When we arrived in Kuranda Village, it was a little warm, so we started with some ice cream.
Mungalli Ice Cream is known as an ice cream that is kind to both our bodies and animals.
It uses locally grown Broken Nose vanilla, and the cream and egg yolks are made from ingredients produced through farming methods that avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides and follow natural cycles.
I chose the mango flavor, and it was rich but not heavy at all.
It was absolutely delicious!
Maybe that’s because they really care about the quality of the ingredients.
Holding a Koala at Kuranda Koala Gardens
We had purchased our admission tickets in advance.
We exchanged our voucher for tickets on site and headed to Kuranda Koala Gardens.
At Kuranda Koala Gardens, I finally got to experience one of my dreams: meeting a koala up close.
The koalas here can be seen without glass barriers, so you can enjoy a much more direct and intimate view.
The koalas were so adorable that I honestly felt like I could watch them forever.
They were incredibly soothing to look at.
Because the weather was cloudy and rainy that day, most of them were sleeping a lot（笑）
Even the way one koala scratched itself was unbelievably cute♡
This koala looked so dignified.
It was such a treat to see koalas from this close.
At Last, I Got to Hold a Koala!
And finally, I got to do something I had always wanted to try—
holding a koala(^^)/
The photo experience cost AUD 36 for one person.
If two people take the photo together, the price is a little lower.
The koala was so cute!
That said, the actual holding time was only for a very brief moment.
It happened so quickly that before I could fully take it in, the photo session was over.
So if you do it, be sure to really savor that precious little moment and enjoy it with all your heart(^^)/
I was happy that we received not only an A4-size printed photo but also the image data.
If you want to spend more time with koalas, a breakfast-with-koalas experience might be a better option.
Optional tour: Breakfast with Koalas
If I visit Cairns again, I’d love to try that too^^
※Please note that koala interaction rules and photo experiences may change depending on the latest local policies, so it’s a good idea to check the current details in advance.
Feeding Kangaroos and Meeting Quokkas
You can also get very close to the kangaroos without fences in the way.
We tried feeding them, and it was so cute when they actually came over and ate!
There were many kangaroos at Fuji Safari Park, which we had visited before, but there we could only see them through a fence.
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Fuji Safari Park Guide: Drive-Through Safari, Animals & Family Tips
We visited Fuji Safari Park during a short family trip to Shizuoka with my husband, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and grandchild. Fuji Safari Park is different from a traditional zoo because you can drive through the Safari Zone in your own car and see large animals at close range. Being able to watch lions, elephants and giraffes without walking long distances made the experience especially comfortable for our multigenerational family. This guide is based on our 2023 visit, with admission fees, opening hours and selected attraction information updated for September 2026. Drive Through the Safari Zone in Your Own Car One ...
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Being able to interact with them without a fence felt like a completely different experience.
There were also swamp wallabies.
So cute♡
And we also saw adorable quokkas♪
When it started raining, the animals quickly went back into their shelters, so that part was a little disappointing.
The kangaroos also briskly headed off to get out of the rain.
Well, humans and animals both prefer not to get soaked, right?
Birdworld: So Many Colorful Birds!
Next, we visited Birdworld, where you can meet so many colorful birds.
Birdworld is home to around 60 species and more than 350 birds.
These birds come from all over the world, ranging from Australian native species to exotic birds from other countries.
The birds live in a free-flight environment, which means they can fly around freely.
You can even let them perch on your hand and feed them.
We could also take photos from amazingly close distances.
This one is a blue-and-yellow macaw.
The birds really love eating.
They just kept eating the whole time（笑）
This is a rose-ringed parakeet, which is also popular on TikTok♪
Munch munch...
So cute♡
It seriously kept eating nonstop.
Some birds were tame enough to eat directly from our hands!
Also, although there are many birds, Birdworld is outdoors, so there was no strong smell, which was nice.
A Bird Pecked My Hat!
Before going, I had heard that some birds like hats, so I wore one on purpose.
And sure enough, a blue-and-yellow macaw started pecking at my hat!
It surprised me, but it was also really funny.
So if you want the full Birdworld experience, wearing a hat might be fun.
On the other hand, if you don’t want your hat pecked, it’s probably best to take it off.
Some birds will even perch on your hand.
There was also a large cassowary.
It moved slowly and seemed calm.
Since there are so many different kinds of birds, I think bird lovers would never get bored here.
We ended up enjoying it for nearly an hour.
The bird above is one we also saw in central Cairns—
the rainbow lorikeet.
We got to interact with so many adorable animals that time flew by before we knew it!
If you love animals and birds, I definitely recommend visiting.
More articles about Kuranda are here:
↓ A report on the Kuranda Scenic Railway Gold Class experience, especially recommended for travelers in their 60s
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Kuranda Skyrail from Cairns in Our 60s: Rainforest, Souvenirs & DiDi Tips
On the second day of our Cairns trip in Australia, we headed to Kuranda Village! Kuranda is one of the best-known sightseeing destinations near Cairns. It is surrounded by the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics rainforest, and visitors can also enjoy Australian wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos and colorful birds. This time, I want to share our experience riding the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. We traveled to Kuranda by Skyrail and returned on the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Gold Class. It was a great combination because the scenery and experience were completely different in each direction. For our 2024 trip, ...
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<!--↓ A report on the Kuranda Skyrail experience with spectacular views
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Kuranda Skyrail from Cairns in Our 60s: Rainforest, Souvenirs & DiDi Tips
On the second day of our Cairns trip in Australia, we headed to Kuranda Village! Kuranda is one of the best-known sightseeing destinations near Cairns. It is surrounded by the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics rainforest, and visitors can also enjoy Australian wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos and colorful birds. This time, I want to share our experience riding the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. We traveled to Kuranda by Skyrail and returned on the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Gold Class. It was a great combination because the scenery and experience were completely different in each direction. For our 2024 trip, ...
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60代からのオーストラリア旅行に便利な予約・通信・カード
オーストラリア旅行で便利だったサービスです。
航空券・ホテル予約：エクスペディア
航空券とホテルをまとめて探したい方に便利。
海外通信：ahamo
申込不要で、海外でもそのままネットが使える。
海外旅行向けカード
スーツケース無料配送や空港ラウンジを重視なら
アメックスゴールドプリファード。
海外旅行保険を重視するならエポスカード。
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