Australian Reptile Park

We spent one sunny Wednesday during the school holiday at the Australian Reptile Park. The reptile park is only 30 minutes away. It's quite compact so you can get from one section to the next without a lot of walking. That was perfect for Lara, who was still recovering from the temperature she had a couple of days earlier. There are several enclosures that houseed various snakes, spiders, frogs and lizards, but there are some cuddly animals as well. There are shows on every 30 minutes or so (maybe more frquent during school holiday?) and these shows were excellent.

We watched Elvis the Alligator being fed - half a raw chicken at a time on a long stick! Saw several venomous snakes upclose and being taught what to do if you get bitten. At the reptile show, we saw a turtle, some lizards, a brown snake and a big python. These reptiles were left to wonder by themselves during the show. At one stage, the brown snake got very close to Lara's feet! When Elvis and the other lizards, turtles and crocs were resting in the sun, they look just like statues. The kids kept asking "Is it real?" "Are they real?" Then they saw the movements and shrieked "They are real!!"

It is a very hands on zoo. The kids fed kangaroos, patted lizards, a wombat as well as a dingo. I always considered dingo and wombat wild and never patted one in my life until now!

A very enjoyable family outing!