Anyone who goes to coastal Queensland should pay a visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, if only to visit the famous lorikeets! There is a huge range of native Australian animals to see. More importantly, the sanctuary boasts one of the best-equipped wildlife hospitals in the country. Staffed by three full-time vets and 10 nurses, diversity is the in-word here, as every manner of native bird, mammal and reptile passes through its doors. I saw many recuperating possums and birds, including an owl with an injured leg that necessitated surgery to ‘pin’ the bone. I also saw a turtle with a broken shell which needed holding together with stainless-steel wires that had to be tightened on a regular basis! Each year, 6,500 patients are admitted and the success rates are amazing – the hospital has released over 40,000 animals back into the wild. For more information, visit www.cws.org.au