Daisy Hill Koala Centre Guide: Free Entry, Hours, Talks And Walks

Daisy Hill Koala Centre at a glance

Daisy Hill Koala Centre is a free Queensland Government koala education centre that has welcomed visitors since 1995. It sits in car park 1 inside Daisy Hill Conservation Park, which Queensland Parks calls "a forested oasis surrounded by urban development" that protects important koala habitat, about 25 km south of Brisbane.

Hours and talk times can change, so check the Daisy Hill Koala Centre page and the Queensland Parks booking page on the morning you go.

What you will see inside the Koala Centre

You enter by a ramped boardwalk into a large, immersive outdoor koala enclosure, and Queensland's tourism site says you can see the koalas from two different viewing levels. The resident koalas are often asleep in a fork of the tree, which is normal: koalas are nocturnal and most active between dusk and dawn.

Queensland's tourism site says the displays cover the koala's life cycle and biology and how to recognise a sick or injured koala, with short films in the Woodland Theatre. Queensland Parks lists interactive displays and a treetop tower that gives a koala's-eye view of the forest.

Treated drinking water is available at the Koala Centre, and accessible toilets are inside it. Children under 15 must be supervised by an adult at all times and must not be left on their own in the centre.

Koala talk times and how long to spend at Daisy Hill

Queensland Parks lists free Wildlife Ranger koala talks at 11am and 2pm daily. They are the easiest way for children to learn about the resident koalas and ask questions, so build your visit around one of them.

Brisbane Kids suggests an hour or more for the park. The times below are our estimates for a relaxed visit with young children:

Queensland Parks does not publish a talk length. If you are coming for the 11am talk, aim to park by 10.30am, especially in school holidays when more families visit.

Can you hold a koala at Daisy Hill Koala Centre?

No. Queensland's official tourism site says visitors cannot handle or pat the koalas at Daisy Hill. You see them close up from the boardwalks, which is part of what makes the centre feel calm rather than crowded.

If holding a koala is the reason for your trip, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane has stopped it too. Lone Pine's own koala experiences page says koala holding is not available from 1 July 2024; it now offers paid Koala Moments, Koala Close Up and Koala Discovery Tour experiences, which do not include sanctuary entry. Lone Pine is also a longer drive, so Daisy Hill is the simpler free option for a short outing.

Daisy Hill Conservation Park walks for families

The conservation park around the centre has signposted walking tracks that start from the edge of the day-use area, plus a much larger shared trail network for walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. Daisy Hill is part of the Koala Bushland Coordinated Conservation Area, which Queensland Parks describes as more than 1,500 hectares of bushland including Venman Bushland National Park and several council reserves.

The short walks

If you only do one walk, make it the Paperbark trail, which passes melaleuca wetlands fed by a natural spring. Queensland Parks' short walks map lists the Tree discovery trail at 940 m and 20 minutes, while its journeys page says 800 m and 30 minutes, so treat it as just under a kilometre and 20 to 30 minutes with children.

Longer walks and the old quarry

Families with older children can head out along the shared trails. Brisbane Kids describes a walk to the old quarry, which "has become a picturesque lake; full of lily pads", on gravel roads with long but gentle hills, and the walks also explore the Buhot Creek billabongs. Expect bikes and horses on shared trails. Download the Koala Bushland shared trails map from Queensland Parks before you set off, carry water, and tell someone your route. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and give the nearest emergency marker code, which you will find at park entrances, on shared trails and at management road junctions.

Mountain biking and horse riding at Daisy Hill

Queensland Parks says the trail hub is popular with mountain bikers, and its mountain-bike-only trails are built to international standards with a mix of difficulty levels, berms on tight corners and rock features. The shared trails are wider and easier to ride, and are open to walkers, mountain-bike riders and horse riders.

Clean bikes and shoes of seeds, soil and mud before you arrive to help stop weeds and disease spreading. Trail conditions change after wet weather, so check Queensland Parks alerts, and Logan City Council's Facebook page for its trail status, before riding.

Picnics, barbecues and nature play

The Daisy Hill day-use area is the reason this outing works so well for families. Queensland Parks lists picnic tables, wood and electric barbecues, toilets and shelter sheds, linked by a track that suits wheelchairs and strollers. Picnic spots sit under the gum trees, and the Wild Nature Play and Indigenous Games space has wooden animal carvings and an interactive audio wheel.

Bring your own food and drinks: Brisbane Kids says there are no cafes on site, and although Queensland Parks lists refreshments among the centre's facilities, do not count on buying lunch. Use only the wood supplied at the wood barbecues and put fires out with water.

Arrive before 10am on weekends and in school holidays to choose a table in the shade. The trail hub has its own picnic tables, wood barbecues and toilets if the day-use area is busy.

Dogs at Daisy Hill Conservation Park

Dogs are allowed in parts of Daisy Hill, but the rules are specific. Queensland Parks says dogs may go only in the picnic areas and on walking tracks and shared trails marked with the dog-walking symbol. They must be on a leash at all times, are not allowed on mountain-bike or horse trails, and their droppings must be bagged and taken out of the park.

Plan for the Koala Centre itself to be a dog-free stop. Queensland Parks gives no general pet policy for the centre and asks visitors with a certified assistance dog to contact it first, so one adult may need to wait outside with the dog. Dog attacks are one of the reasons Queensland Parks gives for falling koala numbers.

If your dog is coming on the trip, our dog-friendly Logan Reserve guide covers off-leash parks and dog-friendly cafes closer to the house.

When koalas are most active and how to spot wild ones

Koalas are nocturnal and most active between dusk and dawn, so you will usually see them asleep during the day. Logan City Council says "the peak koala breeding season in Southeast Queensland runs from July to January", and the Queensland Government says koalas move around in the warmer months of spring and summer "to mate or establish new territory". That makes November to January a good time to look for wild koalas, and a time to drive carefully.

How to spot a koala in the bush

Koalas are not the only wildlife here. Queensland Parks says red-necked and swamp wallabies are often seen in the day-use areas late in the afternoon, and common koels and channel-billed cuckoos are heard in the warmer months, October to March. Picnickers may also see kookaburras, magpies and cockatoos.

Koalas in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT were reclassified from vulnerable to endangered in February 2022. Logan City Council asks drivers to slow down at yellow diamond or flashing koala signs and to take extra care at dusk and dawn on koala hotspot roads, including Loganlea Road at Slacks Creek and Beaudesert Beenleigh Road.

Daisy Hill opening hours and summer visiting tips

The Koala Centre's 10am to 4pm hours stay the same all year, but the park gates do not. From 15 October to 14 March the gates open at 7am and lock at 6.30pm, and from 15 March to 14 October they lock at 5.30pm. The main entry gate is locked each evening, so check the closing time on the sign as you drive in.

A morning visit gives you the best chance of dry tracks and an open tower before any afternoon storm. Stay away from creek banks, which can collapse, give snakes space, and seek medical help straight away if anyone is bitten.

Getting to Daisy Hill Koala Centre from Logan Reserve

By car, Daisy Hill Koala Centre is roughly 13 km from Bayes Park in Logan Reserve, or about 20 minutes in normal traffic. The entrance is on Daisy Hill Road; conventional cars can reach the day-use area and trail hub, and parking is free. From Brisbane, Queensland Parks says the drive usually takes 25 to 30 minutes.

Without a car, it is harder. Queensland Parks suggests catching a bus such as route 555 or 572 to Springwood bus station, then taking a taxi or rideshare, or walking about 3 km, which takes 35 to 40 minutes. Use the TransLink journey planner or call 13 12 30 for current services. For most families staying in Logan Reserve, driving is the practical choice.

Drive times in this guide are rough estimates from Bayes Park, Logan Reserve, based on free-flowing traffic and rounded up. Allow more time in peak hour, school holidays and wet weather.

Nearby nature stops to pair with Daisy Hill

If the kids still have energy after the koalas, these nearby parks make an easy second stop. Facilities and track conditions can change, so check before you go.

For hot days, our pools and splash parks guide lists places to cool off near Logan Reserve, and our family nature escape in Logan guide has more parks and paddling ideas.

Why Summer's Greenview Retreat suits a Daisy Hill koala day

A koala day works best when the trip home is short. Summer's Greenview Retreat in Logan Reserve is about 20 minutes by car from Daisy Hill Koala Centre, so you can be at the centre for the 11am talk and back for a late lunch, or go out again for a second outing in the afternoon.

The nature theme carries on at home. The listing describes views of the reserve and bush from the outdoor entertaining area and indoor living areas, nature views with koalas, deer and native birds from the large backyard, and a two-minute walk to the Bayes Park lake. One adult kayak and two kids' kayaks are included, and there is a jungle gym for children in the private backyard.

Check-in is from 3pm with a smart lock, and check-out is by 10am, which lines up well with a Koala Centre visit on your arrival or departure day.

How families and groups use the house around a koala day

For a young family, the rhythm is simple: koalas and a short walk in the morning, lunch and a rest at the house, then a paddle on the kayaks or a play on the jungle gym in the cooler late afternoon. The listing includes air conditioning, ceiling fans, a washing machine and dryer, and fast Wi-Fi, which helps on hot summer days and longer school holiday stays.

For grandparents travelling with grandchildren, the accessible paths at the Koala Centre and the Paperbark trail, suitable for wheelchairs with some assistance, let everyone share the outing, and the second living area gives adults a quiet space back at the house.

For a group with mountain bikers, riders can hit the trails early and meet everyone at the Koala Centre for the 2pm talk. Bedroom 4 has an office desk and printer if someone needs to work.

The house has 8 guests as its maximum, the garage is not available for guest use, and the listing notes cameras or surveillance and a nearby lake, river or water body, so read the house rules and supervise children near water before you book.

A one-day and a weekend Daisy Hill plan

One easy day from Logan Reserve

A relaxed summer weekend

Friday: Check in from 3pm, unpack, and keep the evening simple with a backyard barbecue.

Saturday: Daisy Hill in the morning as above, with any riders on the trails from 7am, then a slow afternoon at home.

Sunday: A morning walk at Berrinba Wetlands, about 10 minutes from the house, then pack up for the 10am check-out. If you are visiting in December, our Logan Christmas carols 2026 guide lists the city's carols nights, and our Logan Reserve history guide suits a cooler morning.

What to pack for Daisy Hill Koala Centre

Queensland Parks' list, plus a few family extras:

Book your Logan Reserve stay near Daisy Hill

Sources for this Daisy Hill Koala Centre guide

Every fact in this guide was checked on 28 October 2026 against these sources. Hours, talks, gate times and trail conditions can change, so check them again before you go.

• Queensland Parks: Daisy Hill Koala Centre
• Queensland Parks Booking Service: Daisy Hill Koala Centre
• Queensland Parks: Daisy Hill Conservation Park, including its visiting safely, things to do, journeys and about pages, and the short walks map
• Queensland.com: Daisy Hill Koala Centre
• Logan City Council: Koalas
• Queensland Government: Koala breeding season
• Logan City Council: Mountain biking and Berrinba Wetlands Park
• Queensland Ministerial Media Statement, 7 February 2024: Land purchase to extend Daisy Hill Conservation Park
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: Koala experiences and Koala Holds Statement
• Brisbane Kids: Daisy Hill Koala Centre and Daisy Hill quarry walk (cafe, tower and quarry details, attributed)
• Queensland Department of Education: Term dates
• Summer's Greenview Retreat listing (property features, last updated 14 October 2026)