Wildlife lovers, listen up: if you’re keen to observe animals at their most active, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park’s newest experience is for you.

Wildlife Sunrise is a private guided tour of Hunter Valley Wildlife Park that gets you up close and personal with the park’s furry and feathered friends – first thing in the morning.

It’s the latest experience on offer at the wildlife park, which has been getting locals and visitors alike up close with animals for over 15 years. The park already offers encounters with animals like lemurs, meerkats, and lions, and now this new, exclusive tour is giving visitors a further peek behind the scenes.

As you arrive at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, located a convenient five-minute drive from Cessnock and roughly 10 minutes from Pokolbin and Lovedale, you’ll be greeted by an experienced zookeeper who’ll guide you on your tour.

But first, breakfast. An early morning at the wildlife park requires fuel, of course, so choose from a hot or continental brekkie and grab a barista-made coffee while alligators prowl on one side of you, and lemurs climb amongst the trees on the other. 

Once breakfast is done, it’s time to get up close with the animals.

With groups of up to twenty people maximum, you’ll have the park all to yourself as you listen to lions roar, watch spider monkeys play, and admire meerkats sunning themselves.

You’ll be able to watch keepers give animals their morning feed, plus you’ll learn plenty of tidbits about their habits and often cheeky personalities.

The highlight of the tour, though, has to be feeding the park’s beautiful giraffes. It might get a bit slobbery, but hand-feeding these gentle giants is a unique experience. Plus, you’ll get a printed photo to remember the moment by. 

Adults can wake up with the wildlife for $140, while kids aged 3-15 can enjoy the tour for $112.

With tours running every Sunday, it’s time to swap your Sunday sleep-in for an experience you won’t forget.