Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Luxury On The Savannah: A Stay at Zoofari Lodges Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

December 5, 2016 / Australia, Dubbo, NSW / 0 comment

Spending the night overlooking an African savannah is a life-long dream of ours. While a family trip to Africa is on the bucket list and many eons away, we discovered that it is possible to have an incredible local experience that is as close to Africa as it’s possible to get, without actually leaving Australia.

We recently spent the night at the luxurious Zoofari Lodges at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. The 15 African-style lodges are at the edge of a large “African savannah” paddock where giraffe, zebra and eland roam freely.

We stayed in one of the Animal View Lodges which have verandahs opening up to the savannah view and fit four people. If you have a larger group, the Bushland View Lodges sit just behind these cabins and fit six people in each, with a queen bed, two singles and a sofa bed.

The lodges are all brand new, with gorgeous features and facilities, including a king split bed and pull out sofa bed, private ensuite, coffee and tea making facilities, mini-bar, fridge and shaded veranda with outdoor furniture. All bedding, linen and towels are provided.

Surrounding the lodges is plenty of bush, which adds to the feeling of being glamping on a safari, and it’s just a short stroll from the lodges up to the equally luxe Zoofari Lodge Guest House, where guests can relax in the pool, with a drink at the bar, or playing games in the lounge area.

All guests of Zoofari are given two day admission to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, with check in at the lodge between 2pm and 3pm in the afternoon. We chose to spend the night before at a nearby motel and arrive at the zoo before the gates opened the following morning.

We spent the morning and lunch time driving and cycling around the zoo (you can read more about our experience and tips for visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo here), and then drove our car out of the zoo and around the corner to the Zoofari Lodges at check in time.

Our assigned cabin was called “Bongo”, after the endangered African antelope, and we became the “Bongo” family for the duration of our stay.

During cooler weather, there is often an afternoon behind the scenes tour of the zoo for Zoofari guests, but we visited on a scorchingly hot and our tour was instead scheduled for 8pm in the evening. In the mean time, we relaxed and enjoyed the gorgeous facilities. We watched the giraffes munch on snacks and the water buffalo and ostriches roam around the paddock, then wandered up to the guest lodge for a cool drink.

The guest lodge has an excellent swimming pool, but due to an unfortunate leg grazing incident by my daughter earlier in the day, we were house-bound. I was a bit worried she’d go stir crazy in the lodge, but it was set up incredibly well, catering for both adults and kids at the same time.

While the guests without kids sat around the bar and had a cocktail, or lounged on the verandah and read a book, we found plenty of colouring in and toys for Cheese to play with, and she even learnt the rudiments of chess.

At 6pm complimentary wine tasting was served, along with canapés. After sampling delicious wine from the local region (I really enjoyed some sweet wine from Mudgee), we sat at our assigned seats at 6:30 to enjoy dinner – an African-style banquet.

Before the meal, I had a quick chat with the chef about dietary requirements, as she wanted to make sure that my daughter and I were able to find enough food to eat. The banquet is very meat heavy, so if you’re not big on meat I would advise doing similar. I really appreciated the level of concern shown for ensuring there was enough food for both myself and the picky child. The chefs in the end made special kids meals for the little ones present – fish and chips for Cheese, and nuggets and chips for another little fellow.

The dishes were brought out on large platters to share: salmon pesto pasta with chick peas, roast veggies (these were amazing!), Moroccan lamb with three berry couscous, garden salad and African rump chicken. I was served the three berry couscous on its own as well as two giant stuffed mushrooms on plates just for myself.

As each platter was eaten, more were brought out, so there was an endless amount of food if you were feeling particularly hungry. Dinner was included in the price of the Zoofari experience, but any drinks were an added extra cost. We found the price of drinks to be pretty reasonable however – the happy hour special cocktail was $10, regular cocktails $14 and a glass of wine $7.50.

Dessert was served after the dinner platters were taken away – again, African-style dishes for the adults such as cake and pudding, with plain vanilla ice cream and topping for the kids.

When dinner was well and truly over, we watched the sun go down over the savannah from our balcony, and it was suddenly time for the night tour. (Please excuse my lack of photos of the meal and night tour, it was too dark to get any decent shots.) The tour left at 8pm sharp and started with a visit to Cuddles, the only African elephant in Australiasia. Our tour guide, Stephen, had an enrichment toy filled with food for her. A little rattle of the toy and she came lumbering our way, so we were able to see her right up close.

While African elephants are not yet endangered, their numbers have been decimated in recent years due to poaching for their ivory tusks, at a rate of around a hundred a day. Eliminating the demand for ivory is the only way to stop poaches – remove the market and you remove the threat to the elephants. It’s tough hearing about the plight of these amazing animals and feeling helpless to do anything about it, but education is always the way forward. We need to know, and we need to teach our children, too.

After visiting Cuddles, we were taken to meet the hippos, who were happy to chow down on the food we brought while we learned about them and the work the zoo does in animal conservation.

Next on the tour was meeting endangered bongo, whom we hand fed carrots. Feeding a bongo is quite the gooey experience, as they love to have a good lick of the hand after eating the food offered. Pretty extraordinary, to be up close and feeding such a unique animal in the dark! We learned that there are only 200 of these herbivores left in the world due to the destruction of their habitat to mine for coltan, a metallic ore used in mobile phones. It was a stark reminder as to how we are destroying the wild even without realising it, and we were urged to recycle our mobile phones so the coltan can be removed and reused.

Our last stop on the night tour was to visit the white rhino, the second largest land animal. Using a red torch we were able to see him even in the dark, as we listened to the sad story of how the rhinos are being poached into extinction for their horns. Taronga has a breeding program in place to assist in the regeneration of the species, but the rhinos are particularly difficult animals to breed, making it a long, hard process.

Back to the cabins and to bed, it was an incredibly peaceful nights sleep until the sun came up just before 6am and the light began to stream into the cabin. There aren’t many things more beautiful than watching the sunrise, and seeing the glowing red ball rise over the savannah and highlight the animals eating their breakfast was breathtaking. A few classic Aussie wild animals joined the African ones, so our savannah included kangaroos, cockatoos and even some bush bunnies all enjoying the dawn light.

The morning behind-the-scenes tour kicks off at 7am sharp. Mindful of the kids who aren’t able to last till afterwards for breakfast, we were given milk and cereal to tide her over.

Our first stop was also the highlight, hand feeding carrots to the giraffes. They are behind a fence for our protection, their long necks enabling them to learn over and extend their long blue tongues to take the carrots from our hands. Looking up and seeing a gigantic giraffe head coming towards you is quick an unnerving experience, particularly for the younger members of the group.

Cheese was a bit scared to feed one on her own (not surprising considering how small she is compared to them), but placing her on my hip made her feel bigger and more confident, and she declared “feeding the blue tongued giraffe” to be her favourite part of the Zoofari experience.

After the giraffes we met the black rhino, of whom there are only 2000 left in the world. Unlike the placid white rhino, the black rhino is more aggressive – he even looked angry through the bars, which I was extremely grateful for. Our guide fed him a large plant brand near the fence so we could watch him eat as we learned about the story of the rhinos.

From the rhinos we moved on to the lemurs. The Madagascar lemurs are the most endangered animal on the planet right now due to the destruction of their rainforest through illegal logging as well as hunting. It’s so sad to hear, and we watch the two lemurs at the zoo play happily in the early morning light, unaware of the plight of the rest of their species.

The meerkats are up next on the agenda, one of our favourite animals. Meerkats have exploded in popularity after the Meerkat Manor TV series, as well as a TV ad that we are apparently the only people in Australian to have not seen. If you’re aged 10 or older, you can book in for a meerket encounter later on in the day.

The last stop on our morning tour is to meet the elephants up close as they’re are having their morning beauty routine. Every day the elephants are washed thoroughly and given a bit of a pedicure, which we were able to watch up close inside the elephant enclosure. The elephant keepers were happy to give us some information on the elephants and answer our questions about their care and habits.

We were all basically starving by that stage, so it was back to the guest lodge for a big buffet breakfast. Unlike most buffets, this one has food being constantly cooked out the back and brought into the dining area, so everything is constantly fresh and hot. The guests enjoyed scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, granola, yogurt, cereal, bacon and breakfast buns that included poached eggs, spinach and roasted baby tomatoes (there was also a version with a sausage in it if you preferred it with meat). It was an absolute feast and we ate up, knowing we had a long drive ahead of us.

After breakfast it was time to pack up and check out of the lodge by 10am. Many guests stayed on the next day to explore the zoo using the complimentary bikes or hiring a Zoofari electronic cart ($89 for the entire day, exclusively for Zoofari Lodge guests).

It was sad to say goodbye to our amazing cabin and the lovely people who we met during our stay, but oh what an experience we had!

In 2017 Taronga Western Plains Zoo will be opening a new Pridelands exhibit with 20 lions roaming over five hectares, and the option to drive through it on a small bus. We hope to return for this exhibit opening and stay again in this gorgeous, unique accomodation.

More Information On Zoofari Lodges

Rates for one night accommodation in an animal view lodge starts from $309-$399 per person for adults, from $49-$79 per person for children aged 1 – 4 years old and from $149-$179 for kids aged 5 – 15 years old.

Bushland View Lodges start from $269-$359 per person for adults, from $49-$79 per person for children aged 1 – 4 years and from $149-$179 for kids aged 5 – 15 years old.

Rates are for one night accommodation and are fully inclusive of:

Two day admission to Taronga Western Plains Zoo
One night accommodation at Zoofari Lodge
Exclusive behind the scenes tours with a Zoofari Guide
African style canapés, banquet dinner and dessert
Buffet breakfast
Standard bicycle hire for two days
10% discount at the Zoo’s Souvenir Shop
10% discount voucher for Bakhita’s Café
10% discount on additional Animal Encounters

Zoofari Lodges at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo
Obley Rd, Dubbo NSW 2830
Online
Get Directions

Heading to Taronga Western Plains Zoo? Read our tips on having an incredible experience.

We stayed as guests of the Zoofari Lodges. All opinions on this incredible experience are our own.

A Merry Christmas with Minted Holiday Cards

December 4, 2016 / Product Reviews / 0 comment

Every year since Cheese was born, I’ve printed photo Christmas cards for our friends and relatives. I love receiving gorgeous photo cards from our friends, and hope that they, similarly, enjoy receiving our holiday wishes for them in the mail.

This year, I designed our cards with Minted, a US company specialising in gorgeous stationary.

Minted has some excellent features that I really like and wanted to share.

1. A large variety of cards to choose from
There are hundreds of cards to make a selection from. Literally too many to look through!

2. A personalised card preview tool
You can easily upload your own images to see what the cards will look like with your favourite shots in them.

3. Photo manipulation
It’s super easy to zoom in and out and crop the images to suit the cards, and there’s an option for “auto enhance” too.

3. Customisation options
Add foil, change the colours, change the text from “holiday” to “Christmas” greetings. There are so many options for each card.

4. Save and review later
One of my fave features, you can save all your designs and then view them all at once so it’s easy to compare them and choose your favourite.

5. Free recipient addressing
It’s really easy to upload a spreadsheet with your family and friends’ addresses in them, and they are printed on the envelopes FOR FREE! My handwriting is appalling, so I really appreciate this.

6. Digital proofing service
This is great for the nervous orderers among us – when you’re printing a lot of expensive cards, it’s reassuring to know there is someone looking over them and checking you haven’t made a silly mistake. If you choose not to use the proofing service you get a $10 discount and get your order 2 days faster.

7. Frequent discount offers
When I ordered mine they had a 20% off sale, with the code in a banner across the top of the site.

8. The quality is gorgeous
I’ve ordered from Minted before and the quality is just stunning. When you compare them to much cheaper places you can get cards from, there is no quality comparison at all. You get what you pay for – which is, in this case, gorgeous cards your family and friends will keep long after the holidays are over.

9. International shipping
I was stoked to see they shipped to Australia! It costs $20 for their standard international mail, but that’s pretty regular for getting something shipped all the way Down Under.

I can’t wait to get my cards! I will show them off on social media when they arrive.

Wanting to order your own gorgeous holiday cards? Make sure you do so while there is still time at Minted.com.

Thanks to Minted.com for the complimentary voucher to try their card ordering service. I’ve ordered from Minted in the past and have always been extremely happy with their quality and service so was more than happy to share my experience with others.

Top Tips For Visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo

November 30, 2016 / Australia, Dubbo, NSW, Travel / 2 Comments

Visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo is a road trip many Australian families have made over the past 40 years, since the zoo opened in 1977. The zoo was opened initially to provide more grazing and breeding space for large animals such as elephants and antelopes, with 35 animals from six countries.

While the design of the zoo has remained the same, with open-range with concealed moats separating the animals from visitors, the zoo expanded significantly after a big financial investment from the government into both Taronga zoos several years back.

Both Taronga zoos focus on conservation, and at Dubbo you’re able to see their breeding plans in action. We visited in late spring and were treated with many babies around the zoo, including zebra, 10 wild dog pups, giraffes and Sabai, the three-week-old Asian elephant calf.

Also on display were the Galapagos tortoises and their babies – the first juveniles I’ve ever seen. Classified as “vulnerable” due to their decline in numbers, it was remarkable to see the tiny tortoises doing their best to bring their species back from the brink of extinction.

The zoo is home to many endangered animals that can be seen up close around the park. With Taronga’s focus on conservation comes education – the more people who know about the plight of these animals and care enough to make a difference themselves, the better chance we have of saving these species from extinction.

Endangered animals at the park include the Asian elephants, black and white rhinoceros, the bongo, of which there are only 200 left in the wild, and the Sumatran tiger. All of the money you pay at the zoo for everything from admission to souvenirs, goes back into the upkeep of the animals and their conservation programs.

I always think it’s best to know before you go, so if you’re heading out to Taronga Western Plains Zoo soon, these tips might help you out.

Top Tips For Visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo

Plan to spend two days there

One day is pretty rushed and there is a lot to see and do, including free talks by keepers as well as upgraded activities that cost a bit extra. Admission for two days is included in a one-day entry, so it also makes your money go further.

Book a bike or buggy

You can get around the zoo with your own car, but what’s the fun in that? The most popular mode of transport is an electronic buggy ($69 for 3 hours). To secure one, arrive at least 10 minutes before opening time as they book out fast.

Our favourite way to see the zoo was by bike, as it allows you get off the main road and ride through the bush trails as well as getting some exercise. You can bring your own bikes or hire them ($15 for a bike, $25 for a bike with kid seat, $29 for a bike with caboose for the entire day).

Arrive early

The animals are most active in the early morning. On a hot day, by midday the animals are all snoozing in the shade, so it’s worth your while to be early.

Book an animal encounter

The cheapest and most fun is the giraffe feeding for $7 per person. Who doesn’t want the chance to feed one of these majestic creatures? More info on animal encounters here.

Follow the keepers’ talk schedule

The scheduled talks start early in the morning when the zoo opens and continue around the zoo path, so you can easily just go from one to the next. The main benefit in this is the keepers usually feed the animals at the same time as their talk so you can see them close up and active. We visited the hippos, for example, before the talk and couldn’t even see them in their large enclosure. When we returned for the talk, the keeper had them right up near the visitors’ platform showing off their massive teeth.

Bring your own food

While there is a cafe at the entrance and a kiosk halfway around the 6km circuit, the food at the zoo is basic and expensive. There are plenty of picnic spots around the zoo in the shade so if you can bring your own food I would highly recommend it.

Book online

If you book your tickets online, you get 20% off entry fees. You can also book animal encounters online – and I highly advise you do so well in advance of your trip, as the popular ones book up very quickly. Book your tickets here.

Book accomodation in advance

We drove up from Sydney the day before and stayed the night in the excellent Best Western Bluegum Motor Inn. For $175 a night we were given an upgrade to a gorgeous newly renovated family room with air conditioning, one queen and two single beds, a fridge with no mini bar (hooray!), free internet, complimentary water, milk and apples. The motor inn is right in the centre of Dubbo, only a few minutes drive from several restaurants and a large Coles, plus there is a park with a playground across the road. It’s an 8 minute drive from the Best Western to Dubbo zoo.

Splurge on a Zoofari Lodge

This was hands down one of the most incredible accomodation experiences we’ve had. We stayed overnight in a Zoofari Lodge within the zoo – a luxe cabin situated right on the edge of an African savannah where giraffe, zebra and eland roam freely.

Watching the sun go down and come up again the next morning over this gorgeous landscape is an experience that won’t be forgotten. (An animal view Zoofari lodge costs from $309 per adult per night. More info here.)

Check out the new Lion Pride Lands Exhibit

A roaringly good time awaits at the incredible Lion Pride Lands exhibit. 8 lions and lionesses, including a large male named “Lazarus” live in a sprawling 3.5 hectare enclosure with plenty of vantage points.

The best viewing is from inside the cottage with glass walls.

A playground keeps the kids happy, and encourages them to pretend to be lions themselves with a tunnel to crawl through, beams to balance on and rocks to climb.

Next to the playground is the replica African Maasai village including a hill that you can climb up to survey the land, the Masai watch tower.

Learn about how African people live beside lions and pat the goats that live in the replica village.

For an additional fee visitors can take a ride on a safari truck inside the lion enclosure. If you are in the first safari of the day (at 9.30am) you get to see them letting the lions out of their night time enclosure and being given their breakfast.

The Lion Pride Lands exhibit is located at the very end of the Dubbo Zoo loop. Catch the daily keeper talk at 10am to have the lions all to yourself!

Thank you to Lisa from 2TinyTravellers for this update!

Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Obley Rd, Dubbo NSW 2830
Hours: Daily, 9am-4pm
Online
Get Directions

We received entry as guests of Taronga’s Zoofari Lodges. All opinions and tips are 100% our own.

Christmas DVD Pack Giveaway

November 30, 2016 / Giveaways / 0 comment

Merry Christmas friends! To thank you for following along on our journeys this year, I’ve organised a prize pack worth almost $180 for one lucky reader as an early Chrissie pressie.

The pack contains copies of five DVD sets that the family will love:
1. Bad Moms
2. The Legend of Tarzan
3. Dial E For Emma
4. The Night Of
5. Doctor Doctor

Bad Moms
In this new comedy from the writers of The Hangover, Amy has a seemingly perfect life – a great marriage, over-achieving kids, beautiful home and a career. However she’s over-worked, over-committed and exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities – going on a wild, un-mom-like binge of long overdue freedom, fun and self-indulgence – putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn and her clique of devoted perfect moms.
RRP 39.95

The Legend of Tarzan
It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom. But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.
RRP 39.95

Dial E For Emma
Ring, Ring! Hello? Or should we say, yellow? Emma’s friends know that they just have to Dial E For Emma and she will answer the phone and be on her way! Emma embarks on a dancing adventure and uses her “Book of Dance” to help her try out and discover different styles of dance. Whether it is Jazz or Country, Fusion or Ballet, Emma will dance the day away! Share in Emma’s love for dancing, singing, sign language and dress ups and know that she is only a phone call away!
RRP 19.95

The Night Of
From creators Steven Zaillian and Richard Price, The Night Of is an eight-part limited series that delves into the intricate story of a fictitious murder case in New York City. The series follows the police investigation and legal proceedings, all the while examining the criminal justice system and the purgatory of Rikers Island, where the accused awaits his trial.
RRP 39.95

Doctor Doctor
This new Australian series follows Hugh Knight – a rising star in the heart surgery ranks. He is gifted, charming, infallible, and a hedonist who – due to his sheer talent – believes he can live outside the rules. But his “work hard, play harder” philosophy is about to come back and bite him. Hard.
RRP 39.95

These great DVDs are available for purchase in stores nationally.

GIVEAWAY

Here’s your chance to win this DVD pack for yourself (Merry Christmas!). One winner will receive a pack containing The Night Of, Doctor Doctor, Bad Moms, The Legend of Tarzan and Dial E For Emma valued at $179.75. All you need to do to be in the running to win is enter the question in the form below in 25 words or less, “Which DVD would you like to win the most and why?”. The most creative entry will win.

The giveaway is open to Australian residents only, from 6pm December 1st to 9pm December 7th, 2017. See full terms and conditions.

IF YOU ARE ON A MOBILE DEVICE please click on this link to go to the entry form. If you’re on a PC, you can fill it in below.

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The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand

November 24, 2016 / Asia, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Travel / 9 Comments

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Our time at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand was life changing. We are a family of animal lovers and visiting these elephants in Chiang Mai has been at the top of our travel list for a good 10 years. To finally see the elephants in person and learn about these magnificent creatures was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

The Elephant Nature Park was established in the 1990s by Sangduen “Lek” (Thai for “Shorty”) Chailertas, a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. The park is located some 60km from Chiang Mai city, and has provided a sanctuary for rescued elephants from all over Thailand. There are currently around 75 elephants that call the park home, the majority of whom have been rescued, with a few born into the park. The youngest elephant at the park when we visited was five months old.

In more recent years, the park operators, in conjunction with the Save the Elephant Foundation, have also opened the Erawan Elephant Retirement Park in southwestern Thailand and branch elephant parks in Suri and in Cambodia to enable them to expand their rescue operations.

As the park receives no government funding, it operates under a business model in which tourists pay to visit and help care for the animals, with an option to stay for extended periods as a volunteer.

While the park initially opened to rescue and care for elephants, their mission has expanded to care for any animal in need of sanctuary. Animals at the park now include over 400 dogs (many of whom were rescued from a typhoon in Bangkok), a large herd of water buffalo that started as 7 and multiplied to 80, monkeys, cats and a pig.

The park has created its own ecosystem where any scraps go to feed the water buffalo and pig. What the park doesn’t grow itself is bought from local farmers to provide them an income, and the manure from the animals is turn given back to the farmers to fertilise their crops.

We chose to stay overnight at the park for the most in depth experience possible while visiting with our child. There is no age restriction on visitors to the park, but I wouldn’t recommend bringing small children who are unable to follow instructions. The park belongs to the elephants and humans are just visitors walking among them, keeping out of their way.

As the park is some ways out of Chiang Mai, we stayed the night before at the Shangri La, and were picked up early in the morning by our tour guide, Deng. He is one of many locals who have been employed by the park to teach visitors about the plight of the endangered elephants.

The drive takes about an hour in a very comfortable minivan, and our education starts here. We watch a video that teaches us about a cruel process called “Phajaan” where elephants are “broken in”, which literally involves crushing their spirit and often breaking their bodies in the process.

The video explains that elephants are taken from their mothers as babies or bred in forced breeding centres and then put through this barbaric process in order to make them compliment and easily trained for circuses, logging, which, despite being banned is still used in remote areas, and the popular animal trekking.

Once at the park we meet the elephants. Up high on a viewing platform we feed them fruit directly into their trunks, which they throw into their mouths like candy. Elephants are herbivores that spend around 12-18 hours a day feeding, so a lot of our interaction with them involves food.

There are strict rules at the park which visitors must agree to obey to be able to meet the elephants – both for their protection and for ours.There is no touching elephants unless you are feeding them at the same time, and no straying off the paths or away from the guides. The welfare of the elephants is at the heart of every rule, but these are also dangerous animals who are roaming freely. No one wants their own story to end getting crushed by an elephant in Thailand.

We are taken around the park to meet the elephants up close. Some have formed new herds, some prefer to be on their own. Each elephant is at a different stage of rehabilitation. Some are more comfortable with people, some less so, and we keep well clear of these. When we hear the elephants’ stories we are brought to tears.

Broken backs through carrying tourists in trekking camps. Blind eyes from tourist camera flashes and gouged by their owners for not obeying orders. Broken legs from treading on landmines while illegally logging. Our hearts break over and over and it’s impossible to hold tears back when we see ripped ears and misshapen limbs on these magnificent animals that deserve so much better.

The elephants come to the park bearing a lifetime of scars. Their owners are usually only willing to part with them once they are too old and broken to be of serve any longer, and they want to buy a new elephant to replace it. While the elephants are occasionally given to the park by owners who have genuinely loved them, the majority are purchased, which is where the money visitors pay to visit the park goes to. It did not sit well with any of us that the buying of these elephants actually helps the cycle of elephant abuse continue, but it’s also clear that at the moment that there is no other way to assist the elephants while there is no government legislation to protect them.

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

While the stories we hear about the elephants’ history are desperately sad, their future is bright. The park gives them acres to roam in freedom and plenty of nourishing food to eat. There are no more chains, no more heavy loads to carry, just days spend wandering through grassy fields, playing in rivers and taking mud baths.

We watch the elephants frolic in the river, playing games and grabbing each other with their trunks. They throw mud on their backs to keep cool and rub up against each other in the shade. The elephants are joyful and playful, newly formed families enjoying their lives once more.

Later in the afternoon we are taken to our room to settle in. It’s much more luxurious than the basic accommodation we had been expecting, and from the balcony we can see the elephants being taken into the large enclosures that they spend the night in, for the protection of both them and the neighbouring villages. We are in awe to be so close – but during the night when they talk amongst themselves instead of sleeping, we are a bit less glad of our close proximity – it’s like sleeping in the jungle!

Our second day in the park is much like the first – meeting more elephants, feeding them more fruit, watching them play and making their food. The best moment of each day is washing the elephants in the river to rid them of the fly eggs that stick to their backs and irritate them.

The elephants stand happily in the water munching on fruit while we are armed with small buckets and hurl water at their enormous backs. Elephants can’t smile but I swear there is a grin on the face of our grand old lady as she is cooled down by her willing minions on each side.

This park is a powerful place to visit, and it’s clear that we are not the only people to have found it to be a profoundly moving experience. It’s not uncommon for volunteers to arrive with the intention to visit for a week and then stay on indefinitely, so moved by their mission and their desire to make a difference in the lives of the elephants and other animals.

Our stay is only two short days. We are in disbelief when it flies by so quickly and we have to say good bye to the elephants we have fallen in love with. We are told that elephants never forget, and I hope that they can make peace with their devastating past and remember the kindness they have been shown in their new lives by the people who are so passionate about their welfare.

We are all changed by our experience, including five-year-old Cheese. She tells everyone back in Sydney not to ride the elephants “because they’re blind”, which confuses many people about why we took her to see blind elephants, but nevertheless, the message is there and she’s helping spread it.

This is teaching the next generation about conservation at its finest – learning through seeing, doing, hearing, touching. The kind of teaching that encourages children to care through first hand experience, that reaches their hearts and helps them grow up to be passionate advocates for animals and the environment.

Months afterwards, my daughter is still bringing up moments from our visit. “Do you remember when we fed the elephants?” she asked me on the way to school one morning, out of the blue. “And we washed them in the river?”. She says it in wonderment, like she can’t believe that those amazing experiences in her memory are real. I absolutely do remember. There is no way I will ever forget.

Tips for visiting the Elephant Nature Park

The only way to visit the park is by booking on a day tour, an overnight tour, or a week long volunteer stay through their website. You cannot turn up on your own without a booking.
Pack and apply plenty of mosquito repellant.
Pack shoes for walking through fields as well as going into the water. Shoes like Crocs that are slip on and off and water resistant are ideal.
Bring Thai or US power adapters.
There is plenty of water available and you will be given a reusable water bottle.
The food served is all vegan.
Book as far in advance as you can as the park is extremely popular and tours book up fast.
Bring some spare money for buying snacks and souvenirs. We bought some gorgeous wood elephants carved by the mahouts of their charges. We had no problems bringing these back into Australia.

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Tips for visiting with kids

Kids of any age can visit the park for the day or stay overnight. This includes babies.
Judge wisely whether your kids are the right age and temperament to visit. Are they old enough to follow directions and keep out of harms way?
Visiting the Elephant Nature Park is only possible through their guided tour programs, which involve a lot of talking and walking. Ensure that kids are able to keep up with the group on foot (we had to carry Cheese a fair bit when her legs got tired) and either listen to the guides or quietly entertain themselves while the guides are talking to the group.
Dress them to get dirty! Expect to get filthy, sweaty and wet and dress accordingly. Part of the tour involves going into the river knee deep to wash the elephant so bring water shoes, as well as sneakers to walk around the grounds in.
Pack food they will eat. If you have a fussy eater like ours, bring food they will eat if they turn their noses up at the delicious vegan food on offer. We had some nut bars and the like that kept our fussy five-year-old going.
For their own safety, ensure that your kids understand the rules of the park regarding behaviour around the elephants. Repeat them frequently with little ones!
The park is one giant teaching moment for kids, so use the opportunity to talk to them about the situation with elephants in terms they can understand if they’re little like ours. Topics to discuss include not only the issues facing elephants in captivity in Thailand, but the loss of habitat for the Asian elephant and what that means, including their classification as an endangered animal, how elephant families operate and the differences between Asian elephants and African elephants, for example.

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

How do you know if a sanctuary is legit?
It can be really hard to tell as many places who call themselves an elephant sanctuary still mistreat elephants for tourists. I suggest looking at reviews and photos on TripAdvisor to do some research and look for the following things which are harmful to the elephants, they you won’t find in a true sanctuary:

1. The elephants are in chains. The elephants should never be chained.
2. The elephants have people riding them, with or without a chair. Elephants should never be ridden.
3. The baby elephants have been separated from their herd. The herd values babies above all else and do not willing let people get close to them.
4. The elephants perform tricks. They should never perform tricks!

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Get more information about the plight of the endangered elephants in Thailand from the Save The Elephant Organisation.

Elephant Nature Park Office
1 Ratmakka Road, Phra Sing,
Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
elephantnaturepark.org

Read about must-visit temples in Chiang Mai.

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Check out things to do in Phuket with kids.

The Tearoom QVB: Sydney’s Best High Teas

November 23, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

No high tea pilgrimage is complete without an afternoon tea at the QVB Tea Room. Located in what was once the original Grand Ballroom of the landmark Queen Victoria Building, The Tea Room oozes style and grace. The addition of custom designed Baccarat crystal chandeliers in 2014 gave the interior a burst of glamour and sparkle.

Tea at The Tea Room is served on on authentic British silverware and classic Royal Albert china. I particularly love the heavy silverware. It feels very old world and classy.

The Tea Room serves three kinds of afternoon teas – traditional, Oriental and gluten free. We chose the traditional, but with a twist. Mine had to be vegetarian, and my dad’s needed significant adjustments due to his dietary restraints. Our server was one of the kindest, thorough waitstaff I have encountered. He went back and forth between our table ad the kitchen several times to make sure that my dad was being given a full afternoon tea that suited his diet. I wish I’d asked for his name to commend him to The Tea Room afterwards. He made the experience hassle free, while also ensuring that my dad was able to enjoy the tea entirely. Most importantly, my dad wasn’t make to feel like his requirements were a hinderance or annoyance, so the whole experience was very enjoyable, before we’d even tasted the tea.

Speaking of the tea, it arrived quickly in large pots. Once we’d poured all of our tea, helpful staff returned sporadically throughout our meal to ask if we would like a hot water top up in our little teapots. Very thoughtful.

Our selection of savoury and sweets came shortly afterwards on tiered platters. My dad’s arrived on its own platter (pic above), and the others all combined on another.

The vegetarian tea was very similar to the regular one. The only difference was the sandwiches – mine were cheese and tomato chutney and cucumber and cream cheese, while the regular sandwiches included ham.

The sandwiches were delicious. Fresh, light bread, and tasty fillings. We were offered extra sandwiches later on and were given an entire extra serving, including egg (yay!). The egg was actually my favourite. Also on the sandwich plate were a little cup of XX and truffle oil, and a bite of pastry with explosively tasty tomato and avocado on it.

One large scone per person was allocated (my dad scored two with his special menu). The scones were a mix of plain and sultana.The scones were warm, right out of the oven and the delicious mixed berry jam and thick cream were generously portioned. Also on the scone plate were spinach bites in pastry. Freshly cooked and so good.

Onto the sweets. Four tiny perfect desserts: a berry macaron, chocolate mousse square, berry tart and mango and strawberry mousse square. All four were perfect. Light, elegant, beautifully presented, and all bursting with flavour.

I couldn’t fault anything about our experience. From the staff to the food, it was perfect. This is why we will be back, and keep on coming back, year after year. Thank you Tea Room for making this such a special afternoon for me and my family.

The Tea Room QVB
3, Queen Victoria Building,
455 George Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9283 7279
Prices: $$$
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Get Directions

Reservations are recommended.

Sydney’s Best High Teas: The Radisson Blu Hotel

November 23, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 6 Comments

In the heart of Sydney’s CBD lies the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney, housed inside a gorgeous 1850s Beaux Arts property. It’s old world elegance at its finest, including the Lady Fairfax lounge area where we were seated for our high tea.

The room is lovely and spacious, with large windows allowing plenty of light to stream in. It’s the perfect spot for a quiet afternoon with family and friends.

We enjoyed sampling both the Traditional and Festive High Teas at the Radisson Blu, both served on a classic silver-tiered stand. The Traditional High Tea is available year-round, but the Festive High Tea is a limited edition, and only available until January 3.

Traditional High Tea

Savoury Items
Cucumber and dill cream cheese sandwich
Feta, ricotta and spinach roll
Smoked salmon toast
Chicken curry puff
Barbecue pork filo pastries
(Because I’m vegetarian, I was given an extra cheese sandwich, tomato and avocado sandwich and a mixed vegetable sandwich as a substitute for the meat pastries.)

The sandwiches and savouries were among the best we’ve had of any high tea in Sydney. They were just delicious, with fluffy bread, delicious fillings, and pastries that were mouthwateringly good. Often high teas are all about the sweet, but I find I really need the savouries to be a strong component too, or I get sugar overload.

Sweet Treats
Double chocolate cake
Citrus tart
Spiced cake
Salted caramel swans
Decadent chocolate mousse (with mint)

Vanilla scones with cream and preserve

The scones were served hot, fresh and fluffy with vanilla bean cream, which was a really refreshing change. Each of the sweets was a perfect bite-sized portion, with the salted caramel swans as the stand out item on the platter. Not only did they look amazing, they tasted exceptional, too.

Festive High Tea
Celebrate the Christmas season with a Festive High Tea from 1 December until 3 January.

Savoury Items
Roast turkey sandwich
Ham and cheese sandwich
Chicken curry puff
Pork, apple and thyme roll

Sweet Treats
Chocolate mint mousse
Fruit Mince Pie
Christmas cookie
Spiced cake
Christmas chocolate slice
Rum balls

Vanilla scones with cream and preserve

The sweet treats served with the Festive High Tea had the cutest hand-made sugar decorations attached, such as a santa or snowman. You can see my daughter’s delight as she spots them when they arrive.

We found the mint in the mousse a refreshing change, quite a bright, strong flavour, that was a good contrast to the sweetness of the other items on the platter. Often the sweets are all so sugary that you can feel quite ill after eating them, so having this mint mousse, and also savoury fruit mince pie on the Festive Tea and the salted caramel swans on the Traditional Tea, were very welcome components to balance out the sweetness.

Both high teas are served with a choice of handcrafted teas from La Maison Du Thé. There is wide range of teas to choose from, from a standard English Breakfast to some exotic varieties of black and white tea with fruity and flower flavours added in.

Prices:
$49 per person with tea or coffee
$59 per person with a glass of sparkling wine
$69 per person with a glass of Champagne

The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel also serves a Kids in the City High Tea which we will be trying on our next visit. It’s described as including ham and cheese sandwiches, dotty blue fairy bread, sparkling lemon meringue, laminations, mini sausage rolls, mini beef pies, seasonal jelly shots, a specially mixed ‘Out of the Blu’ mocktail, marshmallowy hot chocolate and freshly squeezed fruit juice for $25/per child.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney
27 O’Connell St, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 8214 0000
Online
Reservations required: communications@radisson.com or 02 8214 0400.
Get Directions

Produced in partnership with the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney. All opinions are our own.

Where To Find The Best Ice Cream & Gelato in Sydney

November 21, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Food / 6 Comments

Let’s be honest, it’s always a good time for gelato in Sydney, regardless of the season! It’s hard to choose a favourite but these are a few we head to regularly all over Sydney.

Where To Find The Best Ice Cream & Gelato in Sydney

Gelato Messina
Renowned for their wacky flavour combination and fresh ingredients, Gelato Messina produce over 40 gelato and sorbet flavours in small batches daily. We love the Salted Caramel with White Chocolate and Yogurt Berry, but always try one of their wacky weekly specials too.
Gelato Messina: various locations

N2 Extreme Gelato
Liquid nitrogen is used to flash freeze gelato, right in front of your eyes. N2 favours innovative flavours and techniques such as their creme brulee where the top is torched, and others with a chocolate or caramel-filled syringe to inject into the centre of the dessert. The flavours change weekly so there is always something new in store to try.
N2 Extreme Gelato: CBD and Newtown

Aqua S
Famous for their blue Sea Salt soft serve, this Japanese-inspired ice creamery focuses on adventurous and innovative flavours, often with an Asian twist.
AquaS: CBD, Macquarie Centre, Chatswood

La Mamma Del Gelato Anita
Hand-made boutique ice creams, sorbet and frozen yoghurts. With over 150 flavours, it’s difficult to choose! Try their popular Cookieman or one of their innovative creations such as Pavlova, Banoffee or Mascapone Ricotta Strawberries.
La Mamma Del Gelato Anita: Central Park Mall, 28 Broadway, Chippendale

Cow & The Moon
This family-owned inner west gelataria won the title of the world’s best ice cream at the Gelato World Tour in Rimini, Italy, in 2014 for its Mandorla affogato-flavoured gelato. Sample a few of the 25 flavours on offer, all hand-made out the back of the store daily. A few favourites include blackcurrant and blueberry, strawberry and balsamic, salted caramel and passionfruit cream.
Cow & The Moon: 181 Enmore Rd, Enmore

Gelatissimo
Gelato is freshly made daily in store, with a rainbow of flavours available daily. Their mango sorbet is bright, refreshing and a firm favourite of ours, but there’s something for everyone with their wide variety of flavours that include dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free options.
Gelatissimo: Various locations

C9 Chocolate and Gelato
Choose from a wide variety of freshly churned flavours and either have it drizzled with chocolate or sandwiched on a cookie. C9 likes to add a bit of chocolate to everything!
C9 Chocolate and Gelato: Newtown and Bankstown.

Riva Reno Gelato
Authentic Italian gelato, made daily in Sydney with fresh ingredients. Choose from the set flavours or try one of five weekly specials from a menu that includes gelato, sorbet, granita as well as waffles and crepes. Try the “Alice”: mascarpone, premium marsala “vergine soleras” and lashings of gianduia. Yum!
Riva Reno Gelato: Darlinghurst and Barangaroo

Bellingen Gelato
This colourful gelato bar in Sydney’s inner west serves up bright scoops of gelato made from natural ingredients, in a range of traditional and creative flavours. Bellingen also serves gelato-based desserts such as banana splits, waffles and gelato cakes.
Bellingen Gelato: 688 Darling St, Rozelle

Vito Gelato & Caffe
Italian gelato with a Japanese twist! Vito Gelato & Caffe is an inventive twist on traditional gelato, playfully blended with Japanese flavours. Traditional flavours like vanilla and mixed berry vie with matcha and earl grey latte for a place on your cone.
Vito Gelato & Caffe: 169 Wycombe Road, Neutral Bay; 6/314-322 Darling St, Balmain

Ben & Jerry’s
The iconic Ben & Jerry’s brand began in Vermont, USA, in 1972. Having now found their way to Australia, each Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop is locally owned and operated. We love this American-style ice cream that is thick and creamy and packed with add ins like chocolate brownies and cookie dough. You will find quintessential American flavours here, and a range of dairy-free options, too.
Ben & Jerry’s: Broadway, Bondi, Chatswood, Manly.

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Luna Park Sydney: Just For Fun

November 16, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theme Parks / 0 comment

Luna Park Sydney might just be the most gorgeously positioned amusement park in the world. Perched on the shorefront of Milson’s Point, the juxtapositioning of the old-world carnival colours against the stunning blue of Sydney Harbour makes it an incredible spot to visit, even if you’re not planning on actually riding anything.

While children and adults flock to the park to enjoy hair-raising rides, Luna Park is also an historical icon in Sydney, being listed on the State Heritage Register in 2010.

Whether rides are or aren’t your thing, Luna Park is a fascinating piece of Australian history. The fist Luna Park opened in St Kilda, Melbourne, in December 1912, with a second opening in Glenelg, South Australia, in 1930. The later, however, encountered push back from the locals, who thought the park was a haven for unsavoury types – as a result, the park was packed up and shipped to Sydney.

Sydney’s Luna Park was constructed at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1935, and, once open, ran for nine-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. The park closed in mid-1979 following the infamous Ghost train fire, which killed six children and one adult.

The park has been partially demolished, renovated, re-opened and closed again several times since due to various problems – the most recent being the noise pollution complaints from locals surrounding the Big Dipper rollercoaster that caused the ride to be heavily restricted and, as a result, saw a drop in attendance that lead to the park’s closure in 1996.

After further redevelopment, the park re-opened in 2004 and has been open ever since.

In 2010 the Luna Park Face was listed as an item of national heritage by the National Trust of Australia, making it one two amusement parks in the world that are protected by government legislation; several of the buildings on the site are also listed on the Register of the National Estate and the NSW State Heritage Register: most notably Luna Park’s Coney Island Funnyland, which is the only operating example of a 1930s funhouse left in the world.

Coney Island was built in 1935, and although there have been some changes made over the years, the layout is almost identical to when it opened, including the rotating barrels, moving platforms, long slides and arcade games that line the walls.

I recently took the little Cheese to experience Luna Park for the first time and have some tips if you’re intending to go:

Luna Park Tips

Buy your tickets online
They are cheaper to buy from the Luna park website than in person at the park. You will also avoid the queues this way.

Look for special deals
Take a look for even better deals before you buy them directly from the park. For example, try Groupon, or Telstra and Optus perks. I received the best deal through Optus.

Adult accompanying rider tickets cost some serious money
If you’re not planning to buy an adult ticket for yourself but your child isn’t tall enough to ride everything on their own, you will need to buy an accompanying adult ticket. These are not available for discount purchase online at all – they must be bough at the park, full price, and they are EXPENSIVE! They are also only valid for rides where accompanying the riders who are too short to ride by themselves – so you can’t ride without them, either.

Pack your own food
There is basic food available at the park, like hot dogs, burgers and chips kinda stuff, and they are expensive. I suggest packing healthier food for lunch and bringing it with you to save money.

Prepare for the weather
There is very little shade in much of the park, particularly in the little kids’ area out the back. Pack wide brimmed hats and plenty of sunscreen.

Go early
This is my mantra for theme parks in general. Go as early as possible when the queues are shorter and the sun isn’t as hot.

Be aware of height restrictions
Make sure your kid is big enough to get the most out of the cost of park entry. You can find a list of the height requirements for each ride here

Know how much money it’s going to cost if you buy tickets at the park
Unlimited Rides Pass – Yellow (130cm+) $52 (vs $48 online)
Unlimited Rides Pass – Green (106-129cm) $42 (vs $38 online)
Unlimited Rides Pass – Red (85-105cm) $22 (vs $22 online)
Accompanying Adult – Green $42
Accompanying Adult – Red $22

The cheapest day to go is Mondays
During the school holidays this is an excellent deal for school kids
Mini Money Mondays – Yellow (130cm+) $40
Mini Money Mondays – Green (106-129cm) $30
Mini Money Mondays – Red (85-105cm) $16

Other ticket options
A Coney Island Pass ($12) lets you access just Coney Island all day. Coney Island was our kids’ favourite of the whole day, and is blissfully indoors!

How to get there
Luna park is so easy to reach by public transport. Catch the ferry or train directly to the park, or, if you have to drive, park in their car park. Either way, there is very little walking involved, so great for little ones.

Luna Park
1 Olympic Dr, Milsons Point NSW 2061
Hours: The days and hours Luna Park opens varies. Please check the website before going.
lunaparksydney.com

Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi 2016

November 6, 2016 / Beaches, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Sculpture By The Sea is the largest free public sculpture exhibition in the world, and in 2016 celebrated its 20th anniversary. The exhibition runs for two weeks every year in October/November, along the cliff top walk from Tamarama Beach to Bondi Beach.

While the majority of the sculptures are not able to be touches, each year there are several that are designed to be interacted with by visitors, be it walking through them, on them or climbing over them – the placards in front of the sculptures lets people know which ones are able to be touched and which ones are too fragile.

A big hit this year was the ship with wooden blocks that were able to be manipulated, so visitors were able to change the shape of parts of the ship.

Please enjoy the photos of this spectacular exhibition, and scroll down to the bottom for tips on attending.

Tips for attending Sculpture By The Sea

Go early, like 6am early. We arrived at 7am and it was already really busy. If you arrive at midday, forget about being able to get near a sculpture without 20 people right on top of you.
Parking is a nightmare. Go early and look for a spot around Tamarama or Bronte.
Bring lots of water, sunscreen and a hat. The sun is brutal on the walk and there is no shade.
Bathrooms are located at Tamarama Beach, Mark’s Place and Bondi Beach.
Food is also located at Tamarama, Bondi and Mark’s Place. In 2015 and 2016 The Grounds of Alexandria had a pop-up cafe at Mark’s Place.
The walk is not stroller friendly at all. If you cannot bring your child in a baby carrier, walk/drive to Mark’s Place – it’s the only stroller accessible point of the walk.
Try for dawn or sunset for pictures with truly stunning light and less people around.
There are two kids’ playgrounds on the walk – one at Tamarama Beach and one at Mark’s Place.
Week days are much less busy than weekends.
Keep an eye on small children. Not only is the walk crowded, it runs along the cliff tops where there are no guard rails or barriers to stop children from falling over the edge.
Not all scuptures are designed to be touched. Please respect the signs and only touch those that are designated for interaction.

Photography tip: It might look like we were pretty much by ourselves on the walk but this was thanks to careful shooting and editing. For pics like these, be extremely patient and wait until other people leave the frame, or step around them and find an angle with no-one in it. If you can’t do either, then crop in close.

Sculpture By The Sea