The Bonorong Wildlife preserve was our absolute favorite visit during our fast affordable luxury travel in Australia!
Tasmania is the land under down under…here’s what we would do in Hobart, Tasmania for three days.
- Day 1: Exploring Hobart and MONA – The Museum of Old and New Art
- Day 2: Affordable Luxury Travel Wine Tasting in Tasmania: A Day Trip from Hobart
- Day 3: Richmond and Bonorong Wildlife Preserve *THIS POST*
Heading to Australia? You’ll want to bring this adapter along!
Why Tasmania?
Tasmania has always be on both my and Lisa’s bucket lists.
For me the reason is simple: Warner Brothers. I grew up on this guy:
Lisa has a harder time articulating her desire to go to Tasmania. Some combination of the remoteness, the latitude and the frontier aspect to it. Whatever the origins of the desire it needed to be addressed.
So when we decided to do some fast travel in Australia we both knew Tasmania had to be on the itinerary.
And so it was!
Affordable Luxury Lodging in Hobart
We found an awesome affordable luxury flat in desirable Battery Point, just a few steps (stairs, really) from Salamanca Market and the waterfront.
As you can see by clicking on the map below, lodging is a LOT less expensive than in Melbourne or Sydney.
Booking.comDay 3: Richmond and Bonorong Wildlife Preserve
We dedicated our last day in Tasmania to spending some time in the countryside and with the wildlife of Australia.
Tour Operator for Bonorong Wildlife Preserve
We spent some time researching the various Bonorong Wildlife Preserve tours offered out of Hobart.
After a bit of research we chose the Grey Line Bonorong Wildlife Park and Richmond Afternoon Tour from Hobart.
We were mostly interested in visiting the wildlife at Bonorong, but this tour threw in a visit to Richmond for the same price.
We started our tour at Brooke Street Pier on the downtown Hobart waterfront.
Richmond
We drove north for 25 km through much of the same countryside we had covered during our wine tasting the previous day and arrived in Richmond Village in the Coal River Valley.
Richmond developed in the early 1800s as a crossroad between Hobart and the penal colony at Port Arthur. Many British convicts passed through Richmond on the arduous walk.
The village is famous for two things: the oldest bridge still in use in Australia built to get convicts across the river and its gaol, or jail which housed convicts.
We were given an hour to stroll around this quant Georgian hamlet and explore the gaol.
The hour provided was more than enough time to not only explore the small town but also get a bite to eat.
It was time to get on with the highlight of the day: the creatures of Australia!
Bonorong Wildlife Preserve
Bonorong is an Aboriginal word that means “Native Companion.â€
Bonorong Wildlife Preserve was established in 1981 as a sanctuary for injured and orphaned wildlife.
It is Tasmania’s largest and most popular wildlife park and wildlife rescue service.
We really looked into the Preserve and its mission and tactics before going there, having been exposed to tortured elephants at ‘preserves’ in southeast Asia.
But Bonorong is not a zoo. Their mission is to treat sick and injured animals and get them back to the wild. They are a good works organization with an army of volunteers who support their work both in the field and at the preserve.
And their service is funded entirely by our entry fees. This means every time they rescue an animal it’s because someone visited the preserve and paid the $30 AUD entry fee.
Included with the fee are daily guided tours. These provide some explanation and time with the wombats, devils and koalas.
We arrived about 30 minutes before one of these tours so spent that time frolicking with and feeding the kangaroos.
Most of the kangaroos at Bonorong are recovering from car strikes. Many will be put back into their natural habitat once they are healed. Others have become permanent residents because their injuries are permanently debilitating.
We had an absolute ball feeding and petting these amazing animals little rabbit pellets…although it took Lisa a while to warm to the process.
But then it was time for the guided tour so we left the ‘roos to spend some time with other critters.
Wombats
Tasmanian Devils
Koala
Other animals
In addition to the ‘roos, wombats, Devils and Koala, there are various snakes, birds and other animals being rehabilitated at the preserve.
Spending time with these amazing critters was the absolute highlight of our time in Tasmania. It’s something that every visitor to the island simply HAS to do!
Tasmania: Bottom Line
We loved our time in Tasmania. Of all the places we visited in Australia we left Tasmania feeling that we could have spent a LOT more time there.
But nomads gotta nomad, and we had a flight to Singapore to catch!
- Day 1: Exploring Hobart and MONA – The Museum of Old and New Art
- Day 2: Wine Tasting in Tasmania: A Day Trip from Hobart
- Day 3: Richmond and Bonorong Wildlife Preserve *THIS POST*