Located at Gold Creek in the north of Canberra, the Canberra Walk In Aviary is one of those places that my daughter loves to go. Although the admission price is a bit hefty for what you get, I happily fork out $12 to watch her smile non-stop as she feeds a plate of manky worms to greedy but friendly birds. The best thing about the aviary is that it offers a nice interactive experience which is great if your kid likes birds as these ones are VERY friendly and will happily perch on food plates and hands.
Keep in mind the aviary isn’t huge so can get really crowded in school holiday periods. The birds are that stuffed full of food at busy times that they don’t even bother to roll out of their trees to say hi so you end up adding your apple and worms to the piles on the ground and call it a day. But if you go on a quiet day you can feel like the most popular person in Canberra with hordes of feathered friends fighting for a place on your apple plate. For that reason, I’d recommend a visit on a weekday during school hours.
There are some seats around the Aviary so you can take a break and also a small shaded area but really you will probably only be there for half an hour or so as there is only so much you can do once the birds have scoffed your food.
If you are looking for a way to pass on half an hour and you don’t mind forking out $12 for the privilege then check this place out. In terms of value for money, you could probably find better but kids seem to love it. Plus they get to hang out with birds in the fresh air rather than looking at a screen so I guess that’s what really counts with experiences like this.
The details:
Getting there: Canberra Walk In Aviary is located at Gold Creek Village (off the Barton Highway). Just look for the giant nets and you’ll find it. To drive, it is 15ks from Canberra City. Head along Northbourne Avenue then turn onto the Barton Highway. To get there by bus from the city, you need to go via Belconnen then switch to route 51/52 n weekdays or 951/952 on weekends.
Entry Costs: Adults:$12, Kids over 4 years $9, under 4s:free. There are family passes and annual passes which offer better value for money.
Opening Hours: Summer 10am-5pm, Winter 10am – 4pm
Tales From Canberra 