Wild Nights Zoo After Dark

Last week Sir N and I had the delightful opportunity to join Paul at Werribee Open Range Zoo as the staff prepared for their annual Wild Nights Zoo After Dark.

This annual event begins today. We had a fantastic adventure last year.

In fact it made such an impression on Sir N, since he has heard that it's on again has been counting the sleeps until we can go.

Top Left - Nanki the serval Right - Promethean Jester
Bottom L - Sir N admiring the lights R - Promethean Jester

When and Where

• Saturday 30th June to Saturday 14th July 2012
• 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
• Entry closes at 7 pm
• Werribee Open Range Zoo
• This is an all-weather activity and will run in most conditions.

What to bring 

• Warm jackets
• Gum boots if it's been raining.
• Torch with red / blue celephane accross the front.  Use an elastic to secure your celephane.
• A big sense of adventure
• Your Camera
• Zoo Membership card if you have one.

The Cost

• Children 4-15 FREE (during school holidays/public Holidays/Saturday/Sunday)
• Zoo Members FREE
• Adult $25-40
• Concession and Package deals please visit Admission Prices
• For day visitors wanting to stay on for Wild Nights there is an upgrade available for $10.
• Serval under the Stars $2
• Night Safari - Adults / Children $55 (Friends of the zoo $ 35)

What's there to do ?

• Serval Under the Stars 
• Explore the Zoo with your torch
• Meet the Keepers
• Barbeque Marshmallows
• Watch some acts by the Promethean Jesters
• Nocturnal House - Creatures of the Night
• In the huts there are plenty of interactive things for the kids to try.

Hope to see you there !
Blessings
Chareen

A day at Johannesburg Zoo

Thursday 12th of April saw me braving Johannesburg traffic on my own.  I am forever grateful for a gps unit which took me safely to my sisters place from where we left to go to the Johannesburg Zoo.
We were joined by my sister, her three special boys, my brother in law and his youngest, my nephew, Paul and Sir N.

Paul and the cousins

We spent a lovely day exploring the 55 hectare zoo seeing their wonderful collection of animals and enjoying a picnic lunch.  My sister blessed us with an interesting potato stix which we thoroughly enjoyed.

It was so much fun recognizing animals that we had studied in Expedition Earth Animals.

The old lion enclosure, gorilla enclosure and other animals.

Beautiful animals

Jock of the Bushveld Memorial and behind the scenes encounter.

The entry and some of the old building about the zoo

As usual we took loads of photographs.  I love the digital era it has made preserving your memories and experiences so very easy. 

Blessings

An afternoon at WORZ

Today was a wonderful day with an afternoon of exploring Werribee Open Range Zoo.

We started our afternoon with a Serval Presentation and behind the scenes encounter.

Next we took a bus trip through the grasslands.

In the Kubu reserve we had a look at hippo, the boat and hippo play area.

Next we had a look at the Tourist Hut with a murial painted by Graeme Base.

We spent a brief time exploring the Pula walk looking at lions, wild dogs and meerkats.

We then proceeded to the classroom area where we were able to see all sorts of animals being fed.

Blessings
Chareen
Post is linking with: Homegrown Learners: Collage Friday.

A day time trip to the zoo.

Today was the last day of our week of rest and the weather was so beautiful we decided to go and visit Paul at the zoo along with Pop Pops and Granny. 

We were blessed with three wonderful encounters: The Serval Presentation, Behind the Scenes Serval Encounter,  and seeing The Cheetah Lure.

I wont say too much but let the pictures tell you of our adventure. 

Serval presentation. Paul showing the markings on the back of the ears.

Paul with serval in the serval encounter enclosure

A serval dew claw

Demonstrating just how high a serval can jump to catch a bird in the air.  Amazing.

Demonstating the agility of these beautiful african cats.

Cheetah waiting behind the scenes.

Watching Paul put out the cheetah lure.
 Zoo keeper explaining to us what is happening behind the scenes.

Successfully caught.  Now enjoying his meal.
The word cheetah means spotted one.

It was a wonderful afternoon of time together.  Over the years I have found that making outings like this an all day event would really exhaust the little people so these days we tend to go for two to three hours at a time.  I find that this shorter time span better suits us and tends to be more productive.

Blessings

Sustainability Expo

Yesterday Paul went to the local City Council Sustainability Expo at the local council offices as a Representative from the zoo that he works for. So Sir N and I decided to go for a visit and see what Daddy was doing and have a little look around. 

Firstly we had a look at the Melbourne Water display.  We pushed buttons to hear all sorts of frog calls and we learned that only the male frogs call when they feel safe.

On the other side they had a pond water display with all sorts of bugs for us to look at with magnifying glasses. They had a wonderful little book called: Australian Guide to Pond Life by Gould League I am really keen to see if our local library has a copy for us to look through.

Next we went indoors to find Daddy and all the wonderful animals Mark and him had brought along for the children to look at and touch.

This in Bonnie and she is a  Murray Darling Carpet Python 

This is Ned the Shingle Backed Lizard.

This is Colin the Ring Tailed Possum 

After a look and a touch we moved along to the Bunnings Alfalfa Sprouts head making table.

I am planning a photo essay on the seeds growing and how we made the head. A very easy at home project.

We had a look at a few other displays and finished off with being blessed with three native bush plants courtesy of the City Council.  I am planning to demolish the weed jungle in the garden bed out by my front door and enjoy these three plants: Fragrant Saltbush (Rhagodia Parabolica),  Blue Flax-Lily (Dianella Revoluta) and Austral Indigo (Indigofera Australis).

This was the first expo I have attended with Sir N. Have you been to any local expo's lately ? Do you have any suggestions of outings we could do together ?

Blessings

Night Zoo Delight

Thought I would share a photo story with you about what we did last night at Werribee Open Range Zoo. We arrived at the zoo at around 6 pm and spent a wonderful two and a half hours exploring and enjoying the dark!  It was fantastic. 
We went to the Wild Nights event which is on from the 2 - 16 July 2011.

And the cost ?
All children under the age of 16 have free entry to all three zoo's (Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo) during the holidays, public holidays and on weekends.

Photo Story of our Journey through the

Wild Nights Zoo after Dark event

The ad you can see from the motor way

I loved this gecko light which wonders around on the floor at the entrance.

These zebra statues are out the front of the bistro
If you walk among them you can find some baby zoo animal statues!
Loved the tails.

Meercats outside the Bistro

King is the African drummer. 
He let us touch his drum and told us he made his own drum.
The goats leather top is replaced every 3 months.

Fire Dancing

Next stop: The Nocturnal House

Nocturnal House

Wonderful reflective painted animal life

Can you see the frog ?

It was so interesting seeing this spider lit up at night!

Next Stop: Monkeys & Marshmallows 

Ready to enter the world of the Zoo at night.

This way to the monkeys =)

The monkeys were cuddled together in the cage.
This is a night behind the scenes for free.

This lady was an absolute treasure. She helped Sir N bake his marshmallows.
Then she gave him a special torch and helped him find things in the trees outside.
We saw two ringtailed possums.

Next Stop: Serval presentation 

Paul and Nanki at the Serval Presentation.

Hippos, Night Cruises, Obstical Course

and an Archiological Dig

Where else can you sit in a hippo mouth safely ?

The Kubu Queen boat at the hippo display

Obstacle Course

Look Mom FOUR brushes and all this sand =)

We had so much fun that Sir N wants to go again. So rug up and get batteries for your torch and make your way over to Werribee Open Range Zoo and experience a Night at the Zoo.  There are only two zoo's in Australia who open their doors to the public at night and this is one of them.