For animal lovers, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo is a great place to visit. It is quite obvious in their set-up that they prioritize the animals. They really care for the animals. Your ticket is a little pricey but allows you to visit on two consecutive days. The property is large and you can walk, cycle or drive, cars or golf buggies, through the zoo. As the property is so big, covering it all on foot (especially on a hot day) can be tiring. Golf buggies and bicycles are available for hire or you can bring your own bikes. On the first day, we cycled through the zoo. On the second day, we drove through the zoo. It is worth planning to visit on two days because you will see something different.

Even if you don’t want to pay for entry, there is a fantastic viewing area that can be accessed for free near the cafe at the front of the zoo where you can see the Spider Monkeys and Lemurs. The set-up for these animals is very well done and gives you a great view of how adept and proficient they are with living in the trees.

The zoo has a clever way of hiding the fences for the enclosures in low points so when you look at the animals, the fence is not in your line of sight. This results in great photos without a fence in the way. This is the case for the less dangerous animal. For the more dangerous animals, the fence is quite clear and give a good indication of how dangerous the animal might be. The enclosures are large and the animals look comfortable and well cared for.

About an hour south of Dubbo is the Peak Hill Open Cut Gold Mine. This mine only ceased production in 2002. There is a walking trail and informative signs.