Taronga Zoo in Sydney is an iconic Sydney institution over 100 years of age that boasts an incredible conversation program. Having visited numerous times and experienced almost all facets of Taronga Zoo, only one experience has so far eluded us….the coveted Roar and Snore program. In fact the Taronga Zoo Roar and Snore Sleepover was a bucket list item Sunshine was really keen to check off, mentioning it each time we visited the zoo.
Thank you to Taronga Zoo for hosting us on this amazing experience. All thoughts and comments are our own.
Taronga Zoo Roar and Snore Sleepover
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With around 4000 individual animals, imagine a full day of fun at Taronga Zoo where you can explore the exhibits across dusk, night, and then the entire next day. The Taronga Zoo Roar and Snore program provides guests with this amazing opportunity, with an incredible immersive zoo experience.
The idea of staying overnight right next to wild animals may seem strange, but for us it was too unique, too amazing and way too cool not to do. Back when I was Sunshine’s age I read Victor Kelleher’s novel Taronga and since then I have been transfixed by the idea of being onsite overnight and waking to the sounds of the animals. I now know that that the actual experience allows for just that – chimpanzee calls and bird song in our case!
It would be no surprise then to hear that it was one of those pinch yourself moments when the summer school holidays arrived, we headed off to the Taronga Zoo Roar and Snore Sleepover . We had found it difficult to sleep on the nights leading up to the stay, bubbling with excitement and wishing school would hurry up and finish so we could enter the gates of Taronga and begin our stay.
What is the Roar and Snore experience at Taronga Zoo?
The Roar and Snore experience at Taronga Zoo is a glamping night where guests are treated to an overnight adventure staying in safari-style accommodation and featuring a number of intimate keeper talks, animal encounters and views of Sydney Harbour.
From the 6.00 pm commencement, through to 9.00 am the next morning, the itinerary is finely tuned to ensure maximum exposure to the inner workings of the zoo.
To find out more, download a sample itinerary for your Roar and Snore experience.
Can you explain the accommodation style?
Think Safari. Think glamping. The accommodation is inside safari-style canvas tents. However, there are no blow up mattresses and sleeping bags here!
We are a family that doesn’t camp. We are not a camping family and have never entertained the thought of camping. So the whole Roar and Snore idea didn’t really grab us when we first started thinking about the experience as we are a little spoiled and like the creature comforts that typical camping doesn’t afford. However, Sunshine had it on her bucket list, and the glamping angle reassured us a little.
Once you get past the whole “canvas material as your wall” and “shared bathroom facilities” the unique experience overrides those small inconveniences. In fact, framed as an amazing bucket list experience it becomes super exciting.
There are no sleeping bags, but hotel style linen. You sleep on a real mattress (for us, our tent boasted a double bed and two single beds). There is power. There are lights. You are not roughing it. In winter there are electric blankets. For us, staying over on one of the hottest of all Sydney days EVER, the nighttime ocean breeze made for the perfect sleeping conditions.
The Roar and Snore experience at Taronga Zoo may have changed the whole ‘not camping’ thing we have going on as a family!
Food options and Roar and Snore
I want to talk about food and drink, as it is quite plentiful on this experience but also something that is always a consideration for families.
On arrival there are welcome drinks, iced tea made from bush tucker. It was sweet and delicious, and whilst I drank a couple of glasses full, the girls were too excited and wandered the entrance area, spotting birds and chatting about what they thought the night ahead would be like.
After we meandered to our tents, we were treated to drinks and antipasti in the main tent. There were a range of drink options including beer, cider and wine for the adults. For the kids, and assortment of soft drinks, juices and still or sparkling water. It was great to see that Taronga is committed to reducing single plastic use with not a single plastic bottle in sight!
Dinner was held in one of the Taronga Zoo eating spaces after another walk, talk and animal spotting through the zoo. It is a buffet style affair, with the chef and his support team piling guest plates with their choices (on our night there was fried rice, baked red salmon, a chicken dish and tortellini), whilst a salad and bread table provides the opportunity to further pile your plate with delights, and a drink table for more drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
For some, the choices may not be considered child friendly. There are no chicken nuggets, fries or other ‘brown’ style foods often seen on children’s menus. Personally, I loved this and encouraged the girls to try all choices. I also filled an additional plate with cucumber, tomatoes, fetta and olives from the salad bar for some additional greenery. Their bellies were full!
The Roar and Snore Animal Experiences
Whilst the glamping was quite lovely and the food filled our bellies, this wasn’t the real reason we wanted to experience Roar and Snore. It was the animals and behind the scenes opportunity that had put the experience on our bucket list.
So what were these ‘experiences’. It is important to consider that each Roar and Snore is a little different. The animal encounters are planned based on the animals current health, condition and overall emotional state at the time.
On our Roar and Snore experience our two big encounters were with the giraffes and the seals. We also had some smaller interactions with some reptiles and a ring-tailed possum.
Night Safari
Dusk settled as we finished eating dinner and we discovered that darkness has enveloped the zoo as we left the eating quarters. We headed off on our night safari with the eerie red glow of our guides torches illuminating the path ahead before finding a creature here and there to showcase and then teach us about.
The night safari took us right through to around 10.00 pm. We were able to see quite a range of animals which often elude us during the daylight hours when they, often being nocturnal, tend to sleep. The koalas were active, the tigers were active, and almost everything other than the primates seemed to be busy. We enjoyed this experience so much.
Roar and Snore Guides
It is important to mention your guides for the experience. We were delighted to learn that our three three four guides, Josh, Dani, Wos and Mr Tall (I need to find out his name!), had quite diverse backgrounds which provided us with a very thorough information bank when teaching us about each animal.
Josh was a trained zoologist who this time last year was chasing grizzly bears in Canada. His specialty was large carnivores. Dani was a vet nurse who started at Taronga Zoo back in high school as a volunteer. She has been involved in many of the research projects at Taronga including the development of an app. where you can upload information about exotic animals that are being exploited so nearby zoos or animal conservation groups can investigate. Dani’s specialty is hooved animals. Wos has been at Taronga for over 25 years, although he had a short break when he headed over to Thailand (or was it Indonesia?) on a research expedition. Wos’ background is in horticulture and he’s awesome at climbing trees. Mr Tall was our guest experience person and he was a font of knowledge, especially when it came to the Tigers.
There were also two young volunteers on the night who were an extra pair of hands for the guides and were massively passionate about the experience too.
Whilst the guides change each night, I have been reassured that they are all as fantastic as our four. They seemed to be excited about every single aspect of the zoo and were able to answer every single question thrown at them. The guides make the experience as amazing as it is, and their enthusiasm is infectious, creating such a great vibe across both days.
We were rather sad to say goodbye to them after our last animal encounter, but they did leave us with some helpful tips for our day ahead.
Sky Safari
With our last encounter ending at the seal enclosures spot on 9.20, we headed straight for the Sky Safari that opens at 9.30 am each day. With the Roar and Snore component of our adventure concluding, we thought we could take the Sky Safari back to the top of the Zoo and then make our way through the enclosures down hill.
Taronga Zoo’s Sky Safari is free with zoo entry and provides breathtaking Sydney Harbour views and a shortcut, escaping the uphill push through the zoo.
The gondola operates from 9:30am – 4:30pm every day
Elephant Tower Experience
On each visit to Taronga Zoo we not only learn something new about the animals, but become more familiar with some of the zoo offerings that may have escaped us previously. We had no idea that the Elephant Tower Experience was FREE!
Each day at 10.20 am and 12.45 pm visitors to Taronga Zoo can delight in the Elephant Tower Experience. The sessions last around 30 minutes but have are capped, so make sure you get to the line quick so you don’t miss out.
The Elephant Tower experience takes you up to the top of the stilt house above Taronga’s Asian Elephant yard. From here you can watch over the herd as they play below you. Plus, you’ll have a taste of Sydney’s city skyline as well.
Taronga Zoo Seal Show
We have never visited Taronga Zoo and NOT found ourselves sitting in the audience of the Seal Show at some point in the day. Running at 11:00am and 2:00pm daily (plus 1:00pm on weekends and school holidays), the seal show provides the resident animals the chance to display a range of natural behaviours to the delight of the crowd.
The Taronga Zoo Seal Show features Australian sea lion, Californian sea lion, and New Zealand fur seal. It is great to note that they do not have an active breeding program, and the seals are mostly rescued or rehomed seals. The show is used to educate the audience about plastic waste and its impact on seals, as well as the importance of sustainable seafood.
At each show two children are selected from the audience for hands on experiences. Watch out for the splash zone!!
Taronga QBE Free-flight Bird Show
The Taronga QBE Free-flight Bird Show can not be missed if you love birds or are interested in learning more about them. The birds take flight over the audience, in the sky above, sometimes an inch or two from your head.
The program usually lasts 20 minutes and runs at 12:00pm and 3:00pm daily. Make sure you arrive early to get yourself a good seat – it fills up fast!
How to get to Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo Ferry
Sydney Ferry services depart Circular Quay every 30 minutes bound for Taronga Zoo. The ferry ride takes around 12 minutes in total. You can purchase your zoo ticket at Wharf 4 ticket booth before you board (although if you go online, tickets are generally 20% cheaper!).
There are a range of further options by boat. Taronga Zoo provides the details here.
Taronga Zoo Parking
We usually find driving to Taronga Zoo is our easiest option. Parking is available at Taronga Zoo Sydney, entry from Bradleys Head Road. The all-day parking rate is $19
Booking your Roar and Snore Experience at Taronga Zoo
If you are keen to experience Roar and Snore for yourself, head to the Roar and Snore website for full details.
Buying your Taronga Zoo tickets
Beat the queue and save up to 20% off day tickets when you buy online, or purchase a Family Annual Pass from $99 where 2 kids go free for the year with every adult.
Other Adventures at Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo offers a range of different activities on site to enjoy in conjunction with your visit. Have a read of our various experiences and learn which suit you.
Taronga Zoo Keeper for a Day Program
Roar and Snore on Instagram TV
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