We went to the zoo today. We took public transport, the kids love that. While we were on the bus on the way in Alice and I counted how much money she and Josh had to bank on the way home, and figured out what their new balances would be after they had made their deposits. While we were on the train a lady offered Alice a biscuit because her manners were so good.
We missed our bus from the bus port because I continued downstairs while Mike took Josh to the toilet and Mike thought Alice and I were in the toilets, too. He was waiting for us upstairs. We were still only five minutes late to the zoo, which was good as Jodie was waiting for us!
Our first stop was at the Variety Club playground so the kids could eat their morning tea. Laura saw what we all assumed was a fake frog set into the wall we were sitting on. But Jodie touched it, it jumped and Jodie and I screamed, freaking out Laura. It was a big brown frog, which we all enjoyed looking at, pointing it out to one of the school groups that passed. Then Mike picked it up and moved it into one of the garden beds so it would be safe. Alice and I had a talk about how finding a wild frog meant that the zoo had a very healthy ecosystem, as frogs absorb all sorts of things through their skin and get sick very easily. We then had a lovely chat with a docent who told us that the male wombat was running around his exhibit, so we decided to make the Australian Wildlife exhibit our first stop.
In actual fact we wound up going into the walk-through aviary first, which is one of the displays we rarely make it to (what do you want to see kids? Nocturnal house, tigers, elephants!!! All up the other end of the zoo). We all really enjoyed seeing the different birds, it's amazing the way each section is set up with the right foods and habitat for each type of bird, and they just stay put. I can't remember most of the names, but there were wading birds with long legs and long beaks that can't swim, they just walk around in the shallows for food. There were quite big birds that stood very still on the ground and looked like tree stumps. We saw a female fairy wren and a couple of different types of parrot. The information that was available was also great. On the way out there was a crank handle that played different sounds so the kids could try to identify bird noises from other noises, and information on the different foods birds eat, and how that related to their beak shapes. I was very impressed by that exhibit.
Next we went into the Bushwalk. The dingo pups were asleep. We could just see their backs and the tips of their ears. The echidnas were asleep too, all curled up in a bundle. The kangaroos were reasonably active. We spoke with a couple of docents who gave us some info on where the different varieties of kangaroos live and also some of the facial differences of the different breeds. I spotted the wallabies on the way out. We saw a numbat and quokkas. On the way out we went past the wombats and the male was wandering all around his enclosure, scratching his back and running to and fro. That was definitely a highlight in a day of amazing occurrences. We also saw the crocodile on our way past, and the dingo pups were up and running around by this point.
I'm not going to list everything in great detail, and I'm not going to attempt to get it all chronologically correct! We lunched at the cafe, Mike and I got coffee, yum! We saw pelicans that had just been fed, elephants (one of them pooed, something I doubt any of the kids will ever forget!), tigers, the baby sunbear who is now in his own enclosure and otters. At this point Jodie and Laura had to head off to get Aiden from school. The golden gibbons, who were making friend with a bunch of highschool boys. We talked there again with another docent who told us that in twenty minutes she was going to be opening the cotton top tamarin walk though! Now, we've never made that particular activity before, so we went via the orang-utans to the primates and went into the exhibit, with the monkeys jumping into branches right in front of our faces. By this stage Joshua was exhausted. We went out through the African savannah, checked out the radiated tortoises, the meerkats and the lions. One lion was sitting right next to the glass and one was walking back and forth, brushing right up against the glass. Another truly amazing highlight to an amazing day.
I'm sure I've missed things that we did and saw, but I've covered the main points. Oh, we went up to the homestead also, had a look around and a quick talk about solar power and passive solar design.
On our way to the ferry we stopped to do the kids' banking. Alice did hers, with excellent manners. I will attempt to ensure that even if it is only a small amount that the kids bank money once a fortnight. It will do Alice good to see the money accruing.
The ferry was a joy as always. Josh and I saw a water bird of some description bobbing down under the water, staying down for ages and then popping up for a second or two, only to disappear again. And we saw another pelican just before we pulled away from the jetty.
We missed the Blue Cat as we got off the ferry. I spotted some bronze swans on a little grassed area just over the other side of the car park, and as the bus had just left decided we could go and have a look. Not only were there more sculptures than the initial two I saw, there were also several REAL black swans. I got a photo with great composition of the two kids sitting on sculptures with real swans in the background. Unfortunately I need to either get a real camera that can take rapid shots so I can get good expressions on the kids, or they need to learn to sit still! They both have weird expressions on their faces, but it's a lovely photo all the same.
We got home after 5 pm. Mike lit a fire in the brazier and we toasted marshmallows with Jessica. Today was a wonderful day.
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