Potoroo Palace, NSW: Merimbula wildlife park entry fees & animals

Potoroo Palace on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales is a slightly unusual attraction. This Merimbula Wildlife Park offers plenty of animal encounters, but looks slightly shambolic.

Potoroo Palace in Merimbula, New South Wales, is one of many, many wildlife parks in Australia. There aren’t, however, many alternatives on the Sapphire Coast.

Book your Potoroo Palace ticket online.

So if you’re driving down the Princes Highway past Bega and towards Pambula or Eden, Potoroo Palace might be worth a look.

Merimbula wildlife park look and feel

The vibe of Potoroo Palace is rather different to most wildlife parks. How you interpret it is up to you – some might go with hippy, others scruffy. It certainly goes for heart rather than professional slickness.

At the entrance to this Merimbula wildlife park, there’s a small shop selling locally-made tie-dye clothes. You’re also told to look out for Bird, a bowerbird that is being nursed back to health. He’s very friendly with visitors, apparently.

Make the very best of your time: 8 Sapphire Coast experiences to book

Dolphins, seals and seabirds cruise from Merimbula.
Pambula River kayaking tour.
Sapphire Coast private highlights tour.
Oyster-shucking experience plus kayaking in Pambula.
Eden and Beowa National Park photography tours.
Potoroo Palace wildlife park tickets.
Guided nature walking tour in Mimosa Rocks National Park.
Reef fishing charter from Merimbula.

Animals at Potoroo Palace

Potoroo Palace is a non-profit organisation and is home to several Australian animals. Wombats, quolls, swamp wallabies and squirrel gliders are amongst the cast list. You can also see black swans, rosellas, tawny frogmouths, echidnas and dingoes. Plus, of course, potoroos.

The real stars of the show, however, are the kangaroos and surprisingly speedy emus. These are allowed to roam the grounds, and visitors can hand-feed them if they buy a bag of feed at the entrance.

Kangaroo feeding at Potoroo Palace near Merimbula, NSW. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Potoroo Palace entry prices

The problem with Potoroo Palace is that some of the enclosures look rather tired and scruffy. This Merimbula wildlife park clearly means well, but the execution arguably needs a bit to be desired.

Entrance to Potoroo Palace costs $25 for adults and $16 for children. Tickets can be booked online.

For further information, visit the attraction’s website.

The best Merimbula accommodation options

The best Merimbula accommodation choices are:

For a holiday park with lots of kid-friendly facilities: NMRA Merimbula Beach Holiday Resort.
For an affordable motel with an outdoor pool: Sapphire Waters Motor Inn.
For central location: Pelican Motor Inn.
For overall quality: Sails Luxury Apartments.

This article came as a result of a Melbourne to Sydney coastal road trip in March/ April 2022. This trip was supported by Tourism Australia.