Oakvale Wildlife Park

What Oakvale Wildlife Park does

Oakvale Wildlife Park is a 100% Australian family-owned zoological garden located on a 25-acre site in Salt Ash, Port Stephens, New South Wales, approximately two hours north of Sydney. Founded on 1 November 1979 by Jeff and Elaine Sansom as Oakvale Farm & Fauna World, the park was renamed in 2018 to reflect its broadened focus on wildlife conservation and education, and is now owned and operated by Kent and Leanne Sansom with involvement of their four children. The park houses over 150 species of Australian native and exotic animals across purpose-built habitats including Koala Country (12 koalas with 250-seat stadium), Reptile Ravine (33 species), Lemur Island, Nocturnal House, Wetlands Walk, Cockatoo Kingdom, Wallaby Walk, and a 2025-opened Red Panda enclosure. Operations are supported by 38 employees and 36 trained volunteers, and the park self-produces feed on a 220-acre Brandy Hill property.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model, selling general admission tickets through its own online platform (roller.app) and on-site kiosk. Revenue is generated across multiple streams: park admission (the primary driver), premium Wildlife Encounters (Koala, Reptile, Nocturnal, Bird, Meerkat), birthday party packages, annual memberships, café and gift shop sales, picnic/BBQ table and venue hire, and an exclusive bundled distribution partnership with 4WD Tours R Us (Wild Sand Adventure package). Technology is limited to a standard ticketing system, digital check-in, and operational infrastructure (50kW solar, rainwater harvesting, greywater irrigation, 98% organic waste diversion) — there is no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, app, or disclosed API. Distribution is single-country and predominantly physical-visitor-based, with marketing driven by organic social media, TripAdvisor, email newsletter, and earned media from multiple NSW and Australian Tourism Awards.

Oakvale is accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and certified by Ecotourism Australia, enabling its participation in species breeding management programmes (notably the first Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo born outside Queensland, 2022; Red Panda transfer from Taronga Zoo, 2025). Customer segments span families with children (primary), school and educational groups, regional tourists visiting Port Stephens and the Hunter region, and annual members; the park reports 140,000+ visitors educated annually. The company is privately held by the Sansom family via Oaklands Pty Ltd, with no disclosed external investment, funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

Oakvale Wildlife Park

Legal name

Oaklands Pty Ltd

Website

https://oakvalewildlife.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oakvale Wildlife Park is a family-owned, ZAA-accredited 25-acre zoological garden in Salt Ash, NSW, housing 150+ species and serving 140,000+ visitors annually through direct-to-consumer ticket sales, premium wildlife encounters, memberships, and on-site hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL), Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife park
• Zoological garden
• Animal exhibits
• Wildlife encounters
• Conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Ash

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Park Admission: The primary revenue driver. Visitors purchase entry tickets online or at the door. All shows, attractions, tractor-trailer rides, and feeding experiences are included in the one admission fee, with some premium experiences charged separately.
2. Wildlife Encounters & Premium Experiences: Chargeable add-on experiences including Nocturnal Encounters ($45/person), Bird Encounters, Koala Encounters, and Reptile Encounters. Photo Centre photos and Lemur Island encounters are also available at additional cost.
3. Café, Food & Retail: On-site Café and Tea Room serving food and beverages, plus a Gift Shop for souvenirs and koala/wildlife-themed merchandise.
4. Birthday Party Packages: Bookable children's birthday party packages offered at the park with dedicated facilities and experiences.
5. Annual Memberships: Annual pass memberships offering unlimited entry to the park for 12 months, extended during COVID closures.
6. Picnic Table Hire & Venue Hire: Picnic table reservations at $25/table for guaranteed seating in the undercover BBQ area. Event hire for corporate/private events also available.
7. Partnership Package (Wild Sand Adventure): A joint package with 4WD Tours R Us combining Port Stephens sandboarding with park entry, generating revenue through referral and commission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oakvale Wildlife Park is a zoological garden that operates animal exhibits and offers wildlife encounters, keeper talks, and educational programs for visiting families, tourists, and school groups.

Product overview

Oakvale Wildlife Park is a 100% Australian family-owned and operated wildlife park spanning 25 acres in Port Stephens, NSW. The park operates as a unified visitor experience combining wildlife attractions, educational programs, and hospitality services. Core attractions include Koala Country (housing 12 koalas), Splash Bay Water Park, Reptile Ravine (33 reptile species), Nocturnal House, Lemur Island, Cockatoo Kingdom, and Wetlands Walk. The park offers premium Wildlife Encounters experiences (Koala, Reptile, Bird, Nocturnal), birthday party packages, annual memberships, and volunteer programs. Additional services include on-site Café, Gift Shop, BBQ/Picnic Facilities, and Educational Visits for school groups. The Save Our Wildlife Program channels visitor donations toward conservation projects across Australia and New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 140,000+ visitors educated annually through conservation and environmental experiences
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 4WD Tours R UscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 November 2024Oakvale Wildlife Park partnered with 4WD Tours R Us to create the Wild Sand Adventure Package, combining Port Stephens sandboarding on the largest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere with afternoon wildlife park entry. The package is sold exclusively through 4WD Tours R Us website starting 14 December 2024, extending Oakvale's reach into the adventure tourism segment.
• Taronga ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaronga Zoo facilitated the transfer of Red Pandas Keisho and Khyana to Oakvale Wildlife Park in November 2025. This collaboration is part of a coordinated breeding and conservation program, with Oakvale providing a purpose-built habitat for the endangered species.
• Hamilton Zoo (New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamilton Zoo in New Zealand provided 5 male Ring-tailed Lemurs (adopted from the zoo) to Oakvale Wildlife Park in June 2019. The lemurs are part of the Zoo and Aquarium Association Species Breeding Management Program, supporting the conservation of this CITES Appendix I listed vulnerable species.
• DreamworldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDreamworld collaborated with Oakvale Wildlife Park and Dr Karen Coombes (Tree Roo Rescue and Conservation Centre) in February 2019 to establish a Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo breeding program. Oakvale became the first institution outside Queensland to house this near-threatened species.
• Tree Roo Rescue and Conservation Centre (Dr Karen Coombes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Karen Coombes of Tree Roo Rescue and Conservation Centre partnered with Oakvale in 2019 to develop the Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo breeding program, providing expert guidance for the purpose-built facility and ongoing program management.
• Tilligerry Habitat AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakvale's Save Our Wildlife Program donated $500 to the Tilligerry Habitat Association in December 2023 to support their conservation, rehabilitation, and education work at Tilligerry Habitat Reserve. Donations are collected through ticket purchases and on-site donation boxes.
• Hobart Rivulet Platypus Conservation Platycam ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakvale's Save Our Wildlife Program donated $500 to the Platycam Project in June 2024, supporting 24/7 monitoring of Hobart Rivulet's platypus population using a network of 4G and offline cameras.
• Kids with Cancer Foundation AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakvale participates in the Pay Discover Forward initiative, directing 2x park entry tickets to the Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia on behalf of guests redeeming their Service NSW Discover Vouchers.
• Camp QualityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakvale participates in the Pay Discover Forward initiative, directing 2x park entry tickets to Camp Quality on behalf of guests redeeming their Service NSW Discover Vouchers. Camp Quality supports children facing cancer through experiences, education, and counselling.
• Run DIPGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakvale participates in the Pay Discover Forward initiative, directing 2x park entry tickets to Run DIPG (a charity dedicated to improving outcomes for patients and families impacted by DIPG/DMG brainstem cancer) on behalf of guests redeeming their Service NSW Discover Vouchers.
• Symbio Wildlife ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSymbio Wildlife Park conceived the Pay Discover Forward initiative and worked with Service NSW to implement it. Oakvale Wildlife Park joined the program to support children's charities through the NSW Dine & Discover scheme.
• Zoological Association of Australia (ZAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakvale operates under ZAA guidelines for breeding decisions, biosecurity protocols, and genetic management of exhibited species including koalas. ZAA membership enables participation in Species Breeding Management Programs and inter-facility animal transfers.
• Ecotourism AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakvale holds Ecotourism Australia certification, demonstrating commitment to environmental leadership, conservation, and sustainable tourism. This certification is maintained for over a decade and aligns with the park's sustainability vision.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dreamworld: Major Queensland theme park operator with documented wildlife conservation partnership with Oakvale (Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo program, 2019); partial overlap in wildlife attraction category alongside broader theme park offering.
• Taronga Zoo: Major metropolitan zoo with conservation breeding programs and educational offerings; both ZAA-accredited with documented inter-zoo partnership (Red Panda transfer to Oakvale in 2025) and overlap in school excursion and conservation visitor segments.
• Adelaide Zoo: Major metropolitan zoo with conservation, education, and encounter experiences; competes for international and interstate wildlife tourism visitors across Australia and shares ZAA-accredited conservation programming framework.
• Australia Zoo: Largest wildlife park operator in Australia; comparable wildlife encounter, conservation, and educational programming model but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach into Queensland tourism market.

Regional players

• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Queensland-based wildlife sanctuary with native Australian species, conservation programs, and family attractions; comparable business model and conservation mission but operates in a different regional tourism catchment.
• Monarto Safari Park: South Australian open-range wildlife park with conservation focus; comparable safari/zoo hybrid model and conservation-driven visitor proposition but serves a different regional tourism market.

Direct peers

• Ballarat Wildlife Park: Regional Australian wildlife park with hands-on animal encounters and family-focused wildlife experiences; comparable business model, scale, and visitor proposition in a regional tourism catchment.
• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: Sydney CBD wildlife attraction focused on Australian native species and education; competes for tourist visitor share in the greater Sydney/NSW market with similar family and school group positioning.
• Featherdale Wildlife Park: Sydney-region wildlife park operating similar ticketed wildlife attraction model with native Australian species and family experiences; comparable scale and target demographic of drive-to family visitors in NSW.
• Symbio Wildlife Park: NSW wildlife park offering hands-on animal encounters, school excursion programs, and conservation education; direct functional peer including a documented operational partnership via the Pay Discover Forward initiative with Service NSW.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OakvaleWildlife
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLtsONfXKhF7nJNzlDWO1Dw
• Facebookfacebook.com/oakvalewildlifepark
• Instagraminstagram.com/oakvalewildlifepark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oakvale-wildlife-park

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oakvale Wildlife Park