You know when you just need to get away, out of the house, to distract yourself from something? Or just do something you know will cheer you up? Yeah, that’s how I have been lately, and I am so grateful to have friends who will drive the distance to pick me up from my little lonesome to take me to the one thing that will, with no doubt, make me smile (aside from hanging with them of course). Today they took me to Hunter Valley Wildlife Park to feed some hungry animals! And to just look at the other animals that weren’t up for handfeeding, like the lions and alligators…
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, formerly known as Hunter Valley Zoo, cares for over 200 animals across their location. With the help of Australian Wildlife Parks, they now have the funds and facilities to teach others about the importance of caring for wildlife and their environment. So, with their dedicated team, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park utilises the site’s animals and experiences, their social media, and the funds from sponsors and visitors to preserve Australia’s precious animals.
So, while my friend and I were driving and venting (well, he was driving and I was venting), I bought tickets for the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park online. When we got there, we also bought a bag of animal food each so that we could feed the residents for some well-needed animal therapy! As soon as we entered, my friend and I both mentioned that it was a lot bigger than we were expecting, with a lot more “zoo-like” animals than we thought there would be. I guess we were expecting more of an Australian farm kind of vibe, but that certainly wasn’t the case! But of course, it wouldn’t be an Australian wildlife park without the odd peacock roaming around. I wonder why that’s so common.
We followed the path around, looking at all the animals they had, and stopping for the more intriguing ones you don’t often see! Like I said before, we weren’t expecting to see as many animals as we did, but Hunter Valley Wildlife Park also had animals that I haven’t seen frequently in other zoos and animal parks! And trust me, I’ve been to a lot. There were animals like lemurs, black-handed spider monkeys, caracals, capuchin monkeys, golden-haired tamarins, a maned wolf, and albino kangaroos! The animals were also a lot more energetic than I’ve seen elsewhere. Maybe because we arrived more towards the afternoon when they were being fed. But animals like the wombat and Tasmanian devil, which like to hide away in burrows and dens, were happily out and about!
We kept walking to the back of the park, past the American alligators, to the lions, giraffes and zebras. The lions were right up close! The lionesses were walking back and forth while the male lion was just sitting atop his throne. Typical male. The giraffes and zebras, however, were too far away to see and wanted no part of us when we came up to the fence. Oh well, we moved on to the dingoes, who were much more active play-fighting with each other. I remember what I learnt at Taronga Zoo Sydney, that people assume all dingoes are ginger coloured, which isn’t actually the case. And then voila! A white dingo!
Now, best till last. Feeding the animals! You can enter a few of the enclosures at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, like the lorikeet sanctuary, kangaroo enclosure and farm yard, being able to feed these animals as well (if they’ll take the food that is). Most of the farm animals didn’t even want to know me, and the lorikeets were preoccupied with some kids, so we let them be. I found a friend in the camels anyway! I poured some food into my hand and held it out for one of the camels to eat, and before I knew it, my whole hand was in the camel’s mouth! It’s ok though, she was gentle and I got my hand back to feed her some more. The other camel however, did comp down on my pinky finger when I was feeding her. She must’ve been really hungry. But I walked away with both hands and all of my fingers, so I’m not complaining, and I had a great time feeding the animals!
The day was over, and my therapy session had come to an end. It did a great job too! Spending time with animals, especially when I can get close enough to feed them, is so healing for me. It’s like they instantly understand me and I don’t even have to tell them what’s wrong! So, to remember my time with the animals at the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, and the camel that bit my pinky, I bought a stuffed camel toy from the gift shop. A physical reminder that even through the toughest times, I’m strong enough to bite back at the depression, and I have the best support network in my friends who would drop everything to bring back my smile!
All photos in this post were taken by me or my friend. For more information about Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, visit https://huntervalleywildlifepark.com.au/
The Travel Journal 
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