A little zoo goes a long way

We might not have the biggest zoo in the world

Yes you can walk around it an hour or so

There are no elephants here

But kiwis and moreporks we can definitely claim

Cheeky South American monkeys and macaws too

And a very obliging Komodo dragon 

Or is he....that face is somewhere between grinning and menacing methinks

How I love seeing my 3 boys all walking under their own steam with not a stroller in sight these days

And yes...even at the zoo I can still find myself totally distracted by the beauty in nature

It seems I cannot look past a lovely flower or two

Down to the Roost we go with a spring in our step

And wonder in our eyes

Why hello Mr Tawny Frogmouth - you are a mouthful to say and a sight to behold

And you Mr cheeky Cockatoo - you make us giggle with your ability to turn anything into an antic

And then the landscape changes as we climb into the African savannah

Beholding the king of beasts having the king of sleeps 

One of our favourite things to do is to peep out from inside the safari crates

Before embarking on our own open air Jeep safari adventure

We can't make it past here without a drive and nor would we even dream of trying to

Such is the enjoyment and natural affinity we see in this budding driver

Our friend the wooden hippo is true to form, still the perfect resting place for a snack

and a little contemplation

While graceful heads glide by at eye level

And giant birds seem merely dwarfed in their wake

Today the late afternoon sun brings all the Meerkat Manor dwellers out to play

And with the sun on their faces, these mammals also bask in the late afternoon glow

And at our last stop, the little mammals burn off their remaining energy

Running, sliding

Laughing, climbing

Breathless with excitement and exhilarated by the experience

Yes, it's just a little zoo. Nothing fancy by world zoo standards.

But it's our little zoo.

And we love it.