New look Waterhole Cafe for Taronga Western Plains Zoo

The 150-seat Waterhole Cafe will replace the Midway Kiosk at Taronga Western Plains Zoo which is undergoing a $10.2 million facelift.

The new cafe will offer panoramic views, have an over-water deck and be situated next to new meerkat and star tortoise exhibits. It will also a feature a water play area, designed to look like an African waterhole. 

"We're really trying to tell the story for the water cycle and the droughts and floods that occur through the water courses throughout Africa, which is the native habitat for the vast majority of our animals here at the zoo," Taronga Western Plains Zoo director Steve Hinks told the Forbes Advocate.

"The waterholes are an essential area where most of the species come together. In a similar vein that's what we're doing with our guests by bringing them around the waterhole."

Hinks said the new café would take the zoo's food and beverage offerings to the next level.

"Modern zoos need to provide an environment where we're transporting guests into the social and the environmental situations that the animals live in and it's really telling that story on a deeper level," Hinks said.

"This project, like the lion project, is about educating our guests on what life may be like in an African setting."

David Payne Constructions begin work this month on the new Waterhole Cafe which is expected to take 12 months to complete.

Sheridan Randall, 5^th March 2019