Raymond Island: The Guaranteed Place To See Koalas In Australia

Continuing our road trip in Australia from Canberra to the Great Ocean Road, we were determined to add some stops that would guarantee us some must-see Australian animal sightings. Luckily for those of us with dreams of spotting wild koalas lounging lazily in the treetops, there is an island that makes it super easy to see them. Raymond Island in Victoria’s East Gippsland is THE place to see koalas in Australia. It actually might be Australia’s best-kept koala secret.

Home to around 300 wild koalas, the island that’s only 6km by 2km is the kind of place where you can take a short walk and count your koala sightings on both hands… at feet! The best part is it’s free, family-friendly, and as easy as hopping on a ferry, a very short free ferry.

If you want to see koalas in Australia, you need to add Raymond Island to your bucket list:

• Getting There: A Quick Hop Across The Water
• Bring Your Own Supplies
• Ways to Explore
• The Famous Raymond Island Koala Trail
• More Wildlife Than Just Koalas
• Rules To Remember
• Eat Nearby

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Getting There: A Quick Hop Across The Water

Raymond Island sits just off of Paynesville, about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Melbourne. We opted to stay a couple nights here so we could maximize our time and use a full day enjoying the area. From the town, board the Raymond Island ferry, a short 250-meter crossing that takes just five minutes, if that.

The ferry departs every 20 minutes, so there’s no need to plan too much. If you get there a bit early, watch the swans in the water nearby. Foot and bike passengers ride free and if you plan to take your car, though you don’t really need it, it costs $13 each way. Instead, park the car in a nearby parking lot and head over on foot.

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Bring Your Own Supplies

Raymond Island is mostly residential with no cafes or shops. There was a small stand with some waters and coffees, but that was about it, so stock up in Paynesville before you cross. We visited in the heat of the summer and definitely needed our waters. Here are the essentials you’ll want to bring with you:

• Water and snacks
• Sunscreen and hats
• Insect repellant
• Comfortable walking shoes

Are there bathrooms? There are public restrooms near the ferry playground, which is also a great spot to let the kids burn off some energy before or after your walk around or while you’re waiting for the next ferry to arrive.

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Ways to Explore

• Walking: The best way to slow down and spot the wildlife. Koalas mostly sleep so you can easily miss them as they blend right in with the trees and aren’t moving. Take your time, adjust your eyes, and you’ll find them.
• Cycling: Bring your own bike, or rent from Ride the Koalas on the island. They have two and four-seater bikes available which is perfect for families. This was how we opted to get around. Added a bit of fun to our family-friendly adventure on the island.
• Driving: Only necessary if you plan on exploring beyond the township, but you’ll want to go slow because there’s wildlife all over and plenty of visitors that are paying more attention to koalas than the road.

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The Famous Raymond Island Koala Trail

The Koala Trail is the island’s star attraction, and for good reason. It’s about 1.2 to 2 km long, depending on various detours. The trails are easy making them suitable for all ages. We visited the island with children and a grandparent.

It’s free to follow the trail, though you can also pick up a $2 guide map from the Information Shelter if you’d like. The fee actually goes to supporting the local conservation initiatives so maybe just donate $2 anyway.

Fun Fact: Koalas sleep for up to 20 hours a day! Whether you’re visiting in the morning, midday, or evening, look for those sleepy fellas up in the tops of the trees.

The trail starts as soon as you step off the ferry, just follow the koala paw print markers after you take some pictures in the koala photo-op spots where you can put your face in the holes.

Within minutes, you’ll be spotting furry silhouettes in the forks of gum trees. Some will be curled into perfect sleepy balls; others might be mid-snack, lazily stripping eucalyptus leaves. If you’re lucky you might even catch one clambering effortlessly from branch to branch.

Fun Fact: Did you know eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to humans and pets? The koala’s digestive system is uniquely good at tolerating the toxic diet as they have special liver enzymes and symbiotic gut bacteria to help break down the poisonous compounds.

We took our four-seater bike and headed towards the more forested area of the island with tips from the locals on how to spot the koalas and after just a few minutes of a spread out hunt into the trees, we found two koalas straight away. It really is that easy.

Trying to keep quiet, though finding it difficult to hold back squeals of delight, the duo checked us out as much as we checked them out and even jumped from one branch to another causing much excitement.

Fun Fact: Koalas share more common features with kangaroos than they do with bears. Calling them bears is a misnomer as they are more closely related to kangaroos, bandicoots, and possums. They are marsupials with special pouches for rearing their young.

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More Wildlife Than Just Koalas

While koalas are the undeniable stars of the island and why visitors come, Raymond Island is also home to kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, and more than 50 species of orchids. Birdwatchers will love the abundance of native birdlife, and if you head towards the water, you might even spot dolphins playing in the Gippsland Lakes.

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Rules To Remember

Raymond Island is home to both animals and humans. The small community of residents share their space with the wildlife. Stick to the public paths and avoid entering private property. Most of the houses have fences around them or clearly defined yards, so you’ll know where you can and can’t enter.

Do NOT touch or feed the animals. Koalas may look cuddly, but they can scratch and bite. The koalas on Raymond Island are wild and touching them can cause them stress. We saw two European tourists trying to pet one of the koalas on a smaller tree, please do not be like them.

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Eat Nearby

After crossing back via the ferry, there are a number of little shops with ice creams and snacks and restaurants to choose from for a meal. Think ahead because after a visit to the island, there will be plenty in your group that are famished if they’re anything like us.

Pier 70 Bar & Restaurant

We opted for a great sit down spot right on the water. The food was delicious and just the right amount with attentive and friendly staff making sure we had plenty of water after our adventure to Raymond Island in the heat of the Australian summer.

• Address: 70 Esplanade, Paynesville, Victoria, Australia

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Seeing koalas in Australia is on many travellers’ bucket lists, so if you’re like us and looking for a sure fire guaranteed place to see koalas, make sure Raymond Island is on your Australian itinerary.

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