Have you ever seen a koala in the wild? If so, where was it and how close did you get?

A family member had a lovely house in Qld some 15 yrs ago.

One gum tree in the back yard, very tall.
One lone Koala in that gum tree.

You can't get more 'Aussie' than that, sitting with a cold-one, of an evening.
Oh Yeah!

by jonaja

Perfect!

I was at a friend's place in the Barossa Valley South Australia one night. There was koala in his next door neighbour's tall gum (eucalyptus) tree. We all trooped out into the cold night to have a look, but it was up so high, I could bearly (tee hee) see it!

by carolyncordon

Noosa National Park have a list of daily wild Koala sightings - you can spot them quite high up the gum trees watching all the surfers and dolphins down below.

by Lucy

Several times in my garden both in my trees and crossing the lawn.

by maril

Wow, you're lucky! Where do you live, Mani?

Foothills in Adelaide

Haven't seen a koala in the wild. Have seen plenty of kangaroos in the wild though.

by Vee

We haven't seen koala in wild.

by Radhika

Nope.

by Bryony Harrison

No I haven't -we don't have them in Western Australia, as far as I know -I have seen them in a wildlife type park here but not strictly in the wild even when I lived in NSW

by Finy

I wonder why you don't have them in WA ?

no idea Sandy -but same as we dont have Tassie devils on mainland -is odd and we have the quokka which no one else in the world has on Rottnest Island!

Yes, a few times, but not so often as we don't have wild koalas here in Western Australia. When I was a child we used to go camping regularly during the school holidays and at one of our favourite camping grounds at Tweed Heads (just south of the Queensland border) there used to be wild koalas living in the gum trees. They'd often fight with each other and make a lot of noise! I've also seen one in the Adelaide Hills, more recently, when we were on a family drive.

by Carolyn Hopping

I've never seen one in the wild. However, one day I hope to.

by dwatk

I live near the Adelaide hills and I thought I had a stalker as someone knocked on my door at 3 in the morning. This happened several times in summer. It got the better of me after another sleepless night and I got up yelling to frighten whoever wouldnt let me sleep. I saw 2 Koalas scurrying up a tree and then one came down walked casually past me. Sat on my doorstep with the flydoor making a knocking sound. They have no fear but I didnt pat it as they have long claws. I now leave water out for them in summer.

by nat_c