Where the animals roam free
Mummy I want to go camping!” yells my enthusiastic five-year- old, no doubt with visions of starry skies and cosy tents in her head. As a mum with a ‘no sleeping on the ground’ policy, I have to think quickly about how our two worlds can be brought together to make us both happy to spend a night in the great outdoors. The answer turns out to be easy: a night of glamping at the Zoofari Lodge at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Famous for its large paddocks with moats separating the animals from visitors, Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a six-kilometre loop that can be driven or cycled around, giving it the feeling of a safari rather than a traditional zoo.
Initially set up as a facility for breeding programmes to give the herd grazers more space, the zoo is also as a haven for retirees from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. However, Taronga Western Plains Zoo has become an attraction