Long time local savours Wildlife Habitat experience
REVIEW
The striking thing about Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas is how close up you can get.
Like most Douglas Shire locals I have seen many of the species at Wildlife Habitat in the wild. Yes, it is great to see creatures in the wild, but almost invariably the sighting is either fleeting or at a distance, or both.
At Wildlife Habitat, children are under supervision and the adults follow the rules so the animals see humans as no threat and will happily ignore you even if you are very close.
My grand-daughter’s visit to Port Douglas was an excuse to re-visit Wildlife Habitat. If you are a local and haven’t been for a while, it is worth a re-acquaintance, especially if you have family or friends visiting.
Quite a few locals also have holiday lets – as we do. It is worth giving as much local knowledge to your guests as possible. It also helps encourage repeat visits.
There have been lots of additions and improvements since my last visit.
Newsport has recently covered the “Swim with the Salties” feature so I won’t go over that ground. Suffice to say you will never get closer to a crocodile – quite safely.
The perspex shield between you and the crocodile has been well and truly tested.
Hand-feeding kangaroos and wallabies; cuddling koalas; and breakfast with the birds are also highlights of the human-animal interaction at Wildlife Habitat – all with the relevant eco-tourism certification.
Wildlife Habitat does not just cover nearby habitats, but also those a bit further afield. It covers five – Woodlands, Wetlands, Rainforest, Savannah and Nocturnal – set over 3.2 hectares, most covered in mesh, but a portion uncovered, allowing local birdlife to come and go, taking advantage of feeding times, while other wildlife remains contained by the fence.
This is why you see so many magpie geese, night herons, egrets, lapwing plovers, and purple swamp hens around Port Douglas Road as you come off the highway and also around Reef Park Lake.
One of the beauties of Wildlife Habitat is that there is no need for huge cameras with telephoto lenses to get beautiful, intimate photos.
I enjoyed getting close to and photographing some of the creatures I had seen glimpses of in the wild from afar: red-tailed cockatoos; cassowaries; grey teal duck; nail-tailed wallabies; and the tree kangaroo with its super-long tail.
In all, a first-rate experience.