Glamping Overnight at Taronga Zoo in Sydney

Coming to Australia I knew that I would be embarking on many journeys and doing a handful of things I've never done before. I did not, however, anticipate that I would spend the night somewhere where I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear real live tigers from my bed, but I did. And yes, that is just as terrifying as it sounds.

Us CEA CAPA Sydney students had the pleasure of spending the night in the Taronga Zoo, one of the biggest and best zoos in all of Australia! The Taronga Zoo is located alongside the harbor, right across from the Sydney Opera House, so it was easy to get to and from using public transportation (I highly recommend taking the ferry). Being across from the Opera House also meant that we had a BEAUTIFUL view of the Sydney skyline, especially at night.

When we first got there, we were taken to the Roar & Snore glampsite (it's not actually called that, but glamping it is) and we were welcomed with a large spread of crackers, cheeses, meats, nuts, and more. It was so plentiful that I genuinely thought that was our dinner, but then we were taken to a restaurant inside the zoo called The View where we were given our real dinner and I was more than full by the end of it.

After we finished dinner, we made a few stops around the zoo, and with the help of our tour guides we learned a lot about the koalas, sea lions, tigers, red pandas, and more. We even got to watch them do their nightly feed of the camels! It was so interesting to learn about where they came from and what brought them here, and the different ways the zookeepers worked to keep them engaged and stimulate their natural environment within the confines of the zoo. Then, we went back to our campsite and after playing a few games and things, it was our turn to partake in the snoring portion of the Roar & Snore adventure.

The next day we were up bright and early to get started on some morning activities, the first of which involved banana bread and apple juice. Then, we went to help feed someone else; a giraffe. Yes, we got to feed a GIRAFFE and it was such an experience. After that we had another stellar meal in The View (although I think we unanimously skipped the vegemite), and went back to see more of the zoo.

The rest of the morning was spent watching gorillas and kangaroos, and even getting to watch the zookeepers do their daily training and physical exercise with the elephants. It was so fascinating to learn so much about these animals while standing right in front of them and was a nice change of pace from spending so much time in a classroom or at an internship, especially since many of us hadn't thought of going to a zoo since we were little kids.

Usually after spending the night for Roar & Snore, guests spend the day exploring the rest of Taronga Zoo and seeing all that there is to see, but many of us had classes or internships we had to get back to. Thankfully, the zoo sent each of us a ticket that we can use at any point through the rest of our time abroad to come back and learn even more about the fascinating creatures they have there. If you ever make it to Sydney, a trip to Taronga Zoo is worth the visit!