The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

After 50 years of iconic care and visitor experiences, this world-famous hospital has undergone a transformation and is due to reopen in August 2026

Address: Roto Place, Port Macquarie
Website: https://koalaconservationaustralia.org.au/

Why Go:
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is the world's first koala hospital and one of the most genuinely moving things you can do in the region. Run by Koala Conservation Australia and powered by over 200 dedicated volunteers, it has been rescuing, treating and releasing wild koalas for more than 50 years, welcoming over 100,000 visitors a year before closing its Lord Street doors for a much-needed, multi-million dollar redevelopment. The great news? It's due to reopen in August 2026 with state-of-the-art koala care facilities and a brand new visitor experience. In the meantime, you can still get your koala fix at Guulabaa (Place of Koala) in the Cowarra State Forest, just ten minutes from the CBD, where the hospital's resident koalas have temporarily relocated alongside the world-first Wild Koala Breeding Visitor Centre. Port Macquarie is home to one of the largest wild koala populations in Australia, so this isn't just a tourist tick, it's a genuine front-row seat to some of the most important conservation work in the country.