It's no secret that Sydney is one of the biggest go to cities in Australia for things to do because there is a lot and Darling Harbour is probably the biggest tourist hub in the city and that is where we take you today. Thanks to Merlin Events Australia we booked a private dining experience at Wild Life Sydney Zoo and I can't wait to tell you all about it! 

Arriving at Wild Life Sydney Zoo at 6pm we were warmly greeted with our hosts for the night Andrea and Washington. As Washington went off to ensure everything went along smoothly for us, Andrea gave us a tour of the zoo, showing us the animals on display and telling us all about them, she is very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about her role in the zoo as a zookeeper and about the animals that call the zoo home, I have to say, we certainly felt like VIP's having the whole zoo just to ourselves!

Entering the Kangaroo Walkabout we met Dot, Dawn and Dusk, three very beautiful kangaroos and had the opportunity to watch them eat their grass and give them a little pat. We even got to meet two very adorable 5 month old emus, they just had the most lovely personality and it was a joy to be able to feed them and give them a pat too!

After our encounter, and washing our hands of course, we were seated to a beautifully styled table within the Kangaroo Walkabout and ordered our drinks. Being located in the middle of the city I was very surprised at how quiet the space was, all I could hear were the songs of the birds who fly freely within the walkabout, one of their feeders was only meters away from us and I really enjoyed watching them so close, the colours on them are just stunning!

IMAGINE THIS, YOU ARE IN THE CENTRE OF A LARGE, BUSTLING CITY, TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE ARE ALL AROUND YOU IN EVERY DIRECTION YET ALL YOU HEAR IS THE SOUND OF BIRDS CALLING, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? WITH AN EXCLUSIVE, PRIVATE DINING EXPERIENCE!

Nibbling on our plate of starters including bread, marinated olives, oils and dips I was so absorbed in the moment of being in this tranquil environment, it is honestly so hard to believe that you are in the city!

Mains shortly came out and my goodness, the presentation was simply divine and the flavours were delicious! I had the baked Gippsland lamb rump with roast beetroot, smoked garlic potatoes and rosemary port glaze, my husband had the roast free range chicken breast with corn, leek and pea risotto, thyme jus and sweet potato crisp, both were cooked to absolute perfection!

After mains, as the sun started to set, we were taken up to where the koalas are for yet another encounter and where dessert would be served. We were taken inside the koala's area for an up close and personal experience. In NSW it is against regulation for guests to hold or touch the koalas but to just admire them as they are, whether that be snoozing, snacking on their leaves or just simply being cute is well worth it, I could spend hours with them just watching what they do, which let's be honest isn't a whole lot, they do sleep about 20 hours a day, but still, they are adorable okay!

Dessert was ready which meant sadly saying goodbye to these gorgeous girls. With the horrendous bushfires devastating Australia at the moment, which has taken the lives of far too many koalas and other Australian native animals, these girls are certainly the lucky ones and hopefully one day with the advancement of breeding programs and conservation, they can help rebuild what so many Australians and foreigners love about Australia.

Safe to say that dessert was the icing on what has been the most magical night I have had in a very long time. Both Andrea and Washington went above and beyond for us and made the experience really special and memorable. Whether you're a local or a visitor of Sydney, this private dining experience is an absolute must!