Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - Kangaroo Island 4.59

Welcome to the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Facebook page.

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the western end of Kangaroo Island between Flinders Chase National Park and Kelly Hill Conservation Park and is an exceptionally interesting place to visit. We are actively involved in the research and conservation of our native flora and fauna and provide a range of nature-based experiences to cater for all of our visitors.

Most of our visitors come to see the iconic koala. Koalas are in abundance at the Wildlife Sanctuary. They come and go as they please but usually we have between 25 to 35 individuals located close to our Visitor Centre in the trees on the "Koala Avenue". The Koala Avenue is where you can take a self-guided walk at your leisure and experience koala behaviour up close and personal. The koalas we have here are wild, so we do not handle them or feed them and we recommend that you don't get too close.

Our nocturnal tour is highly recommended. It starts at dusk every night and runs for 90 minutes. You will see koalas again, but you will also see the impressive Kangaroo Island kangaroo, the tammar wallabies, Cape Barren geese and, if your are lucky, short-beaked echidnas, brush-tailed and ring-tailed possums, pygmy possums, micro-bats and often some unexpected animals. The nocturnal tour is also a great opportunity to see the clear night sky, far removed from the light pollution of towns and cities. We can point out several constellations that you can only see in the Southern Hemisphere.

Another terrific bonus of the nocturnal tour is that you can also hear the calls of some of our night birds such as the eerie bush-stone curlew and the southern boobook owl. Words can not describe how special a place it is so we would like you come and experience it for yourself.At present, the tour commences at 6:00pm. To book a nocturnal tour, call us on 08 8559 7344 before 5:00pm so you don't miss out.

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a large diversity of flora and fauna. We may have over 500 species of flowering plants on the property including many that are rare and some that are only found on Kangaroo Island. The Island is a bird-watcher's haven because it is the best place in Australia to see most of the Australian bush birds. We have over 250 species of birds on our land and in our waters including crimson rosellas, superb blue fairy wrens, scarlet robins, eastern spinebills, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, bush stone curlews, Cape Barren geese, a large number of honey eaters, thornbills, raptors, night birds and migratory and marine species. If you bring a good lens with you, you are bound to capture some wonderful photographs during your visit.

We are very fortunate to be able to provide accommodation in self-contained cabins that overlook Hanson Bay - one of the wildest and most picturesque places in the world. We have 4 log cabins and 2 recently renovated modern cabins.

Here at the cabins, you can relax at the end of the day on the balcony watching the waves crash into the cliffs. The beach is literally only a stone's throw away and is spectacular - It is a great place for snorkeling, diving, swimming, fishing, bird watching and unwinding. The next beach around to the east is more exposed to the sea and is dangerous for swimming but is better for surf fishing. An estuary runs along the back of a sand dune at Hanson Bay Beach and is a very secluded and peaceful location protected from the southerly wind. This estuary is a kayak or canoe haven and a paddle through here will take you through a variety of stunning and pristine habitats such as tea tree swamps and coastal heaths.

A number of great walks are on offer at your doorstep. Recently, a walk from Rocky River to Kelly Hill Caves has been opened. It takes several days to complete and it passes through Hanson Bay. The Hanson Bay cabins would provide you with a great place to wind down and recover if you are a keen walker ready to take on this amazing walk. Another less demanding walk right at your doorstep is the Hanson Bay to Kelly Hill Cave walk. It takes about 6 hours.

The Hanson Bay Cabins are a great base for checking out all of the tours and offerings at the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and for travelling to Flinders Chase National Park and all of the other sights at the western end of the Island.

Our Visitor Centre offers educational information, light meals and snacks, tea and coffee, souvenirs, propolis cream and delicious local honey made at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary by our own beekeepers. The Visitor Centre is open from 8:00am until 6:00pm. The Visitor Centre is the starting point for the Nocturnal Tour which commences at dusk (times change throughout the year) and is closed during the Nocturnal Tour.

For those who would like to stay longer and be involved in 'hands on' conservation and land management activities, call +618 8559 7344 or email stay@hansonbay.com.au Throughout the year, we provide our volunteers with hands on experience in seed collecting, plant identification, plant propagation, tree planting, weed identification and removal, fire fuel reduction, erosion and sediment control, fauna identification, bird surveys, koala surveys, behavioural studies, wildlife and plant photography, fauna monitoring, feral animal monitoring (cats, pigs, turkeys, goats), technical and scientific equipment training, vegetation community mapping, GPS training, scientific research, landscaping and gardening. We can also offer you experience in assisting our beekeepers provided you are not allergic to bees. As a volunteer, you will also assist in the daily running of the koala walks and nocturnal tours. Our volunteers have the opportunity to take the bicycles down to the beach or around the property, to cook shared meals together, go for bush walks and enjoy the unique experience that we have to offer.

Historically, Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was once farmland used for cropping and grazing. It is now a protected area where all native animals and vegetation are conserved. The Sanctuary is 3,845 hectares in size. The introduction of the domestic cat to Kangaroo Island has resulted in some of our smaller species of native Australian mammals being threatened. It is estimated that feral cats consume 1,500kg of native animal flesh a day.The Rosenberg's goanna (Varanus rosenbergi) is a threatened species that now has a stronghold n Kangaroo Island. The southern brown bandicoot is another threatened species that occurs at the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. We are also in the process of understanding more about the habitat requirements and biology of this species so we can prevent it from being lost to extinction. The conservation of our flora and fauna at the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is our utmost priority and as a volunteer, you can help be part of making a long-lasting difference.

In addition to our volunteer programme, we are happy to cater to range of different interest groups. If you would like to stay as a group, give us a call to make inquiries about accommodation availability and our various programs on +618 8559 7344 or email stay@hansonbay.com.au

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is open from 8:00am until 6:00pm each day. A 1.5hr guided nocturnal tour starts at 8:00pm. Call us on 08 8559 7344 to book!

Prices for our self-guided Koala Walks are $9.00 for adults, $7.00 for 12 to 17 year olds and $5.00 for children.

Prices for the Nocturnal Tour are $30.00 for adults, $25.00 for those between 12 and 17, and $20.00 for children under 12.

We look forward to you visiting us at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary!