* I received 3 tickets to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary as part of a Problogger Pop Up.  As always, all opinions are my own.*

On Sunday the 15th of September, Paul, Mr 4, and some awesome friends went to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary situated on the Gold Coast.  Between us we had 3 boys, who were super excited to be spending the day together looking at animals.

My friend Angela and I had been exchanging messages in the lead up, nutting out what we would do on the day and the things we would see.  These plans were quickly discarded as we let the boys lead the way and checked out the things they were most interested in.  There was some parental guidance though as if it was up to the two 4 year olds I think we would have spent the entire day tripping around on the train.

Our first show of the day was the Crocodile Behaviours Show.  We learned about Boss Hogg and Lily, the stars of the show.  Boss Hogg, a Saltwater Crocodile,  was a staggering 4.8m and dwarfed his pool mate who was a female Saltwater Crocodile measuring 3.2m.  Boss Hogg had lived in Far North Queensland in harmony with the local farmers, that is until he decided to make one farmers $10,000 prize bull his next meal.  He was first moved to the Koorana Crocodile Farm (near Rockhampton) before making Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary his permanent home.  The boys loved watching the show, especially the part where the keeper coaxed the crocodiles to jump out of the water to reach their lunch.

We took most of the day as it came, wandering around and taking in the animals as we went.  The boys loved looking at all of the animals, and it was a great way to teach them about the different species that Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary had to offer.  It was also great that the park catered to different age groups and experiences.  While we only utilised the animal experience, there was also the opportunity for those with a bit more courage than I, to experience a high ropes course.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is owned by The National Trust of Queensland, a charity not-for profit that invests all money made from entry prices, back into the running of the park and providing hospital facilities for sick and injured animals.  Boasting the largest range of Australian Native Animals, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary first opened it’s gates over 60 years ago when Alex Griffiths began feeding Lorikeets to stop them from eating his prized flowers.  The feeding of the lorikeets soon grew from local curiousity to booming tourist attraction.  Originally named The Bird Sanctuary, due to its focus mainly on birds, the park underwent a name change in 1995, to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, to better reflect the range of animals the park now houses.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to a Wildlife Hospital that provides care to a range of sick and injured wildlife.  This project is able to continue to operate due to the generosity of volunteers and a partnership with Gold Coast City Council and Wildcare Australia.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is open everyday (except Anzac Day and Christmas Day) between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm.  You can find a list of the shows available throughout the day here and a map of the park here.

Even the adults enjoyed our day at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and if you are heading to the Gold Coast I really recommend a visit to the park.

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT