Hi Bernadette, you can pat the koala and stand next to it however it’s actually illegal to hold koalas in NSW. Koalas stress quite easily so when they are passed on from person to person, each with different smells, grips, sounds, and movements, it’s a stressful environment for them, even for short periods of time. Parks that do it in Queensland, charge quite a lot for the privledge however put money before koala welfare. So it’s still discouraged.