phone can hold. We aim to give visitors the opportunity to really interact with most of the animals such as the koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, emus, parrots, wombats, crocodile and other Aussie animals.
Maru Koala and Animal Park’s Experiences
We also have regular talks and presentations including our feature Wildlife Show on weekends and holidays. We also have the exciting Koala Encounter which offers the opportunity to meet one of our friendly Koalas! Truly superb!
Maru’s Presentations and Shows
Pirate Pete’s Mini-Golf
There’s so much more to Maru than just animals. Set sail for 18 holes of adventure as your putt your way around the Princess Caribbean Pirate Ship. Encounter life-size pirate figures, a great white shark and brave the gold-mine under the five meter thunderous waterfall.
This pirate wonderland is right next to the animal park and it provides for such a fun day out. For the family, the traveller, the Melbourne man searching for a day trip or maybe what could be the coolest first date ever.
Animal Encounters and Experiences
Dingo Experience
Meet the Dingo pack and spend 15 minutes in their enclosure for some pats, cuddles, play time and probably a few licks.
Koala Experience
Fully Guided tour of our Koala areas. Hear from the Park Keeper about Koala Conservation efforts as you meet and pat the Koalas here at Maru.
Cassowary Experience
Feeding Session with our Southern Cassowary, Gloria
Settler's Hut
Enter the Settlers Hut enclosure for a once in a lifetime encounter with our Squirrel Gliders and Ringtail Possum.
Koala Encounter
Maru’s Koala Encounter offers the opportunity to pat, feed and interact with one of our friendly Koalas.
Dingo Encounter
Take a walk on the wild side, and meet, pat and feed one of our famous Australian Dingoes.
Lizard Encounter
Meet and hold onto one of our Shingleback or Blue-tongue Lizards.
Snake Encounter
Feeling a little more daring? Maru offers the chance to hold onto and curl up with one of our Snakes.
Ultimate Encounter
Participate in 3 of our Encounters and receive a USB stick with digital copies of your Encounter Photos for no extra charge.
Spend your Day at Maru
Come and enjoy both our Animal Park and Mini-Golf course when you purchase our 'Maru Entry Ticket'. Afterwards, you can enjoy a meal or snack in our Homestead Bistro that overlooks the animal park.
We are a winner of many local business awards including Bass Coast Business of the Year 2013 along with Hall of Fame Inductee for Bass Coast Business Awards Good Access is Good Business and Hall of Fame Inductee for Gippsland Business.
Pat a koala, hand feed an albino kangaroo, walk with the dingoes, talk to the parrots and get wrapped up in a python, it's all made possible at Maru where you can really 'get in touch with wildlife'.
Maru Koala & Animal Park Address
1650 Bass Hwy, Grantville VIC 3984
