Taronga Western Plains Zoo are ecstatic to win Gold as Major Tourist Attraction and Zoofari Lodge to win Gold in Unique Accommodation at the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards held in Sydney on 17 November 2022.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo Director Steve Hinks was at the awards ceremony to receive the award and was honoured by the recognition from the NSW Tourism industry.

“To be announced as the Gold winner of Major Tourist Attraction for the second year in a row and Zoofari Lodge to win Gold in Unique Accommodation at the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards is a very proud achievement for Taronga Western Plains Zoo and for tourism in regional NSW,” said Taronga Western Plains Zoo Director Steve Hinks.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo won the Major Tourist Attraction Award at last years NSW Tourism Awards and went on to represent NSW at the National level earlier this year.

“To be announced as the Gold winner of Major Tourist Attraction for the second year in a row and Zoofari Lodge to win Gold in Unique Accommodation at the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards is a very proud achievement for Taronga Western Plains Zoo and for tourism in regional NSW,” said Taronga Western Plains Zoo Director Steve Hinks.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo won the Major Tourist Attraction Award at last years NSW Tourism Awards and went on to represent NSW at the National level earlier this year.

“We were so honoured to receive the Bronze Award for Major Tourist Attraction at the Australian Tourism Awards in March this year. The recognition from NSW Tourism last night, for the second year in a row, really cements Taronga Western Plains Zoo as the leading major tourist attraction in NSW and the country.”

Zoofari Lodge is a unique and well sought-after African safari retreat comprising luxurious accommodation, delicious African inspired cuisine, and exclusive guided tours. Waking up in luxury tents positioned over the Savannah Safari to the sunrise with silhouettes of giraffe, white rhino, oryx, zebra, ostrich, eland and more, there really isn’t a more unique accommodation setting.

“A trip to Taronga Western Plains Zoo or an overnight stay at Zoofari Lodge are incredibly special experiences that create long lasting memories, so we are thrilled to be recognised as the best Unique Accommodation provider and the leading major tourist attractions in the country.”

“A huge thank you to our extremely hard-working team, dedicated volunteers and supporters, all of our amazing guests who have visited and stayed onsite with us and of course our incredible animals that are inspirational ambassadors for conservation every single day,” said Steve.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a state-of-art Wildlife Hospital in the final stages of completion and is set to be a unique aspect of the overall zoo experience, allowing guests to see the Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital team in action and learn about the wildlife conservation projects the zoo undertakes, usually behind the scenes.

“We are really looking forward to the quickly approaching summer holidays and continuing to welcome guests exploring regional NSW. We have a brand new, purpose-built Wildlife Hospital soon to open to the public and we can’t wait to open a window into how we heal the wild”, explained Steve.

For more information about planning a visit to Taronga Western Plains Zoo or staying overnight visit www.taronga.org.au/dubbo