Ever imagined yourself face-to-face with koalas in the treetops or catching a glimpse of the elusive Eastern barred bandicoot at night?

Phillip Island Nature Parks will showcase its resident koala and bandicoot populations with guided tours giving visitors rare and exciting insights into how the iconic Australian animals live and interact in the wild.

The Nature Parks will run an immersive guided koala walk through the treetop boardwalks at the Koala Conservation Reserve in a natural educational experience from Thursdays to Sundays during school holidays and on weekends throughout 2025.

In addition, the spotlight bandicoot experience at Churchill Island will be hosted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights during school holidays, allowing people to spot the animals emerging from vegetation, foraging in paddocks and lawns, and searching for grubs.

Tour guests will also be asked to help count adult and juvenile bandicoots and spot any unusual behaviour – important data used by the Nature Parks to further understand Churchill Island’s bandicoot population.

Daniel Kallstrom, Attraction Manager Koala Conservation Reserve & Churchill Island, said ecotourism was a crucial element in the successful conservation efforts at the Nature Parks and educating the community about how to best protect native wildlife.

“These discovery tours give visitors first-hand experience of iconic koalas and threatened Eastern barred bandicoots, which have largely avoided extinction thanks to dedicated conservation efforts,” Mr Kallstrom said.

The endangered Eastern barred bandicoot is a success story for Phillip Island, which now has a thriving population of the species since it was reintroduced to Churchill Island in 2017, effectively saving them from extinction in the wild.

“Unlike in New South Wales, the ACT and Queensland, Koalas are not on the state’s threatened species list. But koalas to face threats in the wild on Phillip Island, including habitat loss, disease, climate change, dogs and road traffic, which have all contributed to the decline in population over time.”

“Teaching the community about these animals, their habitats and how to best support them in the wild will go a long way to minimising the impact of these threats.”

Since 1991, the Koala Conservation Reserve has offered a protected area where the marsupials can thrive in a semi-wild environment. The 45-minute guided koala tour runs in all-weather conditions and participants need to be able to stand and walk on uneven ground.

Guests on the bandicoot 1.5km walking tour require reasonable fitness and the ability to navigate uneven surfaces, some in low light and very dark conditions. The walking tour is not suitable for prams. Closed shoes, non-reflective weather protection and warm clothing is recommended.