It looks like I’m in the middle of Africa, but it’s actually just a few hours from Sydney
They’re one of the most deadly animals on the planet and cause an estimated 500 deaths per year, but as I stared into the gaping maws of three massive Nile hippopotamuses, all I could think was: “They’re so cute!”
So it’s probably a good thing I was meeting them at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW, Australia’s more affordable alternative to an African safari, instead of in the wild where I might be tempted to do something crazy like try to pat one.
Most Aussies assume you have to go all the way to Africa to meet a hippo. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Maddison Skipper
Most Australians assume they have to fork out tens of thousands of dollars and travel all the way to Africa for a proper safari if they want to come face-to-face with hippos, lions and rhinos.
Dubbo offers a much more affordable alternative in the form of its Zoofari Lodge, immersive accommodation set against the backdrop of the zoo’s savannah.
As a wildlife tourism enthusiast who can’t afford an international safari (yet), I dreamed of trying it for myself for years before finally experiencing a two-night stay this month.
Other zoo stays at Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra, and Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Wildlife Retreat and Roar and Snore had already set a high bar for me, and I wasn’t sure how Dubbo would stack up.
Especially because I had to commit to a 12-hour road trip just to get there and back.
Getting there
My husband and I kicked off our adventure literally five metres from our front door, where we picked up the shiny new Tesla Model Y we had hired through car marketplace Turo.
We had arranged to have the high-tech EV dropped off at our front door early on Friday morning so we could hop in and hit the road as soon as possible.
The EV we hired through Turo was waiting right outside our door on the morning of our trip, making it super easy to hit the road. Maddison Skipper
Hiring it was pretty simple – you just pick a car, set your pickup and drop off times and locations, and pay through the app – and the delivery was seamless.
The host was super responsive on the app which was reassuring in the leadup.
Figuring out how to work it car was a little trickier, but after a few Google searches (eg “how to connect Spotify to Tesla”), we were on the road with the music pumping and the seat heaters keeping us cosy.
Dubbo is about five hours from Sydney by car, so we stopped at Bathurst on the way there and at Orange on the way back to charge the car at a Tesla fast-charging station and break up the trip.
I was nervous about the high-tech car’s self-driving mode but had to try it out, even if it was only for a few minutes. Maddison Skipper
In Bathurst, we dug into pub lunch at The Oxford Bathurst, drove the Mount Panorama Circuit, and ducked into Reckless Brewing Co. for a quick drink.
At Orange, we enjoyed a quick coffee at Anything Grows, a boutique nursery and café, and stocked up on snacks from the local Woolworths.
The accommodation
The sun was just starting to set when we arrived at the Zoofari Lodge, where a member of staff was waiting to hand over our itinerary and the key to our lodge.
We were in one of the animal view lodges, which start at $926 per night and are set on tall wooden decks overlooking a huge savannah where giraffes, zebras, and rhinos roam.
The view from the Zoofari lodges at Taronga Western Plains Zoo blew me away from the very first moment. Maddison Skipper
The lodges look like large safari-style canvas tents from the outside but feel like luxury hotel rooms inside, complete with huge four-poster beds, wooden flooring, and large bathrooms fitted with generous showers and baths.
The view over the savannah is definitely the selling point for these cabins, but they’re also very comfortable and feel pretty authentic to the safari theme.
That said, the canvas tent element did pose a bit of a problem when the sun set and the room dropped to single-digit temperatures.
Inside the lodge was decked out with wooden furniture and a massive four-poster bed. Maddison Skipper
The bathroom was surprisingly spacious and the huge bathtub was a blessing on the cold winter nights we spent in Dubbo. Maddison Skipper
Even with the air-con running on the hottest setting, the chill seemed to seep straight through the canvas walls and the bathroom was especially frigid through the night and into the morning.
The room was stocked with extra blankets which we definitely made use of, but adding some additional heating options (heat lamps in the bathroom, electric blankets on the beds) would go a long way during the cold Dubbo winters.
The food
To say that we ate well during our Zoofari stay would be an understatement.
Breakfast and dinner are included, and every morning began with hot barista coffee, fresh juice and breakfast made to order in the main house.
Breakfas is my favourite meal of the day and Zoofari Lodge absolutely knows how to do it well. Maddison Skipper
The menu was small, but there was something for everyone, whether you want a savoury feast of bacon and scrambled eggs or something sweeter, like the banoffee waffles.
Dinner each night was three courses inspired by dishes from across Africa, from Ethiopian lentil stew, to Moroccan spiced chicken, and Zimbabwean chocolate cake.
I’ll admit the mains could be a bit hit and miss – the pork belly skewer was a bit dry and the beef meatballs weren’t my favourite – but the entrées and desserts were great.
Dinner was pretty good, but this pork skewer was a bit dry despite the fun plating. Maddison Skipper
Most non-alcoholic drinks were included and beer, wine, spirits and cocktails were available for a little extra.
My husband was so fond of the local Nun Launcher Pale Ale he tried on our first night that we drove over to Devil’s Hollow Brewery on day two to buy a case of the beers and ended up staying for a lunch.
The Zoofari lodges were also fitted with tea and coffee making facilities and a minibar, but it didn’t offer much in the way of extra food.
If you tend to get peckish between meals, it might be wise to bring a few snacks.
The tours
Zoofari guests are treated to two exclusive tours as part of their stay, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which I found pretty enjoyable.
The morning tour involved a visit to the back of house rhino breeding facility, where we were able to watch one of the huge beasts enjoy a morning meal mere steps from its enclosure.
We were just metres from this incredible black rhino as it munched contentedly on some branches early in the morning. Maddison Skipper
Keepers use treats like chopped up apple and sweet potato to give the elephants positive reinforcement. Maddison Skipper
Then it was off to the elephant barns to watch an Asian elephant go through its morning ‘bath’ routine with keepers.
In the afternoon, we were invited to hand feed the giraffes that roamed the savannah right outside our lodges before taking a drive through the massive enclosure to see all the animals up close.
The final stop was the lion habitat, where we saw two male lions chow down on raw chicken before putting on an impressive show of roaring as the sun set.
It’s not every day you get to see two adult male lions up close and personal like this. Maddison Skipper
The Zoofari tour bus was very cute, but the open-air design left me shivering on our early August visit. Maddison Skipper
Both tours took about 1.5 hours and guests were driven from location to location in the back of an open air safari-themed bus, which was as cute as it was cold in the middle of winter.
We were offered blankets during the morning tour, but I still finished both tours chilled down to my bones.
Though the animals we saw on both tours were impressive, I was a little disappointed there was only one hands-on activity in the form of feeding giraffes.
The keepers said even that isn’t guaranteed, as the giraffes aren’t forced to take part and sometimes just aren’t interested.
We were lucky that the giraffes were feeling peckish and wandered over for a feed during our exclusive Zoofari afternoon tour. Maddison Skipper
It would be great to offer guests more opportunities to interact with animals and take part in their care, such as helping prepare the cut-up fruit and vegetables which are used as positive reinforcement for the elephants.
Not everyone would want to take part, but it could be a fun addition for those guests who enjoy more hands-on experiences.
That said, the kids on the tours were clearly having a blast, and they definitely seemed well suited to families.
The zoo + encounters
We also got three days’ worth of zoo entry as part of our Zoofari stay, so we drove the full Taronga Western Plains Zoo circuit on our own time.
Visitors can walk the 5km circuit, hire bikes or electric carts, or drive their own car and while I enjoyed the comfort of being in the EV I had booked through Turo, hiring a bike or cart also looked a great way to see the zoo.
Exploring the zoo from the comfort of the Tesla we hired through Turo was great, especially when we flicked the seat heaters on to ward off the morning chill. Maddison Skipper
You have the freedom to do it all at your own pace without the hassle of finding a spot and parking every few hundred metres, plus you’re more inclined to actually stop and check out every animal.
Speaking of the animals, they all seemed incredibly comfortable in their massive enclosures, which were far bigger than any I’d seen at other zoos in Australia.
Dubbo has the luxury of space, and it’s reflected in the design of each animal’s habitat, even the smaller critters like monkeys and lemurs.
Never satisfied with just looking at the animals from a distance, I also did the giraffe encounter ($15) and the hippo encounter ($79).
Meeting giraffes at the zoo was fun and a bargain for families at just $15 per person. Maddison Skipper
The former was a short and sweet experience where you get to feed a herd of giraffes from a raised platform. It was very popular with kids and families and definitely felt like it was designed as a quick and easy photo-op experience.
The latter was a more immersive experience that took us right into the hippo enclosure, where the keeper educated a small group about the animals and their husbandry before helping us feed them through a very thick protective gate.
My husband and I both preferred the hippo encounter, especially because it felt so unique and intimate, and would recommend it to any other visitors.
I was totally taken by these three female hippos, which can weigh over a ton and have four times the bite force of a bull mastiff. Maddison Skipper
The verdict
I’ve wanted to stay at Taronga Western Plains Zoo for so long and now that I’ve finally done it, I can honestly say it lived up to most of my expectations.
The Zoofari accommodation was unique and immersive and while the view from my lodge was definitely the selling point, the food and amenities weren’t bad and the staff were absolutely lovely.
After years of wanting to try the Zoofari Lodge, I can give it my tick of approval. Maddison Skipper
Zoofari stays start from $806 per night for Bushland Lodges, $926 for Animal View Lodges, or $1226 per night for Animal View Spa Lodges, which is much more affordable than travelling all the way to Africa for a real safari.
I’d definitely encourage other travellers to visit during autumn or spring, when the weather is a bit milder and the cold doesn’t seep into your bones at night.
Bike or cart around the zoo if you’re able and if you want to try an encounter, opt for the giraffes if you’re travelling with kids and the hippos if you want something more immersive.
And if you’re driving, consider hiring an EV – even if it doesn’t save you big on petrol, the experience of driving an EV for the first time is an adventure in itself.
Dropping it ours off at the end of our trip was just as easy as picking it up; all we had to do was park it at home, lock the doors, and mark it as returned in the app.
By the next morning, it had been collected and was (presumably) off for its next adventure.
The writer travelled as a guest of Turo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
