Tasmania | Kangaroos Eating from My Hand

A kangaroo eating from my hand was more contact than I had expected from a ship excursion. During my November 2024 cruises in Australia, I visited Port Arthur and Hobart in Tasmania. It was my first visit, and I booked wildlife excursions at both ports. Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, wallabies, and the local birds were what I most wanted to see.

Tasmania is known as lutruwita, pronounced “lu-tru-wee-tah,” in the Tasmanian Aboriginal language palawa kani. My excursion from Port Arthur took me to the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, where we watched a devil being fed another large animal’s knee joint. The explanation of its eating habits was fairly straightforward: very little seemed likely to go to waste.

Birds wandered among the trees as we made our way towards a large grassy clearing. Kangaroos were scattered across the grass and resting beneath the branches. Feeding troughs around the area supplied food we could offer them, and our guides explained the etiquette. Avoid patting their heads. A rub on the chest would be more welcome.

Our group was small enough that everyone could spread out, so there was plenty of opportunity to spend time with the kangaroos. I really enjoyed letting them eat from my hand. The open clearing and surrounding bush made the encounter feel relaxed, with room to watch the animals as well as feed them.

From Hobart, I visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. It seemed smaller but had more animals to see, including a wombat, colourful lorikeets, and two tawny frogmouths tucked together on a branch. There were also considerably more people to navigate around. Kangaroo feeding was available, but with so many visitors offering food, the animals seemed less interested. Bonorong felt more like a zoo to me, and I preferred the space and smaller group at the Unzoo.

The waterfront ruins at Port Arthur provided a different view of Tasmania, with rows of empty windows beneath low cloud and wooded hills. The former convict settlement is a significant part of the island’s colonial history, but wildlife was the focus of this visit. I was grateful to experience both sanctuaries, even if the kangaroos eating from my hand were what I enjoyed most.