Cleland Wildlife Park’s new $2.6m home for its much-loved koalas will drive tourist dollars

Koalas at one of the state’s top wildlife tourist attractions now have a luxury new multimillion dollar home complete with zones for “alone time”.

The new $2.6m koala loft at Cleland Wildlife Park. Picture supplied.

Cleland Wildlife Park’s koalas have a speccy new $2.6m home complete with quiet zones giving the furry tourist favourites an opportunity for some “alone time”.

Environment Minister Susan Close officially opened the new Adelaide Hills loft where 26 of the wildlife park’s koalas were now living on Monday morning.

Thousands of visitors drawn to seeing the state’s native wildlife would benefit as “when they come they don’t want the Disneyland experience, they want to see real wildlife”, Ms Close said.

The new loft was designed to complement its native hills bushland surroundings and was expected to create an enhanced experience for both the koalas and many thousands of visitors that travel to the leafy tourist spot each year.

The new $2.6m koala loft at Cleland Wildlife Park. Picture supplied.

Ms Close assured there were still opportunities where visitors can still get a year-round “educational experience” and meet a koala by booking one of the new “experience rooms”.

Almost 130,000 people visited the park last year that was established in 1967 with koalas an ongoing feature.

Ms Close said nature-based tourism contributed $2.1bn to the SA economy in the past financial year and Cleland Wildlife Park was a prime attraction.

The new loft allowed the koalas to stay in one location rather than having to be moved around the park, and gave the creatures an opportunity to sit in the sunshine or remain undercover.

“The loft is unique in that it will ensure the koalas can be housed in the best conditions possible every single day while also providing visitors an incredible opportunity to get up close while learning about this iconic species,” Ms Close said.

The new $2.6m koala loft at Cleland Wildlife Park. Picture: Supplied

She said it was important to ensure a “world-class visitor experience” was operating alongside the park’s vital conservation and education efforts.

Park general manager Kelly Bramhill said some park facilities were outdated and the new loft gave koalas a far better environment, adding that there would still be daily koala talks and perches where visitors can see and meet a koala.

“We’ve been getting rave reviews,” Ms Bramhill said of the new facility.