TK Adventures – December 2021.  

Part 1 of 4 Dubbo to Nelson Bay with What’s Up Downunder

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I’m on the road again with the motley crew from What’s Up Downunder. This time, we kick our adventure off in downtown Dubbo, then make our way through the Hunter regions to gorgeous Nelson Bay.

That old Willie Nelson song, On The Road Again, dances through my mind almost every time I hitch up a caravan and hit the blacktop with the WUDU crew. I replace Wllie’s popular lyrics…making music with my friends to making TV with my mates!

Dubbo, located in the western plains of New South Wales, approximately 5 hours from Sydney and 9 hours from Brisbane and has a population around 40,000.

Our home away from home for the next two days is the Dubbo City Holiday Park. Located on the Macquarie River there are plenty of lovely grassy caravan and camping sites, well established trees and this Park even has a ‘complimentary’ Herb garden should you feel the need to fancy up your evening meal with a sprig of rosemary or a dash of dill!

There are also plenty of accommodation options catering for families right through to the intrepid grey nomads. They even have pet friendly cabins here. The Holiday Park is perfectly located, literally a stone’s throw from the heart of the city; however, the quiet surrounds could have you thinking you’re parked on the banks of the Balonne in western Queensland!

This trip has me towing a Lotus Nemesis Caravan whilst Macca is towing the Galaxy. They are both a couple of smart looking caravans which have been built to handle the toughest terrain and will have the opportunity to put them through their paces during this journey.

I have been to Dubbo on many occasions over the years, in fact I bought my first dressage saddle from the saddlery shop here. I rode a camel in a charity race at the showgrounds, and performed at the RSL Club on numerous occasions. However, the one thing I have always wanted to do but never had the opportunity until now, was to visit the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Now I have seen many giraffes, rhinos, zebras, elephants, meerkats, lions, monkeys and hippos on the telly but I can say with hand on heart, NOTHING compares to seeing these wonderful animals up close and in real life! Whilst these magnificent creatures are living in captivity, the Zoo has done a simply marvellous job in providing an environment that is as close as possible to the animals own natural habitat, I didn’t feel like I was at a ‘zoo’ at all. Seeing the animals this way gives the visitors the most brilliant experience. For me, it was like being on an African safari without having to travel halfway around the world.

Set amongst beautiful native bushland, the enclosures are well spread out across pristine parklands. Visitors are encouraged to bring their bikes to get around the huge property, which is something the whole family can enjoy doing together. Naturally, there are great walking paths catering from all ages and mobility.

As the WUDU team were working to their usual tight schedule, we could only spend 4 hours filming at the Zoo; however, we could have been there all day and still not have covered everything they have on offer. .

I would love to go back sometime and stay the night at the Zoo…Yes, they offer a range of accommodation experiences from tranquil eco-lodges, African-style safari, glamping to camping.
This Zoo offers Zoofari Lodge, Savannah Cabins and Billabong Camp.

Definitely put Taronga Park Western Plains Zoo on your bucket list, this place is a MUST SEE for every Aussie! The meerkats simply stole my heart. They are the cutest little critters I have ever seen with funny little personalities, I’d go back just to see them again!

Next month, I will continue sharing my adventure with you as we make our way to Nelson Bay via Mudgee. I get a little tipsy and the local winery, Macca and I are shown around Mudgee on the back of a super cool trike and we soar to great heights in a hot air balloon.

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Love
TK