Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World: Tickets, Aviary Tours and Tips

Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World is a privately owned garden at 233 Maleny Stanley River Road, Wootha, a short drive from Maleny township in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. You come for the gardens, the guided walk-through aviaries with more than 600 birds, and a farm corner with miniature animals.

It is open every day except Christmas Day, so it works for a Hinterland day trip in any season, including wet weather.

Tickets and prices at Maleny Botanic Gardens

There are two main ticket types. The first covers the gardens and Farm Friends (the farm animal area). The second adds the guided aviary tour in Bird World.

Ticket	Child (3 to 14)	Senior, concession, student	Adult
Gardens and Farm Friends	$19.50	$24.50	$29.50
Gardens, Farm Friends and aviary	$34.50	$44.50	$49.50

Children under 3 are free and do not need a ticket. Family passes (two adults and two children) are $78.50 for gardens and Farm Friends, or $133.50 including Bird World. Concession and student cards must be shown at the ticket office. Companion card holders enter free on the ticket that includes Bird World.

Annual passes are sold online only. They start at $45 for a child and $80 for an adult (gardens and Farm Friends), or $75 and $110 with Bird World. Tickets are sold at the ticket office or online.

Bird World aviary tours

You cannot walk into the aviaries on your own. A trained bird handler must be with you at all times, so the aviary is visited on a guided tour of about 50 minutes. Tours run daily at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm, with extra tours added in peak holiday periods.

The birds are curious, so a few rules apply. Wear clothing that covers your shoulders, because the birds have sharp claws, and wear enclosed shoes, because the outdoor area can get muddy. Take off jewellery, glittery items and hats with buttons, as the birds like to borrow them. If you would rather watch than be climbed on, staff can give you a feather duster, which tells the birds to keep their distance.

Prams are allowed in the aviary and there is no age limit for entry. Photos are free and unlimited, and there is a free photo spot with the birds in the Feathered Friends area, open daily depending on the weather. Drones are not allowed anywhere on the property.

Farm Friends

Farm Friends is the small animal area. The farm shed has rescue guinea pigs and rabbits (the rabbits come from the RSPCA and are shown under a special exhibition licence). Out in the yard you will find miniature Mediterranean donkeys, miniature goats, baby-doll sheep, miniature pigs and plenty of chickens and roosters.

You can feed the guinea pigs and rabbits pieces of fruit and vegetables. The miniature animals can only be fed the specially prepared food sold at the gift shop. Guinea pig and rabbit interaction happens at certain times during the day, so ask at the ticket office for the times.

Buggy hire, cafe and getting around

Electric golf buggies can be hired by the hour to explore the gardens: $47 for a four seater, $65 for a four seater that takes a wheelchair, and $65 for a six seater. Buggies cannot be booked ahead. If they are all out, the average wait is about 15 minutes. The buggies have roofs, which helps in a shower.

There is a cafe on site. Its hours are not listed separately from the gardens’ 9 am to 4:30 pm, so ask at the ticket office if you are timing a meal. The menu is on the cafe page.

Is Maleny Botanic Gardens dog friendly?

Yes. Dogs are welcome on a lead and owners must clean up after them. Dogs are not allowed inside the bird aviary or near the cafe birds area.

Wet weather

Bird World tours normally go ahead in the rain, with the guide keeping the group in the covered part of the aviary. Bird World closes if there is lightning, and there are no refunds for adverse weather. Bring a raincoat or umbrella.

Planning your visit

• How long: The aviary tour alone is about 50 minutes, so plan on a good half day if you also want the gardens, farm animals and a cafe stop.
• What to bring: Enclosed shoes, a top that covers your shoulders for the aviary, and a raincoat or umbrella.
• Photos and filming: Casual photos are free. Commercial filming or photography needs consent and a fee.
• Lost property: Items are held for 4 weeks.
• Events: Lawns and covered gazebos can be booked for weddings, school excursions, birthday parties and company outings. Ask through the gardens’ website.

Accessibility

Disability accessible toilets and parking are available. The cafe and Bird World are wheelchair friendly, but the ground in Bird World is gravel, which can make heavier wheelchairs hard to push, and some parts of the gardens may be hard to reach because of steep roads. Buggies can carry wheelchairs. Staff also run a free buggy lift to and from Bird World and the cafe, which you can ask for at the counter.

Getting there and parking

The gardens are at 233 Maleny Stanley River Road, Wootha. By car it is about 95 minutes from Brisbane CBD and about 10 minutes from Maleny township.

Parking is free for cars and coaches, in three car parks, with disability accessible and parent parking. There are two electric vehicle chargers (up to 22 kW). You do not need a ticket to charge, but you do need one to enter the gardens, Farm Friends or Bird World.

Details can change, so check the gardens’ website before you go.

Nearby

• Maleny – the town’s markets, walks and scenic drives, just down the road.
• Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve – rainforest walks in Maleny.
• Obi Obi Boardwalk – a short boardwalk for platypus spotting in Maleny.
• Baroon Pocket Dam – picnics, swimming and paddling.
• Kondalilla Falls – waterfall walks near Flaxton.
• More gardens and hinterland days out: public gardens and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

You might also like

• Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden (Tanawha)
• Fairhill Gardens (Ninderry (near Yandina))
• Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens (Scenic Rim)

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