Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

What Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary does

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a privately held wildlife tourism attraction located at Fig Tree Pocket, approximately 12km from Brisbane's CBD in Queensland, Australia. Established in 1927, it is positioned as the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary, caring for over 100 koalas and 75 species of native Australian wildlife on a riverside site. The sanctuary serves individual/family visitors, tourists, school and vacation care groups, and corporate clients seeking educational wildlife experiences, conservation engagement, and venue hire.

The core offering consists of Day Passes and 2-Day Flexi Passes for general admission, a 12-month Yearly Pass membership, and a layered set of paid experience add-ons including Koala Experiences, Wildlife Encounters, Wildlife Tours, Nocturnal Night Tours, Platinum Tour, and Junior/Teen Keeper programs. Virtual Tours extend the experience digitally for remote audiences. The sanctuary is supported by a separate gift shop storefront (physical and online), a native plant nursery, school holiday programs, corporate events and volunteering, animal sponsorships, and a donations channel. The underlying technology stack is a standard direct-to-consumer e-commerce build on roller.app for ticketing, an interactive digital sanctuary map, and virtual tour content delivery; there are no proprietary AI/ML systems disclosed.

Revenue is generated across six streams: one-time admissions and experiences, a recurring annual membership subscription, retail sales from the gift shop and nursery, professional services for group bookings and corporate events, and donations/sponsorships. $1 from every Koala Experience ticket is directed to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, with cumulative contributions of $206,360 reported. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through the sanctuary's own booking websites and walk-in admissions, with no third-party reseller dependency disclosed. The business holds no institutional investors, no disclosed parent company, and operates as an independent for-profit entity.

Name

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Legal name

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Website

https://koala.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary, founded in 1927 near Brisbane, Australia. It sells admissions, premium wildlife experiences, annual memberships, school and corporate group programs, and retail to families, tourists, and institutional visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Sanctuary Tourism

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives (Sanctuary/Reserve-Based) (THAAAFAF), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife sanctuary
• Koala experiences
• Wildlife tourism
• Zoological attraction
• Wildlife conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission/Ticket Sales: Day passes and multi-day flexi passes for general sanctuary entry, required per person visiting the attraction
2. Wildlife Experiences: Up-close koala encounters, wildlife encounters, and wildlife tours sold as add-on experiences to day passes. $1 from every koala experience ticket is donated to Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
3. Membership/Yearly Pass: 12-month unlimited visit passes with discounts and exclusive perks
4. Gift Shop Sales: On-site gift shop and online storefront for souvenirs and merchandise
5. Group Bookings & Programs: School groups, vacation care groups, corporate events, and school holiday programs for children and teens
6. Donations & Sponsorships: Voluntary donations and animal sponsorship programs for supporters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary operates a physical wildlife sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia, selling admission tickets (Day Pass, 2-Day Flexi Pass, Yearly Pass) and fee-based experiential encounters with koalas and other native Australian wildlife. It supplements revenue with educational programs, school holiday programs, corporate events, volunteer programs, animal sponsorships, on-site dining, a gift shop, and a native plant nursery.

Product overview

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a physical wildlife sanctuary offering a unified portfolio of admission tickets and experiential programs. The core offering includes Day Passes and Yearly Passes for general admission, paired with fee-based animal experiences (Koala Experiences, Wildlife Encounters, Wildlife Tours, Nocturnal Night Tours, Virtual Tours) and specialized keeper programs (Platinum Tour, Junior Keeper, Teen Keeper). Additional offerings include school holiday programs for children, volunteer and corporate programs, animal sponsorship opportunities, a gift shop, and a native plant nursery. The sanctuary maintains over 100 koalas and 75 native Australian species across its riverside facility 12km from Brisbane's CBD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Pass Standard admission ticket required per person for sanctuary entry, including access to all animal exhibits, talks, and shows. Aimed at general visitors.
• 2-Day Flexi Pass Two full days of sanctuary access usable at any time within a 12-month period, allowing visitors to explore the sanctuary at their leisure.
• Yearly Pass / Membership 12-month unlimited visit pass with unlimited re-entry, discounts, and exclusive perks.
• Koala Experiences Up-close encounters with koalas including photo opportunities and interactive sessions. $1 from each ticket is donated to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
• Wildlife Encounters Hands-on, up-close experiences with Australia’s iconic animals including the quokka Quincy.
• Wildlife Tours Expert-led tours and rare behind-the-scenes access to explore the sanctuary.
• Nocturnal Night Tours After-dark tours to discover the sanctuary’s nocturnal wildlife.
• Virtual Tours Remote digital experiences allowing online visitors to explore the sanctuary virtually.
• School Holiday Programs Fun, hands-on wildlife programs for kids and teens during school holidays.
• Corporate Events Corporate event hosting services at the sanctuary venue for groups seeking a unique event location.
• Corporate Volunteering Corporate team-building volunteer programs held at the sanctuary.
• Gift Shop On-site retail shop and online storefront for souvenirs and merchandise.
• Lone Pine Nursery Australian native plant nursery offering plants for purchase.
• Animal Sponsorships Program allowing supporters to sponsor individual animals at the sanctuary in support of their care.

Quantifiable outcome

• $206,360 donated to Australian Wildlife Conservancy for conservation efforts
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Wildlife ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLone Pine Koala Sanctuary has a partnership with Australian Wildlife Conservancy for conservation efforts. $1 is donated from every koala experience ticket sold, totaling $206,360 raised to date. The partnership supports habitat protection and wildlife conservation initiatives.
• Richmond Birdwing Butterfly ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanctuary grows and donates Richmond Birdwing Butterfly seeds to restore natural habitat for this endangered butterfly species.
• Bat Conservation & Rescue QLDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContainers for Change proceeds are donated to Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD for bat conservation efforts.
• Zoo and Aquarium AssociationcoreOthersPeak body membership organization representing zoos and aquariums across Australia and New Zealand, providing industry standards and best practices.
• International Zoo Educators AssociationminorOthersGlobal membership association for zoo education professionals, supporting educational programming and best practices in wildlife education.
• Ecotourism AustraliacoreOthersCertifying body for Eco Certified Nature Tourism designation, demonstrating sustainable and responsible tourism practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Australian Reptile Park: Central Coast NSW wildlife park with general admission, animal encounters, and conservation programming. Comparable visitor-facing wildlife attraction model focused on Australian native species with a strong conservation narrative.
• Monarto Safari Park: Large open-range safari park near Adelaide managed by Zoos South Australia. Comparable sanctuary/zoo visitor experience with admission and guided tours, though geographically distant from Lone Pine's Queensland market.

Direct peers

• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: CBD-based Australian wildlife attraction operated by Merlin Entertainments. Sells admission tickets and close-up wildlife encounters in a compact format, competing for the same tourist day-spend bucket in the Australian wildlife experience category.
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Gold Coast wildlife sanctuary operating koala encounters, daily shows, and admission tickets. Targets the same southeast Queensland tourist and family segment as Lone Pine with overlapping product offerings including koala holding experiences.
• Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park: Sydney wildlife park specializing in Australian native animals with admission and close-up wildlife encounters. Competes in the same Australian-native-wildlife experience category as Lone Pine.
• Australia Zoo: Queensland-based wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast founded by the Irwin family. Operates a similar zoo/sanctuary visitor model with animal encounters, daily shows, and admission-based revenue, making it the closest geographic competitor for tourist wildlife spend.

Others

• Ecotourism Australia: Industry body that certifies Lone Pine as Eco Certified Nature Tourism. Not a commercial competitor but a relevant ecosystem participant that supports the sanctuary's sustainability positioning and exposure to certified nature tourism buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Dreamworld: Gold Coast theme park that also operates Tiger Island and wildlife exhibits. Competes for the same southeast Queensland family tourist dollar with bundled tickets and animal attractions, though its primary positioning is amusement park rather than sanctuary.
• Zoos Victoria (Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, Werribee Open Range Zoo): Multi-site zoological operator running Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Comparable visitor-facing wildlife model with annual memberships and conservation programming, but with greater scale, multi-site diversification, and government backing.
• Taronga Zoo Sydney: Iconic Sydney zoo operated by a conservation-focused trust. Operates admission tickets, wildlife experiences, and overnight stays (Roar and Snore), comparable in product mix but with a much larger institutional footprint and global brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGL4W-Vvt7ndk-XrPQ1im_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/lonepine.koala.sanctuary
• Instagraminstagram.com/lonepinekoala
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lone-pine-koala-sanctuary

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary