Port Mac Goss: Mark Stone

THIS week’s edition of Port Mac Goss features Mark Stone, who has owned and operated Billabong Zoo with his family since 2003.

Mark, what is it like running a zoo with your family?

My wife Danena and I are owners and directors of the business. Brooke and Blake, my kids, are hands-on managers. Like any business, as you get bigger and bigger there is more administration and paperwork to do, which can pull you away from why you started the business in the first place. Our passion is the animals. Blake and Brooke still have regular connections [with the animals] throughout the day and Danena and I try to get our animal “fixes” whenever we can. With our granddaughter, she is the fourth generation and therefore a “junior” zookeeper.

Where were you located before you purchased Billabong Zoo and what was the tipping point for that decision?

My parents owned and operated the Shoalhaven Wildlife Park; we were there working for 25 years. It is now known as Shoalhaven Zoo. Before we decided to purchase Billabong Zoo, we actually looked at a zoo in Queensland (Alma Park Zoo) which is no longer in existence. On our way back to Shoalhaven, we checked out Coffs Harbour zoo, which had been on and off the market. We called in to see them and just happened to be driving past Billabong Zoo. From that, we called the Boffa family to see if they would sell. From a simple phone call, they said if we were serious about it they would consider it. So, here we are!

What is the aim of the zoo from a conservation perspective?

Our mission statement is “Conservation through education”. There has to be a reason why we have animals in captivity. And the reason for our animals to be here in captivity is because they are ambassadors for their species, so that we can teach people about their plight in the wild. It is easier to do so when people can physically see the animals and you can really hit home with those messages for conservation.

Billabong Zoo is not just for tourists visiting our region. Locals are more than welcome, aren’t they?

Absolutely. The tourism market is secondary to our local visitation. What we look for is for the local support to keep us financially stable and the visitors are the cream on top. The tourists also bring money to the whole region. We are very passionate about sharing the love with all our other tourism partners and bringing money into the area and supporting the local LGA.

Guests can even sometimes experience the zoo at night. What is that experience like?

The night functions we have done in the past have been massively successful and the feedback from the night zoos is outstanding. Eventually, we will do night zoos throughout the summertime as a regular event. To see the animals at night is a different ballgame and very special, and we want to share this with the general public. Some animals are also more active at night.

Congratulations on winning the Tourism and Attractions category at the 2025 Business Port Macquarie Awards. It must be satisfying for your family and team to be recognised as a top tourist destination?

It is very humbling to receive any form of accolade. They are very important in a lot of ways. For staff morale as well as for our own, as the tourism industry is a tough industry. Anyone in the industry would understand that, and to get a little pat on the back from your peers and the industry is an amazing thing and certainly helps push us forward and keep us going.

By Dave ‘Scoop’ LAZARUS