Based at a very cool air bnb in Brunswick, we walked the short distance through the park to the Melbourne Zoo. The Zoo visit was one of Katy's birthday presents and it turns out a cheap one at that as all kids get in for free during school holidays!
Entering the zoo at the Rail Gate, our first loop was the Lion Gorge. The African Wild dogs were roaming looking for food, the lions were enjoying relaxing in the sunshine, the funny looking coatis were busy, the snow leopards nowhere to be seen and the Sumatran tiger was sadly pacing its enclosure.
Leaving the Lion Gorge, we made a beeline to the Great Flight Aviary for the 10.30am keeper talk. With no sign of the keeper, we wandered through the aviary spotting various birds - Bush Stone Curlews, Jabiru, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, before returning to the entrance hoping someone would turn up which they eventually did. Unfortunately the keeper talk was very rushed and slightly disappointing - especially for our bird enthusiast Ella who was keen to soak up more info on birds!
Leaving the aviary, we continued around the Australian Bush loop, finishing at the koalas as they were being feed. Katy and Andy got prime views of these cuddly creatures! Already feeling the heat, we called into the Giraffe Lookout Cafe for a morning snack. A great spot, as the name suggests to watch the giraffes and zebras go about their business.
Katy was keen to see the seal talk, so we found the Wild Sea trail and made our way to the seal enclosure. Obviously a popular talk as the seating area was packed but we managed to squeeze ourselves onto some steps. The seal show while educating us all on seals, their behaviour and training also had nicely woven environmental message into it.
After a bite to eat, we were eager to find the Butterfly house and see if it lived up to its reputation. We had a great close up view of another happier Sumatran tiger who was enjoying a meal as we scooted by in search of butterflies.
Going by the large number of people inside the butterfly house, it looked like it wasn't going to disappoint. Once through the double doors, the inside of the glasshouse was muggy and crowded but full of butterflies. We all paused and soon had numerous butterflies landing on us. They especially loved Ella's yellow hat!
By the time we exited the butterfly house, it was early afternoon, we were all feeling a little parched and decided that the Trail of the Elephants would be our final loop. Wandering through the lush Asian inspired landscaping, we watched the elephants and the orang-utans. With more exciting plans for the evening we were all glad to return back to our loft to relax for a few hours.
The other night, I went to find the girls and see what they were up to. Both were in Katy's room with Ella at Katy's desk. I asked her what she was up and she replied that she was cleaning Katy's room for her. What a lovely gesture!
Ella has been lucky enough to inherit from Aoife's cousin Lily, a beautiful young boy budgie called Skittles. Only a year old, Skittles is a social little fellow who formed a very strong bond with Lily's dog Cooper. It was Cooper's obsession (possibly a border collie trait) that led him to watch and stare at Skittles and thus no longer interacted with any other family member, that lead to Ella acquiring him. Although Lily loved Skittles, her and her family wanted Cooper back. After an introductory meeting, Skittles returned home with Ella for a week long trial.
On Friday, we explored the nearby Gorge Walk. Originally made by pick, shovel and blasting powder but was later deepened using dynamite, the gorge was built as a tail race to sluice gravel and sand in hope of finding gold in the 1850's. The kids rock hopped up and down the small stream before the inevitable fall occurred with Jessica taking a dip into the cold water.
On our drive out to the orienteering on Saturday, we passed what has to be the coolest letterbox in Australia - a water drop! The Oceania Long Distance Champs saw us return to the famous Kangaroo Crossing and boy were we all in for a very long day. It all began with a 2.7km walk to the start on a warm spring morning! Katy maintained her 4th place, while the rest of us managed to be in the top 10 for our respective age groups but were a long way down on time.
Our last day in Melbourne was spent wandering around and not doing much. The girls decided they wanted to go the Imax theatre and watch the movie Superpower Dogs. In this short film we journey around the world with our 3D glasses on to meet several remarkable dogs who save lives or assist people in everyday life. It was a nice feel good movie for the dog lovers in our family! From there we ambled back into town to find lunch followed by a spot of shopping before returning to our garage loft accomodation.
The seats we'd booked were in the dress circle (the top level) and directly in the middle which made for great viewing. The show was fantastic and the girls were amazed having never experience anything like it before. The adaptations to the story were interesting and everyone loved when the oompa loompas came on. An awesome night out!
Based at a very cool air bnb in Brunswick, we walked the short distance through the park to the Melbourne Zoo. The Zoo visit was one of Katy's birthday presents and it turns out a cheap one at that as all kids get in for free during school holidays!
Leaving the Lion Gorge, we made a beeline to the Great Flight Aviary for the 10.30am keeper talk. With no sign of the keeper, we wandered through the aviary spotting various birds - Bush Stone Curlews, Jabiru, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, before returning to the entrance hoping someone would turn up which they eventually did. Unfortunately the keeper talk was very rushed and slightly disappointing - especially for our bird enthusiast Ella who was keen to soak up more info on birds!
Leaving the aviary, we continued around the Australian Bush loop, finishing at the koalas as they were being feed. Katy and Andy got prime views of these cuddly creatures! Already feeling the heat, we called into the Giraffe Lookout Cafe for a morning snack. A great spot, as the name suggests to watch the giraffes and zebras go about their business.
After a bite to eat, we were eager to find the Butterfly house and see if it lived up to its reputation. We had a great close up view of another happier Sumatran tiger who was enjoying a meal as we scooted by in search of butterflies.
