How to See Kangaroos at Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park in Gold Coast
This was my first trip to Australia—and to the Gold Coast—and I wanted to see native wildlife without visiting paid or unethical attractions.
That’s how I found Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park, one of the best places to see wild kangaroos in the Gold Coast.
The park is home to kangaroos, wallabies, local birds, and even the occasional koala.
Here are my tips for visiting Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park, when to go, and what to look out for along the trails.
What is the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park?
The Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park is a protected area of more than 1200 hectares located in the suburb of Coombabah in northern Gold Coast.
The Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area includes wildlife, marshlands and mangroves, as well as walking and biking trails.
Opening Hours & Entrance Info
The park is open to the public from 6am to 6pm.
Entrance to the park is free.
Gates will close at 6pm, and visitors are advised to be extra mindful of the time as you don’t want to get locked in.
I also didn’t see any park rangers around.
However, if you do find yourself locked in, there is a number posted at the gate to contact for after-hour emergencies: 1800-637-000 (Assuming you have a local sim card!)
How to Get to Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park
There is no specific address listed on Google Maps or none I could find online, but if you put in Coombabah Lake Conservation Park, you can use that Google Map pinpoint as the end address.
However, there is also a second gate entrance and exit closer to the Arundel section of the park.
There is no address, but it is adjacent to residential homes near Tee Trees Boulevard, Arundel.
From there you walk a short trail up to the main park area.
By Car
For reference, the Coombabah Lake Conservation Park is a 12km ride from Surfer’s Paradise, and will take 20-40 minutes.
There is plenty of free parking.
By Public Transit
The park is a short walk from drop-off points if taking public transit. If you are taking public transit from Surfer’s Paradise, you have to take both train and bus.
By Train
The nearest train station is Helensvale Station. Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park is then a 15-minute walk away.
By Bus
The nearest bus stop is bus #719. Get off at Pine Ridge Rd at Coombabah High School. The park is around a 10-minute walk away.
By Walking
I personally walked from Harbour Town Premium Outlets after eating there, and the park was a nice 25-minute walk away.
It was kind of surprising to see a park with wildlife tucked away in the middle of the suburbs!
Best Time to See Kangaroos at Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park
I am a complete newbie and had to do research, but apparently the best time to go see kangaroos is very early in the morning or in the afternoon when it’s meal time for kangaroos and wallabies.
I went at 3pm, and I saw dozens and dozens of them.
It was so surreal seeing so many kangaroos and wallabies so close for the first time.
I’m aware that kangaroos may be volatile though and just want to be left alone, so I kept a distance and just zoomed in on my phone.
Best Spots to See Kangaroos
The first kangaroo or wallaby (I’m still learning on how to differentiate what I saw!) was right when I walked past the main gate in the backyard walking up to the main area.
I was so excited and shocked to see them near someone’s backyard.
Most of the kangaroos and wallabies you’ll see will be the open field across from the main parking lots.
They will either be chilling in the grass, eating, or staring at passer-bys who get a bit too close.
The third area I saw kangaroos and wallabies was far into the wider parts of the forest walking trails, though not as many as in the main area.
Where to Spot Koalas
There is a specific koala trail at the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area.
There are apparently over 150 koalas in the area.
However, they are a rare sighting and have become more so over the years.
From reading others’ experiences online, you really have to look for them in the trees.
I’ve read visitors spotting them near dusk time.
I didn’t see any of them, and hopefully the amount of visitors are not scaring them away. Sorry!
Other Things to Do at Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park
Besides spotting kangaroos, wallabies, birds, and koalas, there are other walking paths at the park, clearly paved and marked.
I especially loved these two short walking paths:
If you’d like to explore even more walking trails and loops, I recommend reading through All Trails for the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area.
Visiting the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park was definitely a highlight of my Australia trip (though I loved the whole trip so much).
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