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Gumbuya Park Gumbuya Park - a review

Discussion in 'Australia' started by Astrobird, 17 Jul 2015.

  1. Astrobird

    Astrobird Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Melbourne
    Gumbuya Park is situated to the east of Melbourne, on the main freeway that heads to the Gippsland region, approx. 1 hour from Melbourne CBD. It was started in the 70’s as a commercial Pheasant Farm, and then opened to the public in the early 80’s as a tourist park with a display of pheasants and a few other birds and animals, plus several amusement rides. Out the front of the property, visible from the highway is a huge statue of a Golden Pheasant. Recently restored after vandals blew part of it off with explosives, the newly painted pheasant is possibly one of the best of Australia’s “Big” statues.
    Thru out the 80’s & 90’s, the amusement rides such as the toboggan rides, mini golf, bumper cars, water slides etc were possibly the main attraction to the park, with the animals and birds being something to occupy the parents whilst the kids ran wild. However in recent times, the animal side of the park has undergone a makeover, with an incredible increase in the number of native birds and animals on display and several new enclosures added.
    Gumbuya Park is set in a lovely natural bushland setting, I believe they have over 100 acres in total, but the actual area that visitors see is considerably less than that. Visitors pay at the gatehouse (where you are greeted by a female Ecelectus parrot who is happy to come into your car to greet you and have a cuddle) before driving further into the park. The park is well set up for large numbers of people, with facilities for conferences, weddings and school groups, and many picnic or bbq areas set amongst the trees. A feature of the park is the use of the old pheasant sheds, with some of them being used as covered picnic areas, conference rooms, an aboriginal museum (one of the most complete in the country) and one shed is now a covered mini golf area. The animal areas surround these sheds, with the café, playground and amusement rides being situated further down the hill.
    Starting from the carpark beside the “J” shed, there are the 2 aviary style enclosures for Spotted Quoll, an interesting triangle roofed enclosure for water dragons and long necked turtles, and then 2 more aviary enclosures for Grey Headed Flying Fox. Beside these is a large open enclosure for the Koala. These were not visible on the day I visited, but one end of the enclosure is a large shed where the Koala “experiences” take place, and I assume they were in there as the door was open and I could see fresh gum branches inside the shed.
    Visitors can then take a walk around and thru the kangaroo and emu paddocks, until you reach the 2 dingo enclosures. The first has a group of 3 Alpine dingos in 3 colours, white, Black & Tan and the std orange colour, and the second enclosure has a pair of Tropical dingos, both orange coloured. The dingos are taken out on walks around the park, and I met the 3 Alpine dingos on their walk, and they were very friendly and please to be patted etc.
    Beside the dingos is a 5 sided aviary, with the central shelter walls painted in bright coloured murals. Obviously an old aviary, it is furnished with lots of fresh branches and is adequate size, but looks very dated. These aviaries had Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Eastern Rosella X 1, Quaker Parrot X 1, Cockatiels in many colours, a trio of Red Jungle Fowl, a young (uncoloured) Golden Pheasant cock, a pair of Silver Pheasant hens and a pair of pied Indian Peafowl.
    The Aviary walk is next – a collection of large enclosures that used to only hold pheasants, but in recent years, they have refurbished the aviaries by raising the roof (which looks a little tacky, as they have used a different wire at the top of the walls) and they removed many of the trees and creepers that used to grow up thru the top of the aviaries. I think they must have also removed some walls, as I remember more aviaries on previous visits. On the down side for me, is the reduction in pheasant species – they now only display Golden (both normal and the Dark throated mutation) Lady Amherst’s, Silver & Reeves’s Pheasant, but on previous visits they also had Ring necked Pheasants in several colours and subspecies, Nepal Kalij and Swinhoes Pheasant. Now they have added many native birds (see the full list below) I did enjoy seeing Galahs in a large planted aviary with Cape Barren Geese and Red Jungle Fowl, and a group of 5 or 6 male & 1 female Ecelectus Parrots with Mountain Shell Ducks, Plumed Whistling Ducks & Guinea Fowl. Other combinations included King Parrots & Reeves’s Pheasants, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Mountain Shell Duck, Guinea Pigs, Alexandrine and Indian Ring Necked Parrots, Red tailed Black Cockatoos & Chuckar Partridge, Green Peacock with a pair of Nankeen Kestrel, and the large walk thru aviary had Indian Peafowl, Guinea Fowl, Muscovy Ducks & a pair of Cape Barren Geese that were making a nest.
    One of the sheds has an excellent museum of Aboriginal artefact and 2 simple cages for Mountain Pygmy Possum. I couldn’t see them as they were all hibernating on the nest boxes, but the keepers said they had 7 or 8 in each cage. The café also has a few home style reptile enclosures for pythons, lizards and frogs, and the keepers also brought out a large Carpet python for a walk & talk session.
    I highly recommend Gumbuya Park - we had a large family get together there, and there were excellent facilities for our large group, a lovely setting and a very nice collection of animals. There were plenty of rides and amusements for the kids and adults who were that way inclined, and at $18 per adult, $9 per child (rides $6 ea) I thought it was reasonably priced for a full days entertainment. I would like to see them go into more exotic animals and birds, but as it is, they have a very rounded collection of natives.
     
    steveroberts likes this.
  2. Astrobird

    Astrobird Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Melbourne
    List of animals on display

    Tiger Quoll (2)
    Koala (2)
    Grey Headed Flying Fox (4)
    Kangaroo Island Kangaroo (5 or 6)
    Red Kangaroo (1 or 2)
    Eastern Grey Kangaroo (80+)
    Alpine Dingo (3)
    Tropical Dingo (2)
    Guinea Pig
    Wombat
    Tammar Wallaby – Albino
    Brush Tailed Possum – Albino
    Mountain Pygmy Possum
    Alpaca
    Sheep
    Ponies
    Emu
    Galah
    Black Swan
    Domestic Geese
    Domestic Ducks
    Rainbow Lorikeet
    Red Collared Lorikeet
    Musk Lorikeet (mutation form)
    Mountain Shell Duck
    Alexandrine Parrot
    Bush Bronze wing Pidgeon
    Eastern Rosella
    Cockatiel
    Red Jungle Fowl
    Indian Peafowl
    Silver Pheasant
    Quaker Parrot
    Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (15+)
    Major Mitchell Cockatoo (6+)
    Little Corella
    Long Billed Corella
    Chuckar Partridge
    Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
    Indian Ring Necked Parrot
    Guinea Fowl
    Golden Pheasant – Dark Throated mutation & Normal
    Plumed Whistling Ducks
    Ecelectus Parrots
    King Parrot
    Reeves’s Pheasant
    Cape Barron Geese
    Red Tailed Black Cockatoo
    Gang Gang Cockatoo
    Muscovy Duck
    Tawny Frog Mouth
    Domestic Turkey
    Silky & Frizzled Chooks/hens
    Nankeen Kestrel
    Green Peacock
    Barn Owl
    Boobook Owl
    Diamond Python
    Carpet Python
    Eastern Water Dragon
    Gippsland Water Dragon
    Green Tree Frog
    =62 species
     
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  3. Geoffrey

    Geoffrey Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Australia
    Thanks for this review - I have often driven past this place but have never been in. I am rather shocked at them having the pygmy possums - I assume this is part of the breeding program? I guess this means they are the only collection to hold them apart from Healesville (unless the Reptile Park still has them?), and it seems kind of an odd choice. Still, best of luck to them.
     
  4. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Christchurch, New Zealand
    Gumbuya is a ZAA member and involved in the mountain pygmy possum programme (and I think it is the only other zoo apart from Healesville to hold the species).

    Thanks for the review astrobird, I hadn't heard of this place until now, so shall add it to my zoos to visit list.
     
    Kifaru Bwana likes this.
  5. Astrobird

    Astrobird Well-Known Member

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    Location:
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    I've visited Gumbuya a few times over the years and this last time was probably my favourite visit. I actually purchased some pheasants from them once as well. It really is a great place to meet up with extended family, with great facilities in a lovely setting. I recommend a visit for anyone going past or in the general area.
     
  6. zooman

    zooman Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Location:
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    Gumbuya Park,
    Is now on the market to be sold as a ongoing business.
     
  7. MRJ

    MRJ Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Location:
    Melbourne
    Has been sold to a consortium lead by the CEO of Jayco Caravans Gary Ryan.

    Gumbuya Park in for major facelift
     
  8. Astrobird

    Astrobird Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Melbourne
    Review of the New Gumbuya World, only the wildlife section.

    As many would know, Gumbuya Park changed hands a few years back and has been redeveloped into a major theme park with world class water slides and thrill rides. The entrance fees have gone up steeply – from memory children were $53 each and adults $58, and they don’t have family passes. Thankfully they have retained the wildlife park but the entire property has been rebuilt, so the whole wildlife area is like a brand-new zoo.

    The park is set out in different zones (wildlife trail, oasis springs, outback explorers & Oz adventure) with the 1st aviary right inside the gates, housing a pair of Blue & Gold Macaws and a Golden Pheasant. A very pleasant looking aviary which sets a very good 1st impression of the park, the aviary had glass viewing windows on 3 sides at one end, lush planting and large colourful signs. Despite all this, most people I observed paused for about 30 seconds, pointed at the birds and then continued onto the theme park areas. There were also a few random statues of dinosaurs set amongst the gardens, but again few people seemed to stop and look at them.

    The Wildlife trail area has retained much of the existing eucalypt forest, so there’s plenty of canopy for shade, but there’s a lot of new lush planting providing colour and a bit of a tropical vibe happening in and around the enclosures. The pathways are wide to accommodate large crowds, the enclosures are all well designed and constructed and also well furnished with both plants and branches and other climbing or enrichment items. Information signs were large, colourful and easy to read with relevant information about the species.

    The 1st aviary at the entrance to the wildlife trail was for Golden Pheasant (2 cocks) and also housed 1 Ecelectus Parrot hen. There was supposed to be an enclosure for Mountain pigmy possums somewhere there as well, but I couldn’t find it. Walk under the Wildlife trail banner and the 1st enclosure is a large aviary (approx. tennis court sized) for “exotic” parrots. Judging by the confident nature of many of the parrots, I suspect a lot of them are hand raised. There were a few Red-tailed Black cockatoos (cocks) about a dozen Ecelectus parrots (mostly cocks) and then lots of Indian Ring-necked parrots (various colour mutations) Alexandrine Parrots. Signs showed conures and amazon parrots but I didn’t see any. Despite all the parrots, there was still plenty of vegetation growing in the aviary (mostly tall grasses or cordylines) and an attractive waterfall/pond water feature.

    Further down the path was a similar sized aviary for a group of Galahs, some Major Mitchell Cockatoos, a Plumed Whistling Duck and (most excitingly for me) a family group of Silver pheasants. I saw an adult cock,2 hens, 2 immature cocks and some young chicks. Further enclosures held Spotted Quolls, Barking Owls, a farmyard petting zoo (had Silky chickens, Pekin Ducks, rabbits & a lamb) various other native birds (kookaburras, tawny frog mouths etc) and then at the end of this pathway is the Critter Cave and small presentation area. The Critter cave is a mock rock covered building housing a nice array of reptiles and frogs. Being just prior to Xmas, each tank had a letter to Santa from the critters inside.

    After the critter cave, there was open garden areas with plenty of free ranging peafowl and Red Jungle Fowl. Just a note on the Jungle Fowl, these would have to be amongst the most “pure” jungle fowl around in Australia, as I know they originated (20 + years ago) from the collection of a prominent pheasant breeder who had all the different sub species – but that’s a different story…. There was 2 walk thru paddocks for wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos, plus a heavily treed enclosure for emu and 1 lone Fallow Deer (a dark/black doe) Also in this are is a raised boardwalk with several enclosures for Koalas, then leading onto a large walk thru aviary complex. I have mixed feelings about this aviary – its huge, and has all my favourite birds in it, but from a viewing perspective, I thought it was rather underwhelming. The boardwalk basically does a U shape thru the 3 sections, but it’s raised up 4 – 5 meters above the ground, and forms the only shelter from the sun or rain, so many of the parrots choose to sit under the boardwalk, and the Pheasants and Peafowl are obviously ground birds, so it was difficult to see much of them from such a height. Birds that I saw included Red-tailed Black cockatoos (hens) Gang-gang cockatoos (3 of) Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, Little Corella, Cockatiels (lots of, in all colour mutations) Regents Parrots (1 pair seen) Rainbow Lorikeets, Indian Peafowl (Blues, Pied & Whites) Golden Pheasant, Lady Amhurst Pheasant, Swinhoe Pheasant (1 pair – I was very pleased to see them!) Plumed Whistling Duck, Red Jungle Fowl, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, and 1 big rat splashing around in the water…. I walked around the outside at ground level after going thru, just to get a better view of the pheasants.

    The 2 dingo enclosures were nicely done with a dry moat across the front, and old rusty cars gave them somewhere to sit on or shelter in (as well as caves and trees, long grass etc) Close by is 2 enclosures for Tasmanian Devils (only saw 1) and a semi walk thru aviary complex for Sulpha Crested Cockatoos (3 aviaries with a tunnel going thru them, so you weren’t actually in the same space as the birds, but the tunnel had doors at either end anyway. I wonder if the tunnel was created after they had problems with the cockies biting visitors or something) The 2 enclosures for Wombats I thought were quite innovative – a central covered shed with glass windows looking into the tunnels and sleeping area for the wombats, with the outside fenced in yards on either side. Several Jungle Fowl were roaming these yards including hens with small chicks. The fenced in yards would have provided plenty of secure nesting spots for the Jungle hens, as they are filled with rocks and logs and clumps of grasses and shrubs etc. That pretty much sums up the wild life part of Gumbuya World – overall I was very impressed with the quality of the enclosure construction and the lay out and landscaping, and I’m glad they have retained so many pheasants in the collection. The property started out as a commercial pheasant farm, so I thought it was a nice nod to the park’s history. The only major new addition to the collection is the pair of Blue & Gold Macaws. Other exotics such as primates or cats would be amazing, but as it stands, the native collection is pretty solid and the birds round it out.
     
  9. Astrobird

    Astrobird Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Melbourne
    I added a few photos to the gallery too...