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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

An Apollonaut travel guide

Moments in a longer story.

Selected milestones in the history of Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.

An aerial view at sunset over a highway, lakes and farmland in the Hunter Valley, with mountains beyond
On this page

Zoo and wildlife park

These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.

  1. 2007

    Hunter Valley Zoo

    The zoo is founded at Nulkaba, near Cessnock.

  2. 2021

    New owners

    In July the zoo is bought and joins Australian Wildlife Parks.

  3. 2021

    A new name

    On 19 November the zoo is relaunched as Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.

  4. Today

    More than 200 animals

    Walk-through habitats, keeper talks and animals from Australia and around the world.

Follow the stories behind the dates

A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and the place; the sources below provide further context.

Read at the source

Sources & further reading

Links lead to the original publishers.

The Apollonaut collection

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Gardens, palaces and landmarks you can book today. Search by attraction or city, or browse them all below.

The Breakers seen across its lawn, with arcaded loggias between two wings and red-tiled roofs Bookable

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A blue Scenic Skyway cabin crossing the gorge towards the cliff-top station at Scenic World, above eucalypt forest Bookable

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The mansion at Nemours Estate beside a clipped boxwood parterre and a gravel walk Bookable

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Wilmington, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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A male lion resting on a timber platform in the sun at Sydney Zoo Bookable

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Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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The west front of Monticello, with its white columned portico and dome above a wide lawn, under autumn trees Bookable

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Charlottesville, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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The white-columned portico and stone façade of Graceland, with a white lion statue on each side of the front steps Bookable

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Memphis, USA · Art & culture

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Verandahed shops along the unsealed Main Street of Sovereign Hill Bookable

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Ballarat, Australia · Art & culture

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The rendered walls and arched windows of the Woolmers homestead, with roses along its front Bookable

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Longford, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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The Space Needle beside the towers of downtown Seattle, with Mount Rainier in the distance Bookable

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Seattle, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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Two elephants beside a pool in a leafy enclosure at Australia Zoo Bookable

Australia Zoo

Sunshine Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$155

Sharks and fish swimming above coral in a large tank at Cairns Aquarium Bookable

Cairns Aquarium

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$122

The moss-streaked towers of the castle at Paronella Park, rising above tropical plants Bookable

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Mena Creek, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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The Lake Michigan shoreline and Lake Shore Drive in the evening, seen from the observation deck Bookable

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Chicago, USA · Palaces & landmarks

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Blue Skyfari gondolas gliding above the wooded canyons and red-roofed buildings of the zoo under a bright blue sky Bookable

San Diego Zoo

San Diego, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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A giant panda sitting among green plants and eating bamboo at Adelaide Zoo Bookable

Adelaide Zoo

Adelaide, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$99

A green-and-cream vintage streetcar passing the arched front of Pier 15 on the Embarcadero Bookable

Exploratorium

San Francisco, USA · Art & culture

From US$80

The domed Zoo Center at the Bronx Zoo, with carved elephant heads beside its arched entrance, on a summer day Bookable

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New York, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The bluestone gatehouse of Kryal Castle, its name above the arched entrance between two round towers, photographed in 1996 Bookable

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Ballarat, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

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The Big Pheasant, a giant painted pheasant statue rising above native shrubs at Tynong, under a blue sky Bookable

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Melbourne, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

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The steel walkway of the Tahune Airwalk curving out over the forest, with the Huon River and wooded hills below Bookable

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From A$70

The Field Museum’s long columned front and steps, with Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline beyond Bookable

Field Museum

Chicago, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

A Tasmanian devil sitting on a flat rock in front of fallen logs and a rocky stream Bookable

Devils@Cradle

Cradle Mountain, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$55

The Dreamworld globe and sign above the park entrance, with wide curved steps in front under a blue sky Bookable

Dreamworld

Gold Coast, Australia · Art & culture

From A$198

The wooden observation tower above the breeding marsh at Gatorland, with still water and green trees under a blue sky Bookable

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Coloured tube slides at WhiteWater World winding above yellow shade sails and a pool, with a roller coaster loop behind Bookable

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The tall Aussie World sign by the road, with striped entrance tents, a Ferris wheel and the pub building under a blue sky Bookable

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The Memphis Zoo’s Egyptian-style entrance, painted with hieroglyphs and animal figures, under a blue sky Bookable

Memphis Zoo

Memphis, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The Audubon Zoo entrance, with its green sign and painted animals above the gates, framed by tall palm trees Bookable

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New Orleans, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The Phoenix Zoo’s curved brick entrance building beneath a shade canopy and a blue sky Bookable

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Phoenix, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The Houston Zoo main entrance, with its large sign above a covered gateway on a sunny day Bookable

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Houston, USA · Gardens & outdoors

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The London Eye beside County Hall on the South Bank, seen across the River Thames under a blue sky with clouds Bookable

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London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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Two giraffes outside the brick Giraffe House at London Zoo, with its tall arched doorways, on a sunny day Bookable

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London, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

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The Round Tower of Windsor Castle on its mound, a flag flying above it, behind battlemented stone walls under a blue sky Bookable

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London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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The long stone south front of Warwick Castle and its round corner tower, above the River Avon and a wide lawn Bookable

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Warwick, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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The White Tower rising above the outer walls of the Tower of London, seen across the Thames under a blue sky Bookable

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London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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The south front of Blenheim Palace, a long Baroque façade of golden stone with a columned portico and corner towers, above a wide lawn Bookable

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Oxford, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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The stone circle at Stonehenge on its grassy plain, sarsen uprights and lintels against a pale sky Bookable

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Brightly painted wooden boats on the sand beside a lagoon in the Islands area of Chester Zoo Bookable

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Chester, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

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The west towers and the pinnacled south side of York Minster under a blue sky with white clouds Bookable

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York, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

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The angular, silver-clad Titanic Belfast building under a deep blue sky with white clouds Bookable

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The Alcazaba and the walls of the Alhambra above the trees of Granada Bookable

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Granada, Spain · Palaces & landmarks

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Palm tree and palace walls reflected in the central pool at El Badi Palace Bookable

El Badi Palace

Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

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The garden courtyard and mausoleum buildings at the Saadian Tombs Bookable

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Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

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The Grand Courtyard of Bahia Palace with its painted galleries Bookable

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Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

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The Menara Pavilion and its palms reflected in the great basin Bookable

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A restored arched gate of the Roman camp at Tamuda, with Tétouan beyond Bookable

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Tétouan, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

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The Arch of Caracalla at Volubilis, with farmland beyond Bookable

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The harbour tower and arches of the Skala du Port above blue fishing boats Bookable

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