Taronga Zoo, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Cuddly koala resting in its tree at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
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Lions, tigers and elephants were the undisputed screen stars of last year’s lockdown at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. Their daily antics kept both school kids and adults entertained via Taronga TV, stacking up an impressive three million views online. So, when NSW was again plunged into lockdown in June 2021, Taronga TV returned, gaining another one million views and inspiring a spin-off educational program, Virtual Zoo Lockdown Lessons.
While Taronga TV is a sneak peek into the daily life of zoo animals via live cameras and keeper talks, Lockdown Lessons is a more structured virtual learning platform developed in collaboration with the Department of Education and specifically designed for students. So far, the lessons have been viewed more than 150,000 times with 39,000 online registrations, not to mention an additional 700,000 views via the zoo’s social channels.
“People are really engaging with it. I think they are looking for something to inspire them,” says Taronga Zoo chief executive Cameron Kerr.
The project was conceived as a way for Taronga Zoo to continue its role of inspiring the community to nurture a love for wildlife and to live more sustainably, even while guests can’t physically visit the zoo.
Aiming to provide some relief to parents and teachers navigating the struggles of home schooling, the lessons consist of four 30-minute videos each week, covering a range of topics from ‘zoo poo’ to ‘marine mammals’.
Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
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Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
“When the lockdown occurred this year, we asked ourselves: what are we going to do to make sure we’re still delivering the important conservation messaging that’s required for the wildlife we care for? That’s what’s led us to Lockdown Lessons,” Kerr explains.
Of course, Taronga TV continues to be as popular as ever. “We were amazed at the level of interest,” says Kerr of the initial project. Due to demand, Taronga TV has evolved from just three live cams to five, now featuring highly social meerkats, curious capybaras, penguins, otters and African savannah animals.
While the number of views for both Taronga TV and Lockdown Lessons are testament to the quality of the content, Kerr says he believes the lessons have found a sweet spot between information that is both entertaining and educational, with the added bonus of allowing parents and teachers half an hour to tend to their own work.
As well as these new ways to spread the message of conservation, the pandemic has also brought about other technological endeavours for the Zoo, necessitated by a desire to continue working with colleagues across the world. Although field work, which is often based on relationships with overseas local communities, has been tricky to maintain, Kerr says other Taronga teams have had the opportunity to delve into animal welfare programs using technology. “Our research and breeding teams have been able to focus a lot of energy on that work and we’ve had some successful projects going ahead with wonderful support from philanthropists,” he says.
One of these projects includes a partnership with IBM and other organisations to map future habitats for sea turtles as they change with the warming climate to ensure those areas will be protected. Kerr adds that embracing technology will also help projects to move more quickly and keep cross-cultural connections live. “When it’s not so easy to travel, the use of new technology is fantastic within the conservation field,” he says.
taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo
Facebook: facebook.com/tarongazoo
Instagram: instagram.com/tarongazoo
YouTube: youtube.com/user/TarongaSydney
Twitter: twitter.com/tarongazoo
For more information on things to see and do in Sydney go to www.sydney.com
Share your favourite holidays in Sydney and NSW on social media using @sydney #ilovesydney @visitnsw #lovensw.
The NSW Government via Destination NSW is sharing a series of NSW Success Stories – businesses of all types that have adapted their offerings to face the current environment and continue serving their community with a fresh approach and shining success. These innovative initiatives are nothing short of inspiring.
Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying the seal show at Taronga Zoo, Mosman.
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Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW
Family enjoying the seal show at Taronga Zoo, Mosman.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
#feelnewsydney
Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
#feelnewsydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
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Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
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Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
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Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
#feelnewsydney
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.