Wetlands, Wildlife & One Ant-Related Meltdown
The Briars Wildlife Sanctuary
For a while my husband and I had been looking for an easy, kid-friendly outing where we could see native animals in a natural setting without needing to trek for hours, so that we could give our kids a genuine feeling of viewing animals in their natural Habitat. The Briars is a large, beautiful property with walking trails, wetlands, a visitor centre, and plenty happening across the grounds. Based in Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula (very local for us), access is easy, parking is plenty, and it has very friendly opening hours.
So, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we decided to take a chance on spotting some of the sanctuary’s “wild” emus. Rumour had it there were only four on the entire property, and they were known to be on the shy side. Still, the weather was good, spirits were high, so we packed everyone into the car to see what we could find.
We arrived at 3pm and popped into the Visitors Centre to ask for tips. The lovely staff member was in the middle of explaining how hard it can be to see the Emu’s, when she glanced out the window and spotted two very large, very healthy emus strolling past like they owned the place. Suddenly, the hardest-to-find animals in the sanctuary were standing right beside us. We got an excellent close-up look and a great photo.
Our daughter, naturally, was more impressed by the turtle tank inside.
With that unexpected win, our hike was already off to a great start. There are three walking options: a 4km loop, a 2km loop, and the boardwalk (which is pram and wheelchair friendly). We strapped the baby on and chose the 2km loop — perfect for a five-year-old with solid stamina and a love of snacks.
The first part of the walk took us through peaceful bushland and up a gentle hill overlooking the wetlands. We didn’t spot much wildlife at this point, but the scenery was beautiful. We did find plenty of animal droppings, so clearly someone had been there recently. The hike was challenging enough without making our kids too cranky and trail was well maintained, well signed, and sprinkled with benches and little information spots along the way.
Everything was smooth sailing… until someone noticed small holes in the ground. I helpfully explained they were ant holes. Then we saw one of the residents: a large red bull ant. This nearly ended the entire adventure. For several minutes, our hike was less “nature appreciation” and more “the ants are coming and they’re enormous.”
This was just past halfway, so things were looking grim.
Thankfully, at the next bridge, salvation appeared — in the form of a wallaby quietly snacking just off the path. He let us get surprisingly close, and just like that, the ants were forgotten. From there, the wildlife truly delivered. Visiting in mid-November turned out to be perfect: water in the wetlands, sunshine, and so many baby birds. We watched fluffy swan cygnets tipping upside down with their little bums in the air, saw Cape Barren geese and chicks, rosellas, ducks, and a whole assortment of feathered locals.
Some days in nature you get nothing. On this day, we hit the jackpot.
The whole walk took about an hour, with lots of pausing around the wetlands to take everything in. Afterwards, we returned to the Visitors Centre for cool drinks and ice cream, enjoying them in the picnic area while even more birds wandered past.
And, just to top the day off, an echidna scampered across the road as we were leaving — one last surprise encounter before heading home.
Overall, we were really impressed with The Briars Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s family-friendly, a perfect introduction to wildlife encounters for young kids, and — best of all — it’s free. If you’re hoping to show little ones animals in a natural setting without needing a huge hike or binocular-level patience, this place is ideal.
Highly recommended.
Just keep an eye out for child-eating ants.
