Billabong Zoo

Name

Billabong Zoo

Legal name

Billabong Koala & Wildlife Pty Ltd

Website

https://billabongzoo.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Park Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Wildlife park services
• Animal encounters
• Conservation education programs
• Zoo admission tickets
• Koala breeding centre

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Macquarie

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Zoo Admission Tickets: The primary revenue stream consists of day admission tickets sold to individual visitors, families, and groups at the zoo entrance or online in advance. Pricing varies by visitor category (adult, child, pensioner) with no capacity limitations as an open-air facility.
2. Annual Pass Subscriptions: Annual passes provide unlimited entry for 12 months from purchase date, generating upfront recurring revenue from repeat visitors. Pass holders receive 10% discounts on cafe, gift shop, and encounters, encouraging additional purchases.
3. Personal Animal Encounters: Premium add-on experiences including Koala encounters ($65), Cheetah encounters ($60), Meerkat encounters ($100), Little Monkey encounters ($80), and Snake encounters ($10). These high-margin experiences require advance booking and generate incremental revenue per visitor.
4. Food and Beverage: The Meeting Point Cafe serves meals, refreshments, and coffee to visitors. Catering services are available for events and functions, generating revenue from food and beverage sales.
5. Gift Shop and Retail: On-site gift shop selling souvenirs, koala adoption packages, and merchandise. Annual pass holders receive 10% discount, incentivizing both initial and repeat purchases.
6. Kids Birthday Parties: Private party bookings in the Pobblebonk Party Room with catered packages, animal experiences, and decorations. Deposits required to secure bookings.
7. Functions and Events Venue Hire: Corporate events, weddings, Christmas parties, meetings, and team building experiences held in the Euroka Function Room, Panbar Boardroom, and outdoor spaces. Fully licensed premises with professional catering.
8. Gift Vouchers: Pre-purchased vouchers for zoo admission or personal animal encounters, valid for 3 years. Generates upfront cash flow before services are rendered.
9. Keeper Programs: Junior Zoo Keeper for a Day ($180 for ages 8-12), Teen Zoo Keeper for a Day, Cadet Keeperz ($29.50), and Mini Keeperz ($22.50) programs provide hands-on experiences for children during school holidays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Billabong Zoo is a 10-acre wildlife park in Port Macquarie, NSW that operates as a visitor attraction and conservation centre, offering day admission to view over 80 species and 200+ animals, premium personal animal encounters, age-tiered keeper programs, school excursions, and venue hire for events and weddings. The park runs the World-Renowned Koala Breeding Centre (established 1995) and combines conservation education with recreation, supported by on-site cafe, gift shop, and gift voucher sales.

Product overview

Billabong Zoo is a 10-acre wildlife park in Port Macquarie, NSW offering a portfolio of admission-based experiences and supplementary paid services. Core admission includes Zoo Day Pass and Annual Pass memberships providing access to 80+ species of Australian and exotic animals, daily free zoo talks, and walkthrough exhibits. Paid add-on experiences include five personal animal encounters: Koala, Cheetah, Little Monkey, Meerkat, and Snake encounters. The zoo operates The Meeting Point Café as a standalone foodservice for external visitors. The educational programs suite includes Keeper for a Day programs (Junior for ages 8-12, Teen for ages 13-17), Mini Keeperz (ages 3-5), Cadet Keeperz (ages 5-7), Bubs and Cubs group sessions, and Story Time. Event services span kids birthday parties in the Pobblebonk Party Room, private functions and corporate events in the Euroka Function Room, weddings, and coach/group tour packages. Gift vouchers provide a separate gifting product line redeemable for admission or encounters. The product portfolio operates as a unified visitor attraction model where admission creates the primary revenue base and upsells are enabled through add-on encounters, educational programs, events, and foodservice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoo Day Pass General admission ticket for day visitors to the 10-acre wildlife park, providing access to over 80 species and 200+ animals, daily zoo talks, and walkthrough exhibits. Pricing tiered at $47 adult, $32 child (3-14), $42 pensioner, and $149 family (2 adults + 2 children).
• Zoo Annual Pass Subscription pass providing unlimited entry for 12 months from issue date, with 10% discount on cafe, gift shop, and animal encounters. Pricing at $149 adult, $95 child (3-15), and $135 senior/pensioner.
• Koala Encounter Up-close personal encounter with koalas at $65 per person, including patting, syringe feeding, and one-on-one time with zoo keepers. Available at 9:30am and 3:45pm, maximum 4 people per session.
• Cheetah Encounter Tong-feeding experience with cheetah brothers Warrior and Vongani at $60 per person, including keeper interaction and photography opportunity. Ages 12 and over, maximum 6 people per encounter.
• Little Monkey Encounter Hand-feeding encounter with Common Marmosets at $80 per person, featuring primate interactions and keeper presentations at 10:15am and 12:00pm. Ages 16 and over, maximum 2 people per encounter.
• Meerkat Encounter Enclosure entry experience with hand-feeding of meerkats at $100 per person, including interaction with Taabu, Kito, Faraji, Suri, and Annika. Ages 8 and over, maximum 4 people per encounter.
• Snake Encounter Opportunity to hold non-venomous snakes with keeper interaction and photography at $10 per person, available at 11:15am and 2:30pm. No age restriction.
• Feed the Kangaroos Walkthrough macropod meadow experience with kangaroo, wallaby, and wallaroo feeding using purchased food bags at $2.00 per bag or 3 bags for $5.00.
• Kids Birthday Parties Private birthday party packages held in the Pobblebonk Party Room, including decorations, catering, and animal-themed activities for children aged 4-12. Deposits required to secure bookings.
• Private Functions and Events Venue hire for corporate events, conferences, meetings, presentations, team building, and social gatherings in the Euroka Function Room or Panbar Boardroom. Fully licensed with professional catering.
• Weddings Wedding venue hire featuring cathedral ceilings, private deck overlooking koi pond, fully licensed bar, and catering services. Accommodates up to 120 people.
• School Excursions Tailored educational programs for schools from pre-school to Year 12, including self-guided, interactive, and curriculum-aligned options with risk assessments provided.
• Junior Zoo Keeper for a Day Hands-on keeper experience for children aged 8-12 at $180 per person, including animal feeding, enrichment creation, lunch, morning tea, cap, personal snake photo, and certificate. Limited to 12 places per session.
• Teen Zoo Keeper for a Day Keeper program for teenagers aged 13-17 featuring orientation, animal training participation, enrichment activities, and exclusive t-shirt. Maximum 8 cadets per day.
• Mini Keeperz Interactive wildlife program for children aged 3-5 at $22.50 per child, featuring feeding animals, crafts, enrichment creation, and keeper interaction. 60-minute duration.
• Cadet Keeperz Keeper experience for children aged 5-7 at $29.50 per child, including macropod care, animal enrichment, crafts, and interactive keeper presentations. 90-minute program.
• Bubs and Cubs Group Parent-child group sessions for babies and toddlers featuring songs, games, sensory play, zoo exploration, and wallaby feeding. Runs twice monthly on Fridays at 9:30am. Zoo entry or annual pass required.
• Story Time Free interactive story session for parents and children aged 2-5 featuring books, songs, activities, and zoo animal experience. Held last Tuesday of the month, 30-minute session. Zoo entry or annual pass required.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available online for zoo admission or personal animal encounters, valid for 3 years from purchase.
• The Meeting Point Café On-site café offering fresh, locally sourced meals and refreshments with alfresco dining area, open to public without zoo entry from 9am-2:30pm. Catering services available for events and functions.
• Coach and Group Tours Specialized packages for coach tours and group visitors including group rates for 10+ visitors, guided tours, catering options, and Koala Quickie meet-and-greet experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conservation support for endangered species including koalas (vulnerable), snow leopards (endangered), and 10 IUCN Red List ambassador animals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aussie ArkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillabong Zoo supports Aussie Ark, established in 2011 (originally as Devil Ark), which focuses on saving the Tasmanian devil from extinction and has expanded to protect threatened Australian species. The organization secures wild sanctuaries free from unnatural predation.
• Koala HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Koala Hospital (est. 1973) treats 200-250 koalas annually and conducts research with universities. Billabong Zoo's own Koala Breeding Centre opened in 1995 supports the broader koala conservation mission alongside this partner.
• The Wombat FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe only organization dedicated exclusively to conserving the Northern hairy-nosed wombat, which numbered only 35 individuals in the 1980s and has recovered to approximately 250 through conservation efforts.
• Cheetah Outreach TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillabong Zoo acquired its two cheetah brothers Warrior and Vongani from Cheetah Outreach in South Africa. The zoo supports their work through merchandise sales and ongoing conservation contributions.
• Red Panda NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Panda Network, founded in 1997, is committed to conservation of wild red pandas and their habitat through education and empowerment of local communities. The global red panda population has declined by 50% over 20 years.
• Snow Leopard TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1981 by Helen Freeman, the Snow Leopard Trust works to prevent the extinction of the endangered snow leopard through community-based conservation programs that help herder communities coexist with wildlife.
• Kevin Richardson FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation, launched in early 2018, is committed to changing and reversing the state of Africa's declining lion population by purchasing habitat, raising awareness, and partnering with specialized organizations.
• Bellingen Riverwatch and OzgreenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillabong Zoo supports the Bellingen Riverwatch and Ozgreen Initiative, which monitors water quality and river ecosystem health in the local region.
• FAWNAminorOthersFAWNA (Fauna and Whildlife of New South Wales) operates a 24-hour hotline (02 6581 4141) for injured wildlife. Billabong Zoo recommends contacting FAWNA for found injured native animals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Auckland Zoo: Major New Zealand zoological institution with comparable admissions, encounters, education, conservation and function business lines, but operating across the Tasman in a different geography, serving as a useful operating benchmark rather than a direct head-to-head competitor.

Direct peers

• Australia Zoo: Iconic Queensland wildlife park combining admissions, premium animal encounters, keeper-for-a-day programs, weddings and corporate functions with a similar full-service visitor attraction model to Billabong Zoo, including close-encounter experiences and conservation partnerships.
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Queensland-based wildlife park offering daily animal encounters, keeper experiences, school excursions and venue hire, operating a near-identical product mix and visitor model to Billabong Zoo's, including conservation and breeding programs.
• Werribee Open Range Zoo: Zoological Victoria's open-range wildlife park offering safari-style animal experiences, encounters and education programs, competing with Billabong Zoo for premium wildlife tourism and school excursion spending.
• Wildlife Sydney Zoo: CBD-based Australian wildlife park offering timed-entry admission, close animal encounters, keeper talks and school holiday programs, overlapping with Billabong Zoo on the encounter-led family tourism model in the broader Australian market.
• Taronga Zoo (Taronga Conservation Society): Operator of Taronga Zoo Sydney (and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo), the largest zoo operator in NSW and a direct competitor to Billabong Zoo for the same regional tourism, school excursion and function markets, with overlapping species collections including Australian natives, primates and big cats.
• Mogo Wildlife Park: NSW South Coast wildlife park with similar admissions, encounters, breeding programs and conservation partnerships, competing for the same interstate drive tourism and family day-out segment as Billabong Zoo.
• Symbio Wildlife Park: NSW wildlife park south of Sydney with admissions, encounters, keeper talks and function venue use, overlapping strongly with Billabong's product mix and serving the same NSW family and school market.
• Featherdale Wildlife Park: Sydney-based wildlife park with a comparable portfolio of admission-based wildlife viewing, close koala encounters, school excursions and venue hire, targeting the same NSW school holiday and family tourism audiences.
• Australian Reptile Park: Central Coast NSW wildlife park with a similar mix of paid admission, keeper talks, animal encounters (including reptiles), kids programs and education-aligned school excursions, competing for the same NSW family tourism segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpngSrawQemiX0ub_KnTzbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/billabongzoopmq
• Instagraminstagram.com/billabongzoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/billabongkoala-zoo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Billabong Zoo