Lions, tigers, and kiwis, oh my!

Ok, well we didn't see kiwis this round either but on New Years Day we did go to the zoo where we saw some pretty cool stuff. Piling into the cars for our last adventure before Geoff and Derek had to get on a plane and fly home. This was the last thing on Geoff's list and thankfully we got to do it. The weather cooperated nicely and in the mild temperature, we were happy to see a great deal of the animals. Wandering around trying not to do too much backtracking, we aimed to see every exhibit and hopefully the animals would cooperate too. Unlike the landscape shots, this time Dad's subjects were doing considerably more moving, but that adds to the fun of photography. There wasn't anything specific that we really desperately wanted to see, except maybe the little blue penguins. This time round, some animals, such as the tigers, were out and about patrolling their enclosures, while creatures such as the Tasmanian devils were no where to be seen.

The morning sun had turned to afternoon heat but we carried on, having only seen half the park. Mom got to see a few more birds that she could check off in the New Zealand birder's book including a nice close up with a Kea.

Mostly though, we made as the animals did and lazily wandered, basking in the sun. The meerkats were one of the few animals that seemed to still be in a rush to do things, while the lions and alligators had the right idea.

It was a nice pace compared to the rest of the trip as we had no hotel to get to, no reservations for attractions to meet. We didn't even mind when the Asian elephant was out for a stroll and blocked our way. We lingered round the monkey cages as some very small monkeys and marmosets gobbled down handfuls of peas.

Probably the best sighting of the day was the very end when we got to see the giraffe bend his front legs and bow his head to a small pond to take a drink. Just imagining the effort required to drink through one of the longest "straws" in the animal kingdom without the help of gravity. 

On the way out, Geoff with his neon green shirt that had been a beacon to his where-about, finally found a place where he could blend in. His orange toes still gave him away.

The next day was a sad one. It was finally time to admit that the family adventure was coming to a close. Although Mom and Dad would be staying on a few more days, we would not all be together. We went down to Potters Park and spent the morning throwing the Frisbee around which was fun, just thinking back to all the hours we spent doing just that on Mountfield crescent. The boys went up to Mount Eden to see it during the day, after which, we proceeded to eat the belated but very delicious Christmas dinner Mary-Ellen had cooked for us. With their bags packed, we headed to the airport, checked in, and waited at the gate to board. This was it and it was starting to hit me, that I wouldn't be seeing the boys again in person for some time. When we got home, with Mom and Dad taking a break at the hotel, Mary-Ellen and I entered the house where we had stayed these last two and half weeks. No suitcases, no air mattress, no Nintendos lying around. It was probably the loneliest we had felt since we left Canada. Thankfully, we still had time with Mom and Dad, so we tidied up and got ready for an early sleep, thinking of all the fun we had while the boys were here.