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Volunteer Abroad Australia: Brisbane Koala Conservation

Australia 5 to 26 days From 750 €

Help protect and create habitat for one of Australia’s most iconic species: the koala! When joining this fascinating programme, you experience the combination of exploring the natural landscapes of Australia’s North Queensland and supporting different conservation projects dedicated to protecting Down Under’s threatened koalas.
Depending on the start date you choose, you will either be located in Lacey’s Creek, Woodstock or Crohamhurst – all of them less than two hours driving time from the vibrant city of Brisbane.

As part of your five-day to four-week journey you dedicate yourself to conserving the unique environment of these regions: By planting new trees and removing invasive plants you help create and protect critical habitat for koalas and lots of other wildlife like wallabies, possums and kangaroos. Among your voluntary commitment you will have the chance to get to know Queensland’s rainforests and wild animals as part of regular excursions to national parks and educational centres.
Take part in this extraordinary conservation trip and experience an off-the-beaten-track adventure while making an active contribution to koala conservation.

Your trip at a glance

Highlights

Experience Southeast Queensland’s rainforests, wetlands and wildlife
Help protect and create critical koala habitat
Enjoy scenic nature walks and, if you are lucky, witness unique wildlife encounters
Join stargazing and traditional Aussie camp cook up evenings
Visit koala rescue and education centres to get to know these fascinating animals

Locations

Brisbane

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Koala conservation trip in Australia

When joining this programme you enjoy a unique nature exploration trip amidst Australia’s wild landscapes and actively contribute to protecting threatened koalas by volunteering in different conservation projects.

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Arrival and orientation in Brisbane

One day prior to the official start of the trip you need to arrive in Brisbane. After your arrival you will spend one night in a guest accommodation in town that you have booked before. The next morning you will meet your group in Norman Park/Brisbane from where you will start your journey together.

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Activities during your conservation journey

During your koala conservation journey Down Under you dedicate yourself to exploring magnificent nature sites in Australia’s Southeast Queensland and, at the same time, contribute to conserving pristine natural areas to help protect threatened koalas.
For the first half of the day, you and your international team will usually be involved in protecting and restoring koala habitat in Southeast Queensland such as eucalypt woodlands and tropical rainforests.

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In general, your tasks will be planting trees, removing invasive weed and mulching.
The second half of your day you will explore Southeast Queensland’s natural beauty and biodiversity. National parks, nature reserves as well as educational institutions and rescue centres – you will join lots of fascinating nature and wildlife excursions before returning back to Brisbane on the last day of the programme.

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Accommodation in Southeast Queensland

Your accommodation depends on your location: In Lacey’s Creek you will be accommodated in a yurt, in Woodstock you will be accommodated in a cabin and in Crohamhurst you will be accommodated in a kind of “granny flat”. In each case you need to share your room with at least one other participant. Moreover, bathroom and kitchen amenities are always communal. Daily snacks as well as three meals per day will always be provided. Meal-preparation is a shared responsibility – all participants take turns helping to manage the meal preparation and clean-up.

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Leisure time as a volunteer in Australia

After you’ve contributed to koala conservation tasks and enjoyed spectacular nature sites of southeastern Australia, you’ll have time for your own activities in the evening: Spend time with your fellow group members and talk about the events of the day, play games or read a book. If you decide to stay in the programme for more than five days, you can also use the weekend(s) for your own activities.

Arrival

Arrival in Brisbane
Day 1

First day of the koala conservation trip

This morning you and your team meet at 8:00 am at Norman Park/Brisbane from where you travel to your base in either Lacey’s Creek, Woodstock or Crohamhurst. When going to Lacey’s Creek or Crohamhurst your first stop on route is Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre to learn about koala rescue and conservation. When going to Woodstock you will make a stop at Daisy Hill Koala Centre to broaden your knowledge about the iconic animals. Once at your accommodation, you and your group will have lunch together and enjoy a talk from a local ranger about the property’s history and ongoing measures for the conservation of local wildlife. In the afternoon you will be involved with conservation activities like tree planting, weed removal and mulching. In the evening you return to camp for dinner.
Day 2 - 3

Second and third day of the koala conservation trip
Day 4

Fourth day of the koala conservation trip

This morning you will complete local conservation activities before driving to the Mt. Mee section of D’Aguilar National Park (Lacey’s Creek), Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve (Woodstock) or Tamborine National Park (Crohamhurst) for a picnic/lunch. Afterwards, you will either enjoy a beautiful rainforest walk and visit the Rocky Hole swimming hole (Lacey’s Creek), visit Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue (Woodstock) or walk the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk and visit amazing Curtis Falls (Crohamhurst) in the afternoon. In the evening you return to your accommodation for dinner, maybe even a traditional Aussie camp cook, and stargazing and wildlife spotting at night.
Day 5

Fifth day and departure

After breakfast, you’ll pack up and head back to Brisbane. When coming from Lacey’s Creek and Woodstock you’ll cross beautiful Mt. Nebo and Mt. Glorious where you can take in some spectacular views of the D’Aguilar Range. Afterwards you stop for a short visit to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre to see koalas and other fascinating animals and broaden your wildlife knowledge. When coming from Crohamhurst you will go straight to Daisy Hill Koala Centre. You and your group will be back in Brisbane at around 4:00 pm. From here, you can start your journey back home.

Learn what others say about their Natucate adventure.

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Review Volunteering Australia and New Zealand – Frieda

“Driving a “mule”, which is a kind of quad, was also lots of fun! We used this mule to transport plants.”

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Review Volunteering New Zealand – Dørk

“In Waiheke the accommodation was excellent and exceeded my expectations by far: Beautiful scenery, fresh coffee and oysters!”

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Review Volunteering Australia – Amelie

“On Friday we then planted about 1500 local plants. Tasks like these are definitely fun: you can see the results of your work at the end of the day.”

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Review Photos Sabbatical Australia – Silvia

Silvia asked us to plan an incomparable sabbatical for her. One of her stops was our nature conservation project in Australia. Here you can find some great impressions from Down Under:

1. Brisbane

Brisbane is Queensland’s vibrant capital and attracts countless visitors due to its close proximity to Brisbane River, a colourful art and culture scene as well as numerous restaurants.

Important places and regions close to Brisbane include the giant city of Gold Coast, the picturesque Sunshine Coast and the natural paradise of the Gold Coast Hinterland. When travelling to Brisbane and the surrounding Southeast Queensland, visitors experience a balanced mix of spectacular natural landscapes, fascinating biodiversity and colourful cultural offerings.

Brisbane is Queensland’s vibrant capital and attracts countless visitors due to its close proximity to Brisbane River, a colourful art and culture scene as well as numerous restaurants.

Important places and regions close to Brisbane include the giant city of Gold Coast, the picturesque Sunshine Coast and the natural paradise of the Gold Coast Hinterland. When travelling to Brisbane and the surrounding Southeast Queensland, visitors experience a balanced mix of spectacular natural landscapes, fascinating biodiversity and colourful cultural offerings.

Purpose of the volunteer journey in Australia

The koala was once common and widespread throughout Eastern Australia’s eucalypt woodlands and forests. But factors like habitat clearing, hunting, natural disasters and disease have led to a substantial population as well as distribution decline since European settlers arrived in Australia. In three large Australian regions – Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory – the koala is now listed as vulnerable to facing extinction with numerous populations persisting in isolated or fragmented habitats. Habitat loss, modification and fragmentation, vehicle collisions, disease, burns and wildfires, droughts and climate change pose a growing threat to this iconic animal. By assisting with hands-on seasonal conservation projects, volunteers contribute to increasing koala habitat in the area which, in turn, will help improve the population status of this fascinating species.