Darlington Point, NSW: Why should I visit the Altina Wildlife Park?

Altina Wildlife Park in Darlington Point, NSW, offers safari-style tours in horse-drawn or motorised carts. Native Australian species are mixed in with the likes of red pandas, giraffes and capybaras.

Darlington Point, NSW, is one of the few settlements of any size west of Wagga Wagga on the Sturt Highway. It’s in the scenic Murrumbidgee Valley – a decent spot to stretch the legs on the drive from Sydney to Adelaide.

Darlington Point walking trail

If a walk along the Murrumbidgee River appeals, the 1.8km Goanna Walking Track weaves through the black box and red gum forest. Signs along the Goanna Walking Track explain the local ecology and wildlife.

If it’s wildlife you want in Darlington Point, however, you are probably better off at the Altina Wildlife Park. Working a little differently to most Australian wildlife parks and zoos, the Altina Wildlife Park works on a booking-only system.

Animals at Altina Wildlife Park, Darlington Point

That’s because all visits are guided. Guests travel round on personalised horse-drawn or motorised carts, visiting all the animals at their daily feeding times.

Animals on show at this Darlington Point wildlife park cover a wide range. They include Asian water buffalo, capybaras, common wombats, giraffes, saltwater crocodiles and wombats. Native Australian species mix with more exotic species from Asia, Africa and South America.

Meeting a camel at the Altina Wildlife Park in Darlington Point, New South Wales. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

The safari-style guided tours at Altina Wildlife Park in Darlington Point last two-and-a-half hours. The tours cost from $38. Book via the park website.

Other zoos and wildlife parks in New South Wales include Billabong Zoo near Port Macquarie, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo and the Oakvale Wildlife Park in Port Stephens.

More stops between Sydney and Adelaide