What is The Big Goose
The Big Goose is an upmarket petting zoo offering a well-rounded family experience that combines animal encounters with high-quality facilities. Visitors can expect a good range of animals and plenty of opportunities for hands-on interaction, making it especially appealing for younger children. There is some educational content on offer, including snake presentations, though it is not a conservation-focused wildlife park. Beyond the animals, The Big Goose stands out for its family-friendly layout, with multiple playgrounds, a splash park, ample shaded areas, and a well-appointed café. Overall, it’s a polished, easy-to-navigate destination designed for relaxed, all-ages enjoyment rather than structured wildlife education.
Our Experience
We visited The Big Goose on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon in peak season, arriving around 12:30 pm—which is generally considered an ambitious choice when visiting anywhere with children. Despite this, while it was busy, it never felt crowded. We found a car park close to the entrance easily, and entry into the farm was smooth and well organised.
Our five-year-old had recently been chased by a goose (after chasing said goose), so arriving at a place famously full of geese felt bold. Nevertheless, we bought a bag of feed and pushed on, calmly ignoring the child who “loves animals” while hiding in my skirts whenever a bird made eye contact.
We began in the shaded barnyard area, home to farm animals like alpacas and goats, along with a mini golf course. Nearby, we caught a snake presentation that was genuinely engaging for the kids and delivered clear, practical information about local snakes and why keeping your distance is always a good idea.
Inside the barn, the kids could pat guinea pigs—an animal my daughter was far more comfortable with—and look at a range of reptiles. The space was clean and well maintained, with each animal clearly named, which was a nice touch. Overall, the farm has a calm, pleasant feel that makes it easy to wander at a relaxed pace.
Coming out of the barn, our five-year-old was immediately drawn to a playground, which felt like the right moment for an iced coffee and some hot chips from the café. Both were surprisingly good. Refuelled, we headed out to the back paddocks where we found ostriches (unexpectedly intimidating to feed), long-horned cows, camels, kangaroos, emus, dingoes and more. The standout was a beautiful camel and her baby.
After a short lunch break, we wandered into the reptile house. It’s compact but engaging, with bearded dragons, snakes, and various lizards displayed close enough for the kids to get a real sense of their scales and movement. There was even a freshwater crocodile in one of the enclosures
Beyond the animals, there’s plenty to keep kids busy, including a maze, splash park, multiple playgrounds, a sheepdog demonstration and a tractor ride. The layout is clean and well thought out, with lots of picnic tables and plenty of shade. You could easily pack a big picnic and settle in for the day.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable visit. It’s not the most educational or conservation-focused experience, but it’s an easy, well-run way to give kids hands-on animal experiences—and for many families, that’s exactly the point.
Location
The Big Goose is located in Moorooduc on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, making it an easy drive from Melbourne and well suited to a day trip or weekend visit. Set on a spacious semi-rural property, it feels pleasantly removed from the surrounding towns while still being straightforward to access by car. There is clear signage and parking close to the entrance.
Transport
By Car: 233 Mornington - Tyabb Rd, Moorooduc, VIC
Parking: On-site parking is available and located close to the entrance, which is always appreciated when you’re arriving with children (and all their things). We had no trouble finding a spot, even during a busy peak-season visit.
Public Transport: As with many family attractions outside the inner city, public transport is technically an option but not one you’d enthusiastically recommend—particularly with young kids. Driving is by far the easiest and most practical way to get there.
Cost
Entrance:
Adult (18+): $29.5
Child (4–17 years): $23
Children under 4: free
Family (2 adults + 2 children): $92
Parking: Free
Extras: We spent $10 on food for the animals, and $15 on food for us.
Time to Allow
We spent about an hour and a half at The Big Goose, mainly dictated by naptime for the baby. In that time, we saw all the animals and enjoyed the main attractions. That said, our five-year-old could easily have happily stayed a couple more hours exploring playgrounds, taking a tractor ride, and generally making the most of the space. For a more relaxed visit, especially with older children, planning two to three hours—or even a full afternoon—would let everyone enjoy everything without rushing.
Conclusion: Hands-On Fun, Not Wildlife 101
The Big Goose is a well-run, family-friendly day out that delivers exactly what it promises: lots of animal encounters, playgrounds, and general entertainment for kids of all ages. It’s not a place to come expecting in-depth wildlife education or conservation lessons, but if your aim is relaxed, hands-on experiences where children can feed, pat, and watch animals up close—and burn off some energy on playgrounds and tractor rides—it does the job very well. A solid, enjoyable option for a sunny afternoon with the family.
