The Healesville Sanctuary and some of the best wineries in the Yarra Valley teamed up for Queen’s Birthday weekend to host a spectacular outing with a difference, Wine and Wildlife. It’s not often you can say you walked around a wildlife park with a delicious pinot in hand, but I joined hundreds of people doing just that.
The beautiful undercover pavilions and grassy lawns that are spread throughout the Healesville Sanctuary wildlife park were host to a lineup of local wineries, craft breweries, and local food producers — which included samples of cheese and chocolate! There were lots of dishes available for purchase too, including soups, lamb rolls, and cheese platters.
Lucky for us, there was a Four Pillars popup bar also serving their delicious gin and tonics including their brand-new release, Bloody Shiraz Gin. (It must be tasted to be believed.) Guests were also welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks and make a real picnic of it.
Live acoustic music played in the background in each area that was serving food and drink so you could settle in for a while and enjoy the winter sunshine, which was out in full swing.
However, it was not all for adults. Animal encounters were aplenty — the Sanctuary keepers were showing off furry, feathered, and scaly friends. All the usual presentations and shows were on throughout the day, including educational talks about each animal and you could also pay a little extra and have an extremely up close and personal encounter with one of the animals. I caught the show titled ‘Tales from Platypus Creek’, as the platypus is my favourite animal.
Admission included all tastings, and Zoo Victoria Members and children under 16 received free entry. It was the perfect place for the kids to explore, run, and have fun.
All proceeds were allocated to support Zoos Victoria’s efforts to fight the extinction of 21 local threatened species which are highlighted throughout the park.
– Emily
Emily Coupar is passionate nurse, foodie and author and beginner yogi. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Visit Zoos Victoria’s website to find out more about their great events.
