Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary, Northern Territory: Visits and tours
The Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary in the Northern Territory’s Red Centre started off housing rescued kangaroos. It has expanded somewhat since then. Visits to the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary are by guided tour only.
Chris Barns started the Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary in 2005, when he was working as a tour guide. He found a dead kangaroo by the side of the road. It had probably been hit by a truck. But inside its pouch, a baby was still alive. Chris gave up tour guiding that week, and dedicated his life to rescuing kangaroos.
Seven essential Alice Springs activities to add to your trip.
- See imposing red rock cliffs and stunning swimming holes – on a West MacDonnell Ranges day trip.
- Glide across the changing morning colours of the outback – on a hot air balloon ride.
- See how education works across the outback – at the School of the Air.
- Take in the epic outback scenery – on a scenic flight.
- See the outback wildlife come to life – on a Desert Park nocturnal tour.
- Try camel rides through the red dirt landscape – and learn the weird history of Aussie camels.
- See stunning, often unvisited outback sites – on a Palm Valley 4wd tour.
For over four years, he lived in a basic shack at the front of the sanctuary, and had no money. Since then, money donated by people who have watched the TV show has allowed him to build improvements. These include a one-and-a-half mile perimeter fence that keeps dingoes out, and enclosures for other rescued animals, such as a hilariously grumpy wombat.
Every evening, he has to do his rounds to check the 40-plus kangaroos he’s looking after are OK. And he invites visitors to join him.
Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary tours
Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary tours are the only way to visit this Northern Territory wildlife park.
The tours take place in the early evening because that’s when kangaroos start to wake up. They prefer to sleep during the day, when temperatures in the middle of the Australian outback regularly climb above 40 degrees Celsius.
The tours cost $85 and can be booked online via the Kangaroo Sanctuary website.
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Why is there a Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs?
Chris lets out a loud call that sounds like he’s bellowing for his mum. He wants to wake them up and let them know it’s feeding time. And it doesn’t take long before a few start bounding over to be fed from a milk bottle.
Some of these roos will end up being released back into the wild, but others wouldn’t survive. “Bronco here was kept as a pet and raised with dogs,” says Chris. “In the wild, dogs are the enemy. If Bronco was released, he’d probably approach a dingo and be killed.”
For these roos, the sanctuary is a chance to live as wild as possible.
Alice Springs Kangaroo Sanctuary mission
But Chris says his ultimate aim is not to rescue the roos, but to teach other people how to do it.
“Out of every ten dead kangaroos I stop to look at by the roadside, one has an orphan in the pouch,” he says. “It’s about getting people to look for that, and know how to rescue and look after the baby.”
He suggests putting them in a pillowcase or making a bag out of a T-shirt. “They want to be held, too. It helps settle them down. They’re quite happy to sit in your arms – it’s the way they’re designed.”
Best Alice Springs accommodation choices
These are the best Alice Springs accommodation picks:
- For a solid, relatively affordable motel: Elkira Court Motel.
- For villas, gardens and a lagoon-style pool: Desert Palms.
- For backpackers: Alice’s Secret Travellers Inn.
- For a kid-friendly holiday park: Discovery Parks Alice Springs.
- For business-friendly serviced apartments: Quest Alice Springs.
More things to do in Alice Springs
Alice Springs is the largest town in the Red Centre. You can fly into Alice Springs Airport, rent a car then take on the long drive to Uluru. Alternatively, stay closer to the town, go on an Alice Springs camel tour and maybe walk part of the Larapinta Trail.