TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO VISIT

Dubbo Zoo - Giraffe Portrait

At the beginning of 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Dubbo. Whilst there I took the opportunity to visit the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. I was born and spent the first five years of my life in Dubbo. This was the first opportunity I had to visit the zoo in a very long time.

When I purchased the ticket, it was nice to find out that it allowed access for two days and you were able to enter the zoo as many times as you want over the two day period. Its a big zoo (approximately 5 km round trip), so it is easier if you have some form of transportation. There are rental facilities for bikes and buggies. However with plenty of parking available throughout the zoo, most people drive their own car through the zoo. Dubbo is hot in the summer, five minutes in the air conditioning is a nice reprieve.

Western Plains Zoo

During my visit to the zoo, I found it easier to pick out a few strategic parking spots and to venture out from there to explore the surrounding exhibits. Parking opposite to the Giraffes enables you to explore the first part of the zoo. Parking between the Hoppos and Eland, gives you access to the majority of exhibits and it is also close to toilets and water. The next stop is at the top of the park at ‘The Waterhole’, which includes a cafe and waterpark to cool off kids. There is a car park just after the Banteng, which provides access to the One Horned Rhinoceros, Otters and Tiger. Access to this area is also possible via ‘Wild Asia Picnic Grounds’. The African Lions and Australian animals are located at the 4 km mark of the road. At the 5 km mark, you find the new Platypus Rescue HQ and Wildlife Hospital.

I ended up making two trips around the zoo on separate days. The first day was sunny, whilst the second day was overcast and close to raining. When you visit zoos, it is pot luck as to what animals come close to the viewing areas and hence the types of photos you can achieve. My advice is to wander around and keep an eye out for any activity. If an exhibit appears empty, wander off and see what else is around and come back later.

Also, don’t limit yourself to what is behind the fences. The different wildlife attracts different fauna that isnot scared of coming up close to get a free feed.

During my visits, I was lucky to come across two instances where the Giraffe herd were being fed. The first day involved a close encounter visit where people were allowed to feed the Giraffes. On the second day, I noticed the Giraffe herd taking a keen interest in a cart that was driving along the back of the enclosure. I hung around and found out that it was feed time. I was able to get some nice close up shots in both instances. Similarly, on the first day the Otters were out interacting with their handlers. The next day, the enclosure was closed. Its is the luck of the draw.

From a photographic perspective, the layout of the Western Plains Zoo has advantages and disadvantages. It is great that we don’t need to shoot through bars and glass but then the exhibits can be located too far away from the viewing areas.

During this visit, I needed the reach of the 40-150mm lens and 2x extender to get close to the different animals. I looked to focus on the animals eyes and used lower appertures to isolate the animals from their surroundings. In the second day, I needed to use higher ISOs to account for the darker conditions and to improve my chance of getting clear photos without motion blur.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit and taking the time to wander around this zoo. I came home with some great photographs to share.