Serendip Sanctuary: A free day outdoors with the kids in Lara (Victoria)

“Neil, is it going to be craptacular?” may have been our delightful boy child’s response when we told him where we were headed (our kids are very eloquent), but both he and his sister still talk about our day at Serendip months later.

Only an hour south-west of Melbourne, the Parks Victoria managed Serendip Sanctuary covers 640 acres of wetlands and grassy woodlands on the volcanic western plains of Victoria.

Once used as farmland, the site was purchased by the Victorian government in 1959 to be rehabilitated and dedicated to wildlife research and the captive breeding of a bunch of Victoria’s threatened species – brolga, magpie goose, Australian Bustard and bush-stone-curlew. Parks Victoria took the reigns when it was opened to the public in 1991 as a place for environmental education about the flora and fauna of the area.

More than 150 animal species have been recorded her – many more than those that are captive bred. The best way to see the whole sanctuary and it’s visiting and resident wildlife is on foot via the nearly 5-kilometre network of wheelchair accessible walking trails.

The most popular trail at Serendip Sanctuary is the Wildlife Walk (1.1 kilometres). This is no surprise given it’s the shortest but it’s also the most satisfying section for wildlife viewing. We chose to add the Wetland Walk (1.1 kilometres) and the Wader Walk (1.3 kilometres) so we could give the legs a bit more of a stretch.

On the Wildlife Walk we got up close (but not too close) with Australian Bustards and nesting Cape Barren geese, saw roos and emus in the distance, and walked among black pademelons and wallabies. The kids absolutely loved the bird hide over the billabong while I silently kicked myself repeatedly for not bringing my zoom lens (what was I thinking?).

The Wetland Walk and Wader Walk were a great way to extend our walk through some attractive wetlands with lots of birdwatching along the way. The wildlife on this part of the walk was less concentrated but for those keen on a longer walk, it’s perfect.

Need to Know

Last Visited: 2018
Region: Melbourne
Park: Serendip Sanctuary
Closest Town: Lara (3 km)
Map: The Parks Victoria Serendip Sanctuary Visitor Guide has the best map available.
Address: 100 Windemere Road, Lara, Victoria.
Getting There: From Melbourne, follow the Princes Freeway, taking the Lara exit (Forest Road / C174) and heading north. After another 6 kilometres, turn right into Windermere Road. Serendip Sanctuary is well signed.
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Further Info: There’s a picnic area beside the carpark with tables, shade, electric BBQs, and toilet facilities. The unstaffed Information Centre has a few displays and maps. Serendip Sanctuary is disability accessible.

Wildlife Walk, Wetland Walk and Wader Walk combined

Length: 3.5 km
Time: 2 hrs
Grade: Easy / Grade 1 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Partial Circuit

Wildlife Walk

Length: 1.1 km
Time: 1 hr
Grade: Easy / Grade 1 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Partial Circuit

Wetland Walk

Length: 1.1 km
Time: 1 hr
Grade: Easy / Grade 1 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Partial Circuit

Wader Walk

Length: 1.3 km
Time: 1 hr
Grade: Easy / Grade 1 (according to the Australian Walking Track Grading System).
Style: Return

Have you visited Serendip Sanctuary? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below.