Waking to the rising sun, I rubbed my eyes and looked out at a couple of rhinos, swaying past, about 20 metres from my bed. Close behind them were giraffes we'd fed the previous evening and zebras just beyond. An ostrich wandered among them along with dozens of antelope ...
I was a young child the last time I visited Taronga Western Plains Zoo with my family. I remember it being great fun and have been looking forward to taking my own kids (Elsie, 5, and Otto, 3). This week, we made the trip and even slept at the zoo.
Day one was lunch at the entrance cafe followed by lemurs, spider monkeys, African wild dogs, meerkats, giraffes, zebra and bongos (a large, striped forest-dwelling antelope, native to sub-Saharan Africa). At this point, it was around 35 degrees and time to cool off at the Waterhole, a wonderful water playground around halfway through the circuit with a second cafe. Then it was time to check in for our first night of accommodation in the Savannah Cabins.
The cabins are self-contained, air-conditioned (thank goodness) and sleep up to six. We hosted a well overdue catch-up dinner with a few friends who live in Dubbo. After a big day, we chose not to cook in the fully-equipped kitchen or verandah barbeque, instead opting for takeaway Indian food.
The kids enjoyed mucking around on the play equipment in the shared backyard as we watched the savannah animals roaming in the distance. On the lawn next to the verandah, Australian companions, kangaroos, apostle birds and ibises, looked on as we ate.
This was our first night as a family in anything resembling a hotel room and the kids were almost too excited to sleep, but eventually, we got there. Clean and comfortable with beautiful grassland views, the Savannah Cabin was a wonderful place to relax after a busy day at the zoo.
We awoke well-rested and excited for the days ahead. We checked out and headed back to the zoo, which we decided to explore on an electric cart. Airy, easy to drive and a lot of fun, the cart was perfect.
Gibbons, elephants and cheetahs later, we hopped on a safari bus to see the savannah animals up close and inside their enclosure. Our driver educated us about each animal as we passed by, telling us about the various threats they face and the conservation efforts under way.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo is not-for-profit, with active involvement in breed and release programs for 14 different species, habitat recovery, and the rehabilitation and release of injured or orphaned wildlife (of which they take in 1400 each year). It was fascinating and heartening to hear about the successes the zoo has had in its conservation efforts.
Now hot, tired and hungry, we headed back to the Waterhole for a splash, some lunch and an ice-block. The Waterhole opened in 2020 and made the baking hot temperatures of Dubbo infinitely easier to deal with for both us and the kids.
Finally, it was time to check in to the main event: the Zoofari Lodge. Built in 1995 right on the boundary of the Savannah exhibit, the Animal View Lodge opens onto a verandah with an outdoor lounge practically on top of the rhinos, giraffes, antelope and zebra.
A stunning view of the savannah is impossible to miss from the king-sized bed and lounge as well as from the luxury bathroom complete with huge tub. Lodge-dwellers are thoughtfully provided with a pair of binoculars, which Otto in particular was wildly excited about. Elsie was very disappointed to learn she would be sleeping in the sofa bed rather than "the prettiest bed she had ever seen" but soon discovered the bag of complimentary snacks and settled on the verandah with a yoghurt bar to watch the animals.
The itinerary at Zoofari Lodge is packed with activities and just enough downtime to enjoy the luxuries of the accommodation and guesthouse which features a licensed bar, restaurant and saltwater swimming pool. We lounged by the pool during cocktail hour before an intimate giraffe-feeding.
This is easily the most vivid memory I have of my own childhood visit to the zoo, and I was excited to watch the kids stand brave and tall as the magnificent giraffes plucked carrot stick offerings with big blue tongues. Blue for sun-protection, we learned.
After the feeding, we took another dip in the pool, had a glass of champagne and got to know the other Lodge guests before enjoying a South African-inspired banquet dinner. Among the culinary offerings were crocodile, South African sausage, house-made marmalade, salmon, duck and a traditional beef stew served in a loaf of bread. After a mouthwatering dessert of brownie and Chantilly cream tart, it was time for the night safari.
Felix and I had been concerned that the evening tour would be too late for the kids, beginning one whole hour after their bedtime and following an already huge day, but we were surprised (and extremely pleased) to see their total enjoyment of the experience override their exhaustion.
"This is the first time I've ever seen stars!" Elsie incorrectly but very sweetly observed. "It's beautiful light stars!" Otto added.
All our Zoofari tours were run by a wonderfully engaging and knowledgeable tour guide named Kate who kept the trivia, information and good vibes running, and reassured us she would not mind if we called her at 3am, terrified of a frog in the toilet.
Kate took us to see the lions, where we came nose-to-glass-to-nose with a young cub. Next were the bongos and Nile the hippo. Elsie was full of questions about all the animals we were introduced to, and the kids chattered happily all the way back to the lodge. They collapsed into bed and were asleep in seconds.
I had a cold soak (partially to wash away the sunscreen, mosquito repellent and sweat, partially because how could I leave without using the beautiful tub?) before turning off the light myself, keen to get some shut-eye before the 6.45am breakfast tour.
Sunrise in the Zoofari Lodge might have been the highlight of our visit. I'm sure it will be the only time I wake to the day's first light illuminating rhinos and giraffes visible from my bed. We sat, sipping our cuppas on the verandah with the kids still wrapped in their bed sheets on the lounge next to us and enormous animals just metres away.
The morning tour included lemurs, white and black rhinos, and bathing elephants. We learned interesting factoids about the animals, for example why the white rhino is named that way due to English speakers incorrectly interpreting the Afrikaans word for wide ("wyd") which referred to its wide lip. The black rhino is named because it is very different to the white rhino and is slightly darker. Both rhinos are, in fact, grey.
By the end of the tour, we were all ready for some food of our own. A cooked-to-order breakfast is included in the Zoofari Lodge package, with a range of options available from eggs and bacon and avocado on toast to muesli and pancakes, as well as barista coffee, tea, hot chocolate and juices.
We packed up, checked out and headed back to the zoo to tick off the last two animals (tigers and otters) from our list before getting back on the road home to Newcastle. It was an utterly unforgettable visit to the zoo, and despite the long drive, the kids couldn't stop talking about their favourite animals all the way home.
It was one of those wholesome family holidays I've read about, chuckled at how unrealistic they sound, and secretly hoped I might one day experience anyway. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is a great holiday destination for a family with young kids, and staying in zoo accommodation was an excellent way to make the experience as easy and smooth as possible.
Prices for the Savannah Cabins start at $269 per room for accommodation only, up to $469 for the Adventure Package which includes two-day zoo admission and one-day bicycle hire.
Prices for the Zoofari Lodge start at $756 for a couple or $1192 for families in a Bushland Lodge, $876 for a couple or $1392 for families in an Animal View Lodge, which is where we stayed. Prices include two-day zoo admission, one night accommodation in a safari-style canvas lodge, exclusive guided tours, banquet-style dinner and a la carte breakfast, one-day bicycle hire and 10 per cent discount at the zoo shop and cafes.
Electric carts, paddle boats and bicycles are available for hire at the zoo or can be booked online in advance.
A range of animal experiences are available such as the giraffe encounter, tiger encounter, Giants of Africa walking tour, hippo encounter, meerkat encounter, and elephant encounter. Beyond this, many keeper talks and feedings are held daily, and are included in the cost of entry.
The writer was a guest of Taronga Western Plains Zoo
