Sleeping surrounded by African wildlife at Dubbo Zoo doesn't mean roughing it, writes Michael Evans.
I've long since become accustomed to waking at dawn to the gentle snoring of my two- year-old. But stirring from my sleep in our Zoofari Lodge within the grounds of Dubbo Zoo, my first thought was that the little fella had either developed a pretty heavy cold, or there was a large predatory beast directly outside my tent.
Turns out it was the latter. 
Thankfully, an electric fence, a ditch and a thick canvas tent lay between us.
The trek out to Taronga's Western Plains zoo has been a popular staple for families for years. But there's a fresh experience distinguishing it from the throng of roadside motels and camp sites dotting the highway in Dubbo.
For those who like the idea of a little Serengeti with their safari, Taronga last year opened a high-end glamping experience that puts giraffes, elands, ostriches and water buffaloes (not to mention the occasional kangaroo) right at your doorstep.
Three cheers for the bright spark who found a way to make a tent with a view of a large paddock in Dubbo an irresistible high-end accommodation option.
As the kids make their acquaintance with our lodge on arrival, I soak in the view from our deck: an ostrich putting on a delightful show for its mate, four giraffes watching attentively as an elan lazily wanders by.
For someone who's never done the whole African safari thing, this is splendid stuff. I grab the binoculars hanging from the doorknob to soak it in. Inside the lodge, however, the largest bath the kids have ever seen holds far more appeal than a savannah filled with African wildlife.
Eventually they emerge with tales of their fold-out bed for the night before noticing a giraffe less than 20 metres away. Well-placed feeding stations close to the lodges bring the animals closer for inspection at all hours of the day and night.
Having watched the animals graze at dusk right in front of our lodge, we pack the kids up for the all-inclusive African banquet in the guest house.
Chef Nan has put on a hearty spread with tasty crocodile, lamb cous cous, quinoa salads and some buffalo bangers and mash for the kids. Guests from the 10 lodges gather around long shared tables and share their stories from a day traipsing around the zoo.
After dinner, the kids are ready for bed but we scoop them up and hop in a minibus for the after-dark Zoofari tour of the zoo. Armed with carrots, the kids feed a bongo and enjoy an up-close chat with the last remaining African elephant in Australia, while the eating and toilet habits of a grumpy hippopotamus called Happy had our group in stitches.
Late to bed but early to rise before dawn the next day saw us up before the keepers to check out the zoo's successful rhino breeding program.
These behind-the-scenes tours are an eye-opening experience into the level of care required in maintaining the zoo's inhabitants and also the struggles they face in the wild. The session with the elephant carers was a particular highlight, with the close relationship between animal and carer obvious to our group as they went through their daily cleaning and feeding routine.
Tour over, we grabbed a golf cart (or tractor as the two-year-old called it) to get around the zoo. It's an effortless way to see the sights, while families with older kids happily zip around on push bikes.
The Zoofari Lodge experience is high-end romantic-weekend-away stuff. But we also stayed a night in one of the the zoo's Savannah cabins, which are several hundred metres away from the Zoofari Lodges and were a little more manageable with little kids. The zoo also has a permanent camp site in the heart of the zoo next to a billabong for those keen for a more affordable, up-close experience with nature. Proximity to the wildlife is the highlight of this kind of accommodation. And you have the benefits of access to the animals before the heat of the central west outback kicks in.
Farewelling the giraffes outside our lodge as we left, the local kangaroos transported us back to Dubbo from the Serengeti.
The illusion of the African savannah had worked its charm for a long weekend.
GETTING THERE
Five hours drive west of Sydney, with stops for breaks in the Blue Mountains or Mudgee.
Rex and Qantas operate frequent flights between Sydney and Dubbo with flights from Melbourne requiring transfer in Sydney.
See qantas.com.au; rex.com.au.
STAYING THERE
Zoofari Lodge accommodation is located in the zoo. Lodges start at $269 a night, including zoo entry, and sleep up to six.
Savannah Cabins, located on natural grassland next to the zoo, sleep up to six people and have two bedrooms, kitchen, alfresco dining area with barbecue. Priced from $388 a night for two adults and two children, includes zoo admission.
Billabong Camp sites are in the heart of the zoo under the stars. Family accommodation and entry starts at $450. Phone (02) 6881 1488.
Michael Evans stayed at Zoofari courtesy of Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
TRIP NOTES
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INFORMATION
taronga.org.au/taronga-western-plains-zoo