Ever dreamed of a sleepover in the middle of a zoo for the night? Here are Australia’s ‘Big 5’ of zoo stays that take the term ‘roar and snore’ quite literally.
1. Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Canberra
Jamala offers you a well-appointed ‘African-savannah’-style safari experience with five-star trappings, only 10 minutes from downtown Canberra. Rooms sit adjacent to many of the National Zoo’s animal enclosures, giving you face-to-face encounters with a menagerie of interesting beasties through reassuringly thick glass.
On the outside of the uShaka Lodge, Giraffe Treehouses and Jungle Bungalows you can survey roaming animals as diverse as hyenas and Bengal tigers, while inside you can check out others including a massive bear from the safety of your bubble bath.
2. Roar & Snore, Taronga Zoo Sydney
Zoo with a view: Taronga’s safari tents looking straight across Sydney Harbour.
The safari tents at Roar & Snore at Taronga come complete with show-stopping views to wake up to: straight across the harbour to Sydney’s skyline. On the inside, wooden floors and comfy beds elevate the accommodation well above normal camping.
Behind-the-scenes activities such as giraffe feeding and getting up close with echidnas and meerkats will have the kids in raptures, while nibbles and drinks before the torch-in-hand nocturnal tours will see you right. If you haven’t seen enough animals overnight, you have the entire next day to browse as part of the package.
3. Slumber Safari, Werribee Open Range Zoo
Family accommodation Slumber Safari-style at the Werribee Open Range Zoo (photo: Trent Browning).
Slumber Safari proves that zoo sleeps aren’t just for the young ones.
Half-an-hour out of Melbourne, an evening at Werribee Open Range Zoo comes with grown-up-friendly essentials; drinks and dips at sunset and an ‘African-inspired’ dinner and buffet breakfast.
The children aren’t ignored, of course, with a night walk around the 225-hectare property and scones, jam and cream by the campfire. The safari is an intimate affair, with just eight tented lodges with en suites – each with a balcony – overlooking the Werribee River and the rhinos, hippos, lions, and zebras et al on the ‘savannah’.
The zoo’s showers get the green tick of approval: they are solar powered and with a three-minute time limit.
On the savannah, Werribee Open Range Zoo (photo: Trent Browning).
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4. Roar & Snore, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo
The wide opens spaces around Taronga Western Plains Savannah Cabins.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo is as spacious a zoo experience as you can expect; the animals getting plenty of room to roam around on the New South Wales plains. The accommodation options are similarly generous, ranging from the family friendly tents of Billabong Camp, to self-contained Savannah cabins (sleeping up to six with free wi-fi) and Zoofari Lodge (10 comfortable lodges) right on the cusp of the antelope and giraffe-filled enclosures.
There are plenty of chances to interact with the animals too; hear a talk from a dingo keeper or spotlight African wild dogs after sunset. Zoofari Lodge guests have access to a saltwater pool and bike hire is included too. Dinner itself can be a culinary adventure with crocodile and kangaroo on the menu.
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5. Roar ‘n’ Snore, Melbourne Zoo
Family time: Road ‘n’ Snore, Melbourne Zoo.
More camping than glamping, but certainly a city zoo sleep worth trying out. Melbourne Zoo’s old elephant exhibit has been transformed into a camping area apt for a family adventure.
You only have to bring a sleeping bag and pillow with just about everything else included: tents, beds, BBQ dinner – with a few wines and beers for the grown-ups – supper and breakfast from the bakery are all included.
The enthusiastic young zoo guides are adept at wearing out the children with a slew of night-time activities centred on the nocturnal animals. The calls of the zoo’s gibbons are a particularly effective alarm clock.
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The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.
It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach, the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.
Bells Beach is known for its epic surf break and is at the start of the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet
The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road. Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.
The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)
After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.
This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.
Lorne to Birregurra
Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park, which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.
Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.
From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.
Erskine Falls is one of many falls within a day trip of Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae, helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.
Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Apollo Bay to The Otways
Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.
A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.
Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles
One of the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone sea stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. (Image: Ben Savage)
The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.
It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.
The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)
Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.
Port Campbell to Timboon
Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)
Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.
Warrnambool to Port Fairy
A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)
In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.
Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.
The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
The Oak & Anchor in Port Fairy.
The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River.Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.
The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.
Eating there
The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.
Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.
