About 12km south of the city centre, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary occupies a patch of parkland beside the river. It’s home to over 130 koalas, plus kangaroos, possums, wombats, birds and other Aussie critters. The koalas are undeniably cute – most visitors readily cough up the $25 to have their picture snapped hugging one without questioning the animal welfare implications. There are animal presentations scheduled throughout the day.
It's 40 minutes by bus from the Queen St bus station. You can also get here with Mirimar Cruises, which depart from the Cultural Centre Pontoon on South Bank next to Victoria Bridge at 10am, returning from Lone Pine at 2.15pm.