David Fleay Wildlife Park Guide 2026: Tickets, Hours And Shows

What David Fleay Wildlife Park Is, And Why It Suits A Burleigh Stay

David Fleay Wildlife Park, which most locals simply call Fleays, sits beside Tallebudgera Creek at West Burleigh, on the corner of Loman Road and West Burleigh Road. It is run by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, so the people giving the talks are the rangers who care for the animals. Queensland Parks describes it as "a small wildlife park with a difference", and that is a fair summary: it is not a theme park with rides, but a calm loop of boardwalks through rainforest, eucalypt forest and wetland where the animals live in settings close to their natural habitat.

For guests staying in Burleigh Heads, the big advantage is distance. Many of the big Gold Coast attractions mean a motorway drive and a full day. Fleays is in the same pocket of the coast as Burleigh Beach and James Street, so you can do it in a morning and be back for a late lunch or a swim. From James Street it is roughly 3 km by road, usually 5 to 10 minutes in the car depending on traffic (our estimate, so check your map app on the day).

It also suits the weeks ahead. Spring is turning into summer, the Queensland state school summer holidays run from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027, and a shaded wildlife morning is a good balance for days when the surf is up or the sun is fierce.

David Fleay Wildlife Park Opening Hours And Closed Days

The park's own visiting page and its booking page both give the same hours: 9am to 4pm every day, except Christmas Day and Anzac Day. On those stated hours it is open on other public holidays, including Boxing Day and New Year's Day, which is handy if you are on the coast over the Christmas break.

Fleay's Cafe, inside the Visitor Centre, keeps shorter hours. Its own website says it is open seven days from 9am to 2pm, so plan lunch before 2pm or bring a picnic (personal food and drinks are allowed under the park's conditions of entry).

David Fleay Wildlife Park Ticket Prices For 2026

These are the day-entry prices on the Queensland Parks visiting page, which says they include GST and may change. We checked them on 26 October 2026 against the department's fee schedule (last updated 1 July 2026), and both match.

A few practical notes from the official pages:

• Concession: you need to show a valid Australian concession card at entry.
• Companion Card: one companion gets in free when they are with a concession ticket holder.
• Children: the fee schedule describes a child ticket as 4 to 17 years inclusive. No ticket for under-4s is listed, so confirm when you book.
• Booking: you can pre-book through the Queensland National Parks booking service to save time on the day.

The half-price notice

Because the Nocturnal House was closed, the park home page said general admission was half price while it was closed. The visiting page lists half-price day tickets of $13.50 adult, $6.15 child, $8.90 concession and $34.60 family, but says that offer ran until close of business on Monday 5 October 2026. The two pages did not agree when we checked, so treat the full prices above as the safe budget and enjoy the saving if it still applies when you book.

Family Ticket Or Annual Pass? A Worked Example

Abby's Burleigh Haven sleeps six, so a family of four, or two families sharing, is a natural fit. Here is what the published prices mean in real money, using the full day-entry prices checked on 26 October 2026.

For a family of four, the family ticket saves $9.45 on buying four single tickets.

The annual pass is worth a thought if you are local, visiting family on the coast, or staying more than a week. Two family visits at $69.15 each come to $138.30, and the family annual pass is $138.20, so it is already 10 cents cheaper on the second visit. For one adult, two day tickets cost $54.10 and the adult annual pass is $54.25, so it pays for itself from the third visit.

Prices from Queensland Parks and the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, checked 26 October 2026. They may change, so check the booking page.

Ranger Talks And The Fleays In Flight Bird Show

The rangers' presentations are the backbone of a good visit, because they give the day a shape and you learn far more than you would reading signs. The park's things-to-do page lists these daily sessions:

Other wildlife talks may be added on the day, and the park says to ask the admission staff when you arrive. Times can shift, so ask at admissions rather than relying on an old map or a blog from a few years ago.

Animals To See At Fleays

The park focuses on Queensland native species, especially threatened and rare ones. These are the animals named on the official Queensland Parks pages:

• Bridled nailtail wallaby: once thought extinct for more than 30 years and rediscovered in 1973 by a fencing contractor. Queensland Parks says the wild population is slowly growing toward 1,000 and that Fleays is the only place visitors can see one up close.
• Southern cassowary: the endangered rainforest bird from North Queensland.
• Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo: listed by the park as near-threatened.
• Crocodiles: viewed from the wetlands boardwalk, including Frisby, described by the park as one of the largest estuarine crocodiles in captivity.
• Koalas, dingoes, bilbies, pademelons and rock wallabies.
• Birds: pelicans, emus and brolgas among the wetland and grassland species.
• Nocturnal House: home of the platypus Waddirrang (when the Nocturnal House is open).
• Smaller species: squirrel gliders and spinifex hopping mice.

It is worth setting expectations with children. Fleays is a small park, and the conditions of entry say visitors must not feed, touch or disturb wildlife, so this is a look-and-learn visit rather than a hands-on one. What you get instead is a quieter walk, close views and rangers on hand to answer questions.

The Platypus And The Nocturnal House

The platypus is the animal most people come for, and it has a special story here. David Fleay bred the first platypus in captivity: a baby called Corrie, born at Healesville in Victoria on 5 November 1943. Queensland Parks notes that no one else successfully bred and reared a platypus until 1999, 56 years later.

At Fleays the platypus lives in the Nocturnal House, where you can see nocturnal animals up close. When we checked on 26 October 2026, the park said the Nocturnal House was closed for annual maintenance. If it has reopened by the time you visit, go there early in your loop while energy is high and the building is quiet.

If it is still closed, the visit is still worthwhile for the wallabies, cassowaries, crocodiles and bird show, and the park said rangers were still available to meet.

A Short History: Who Was David Fleay?

The park is named after Dr David Fleay, a naturalist born in Ballarat on 6 January 1907. Queensland Parks records that in 1933 he photographed and filmed the last living thylacine at Hobart Zoo, and in 1937 he became the first paid director of the Healesville wildlife sanctuary in Victoria.

In 1951 Victoria banned private fauna collections from charging admission, and late that year he chose the Tallebudgera estuary site at West Burleigh and bought the land in stages from 1952. According to the park, he was the first to breed 42 species in captivity, including the platypus, wedge-tailed eagles and powerful owls. He also respected the Kombumerri people, who he said had been "here for many thousands of years before us", and preserved the Kombumerri midden at West Burleigh.

The Fleay family sold the land to the Queensland Government in stages between 1982 and 1985. The park closed for redevelopment in 1983, reopened in 1988, and took its current name, David Fleay Wildlife Park, in 1997. Dr Fleay died on 7 August 1993. If the story of Burleigh interests you, our Burleigh Heads history guide covers Jellurgal, the headland and the town around it.

The Tallebudgera Creek Mangrove Boardwalk

Leave time for the Tallebudgera Creek walking track, a separate walk that starts from the boardwalk near the lower car park. Queensland Parks lists it as 900 m one way and says to allow about 30 minutes.

• You walk through mangrove forest with views across Tallebudgera Creek.
• Look for azure kingfishers, rainbow bee-eaters, herons, rufous night-herons and sulphur-crested cockatoos.
• At low tide, crabs show up along the boardwalk.
• Signs along the way explain the area's significance to the Kombumerri people.
• The first 400 m from the car park is wheelchair accessible, with a lookout where wheelchairs can turn around.
• The track is open 24 hours, and you can continue through council green space to the rocky foreshore of Burleigh Head National Park.

This is the gentle way to finish a Fleays morning. For the headland walks themselves, see our Burleigh Heads walking and wildlife guide. Check park alerts first: on 26 October 2026 the Oceanview track in Burleigh Head National Park was listed as closed for wet weather from 22 to 28 October.

Getting To David Fleay Wildlife Park From Burleigh Heads

If you arrive by bus with children, take care walking from the stop, as the entrance is on the corner of two roads.

Rules, Accessibility And What To Bring

The park's conditions of entry are short and sensible, and knowing them saves a trip back to the car.

• No pets. Domestic animals are not permitted. Authorised assistance animals may stay in the visitor centre.
• Children: anyone under 18 must be accompanied and actively supervised by an adult.
• Food: your own food and drinks are allowed. Food from external caterers is not.
• No smoking or vaping anywhere in the park.
• No drones without prior written approval.
• Hands off: do not feed, touch or disturb wildlife or plants.
• Photos: do not photograph or film other people's children without consent.

Accessibility: Queensland Parks says most of the park suits wheelchairs, prams and people who find walking difficult, with concrete, bitumen and elevated timber boardwalk paths. Accessible toilets are in the cafe.

What to bring: the park recommends a hat, shirt, sunglasses, insect repellent and sunscreen. Add a refillable water bottle and, if you are staying with us, the insulated picnic set from the house.

How Long To Spend, And The Best Time To Go

Allow two to three hours for the main loop, one ranger talk and the bird show, plus about 30 minutes if you add the mangrove boardwalk. A family that wants every presentation will be closer to four and a half hours, from 9am until the bird show finishes at about 1:30pm.

In late spring and summer, mornings are the sweet spot. Arriving at opening time gives you the cooler part of the day and the quieter paths before school-holiday crowds arrive.

Junior Rangers, Twilight Tours And School Holiday Programs

Fleays runs extra programs for children, and they are worth booking ahead if your stay falls in the summer holidays.

• Junior Ranger programs: Queensland Parks says children can help care for native animals, help feed and look after residents, and explore the muddy mangroves. Places are limited and are booked through the park's booking page.
• Holiday programs: the park runs hands-on conservation and wildlife programs each school holiday season. Online bookings are essential and numbers are capped.
• Twilight Experience: a night-time guided visit that the department's fee schedule describes as including Yugambeh Aboriginal storytelling, song and dance, a ranger wildlife show, and visits to the Nocturnal House and boardwalk. It operates seasonally during school holidays. The child price listed is $28.85.

Check the Queensland Parks holiday programs page and the booking site for program dates once you know your dates. For more ideas with children, see our Burleigh Beach swimming guide for the patrolled flags and the calm water at Tallebudgera Creek.

Travelling With A Dog? How To Plan Around Fleays

Abby's Burleigh Haven welcomes pets. Fleays does not allow domestic animals, so it is worth planning the day so nobody is left in a hot car.

• Give the dog a long walk before you leave, then head to Fleays at opening time.
• Read the listing's house rules before you book, so you know what the house allows for pets left behind.
• Never leave a dog in a parked car on the Gold Coast in spring or summer, even with the windows down.
• Split the group if you need to: one adult takes the dog to the beach while the rest do the bird show, then swap for the afternoon.

Why Abby's Burleigh Haven Suits A Fleays Day

Abby's Burleigh Haven is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome in Burleigh Heads that sleeps six, a 2-minute walk from the shops, bars and cafes of James Street, and the listing puts Burleigh Beach about 3 minutes away. That location works well for a Fleays morning: you are a short drive from the park, so you can be first through the gate at 9am and back in Burleigh for lunch.

The house is set up for the rest of the day too. There is a fully equipped kitchen with an espresso machine and a large island for packing a picnic, an insulated picnic set with cups, plates and cutlery, and a stocked beach trolley with a drink chiller, beach towels and sunscreen, plus boogie boards and a cabana shade tent for an afternoon swim. In the evening the private leafy courtyard has seating, a firepit, and a barbecue and pizza stone. There is parking, air conditioning, self check-in with a lockbox, and two travel cots on request.

Check dates and the live price on the Abby's Burleigh Haven listing.

Who This Stay Suits, And How A Group Would Use It

Young families: the third bedroom has a double bed with a single bunk above, and travel cots are available on request, so parents with small children have room to spread out. A Fleays morning, a nap back at the house, then a late-afternoon swim is a realistic toddler-paced day.

Grandparents and grandchildren: most of the park suits prams and people who find walking difficult, and the house has two bathrooms and a lounge with books for adults and children.

Two couples or friends: do Fleays and the mangrove boardwalk in the morning, then walk to James Street for dinner and finish at the courtyard firepit.

Families with a dog: the home welcomes pets, and Burleigh has plenty for dogs on the days you are not at Fleays.

A Two-Day Burleigh Plan With Fleays At Its Heart

Day 1: arrive and settle in

Check in from 3pm, unpack, and walk to James Street for an early dinner. If you want a market morning on the weekend, our Burleigh Heads markets guide lists the stalls and dates.

Day 2: wildlife morning, beach afternoon

Pack the picnic set and be at Fleays for 9am. See the 11am talk, have lunch, watch the 1pm bird show, and walk the mangrove boardwalk. Back at the house by mid-afternoon, grab the beach trolley and boogie boards and walk down to Burleigh Beach. Swim between the flags. Finish with a barbecue in the courtyard.

Departure day

Check-out is by 10am. If you are flying out of Gold Coast Airport, the listing puts it about 16 minutes from the house.

Before You Leave Home: Your Fleays Checklist