Bat Hospital Visitor Centre

Visitors have a unique opportunity to see the work of the internationally-renowned Tolga Bat Hospital. We have won numerous awards for community conservation and education, and had Advanced Ecotourism Certification since 2010. Personalised tours run only during feed time, when the bats come down to eye level from their 6-metre high roost.

Attraction

Experiences

Wildlife Watching
Nature attraction

Wildlife Park / Zoo

Sustainability Commitment

The Bat Hospital is all about sustainability. Our core business is caring for Australia's longest distance pollinator and seed dispersers, returning as many as possible back to the wild to do the night shift on the provision of these ecological services. These long distance services mean mixing up the genetic diversity of our forests and making our continent and more sustainable into future. Our care of these remarkable mammals is also sustainable. We buy food in bulk without packaging (bananas by the trailer-load, apples in cardboard bins, farm gate purchasing in our crates), worm farms to manage most of the bat waste, 10kw solar power and solar hot water, and much more. Our visitor centre ensures an income that lessens reliance on the vagaries of grants. We opened in 2009 and each year the proof of our sustainability is born out that as a very small charity and not-for-profit, open for tourism only about 2 hours a day, we are going from strength to strength.

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Accessibility

Actively welcomes people with access needs

Accessibility Details

Ask all visitors if there are any specific needs to be met
Caters for people with sufficient mobility to climb a few steps but who would benefit from fixtures to aid balance. (This includes people using walking frames and mobility aids)
Caters for people with high support needs who travel with a support person

Welcomes and assists people who have challenges with learning, communication, understanding and behaviour
Caters for people who use a wheelchair
Caters for people with allergies and intolerances

A group of people stand outside a large netted enclosure, some taking photos or observing. The enclosure contains trees and appears to be in a zoo's Bat Hospital or nearby Visitor Centre at the nature reserve.

The Bat Hospital Visitor Centre

Enter an upside down world and meet the real stars of the night, both big and small. Enjoy an eclectic collection of bat art, world-class facilities and bat information set among restful gardens. Open daily 3-6pm but bookings essential so we can manage to keep small tour group sizes. We begin with 2 short videos and then meet the small fruitbat and microbats first, followed by the flying foxes. Bird lovers particularly on winter tours get to meet rifle birds, cat birds, satin bowerbirds and small honey eaters.