Your Pocket Guide to Koalas, Conservation and Fun on Raymond Island
If you’re planning a visit to East Gippsland and want an experience that’s relaxed, nature-focused and genuinely local, Raymond Island is well worth adding to your itinerary. Just a short ferry ride from Paynesville, the island is best explored on foot, especially with the new Koala Trail Discovery App in your pocket.
Developed by the Koala Island Foundation, this free app is designed to help visitors explore Raymond Island in a way that’s informative, enjoyable and respectful of both the wildlife and the local community.
The app is family-friendly without being childish, making it just as useful for curious adults as it is for young explorers.
Never heard of Raymond Island? It’s one of the only places in the world where you can walk less than 2km and be guaranteed to see koalas in the wild. There are over 200 koalas to spot, and with no bookings required you can take as long as you like!
Getting to Raymond Island
The best way to visit Raymond Island is to leave your car in Paynesville and walk onto the ferry. There’s plenty of free parking behind the shops in Paynesville, close to the ferry terminal. Pedestrian trips are free, and travelling without a vehicle helps preserve the island’s quiet, low-impact feel.Â
The ferry operates daily from Paynesville at 6.30am weekdays (7.10am weekends) to 11.15pm and a bit later on Friday and Saturday nights. No bookings are required and it departs roughly every twenty minutes all day long. Timetables are available if you want more details.Â
Once you arrive, the island is flat and easy to navigate on foot. This is where the Koala Trail Discovery App really comes into its own. It guides you along the official Raymond Island Koala Trail, plus some additional trails, and highlights points of interest you might otherwise have missed as you go.
Your Pocket Guide to the Koala Trail
The Koala Trail Discovery App acts as a digital guide, helping you understand what you’re seeing and why it matters. Features include:
- GPS-guided navigation, so you can follow the Koala Trail confidently while staying out of sensitive areas
- Wildlife and conservation information, explaining how koalas and other native species are protected on Raymond Island and across East Gippsland
- Interactive activities and quizzes for kids, with the option to complete challenges and earn a Junior Koala Ranger certificate
- Local knowledge and practical tips, including things to do, places to eat, and visitor facilities
- Audio tours, which can be downloaded ahead of time and are the equivalent of having a local guide in your pocket!
If you download the app before you arrive, most content is available offline which is handy and means it’ll load quickly while you’re on the move.
Visiting With Care
Raymond Island is home to a thriving population of wildlife, but it’s also a residential community. A strong focus of the app is encouraging visitors to tread lightly and respectfully.
Koalas are cute and look cuddly but they don’t want hugs, high fives, or cheek-to-cheek selfies. It’s important to stay a safe distance as they are wild animals and they like their personal space just as much as we do.
This also means taking all rubbish home, or putting it in bins provided, and not aiming binoculars or cameras at the human residents of the island (or their clotheslines!).
These small actions make a big difference in protecting the island’s fragile ecosystem and keeping all the locals happy.
Remember to Download Before You Go
The Raymond Island Koala Trail Discovery App is free to download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Whether you’re visiting for a few hours or spending a longer stay in the region, it’s an easy way to deepen your experience and connect with the island’s story.
The app is the result of the Koala Island Foundation’s ongoing commitment to conservation, education and community engagement.Â
If you enjoy your visit, consider learning more about their work or supporting them with a donation so they can keep up their important work.
Even as a local who has been to Raymond Island many times, I learned a lot from the app – it’s not just for tourists.
So, whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, make sure to download it and give it a whirl next time you have the opportunity to visit. You’ll come away with a better understanding of Raymond Island – and maybe even a Junior Koala Ranger certificate to prove it!
