Koala Trail

Very picturesque and serene.Had a competition to see who could spot the most koalas while we walked around.A-1, S-0, D-0, N-7!

Loved the Koala trail, saw lots of koalas sleeping in the trees. Hiring the bike made it super easy to get around with a little one

The ferry to Raymond Island is free as a pedestrian and the 1.2km walk through the colony is level and accessible for everyone. It was great to see Koalas in abundance given the recent bushfires along the east coast. Good to see people and native wildlife living together. Make sure you visit and support the group of volunteers that look after the colony.

Beautiful walk on the Island, would havebeen better on bikes to ciber more ground but still gorgeous end of day : Free ferry for pedestrians, saw koalas and kangaroos, enjoyed fabulous sunset over the Port.

We were told about Paynesville by a nice lady at the Bairnsdale info hub. Honestly the place was absolutely stunning. The koala trail is on a separate island called Raymond Island which requires ferry travel. The ferry fee is under $15 if you take your car across with you. We saw many koalas, maybe 8 or 9 and were also lucky enough to spot a wallaby. There's fun-coloured birds and cool tree species as well. Halfway or so there's a small part of beach where you have the opportunity to touch the water and collect as many shells as you want. The townsfolk are also very friendly and helpful, and have no problem giving you directions if you ask. Overall, it was a great place and would be very nice for a spend-the-day with friends.

An incredible and lesser known walk to see the Koalas. We easily saw 15-20 koalas, some of which very close in lower trees. The walk is well marked and some of the koalas are quite easy to miss. Plenty of information board son the walk, and such an amazing experience. The car park for the koala trail is straight away on the left hand side once you get off the ferry, with toilets nearby too. The walk took about 45 minutes, stopping off for photos.

Great adventure for kids. Take a free ferry from Painesville to Raymond Island and a short trek about 3-4 kms. Plenty of Koalas sitting idle on Eucalyptus trees. Loads of fun.

I've visited Raymond Island several times now and it's a great place for bushwalking, sight seeing, fishing and the like. It's become a very popular tourist attraction, particularly the koala trail which gives people the opportunity to spot koalas up in the gum trees and take photos. There are plenty of walking tracks to explore on the island plus roads, housing and accommodation. Catching the ferry over from Paynesville only takes about 5 minutes and is free for passengers. Depending on how busy it is, it can take a while for the ferry to be fully boarded so be prepared to wait. Cars, vans and utes cost $13 to travel via ferry and motorbikes cost $6.

The Koalas on Raymond island are the only Koalas that I know of in Australia where you can reliably go out for a walk and you will see them in the wild. They are not fed this isn't a sanctuary or zoo. It's just an island. We routinely bring our overseas guests down to Payneseville and walk across on the ferry.