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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Ethan Hamilton

Rescue centre spreads its wings with underwater café and butterfly house

New Additions: Tinny's Underwater Café and and Butterfly House have opened up alongside the Shark and Ray Rescue Centre at Bobs Farm. Pictures: Peter Lorimer

BOBS Farm is now home to a whole new wildlife experience in Tinny's Underwater Café and and Butterfly House.

As part of the Shark and Ray Rescue centre, profits from the underwater café will go towards the recovery of injured marine life.

"Fisherman bring us damaged sharks and rays and we often give them onto public aquariums so they don't have to source from the wild," Shark and Ray Rescue Centre director Andrew Tindale said.

"In the underwater café you've got seahorses , clownfish, sharks and rays swimming above you. People have the chance to get an education on how the animals look and feed.

"The butterfly house is designed to raise funds for mental health research and support local breeders. It's got various species of eggfly, orchard swallowtails, yellow migrants, orange and red lacewings and the Cairns birdwing to name a few."

A quarter of profits from the butterfly house goes to mental health initiatives. A visit to Tinny's involves about 20 minutes in each area plus the aviary.

"We've got a pond with rescued turtles in the aviary which will eventually house rescued birds," Mr Tindale said.

"It's just about finding different ways of getting animals in homes that can't be released back into the wild."

During the tour, visitors will receive a gourmet hotdog or pastry, snacks and a drink as part of their ticket.

"Anything from kranskies to big American hot dogs with pretty much whatever you want on them."

Mr Tindale has been operating from Bobs Farm for 15 years and he says public visits are the only way he can continue operating.

"The year has been really quite terrible until Sydney opened up. It still hasn't rebounded as much as we would like," he said.

"The feedback has been great so far but the pictures do it no justice."

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