If you’re a visitor (or even a local) to the Gold Coast in Queensland and are looking for somewhere to get up close and personal with wildlife, without spending a fortune, then you’ve come to the right place! Not all Australian wildlife experiences come with a pricetag, and the perfect example of this is at Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area where you can see Kangaroos on the Gold Coast for FREE.
Having grown up on the Gold Coast, I’ve known about Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area for a long time. I didn’t, however, know just how great a place it was to see kangaroos on the Gold Coast until after I’d been overseas for a while and wanted to reconnect with some good Aussie wildlife. And what a reconnect it was!
The number of kangaroos at Coombabah is incredible. I now live just around the corner and visit nearly every week and am still constantly in awe of just how many wild kangaroos are gathered in one place. Not even at places such as Lone Pine in Brisbane have I seen so many! For a visitor to Australia, this is by far the best opportunity you will have to see kangaroos on the Gold Coast, or possibly anywhere in an Australian city. And completely FREE.
Where is Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area?
You can find Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area at Coombabah on the Gold Coast, along Lakelands Road off Pine Ridge Road. Follow Lakelands Road to the end where it will enter the conservation area and take you directly to the parking areas.
The best place to park is right beside the airport, where you should be able to see kangaroos in the wide open grassy area right beside the road.
How to get to Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area
Seeing the kangaroos on the Gold Coast at Coombabah isn’t very hard. I live nearby and it’s an easy drive for me, however before I moved to the area I visited with public transport, which was very handy.
If you are a visitor to the Gold Coast, then bus is the best and easiest way to visit. Bus #719 will drop you right at the end of Lakelands Road near the intersection of Pine Ridge Road, and the gate to the Conservation Area is only a 5 min walk. The bus can be caught from Southport and takes you via Harbor Town Premium Outlets and Runaway Bay Shopping Center, so you can catch it from either of those points as well.
The bus can be accessed easily at Southport by catching the tram from Helensvale (linking with the train) or anywhere on the Southport-SurfersParadise-Burleigh line. You’ll find the Southport bus station just around the corner from the main Southport tram stop.
Check out the timetable for bus #719 HERE.
If driving, then simply follow your navigation to Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area. Be aware that there are two entrances, and you want to make sure you enter via Lakelands Road as opposed to the Arundel end.
Tips for your best chance to see Kangaroos (and Koalas)
As with anything, seeing kangaroos on the Gold Coast at Coombabah can be better, depending on when you go. Although you are guaranteed to see kangaroos at any time, here are a few tips to help you out.
- Go early in the morning or late afternoon. The area is open from 6am to 6pm, so take advantage of this. Kangaroos are more active in the mornings and early evenings (late afternoon) as this is their feeding times. During the hot Australian summers, they like to sleep in the shade so although you will see kangaroos during the day, they won’t be as active as early and late in the day.
- Check out the main grassy area close to the carpark near the airport. Late afternoon especially there will be a lot of kangaroos in groups here, feeding and hanging out. Last visit (yesterday) I saw several babies as well being quite mischievous and playful.
- If you have the time, take a walk down some of the trails to find more open areas with kangaroos and other wildlife. Sometimes this can be better as on more crowded days you can have areas completely to yourself.
- If you are there in the middle of the day, especially in the warmer times such as summer, check the shade under the trees to find groups of kangaroos sleeping or resting.
- Don’t get too close! Most of the time, if you encroach on their personal space, a kangaroo will simply bounce away. But they can get aggressive if cornered or spooked, especially if they have their young nearby. Please be respectful and remember these are wild kangaroos. It isn’t a zoo and even though it’s in the middle of the suburbs, the kangaroos are not tame.
- To see koalas, look up! It took a while for me to see some, but once you know what to look for, they are easier to spot. Check out gum trees (eucalypts), and look really high up in the branches. Sometimes they are right up in the canopy on branches that look so thin that they shouldn’t be able to sit in them. But they do, and that is why many people don’t see them. I’ve seen them in some areas a good 10 minutes walk from the parking area, but only a couple of weeks ago I saw one in a tree right beside the parking area at the airport. No one else knew he was there!
What else is there to see?
As this is a conservation area, you are always going to see wildlife other than Kangaroos.
Ducks are frequent, and often can be seen hanging around the kangaroos, feeding in the same grass as the kangaroos. Other bird species such as kookaburras and cockatoos can be seen flying and hunting in the area, and if you keep your eyes open, I’ve even seen the elusive black cockatoos on occasion.
The one that is of most interest to visitors though, is koalas.
There are over 150 koalas living in the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area, however seeing them can take a lot of effort and a little bit of luck. I will usually spy one or two when I visit, however on my most recent visit I didn’t manage to see one! Once again this comes down entirely to luck, and on that particular visit the light was dying in the early evening so it could just come down to that.
I WILL say that as an Australian that has spent many, many hours in the bush, hiking and being out in nature, I never saw a koala in the wild until I went to Coombabah. So not only are your chances good to see one, but they are actually a lot higher than normal to see them in the wild here than nearly anywhere else!
Walking Maps for Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area
There are some amazing trails to walk in Coombabah, and you are nearly guaranteed of seeing kangaroos on the Gold Coast at Coombabah, and even koalas on most trails if you keep your eyes open. Though I prefer to just wander around and find my own way (even if you get lost, it won’t be for long) you might want to download some walking maps to make it easier.
The best place to find these is on the City of Gold Coast website which also has some more fantastic information to offer about the Lakelands themselves.
What else is nearby?
If you’re only in the area to see koalas and kangaroos on the Gold Coast, then take time to spend the day and check out a few other things while in the area.
Harbor Town Premium Outlets is very popular as a place to shop if you’re looking for a great deal or two. My personal favorite is the Quiksilver outlet which always has deals on! The food court is also incredible and was always my choice of place to eat when I visited Coombabah. Now that I live local once again, I eat there all the time!
Runaway Bay and Australia Fair are the other malls that are close by and worth visiting.
If you haven’t been to the north part of the Gold Coast before, then consider taking a drive, or even the bus down to Paradise Point where there are some wonderful local cafes opposite the Broadwater. The views are nice and taking a stroll along the walking paths is a pleasant way to relax in the later afternoon.
This can also be said for the Broadwater waterfront at Labrador, but here is a quick tip that you might not know about.
If you come to Charis Seafoods at Labrador at 130pm, there are daily feedings of the local Pelicans and seagulls! This is totally FREE and happens right outside the restaurant on the beach front. It’s incredible and fun to watch as dozens of pelicans turn up for the free food, and jostle for position as the restaurant staff member distributes pieces of leftover and scrap seafood to the mob. Needless to say, he is the most popular person in Labrador every afternoon!
Summary
To see wild kangaroos on the Gold Coast for FREE, then Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area is the place to visit. The kangaroos are abundant, and you are guaranteed to be able to get up close and personal with as much time as you like to take photos and enjoy these beautiful animals in their natural environment.
