Roar and Snore - a Sleepover at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

It started with a purr…

Or maybe a roar … somewhere in the not too distant… distance.

But even in my semi-slumberous state, I registered the growling was a bit too close for comfort.

And what comfort.

Just for a moment I forgot where I was.

As my eyes adjusted to dawn breaking over Sydney Harbour, it was hard to believe I was in a tent … in a zoo ... in the middle of a city.

‘Roar and Snore’ they call it: the opportunity to get an up close and personal encounter with some of Taronga Zoo’s furry friends.

But the dreamy bed and fluffy pillows – and champagne - reminded me this was strictly a 5-star camping affair.

The night before, I boarded a classic Sydney ferry at Circular Quay for the short trip across the harbour. The easy walk up to the zoo from the dock was a treat for the senses: every step revealed more of the city, which sparkled with fine lights across the water.

Sydney’s famous coat hanger bridge and the shimmering sails of the opera house presented a dazzling backdrop to our digs for the night: a beautifully appointed ‘glamp-site’.

It was my first trip to the zoo, crouched on a spur of a hill overlooking the inky vastness of the world-famous harbour.

Slowly but surely, the sound of animals - like a carefully timed jungle soundtrack - began to play.

“Daddy, it’s like Narnia!” said a wildly excitable child a couple of yards ahead. And he was right. C.S. Lewis would approve of our nocturnal lodgings.

Daddy – built like a mountain – whisked the child up onto his shoulders and they rambled off giddy with anticipation.

And I too, was infected with the sense of fun just around the corner.

I had always thought it a funny location for a zoo – opposite million dollar homes and mega yachts, but no sooner had I passed through the gates, somehow this place - home to thousands of species of animals - seemed exactly right in its setting.

Sipping champagne and taking in the million dollar views, I mingled for a while with the other guests.

Ray and Ann, all the way from Dublin, marvelled at the opportunity to sleep in the zoo.

“It’s wonderful … the setting, the tents, we just feel so lucky to be this close to the animals,” Ann gushed with her charming Gaelic trill.

“It’s like a real jungle in a concrete jungle,” she giggled.

Karen wasn’t alone.

Roar and Snore is a popular attraction and one of Sydney’s must-see experiences.

All the tents were booked out and once the guests had explored the comfortably appointed accommodation, we strolled the site with more refreshments and snacks as peacocks flashed their brassy colours to impress.

Aperitifs gave way to our first animal encounter - of the scaly and

furry variety - as enthusiastic zoo staff introduced us to pint-size pets.

I managed not to shame myself in front of the carpet python but it

was an ‘interesting’ encounter despite my acute fear of snakes.

Dinner was a hearty buffet meal, rounded off with a splendid local shiraz.

With full tummies, it was time to walk off dinner, exploring the zoo after dark, and hopefully catch a glimpse of some nocturnal animal antics.

This part of the experience can be altogether hit and miss, and depends entirely on whether the animals want to play along.

Sadly for me that night, they were a little shy of strangers and although the experience of being in the vast zoo for a private tour was exhilarating and a treat for the senses, I saw few animals in their enclosures.

Expectations heightened as we approached the lion’s den but not a roar, not even a meow - just an inert bundle catching some zeds … or perhaps it was a rock.

Susan and Victor from Melbourne enjoyed their first Roar and Snore the year before so much, they returned for an encore and were back again.

Susan explained that last time all the animals came out to play.

“Not this time,” she said philosophically as we returned to the camp “but it’s worth it just for the view”.

And it was.

The cityscape of the harbour-side metropolis with its plunging urban sprawl is a magnificent vista by any measure, but by twilight it’s truly magical.

I slept soundly in my award winning tent accommodation and rose early after my restful night’s sleep to freshen up and wrangle my bed hair.

While the previous night’s animal encounter was luck of the draw, what was certain that morning was my chance to feed my favourite exotic residents: the giraffes.

The feeling of sheer elation I felt as the graceful beast gently drew the carrot from my fingers is why, one day, I will return to snore once more as the animals roar.