The Big Goose Farmyard and Wildlife Park (2024)

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Welcome to The Big Goose farmyard! Or is it an adventure park? Or a native Australian animal wildlife park? Or a petting zoo?

Well, I’m going to say, it’s actually all of the above!

The Big Goose, in Moorooduc, has something of everything.

Whether you’re looking to hand feed native Australian animals, pat some baby bunnies and guinea pigs, have a round of mini-golf, splash around in a water park, go on a tractor ride or climb like a monkey through a huge playground made up of ropes…

Then The Big Goose has got you covered. Let’s explore.

THE BIG GOOSE MAIN ATTRACTIONS

If you’re wondering why it’s called The Big Goose, well I’m betting it’s because, as you make your way up the entrance path, a gaggle of geese will honk their way right up to you, making it such a fun, and noisy, way to commence your day. It certainly sets the stage for excitement as you explore the main attractions listed below.

1. The Petting Barn

You cannot miss the petting barn. After you’ve made your way through the entrance, and the geese, it’s the first building you’ll encounter. It’s big and red and looks like it’s been pulled out of a movie set! You can’t miss it. 

Inside you’ll find an array of animals, mainly baby animals, just waiting for some love from you.

The barn is divided into rooms, and each room houses a different animal, which may change depending on the time of year and what the current breeding season is. 

You might find baby goats, lambs, chicks or even baby emus, which were probably the cutest little things I’ve ever seen at The Big Goose.

One of the barn rooms is dedicated to the bunnies and another room is dedicated to the guinea pigs. You’re free to walk around the rooms and be amongst these little guys, patting them whenever you please.

The petting barn also has a room dedicated to the reptiles where you can see snakes and lizards doing what snakes and lizards do best, which is sitting very still in their glass enclosures!

2. Farmyards

Located in numerous spots around the park, are the farmyard areas. 

There’s a large mixture of animals to see including sheep, goats, llamas, pigs, cows and even ostrich!

Make sure to purchase some animal feed on your way in as the animals are super friendly and are waiting for you to hold out your hand for some food. 

While visiting The Big Goose I’ve handfed very eager goats, sheep and even llamas. 

3. Wildlife Park

Of all the animal enclosures at The Big Goose, the native Australian wildlife park is my favourite.

If you’ve purchased some kangaroo food on your way in (which I highly recommend), then this is the area where dozens and dozens of kangaroos will fearlessly, and quite politely, hop right up to you and gently feed from your hands.

On a quiet day, you may be one of the only people in the kangaroo enclosure and get a sense of what it’s like to be Steve Irwin as you wander peacefully in an oasis of kangaroos, who want nothing more than to be your best friend (if you have food of course)!

The wildlife park is also home to wombats and dingoes, but never fear, unlike the kangaroos, they keep the dingoes in an enclosure.

4. Daily Live Animal Shows

When I’ve visited The Big Goose, there’s always been three different shows/demonstrations to attend. All shows are included in your entry fee.

• Wombat encounter – meet the property’s pet wombats, Wallace and Matilda, as they venture out for their breakfast each and every day.
• Reptile show – a very funny, and very Aussie, Lauchie, hosted our reptile show. During his demonstration, he joked around with the kids, asking them questions and including them in his demonstrations. He brought the reptiles through the audience, wrapped a snake around an eager young girl (with hers and her parent’s permission of course) and gave us the opportunity to touch each reptile.
• Sheep herding demonstration – out on the farmyard paddocks, we watched a very fast and clever kelpie, named Dusty, show off his well-practiced sheep herding skills. The herd of sheep were no match for Dusty as he and his owner worked together to bring the sheep from a large paddock into a small pen. 

5. Playgrounds

There are a couple of playgrounds located across The Big Goose. The main one being the huge Adventure Playground, which is located very close to the entrance beneath a big shed.

This is by far my daughter’s favourite place at The Big Goose and I can understand why.

It’s set upon a huge sandpit with an old truck and speed boat to play in.

Not only does this playground have numerous tall curly slides, climbing structures and some unique flying foxes, but its main drawcard is the colossal above ground rope-netting area that the kids can climb through and jump on, almost like a trampoline. 

Located approximately in the centre of the animal farm is another playground which is set upon an old boat. The owners of the farm have made it quite the novelty and have hidden life size skeletons on pretend toilets and even snuck them into the bow of the boat with their hidden treasure!

6. Mini Golf

Next to the main adventure playground is the 18-hole mini golf course. It’s quite a simple course, but still fun and perfect for kids, even very young ones, to navigate. 

It does cost extra for mini-golf though. At the time of writing it was approximately $5 per person, or ball, I can’t quite remember! You can confirm prices upon entry to the grounds.

7. Splash Park

The Big Goose splash park is only open when the weather goes above 25°C.

There’s no pool, but within an enclosed area, covered with shade cloth, there’s a series of approximately 2m high poles that spray out water for the kids to run and splash through. Hence the name, splash park!

So make sure to pack swimmers, towels and a change of clothes if you come in the warmer months.

8. Tyre Maze

The tyre maze is a unique play area which my 5 year old loves! Run along planks from tyre to tyre while trying not to fall off! 

We played chasey on here for quite a while, which was lots of fun, and amazingly neither of us fell off and broke any bones!

9. Ginormous Sand Pit – aka ‘The Dig Zone’

Next to the tyre maze is one of the biggest sand pits I’ve ever seen! The sand pit is filled with mini yellow diggers, to help the kids tune into their inner Bob the Builder!

10. Tractor Rides

It’s not really a farm visit unless you go for a tractor ride, right?!

Towards the back of the farm, at a variety of set times throughout the day, you’ll be able to line up for a ride on the large trailer of the farm’s tractor.

The tractor travels down a bumpy dirt road (drawing delighted squeals from the kids) taking you through some of the farm’s paddocks which you’re not permitted to walk through. 

Animals you’ll spy in the paddocks include ostrich, bulls, cows and more.

The tractor ride is included in your entry fee.

FOOD AND DRINK

Yes, you can purchase food and drink at the farmyard. You’re also more than welcome to pack your very own food and eat while you wander, have a picnic, or sit yourself down at some of the tables and chairs.

The Big Goose Cafe

The farmyard’s cafe is situated in a rotunda style building. You walk straight past it as you enter the premises, it’s right next to the big red petting barn, you can’t miss it.

The cafe menu has a range of options for kids and adults. There’s the expected chicken nuggets or fish and chips, hotdogs, pies and toasties as well as salads, burgers and soup in the winter. You can also purchase cold drinks and ice creams here.

Plus they also make quite a decent coffee! I don’t normally expect good coffee at adventure parks, but The Big Goose uses Little Rebel beans which come from my favourite roasters on the Peninsula, which is of course, Little Rebel! 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Where is the Big Goose Located?

You’ll find the Big Goose at 233 Mornington-Tyabb Road, Moorooduc, Victoria.

The entrance however, is located off Stumpy Gully Road, so you’ll need to turn off Mornington-Tyabb Road to drive into the farm’s entrance and park your car.

What are the Big Goose’s Opening Hours?

The farm is open Thursday to Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, during Term 2 and 3 of the Victorian school year, so approximately from the end of March to the end of September (Autumn & Winter).

In the warmer months (approximately beginning of October to End of March), including Term 1 and 4 of the Victorian school year, the farm is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

What are the ticket prices at The Big Goose?

There are a range of pricing options available.

At the time of this writing, an adult ticket cost $27.50 and a child above the age of two (free below this age) cost $21.50.

Seniors were $21 for entry.

You can purchase family passes for 2 adults and 2 children for around $86, which works out to be cheaper. There are options to add additional children to the family pass, so check out their website for more information.

– Annual Pass

If you’re a local, you can also purchase an annual pass.

At the time of writing, the annual pass cost $85 per adult and $65 per child or senior.

This works out to be approximtately the cost of three entries each. So if you think you’ll go more than three times a year, then definitely consider an annual pass.

It’s definitely something I recommend to locals with children. It’s worth it for the adventure park alone! Plus imagine having your very own working farm to take the kids to run around at whenever you want! It’s very cool.

– Extra Options to Purchase Upon Entry

• ANIMAL FEED – I highly recommend purchasing the bags of animal feed when you purchase your tickets so that you can feed the kangaroos and farm animals as you wander the premises. The animals are so friendly. It’s truly a delight for the kids to get so up close and personal with them as they open their palms, holding the food, to let the animals lick it off their hands. We purchased two bags of food, one for the kangaroos and one for the farm animals, and this cost $5.
• MINI GOLF – this costs around $5 per ball or person. Sorry, I’m struggling to remember the cost, but it wasn’t expensive!

Can I host a birthday party at The Big Goose?

Yes!

The Big Goose has dedicated party sheds for children’s birthdays.

Party packages include the hiring of the shed, entry for adults and children, animal feed and mini golf balls.

You must bring your own food and drink.

Is the Big Goose wheelchair accessible?

A large majority of the park is accessible for all, with wide flat areas undercover in our main barns and animal barns and many easily accessible areas outside. Plenty of disabled parking is available and there is a disabled toilet too.

Can I catch public transport to The Big Goose?

There is no public transport that will take you to The Big Goose. You will need a car to get here.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE BIG GOOSE?

Yes! I absolutely love The Big Goose! 

Unfortunately I didn’t visit here until my daughter was five and heading into school, otherwise, if she was a little younger and not having to attend school every day, I would definitely have purchased an annual ticket.

The younger kids will adore the animals while I believe the bigger kids, while still loving the animals, will absolutely love the huge adventure playground and the splash park.

The farm is big and there is so much to do and see here, perfect for those days when you’re thinking to yourself, “How on earth am I going to entertain the kids all day?!”

The Big Goose offers the perfect mixture of fun, education and interaction with the animals. If you have children, it is absoloutely worth visiting.