Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop
Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop
Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop
4.5
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
HELLO KOALAS SCULPTURE TRAIL, PORT MACQUARIE is an award-winning attraction, great fun and entertaining for people of all ages, open 365 days a year and it's FREE! 87+ one metre high fibreglass koala sculptures, hand-painted by local artists, offer a dazzling display of original art across Greater Port Macquarie, plus Newcastle, Taree, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour. Hello Koalas celebrates Australia's iconic Koala with messages about wildlife conservation, cultural heritage, environment, our community. Hello Koalas sculptures are sponsored by local organisations - the Trail is a freely accessible and engaging experience for everyone to enjoy! Plus - visit Hello Koalas Gallery & Gift Shop, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, 16/10 Bellbowrie St, Port Macquarie. Pick up a free Guide/Map and local tips from friendly staff. Discover Australian made gifts inspired by unique Hello Koalas sculpture designs. See the facial cast of our new 2.5 metre Big Koala and say hi to 20+ Hello Koalas sculptures on display!
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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See what other travellers are saying
- TheSydneyDollSydney, Australia265 contributionsA Truly Unique And Wonderful Art ProjectUpon arriving at my hotel in Port Macquarie the first thing I noticed was a sculpture of a koala outside the hotel. I soon learnt that there were many other koala sculptures like this around Port Macquarie and that the aim was to try and find all of the sculptures. If you go to Sea Acres Rainforest Centre they have a map you can take which shows you where all of the sculptures are, you can also get a map from the offical Hello Koala's store where they work on the sculptures and sell merchandise. I met the Woman behind Hello Koala's Margret Meagher, she invited me into the shop and kindly shared with me the history of Hello Koalas. During a trip to the UK Margret came across the Larkin With Toads Public Art Project which inspired her to create Hello Koalas, she felt that these sculptures would be a good way to engage and up lift the community, Margret also explained that these sculptures can be beneficial to people with Dementia as art has been proven to help people with Dementia as it can increase brain stimulation and improve memory. The sculptures are all hand painted by Australian artists, I think this project is amazing and I wish we had this here in Sydney, it was great fun going around with my map and one by one ticking the sculptures off.Thank you for such a comprehensive and complimentary review and one of delight for the Hello Koalas team who work very hard to achieve an outstanding visitor experience.. We are preparing to take a travelling exhibition to Australian Botanic Garden, Mt Annan, near Campbelltown for the month of April so I hope you can come and see our display 22 Hello Koalas in this beautiful natural environment. And when you come to Port Macquarie next time please give me a bell on 0416 641 482 and l'll take you on a short walking tour near our Shop where we have around 20 Hello Koalas on location. Thanks again for a great review. Best wishes MargretWritten 4 February 2021This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2020Written 25 November 2020
- MarleneBlundellGolden Beach, Australia165 contributionsGreat Art, Great FunThe collection of appropriately painted and decorated koalas adds a real creative energy to Port Macquarie. These are scattered all over in both obvious and surprising places. Children especially would really enjoy finding these. There is a range of booklets, cards and other items to support these. Lovely creative way to support these iconic creatures that have made Port Macquarie their home.We loved your description of our Hello Koalas sculptures adding "a real creative energy" to Port Macquarie - that's how we feel too each time we create a new koala. Currently we are designing two new koalas - Frankie Firefighter who honours the men and women who protected our communities during the bushfires, now thankfully well in the past, and The Chief, a helicopter pilot koala symbolic of the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service - a 75 year old service which is the saviour of people in isolated circumstances requiring medical care. We are unveiling these two community characters at our Hello Koalas Festival and Treasure hunt over the June Long Weekend from 6 to 8 June. That will be definitely a time for "Great Art, Great Fun" too. Thank you for writing a wonderful review which really hit the spot and delighted the Hello Koalas creative team.Written 12 March 2020This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited March 2020Written 11 March 2020
- jorjaimSydney, Australia6 contributionsKoala Trail - awesome adventure for FREEWhat an amazing fun family activity. We searched for as many as we could in one day and found over 40. We wish we would have started this earlier on our holiday. My teenage kids loved not only finding them and ticking them off but the art work and appreciating the effort such a great cause brings to our wonderful native animals. A fun free activity that I highly recommend. Loved it!Thank you so much for your review. It ticked so many boxes for us. I am sorry we didn't meet personally at our Hello Koalas Memorabilia Shop where we have around 10 Hello Koalas sculptures to say "hello" plus I love meeting people who are locals or visiting Port Macquarie and are interested in the history of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail. At this stage we are open three days a week (Tues, Wed and Thurs, 10am to 3pm) but planning to open longer during school holidays. Check the website or our facebook page for further details. And thanks again for your valued comments ..which inspire us to continue our koala conservation and artistic journey.Written 4 February 2021This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited January 2021Written 1 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
415 reviews
Excellent
302
Very good
97
Average
13
Poor
1
Terrible
2
debbull101
Sydney, Australia119 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Really enjoyed looking for all the koalas,
Over a weekend we’ve found about 30. They are spread far and wide
Two improvements suggested: a tick list for the kids to mark off the ones they’ve found and a bit more information about whether a koala is inside or outside a venue as that would help find them.'
Over a weekend we’ve found about 30. They are spread far and wide
Two improvements suggested: a tick list for the kids to mark off the ones they’ve found and a bit more information about whether a koala is inside or outside a venue as that would help find them.'
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. We have 87 Hello Koalas on the Trail scattered across the Mid North Coast so finding 30 is a great achievement.
It takes up to 3 days to see them all.
There is a free Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Guide and Map which features all the sculptures with a little koala head that people can tick when they have seen each koala.
The Guide also lists locations, hours of opening and ways to see the koalas and take photos if the host location is closed for the day. Plus phone numbers, emails and websites. Some hosts bring their koala inside overnight but usually people can still see them through glass doors.
Over 120 accommodation providers and tourist attractions, including the Glasshouse Arts and Visitor Centre i the CBD, have the Trail Guides with map for free distribution in their tourism brochure racks or at their reception desks.
We also run a 24/7 hotline for people with queries by phone or text.
I'd love to send you the latest version of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Guide and Map by mail so you can come back and see 40+ more Hello Koalas! And we are glad you had a good time while you were here recently. You can send address details to my email listed on TripAdvisor.
Thanks and best wishes Margret Meagher
Written 3 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marty ..
Ballina, Australia396 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
As I like these colourful Koala Sculptures .. so last time I traveled to Port Macquarie .. I visited the Hello Koala Gift Shop , to see If the shop sold miniature Hello Koalas - disappointedly they don’t
I’ve spotted the Hello Koalas all over Port Macquarie & even saw two Koala Sculptures at Wauchope Train Station
There’s also colourful Koala Sculptures , around the Gold Coast QLD .. however these tourist attraction are a different organisation
I’ve spotted the Hello Koalas all over Port Macquarie & even saw two Koala Sculptures at Wauchope Train Station
There’s also colourful Koala Sculptures , around the Gold Coast QLD .. however these tourist attraction are a different organisation
Written 12 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glad you visited our Shop where we now have 20 Hello Koalas sculptures on display too, just like an art gallery!
We also now have small plaster figurines (16cm) so people can paint their own koala and we have some new figurines on order in varying sizes and colours that are fun.
Unfortunately we don't have replicas of the designs as we are aiming to have our Shop products made locally or in Australia. We know that similar sculpture trails overseas do have miniatures and would love to have them if we could find an Australian supplier. Happy to receive any suggestions! And thank you for your 5 star review.
Written 3 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lesley M
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Family
We spent a week in Port Macquarie and enjoyed finding the koalas on the sculpture trail. The highlight was meeting the project director at the Hello Koala gift shop and her taking the time to tell us all about the project.
Written 18 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How lovely to receive your review. Thank you. I love meeting visitors in our Hello Koalas Gallery & Shop where we now have 20 Hello Koalas sculptures on display, like an art gallery. I used to have a Gallery in Sydney before moving to Port Macquarie in 2006 where I discovered wild koalas and some great artists so decided to create a sculpture trail to promote koala conservation.
It means a lot to me to hear that you enjoyed your time in Port Macquarie and visiting our Shop. Thank you.
Written 3 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Skye Pirie
Croyde, UK25 contributions
Nov 2022 • Solo
Love the idea of this and all of the designs I saw were so beautifully done and snazzy. The location of each of them was also very clever, i.e. there is a mechanical themed one situated outside of a car mechanic shop!
Visiting the trail gift shop also allows you to see many in one place, pick up some funky gifts and a trail map!
Visiting the trail gift shop also allows you to see many in one place, pick up some funky gifts and a trail map!
Written 5 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love your review! Thank you for sharing your experience and enjoyment of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail.
We now have 20 sculptures displayed at our Shop - a positive that came from COVID.
In 2019 we established a Hello Koalas travelling exhibition concept for botanic gardens and wildlife parks with 20 sculptures dedicated to taking their conservation messages far and wide. We visited Canberra, Sydney and Campbelltown before we had to cease travelling. So we decided to turn part of our Shop into the Hello Koalas Gallery!!
And now we have 87 Hello Koalas sculptures on the Trail and the Trail Guide and Map keeps growing! Come back soon and see more and thanks again for your 5 star review.
Written 3 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tony W
Sydney, Australia4,632 contributions
Aug 2022
A fun activity in Port Macquarie, spot the koala. All over town you can find these painted koalas. THe one at McDonalds is in the corporate colours while the visitor centre has one dressed to the nines. A clever idea and a fun activity when in town.
Written 24 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your observations. Our Hello Koalas artists have been very imaginative and tell the story of our region with fun and inspiration! You must return and see our 2.5 metre high Big Koala soon!
Written 28 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Renee B
Canberra, Australia10 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Lots of fun our kids wanted to find them all but it not possible in a short space of time we got to about 50 over 4 days. Bargo wine maze was great for kids and Sea Acres Boardwalk is stunning, don’t forget to support the Koala Hospital.
Written 26 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your great review - we are so pleased you all had a good time, exploring our hometown and hinterland. You did very well to discover 50 Hello Koalas sculptures.
Please come back and meet our new Big Koala (2.5 metre high) which is being installed at Guulabaa (Place of Koala), a new and exciting tourism precinct in the Cowarra State Forest, created by Forestry Corporation of NSW.
The launch of The Big Koala will coincide with our 6th annual Hello Koalas Festival Treasure Hunt on 24 and 25 September 2022. Hope to see you again.
Written 30 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alex
Melbourne, Australia6 contributions
Nov 2021
Of all of my experiences from my 2-week trip, the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail was by far the most exciting and touching. Not only is this initiative a brilliant educational tool, but it's also the most exciting way to explore the beautiful city of Port Macquarie, learn more about the city's history, koala conservation, and pop culture as well as appreciate the impeccable art and designs. I moreover loved learning about each artist's back story and motivation for choosing their specific theme. The cherry on top was heading to the Hello Koalas visitor shop and purchasing some postcards, fridge magnets and memorabilia. They even have a Port Macquarie-themed Monopoly board with a koala as a playing piece! A true experience. Highly recommended!
Written 8 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That is high praise, thank you Alex. It was great to meet you during your visit to Port Macquarie and essentially viewing our town through the eyes of our Hello Koalas characters who are on exhibition at so many of our region's hotspots, landmarks and tourist attractions.
We hope you will return for the launch of our Big Koala in time for the September school holidays and our annual Hello Koalas Festival Treasure Hunt on 24 and 25 September 2022. Thanks so much for your insightful and positive review.
We look forward to welcoming you again to Port Macquarie and introducing you to new sculptures in the Hello Koalas Gift Shop too. We have over 12 on display!
Written 9 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debbie S
Port Macquarie, Australia1 contribution
May 2022
What a wonderful surprise and wonderful way to explore Port Macquarie. Coming across the koala sculptures in all sorts of locations and places was fun. We loved the quirky themes and names of each koala! Make sure you don't miss any of the delightful and colourful sculptures by following the trail. The gift shop is a must visit too. Lots of unique gift ideas for the whole family.
Written 20 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glad you like the imaginative designs. One of our favourites is called I'm No Bear, painted by Brigid Vidler, which depicts a koala in a panda suit with a zip down the back, so when the koala wants to become a koala again, it jumps out of the panda suit! The educational message is that koalas are not bears, they are marsupials!
'I'm No Bear is one of a dozen Hello Koalas sculptures on display at the Hello Koalas Gift Shop in Port Macquarie where people can also pick up a free trail map and a range of Australian made Hello Koalas gifts such as magnets, badges, stickers, colouring books, T towels, posters and T shirts. We also have an exclusive Port Macquarie edition of Monopoly with its very own Hello Koalas token. Thanks for your "wonderful" review!
Written 21 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael J
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
May 2022
I was absolutely 'blown away' by the sculpture trail - what a fabulous way to get to know Port Macquarie and the unique role that Koalas play in the environment.
The gift shop was really interesting. I wish we could have spent more time at both the shop ad the trail.
We will be back
The gift shop was really interesting. I wish we could have spent more time at both the shop ad the trail.
We will be back
Written 16 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It's wonderful to welcome interstate visitors to Port Macquarie again and we loved hearing about your experience. While Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail encompasses 83 sculptures, it's possible to see quite a few on a day trip but at a leisurely pace, enjoying local attractions and rest stops along the way, it takes around 3 days to discover and photograph them all!
Next time you visit, we hope to have our new 2.5 metre "Big Koala" on display in Cowarra State Forest. It's been a dream of ours since we launched the Trail in September 2014. One of our local artists is painting the sculpture right now and we will have a video about the making of The Big Koala in our Hello Koalas Shop for you to see too! Thanks so much for your review.
Written 16 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Coral W
1 contribution
Jun 2022
What a fabulous concept to raise awareness of the Koalas’ plight in Australia.
Great idea to arouse everyone’s attention, special emphasis on finding all the different “koala sculptures” around the area.
The Gift Shop is an amazing place, so many gift ideas and information about where all the sculptures are, from the wonderful lady who runs the place
Great idea to arouse everyone’s attention, special emphasis on finding all the different “koala sculptures” around the area.
The Gift Shop is an amazing place, so many gift ideas and information about where all the sculptures are, from the wonderful lady who runs the place
Written 12 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate each of your comments, thank you. They go to the heart of what we are aiming to achieve through the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail.
Written 12 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fluffyNsmurf
Basingstoke, UK296 contributions
may i ask where you got the trail brochure from??
fluffyNsmurf
Basingstoke, UK296 contributions
may i ask where you got the trail brochure from??
hellokoalas
Port Macquarie, Australia6 contributions
You will find the complimentary Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Guides at the Glasshouse Arts and Information Centre in Clarence Street, World Par Tea shop in Hay Street next to Rydges Hotel, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre (where you can see 7 sculptures) at 159 Pacific Drive and the Koala Hospital (with 4 sculptures) near Roto House in Lord Street - both are a short drive from the centre of town or a pleasant walk of around 20 minutes. Sea Acres has a good cafe too.
The latest guides, which we update every three months, are also being distributed currently to the tourism brochure racks around town. Look for the orange cover which says November 2017 to January 2018.
And you can download a pdf from our website. Please send me another message if I can assist you further.
We hope you enjoy meeting our Hello Koalas sculptures and sharing your experience on TripAdvisor. There are now over 60 Hello Koalas sculptures and sometimes they move around. Guula will be moving to Port Macquarie Museum this morning!
Ian C G
Port Macquarie141 contributions
Hello Koala people,
This attraction has been popular probably exceeding expectations. I have spoken with pepole of all ages whilst taking snaps for my TripAdvisor entry & they unanimously agree that this project is wonderful.
I have heard mention that there is a cow display somewhere in NSW but they are all displayed together whereas you have promoted a 'trail'. A great idea as the trail encourages tourism throughout the area. As one traveller put it
"I think the koalas encouraged us to see more of Port than we probably would have had they not been there".
A big congratulation to the artists that have created these beautiful artworks. I hope that they will become a permanent feature of this wonderful part of the world.
Kind regards,
Ian C G
hellokoalas
Port Macquarie, Australia6 contributions
Thank you for sharing your positive experience and providing excellent feedback from others too. We are proud to announce that we have just won Gold in the 2015 North Coast Tourism Awards in the “New Tourism Business” category and are now planning our submission for the NSW State Awards, which will be announced in November. So fingers crossed!
Right now we are preparing for a big summer, with new koala sculptures planned to extend the Trail and the release of some new Hello Koalas memorabilia in time for Christmas stockings!
A lot of thought went into the planning of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail so that people would be encouraged to explore the region and discover new places to visit, in something akin to a treasure hunt, so we are pleased that you felt this way too.
We love receiving such encouraging reviews through Trip Advisor – thank you - and certainly we hope the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail will be in situ for a long time to come for locals and visitors to enjoy.
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Claim your listingHELLO KOALAS SCULPTURE GALLERY & GIFT SHOP: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop
- Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop is open:
- Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Hotels near Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop:
- (0.55 km) Aston Hill Motor Lodge
- (0.33 km) Relaxing Waterside Canal Home
- (0.71 km) Sails Port Macquarie by Rydges
- (0.59 km) Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn
- (1.10 km) Melaleuca Caravan Park
- Restaurants near Hello Koalas Sculpture Gallery & Gift Shop:
- (0.05 km) Black Market Bagels
- (0.05 km) Cassera's Pastry & BakeHouse
- (0.21 km) Thai House Takeaway
- (0.21 km) Ottoman Kebabs
- (0.22 km) Cinnamon Beans