Travis Wetlands

It was a nice sunny day so we thought we'd take a walk around the Travis Wetlands.

We'd never been before, but had seen a city council brochure so thought it sounded interesting. My seven year old boy is mad about wildlife so was hoping to see something exciting.

The verdict? Yeah, it was okay. A pleasant walk.

It took us (one adult and two kids, aged 6 and 7) about an hour and a half to walk around the whole circuit. They were pretty tired at the end.

We went clockwise from the main carpark, and one of the first things you come to is a viewing hide, which was kind of cool.

We didn't see any particularly exciting birds, but there were plenty of ducks, a few geese, and lots of pukekos (which were pretty good as far as the kids were concerned). Oh yeah, we saw some hawks (harriers?) so that was cool.

Three quarters of the way around there is a tall viewing deck that you climb up to. Again, nothing really to see but lots of flaxes and rushes.

All in all, yeah, it was a pleasant walk and gave us some good exercise. Don't expect to see heaps of amazing wildlife, although you may strike it lucky (as apparently there are up to 55 different types of birds).

Take drink bottles as it can get pretty hot - there's not a lot of shade. The track is fine for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Where: The corner of Travis Road and Frosts Road, out by QE2. There's a carpark off Frosts Road, up by Beach Road.

Cost: Free.

Website for maps and more info - click here.

Orana Park

So, we went to Orana Park. The kids have been begging me to take them for ages, but I've been resisting, because:

a) I have never thought that it's as good as Willowbank
b) I bought an annual pass for my son last year, but when I gave it to my husband to hand over to the counter on his second visit of the year he reckons they made him buy ANOTHER annual pass for my five year old. So our two visits for him cost $28 instead of $14. Grrrr. (Of course, this may not have been Orana Park's fault, it may have been my husband's fault, but hey. It's clouded my perception. And plus I always meant to get our $14 back but then my husband lost the pass.)

But I digress.

So, off we went - there was myself, my two children (aged six and four) and my friend and her three children (aged six, four and one). As neither of us had annual passes (which are well worth it if you're going to be going twice or more in a year - but BEWARE, the passes are not valid for a 12 month period, only until the following July... so don't buy one in May or June if you're not going to go at least twice in the next couple of months!) we paid up: it's free for preschoolers, $7 for children and $21 for adults. But we got a concession (2 adults and up to 3 kids) for $49.

We started walking. The thing I hate about Orana Park is that it's SO spread out. You walk for literally miles and the kids are exhausted. There is a little tractor thing you can catch every half hour, which in retrospect we should have taken FIRST and then have just walked to the good bits for a closer look afterwards. (We made the mistake of spending two and a half hours of walking around the park first, getting totally exhausted in the process. Then by the time we got back to the main base, intending to take the train thing, it had finished for the day. Cue children's tantrums.) The train/tractor is free.

Yep, only another hour of walking to go!

Meerkats. Otters. Boring adventure playground with quite possibly the worst designed flying fox around (the rope is too short! Kids can't do it by themselves!). Quite possibly the most depressing farmyard in existence. There was a lamb, two calves, and a couple of donkeys. The kids enjoyed patting the lamb.

The aviary was pretty good, actually! I was pleasantly surprised with that.

The monkeys looked suicidal. The tiger was a disappointment.

We then looked at our watches, realised it was nearly time for the giraffe feeding and so skipped the rest of that section (e.g. lions, zebras and stuff) to hottail it back to the giraffes.

Now, I LOVE the giraffe feeding. A highlight, and it makes the entrance fee worthwhile. You get right up and personal with the giraffes and there is plenty of food for everyone to have a go.

Then we moved on to see the rhinos being fed. Again, it was good.

Then the cheetahs, which was also good.

Then we slogged back around the dry dusty dirt road (just like the African savannah! I was trying to convince myself), past the Highland cattle and ostrich, back to the main building, where we discovered that it was already 4.30pm and that the train had finished for the day. (Did I mention the children's tantrum yet? Yes? Good.)

We tried to remember why we'd left it so late in the piece to come to Orana Park - oh yes, that's right, we wanted to give the kids lunch beforehand so to avoid them trying to get us to eat at the cafe. (There is a cafe, in case you're interested). In hindsight, I think it would have been best with children this young to have got there at around 10am and taken plenty of food and drink for a picnic (there are heaps of picnic spots).

So, next time we'll be doing that. Next time we'll also be getting on that damned train FIRST. Next time we'll make sure we co-ordinate our visit to take in the giraffes being fed, and any other feedings we can make (as they are by far the highlights).

I don't know why Orana Park makes me so grumpy as it's not that bad (and I have plenty of friends who absolutely LOVE the place!). I guess it always seems to exhaust me, and the dustiness, the heat (why is it always hot when I go there?), and the walking long distances just to see a single animal in a field makes me cranky. However, it's actually well worth a look, especially at feeding times. Older children are probably more suited to Orana Park than younger children (Willowbank for them!) due to the long distances.


Go to Orana Park's website for more information, including location (i.e. it's a way out of Christchurch, out behind the airport - it takes about 30 minutes to drive from the central city), prices and feeding times.

The Art Gallery

Oh we love the Art Gallery!

There's nothing better on a rainy day than to spend a pleasant hour or two wandering around the various galleries. My kids are aged 6 and 4 and they really love it too.

We usually park in the basement carpark ($1.10 per half hour). We peruse the downstairs exhibits (the temporary exhibits - by the way, the current Daniel Crooks exhibit is AMAZING! Well worth a visit!) before heading upstairs to the more permanent rooms.

There is a gallery set aside especially for kids, with plenty of interactive activities for them. It's great (not to mention educational)!

But even the main galleries are well worth a wander. My kids enjoy taking in all the different types of artworks, trying to decide what the picture is of, or what the artist was thinking when he or she made it.

There's a cafe downstairs if you fancy a snack (although to tell the truth, we avoid it when we have the kids with us as it just seems too fancy and I'm scared they'll break something!). There's also a gift shop which sells all sorts of exciting things (I was very excited to see my favourite painting on a gift card, mine for the very reasonable sum of $3).

Occasionally the gallery has shows and concerts on in the gallery foyer - last week we happened across a fantastic brass band concert, another time we came upon a hiphop dancing show.

And of course, admission is free - fantastic!

Visit the Art Gallery's website for more information on current exhibits and other bits and pieces.

The Art Gallery is in the central city, on Montreal Street, between Worcester and Gloucester Streets (the carpark entrance is off Gloucester Street).

Canterbury Museum

It was a cold rainy day so where better to go than to the Museum!

Unfortunately, nearly half of Christchurch and three quarters of all the tourists in town that day had the same idea. The place was heaving!

However, it was great.

I love the museum - it's such an interesting place to visit. The kids and I usually try to go along a couple of times a year, and even though it's usually always the same exhibits, it never gets boring.

We usually park in the Botanic Gardens carpark (free for up to 3 hours, and even if you stay longer there is no-one watching as far as I can see...) and walk through the gardens to the museum (about 5 to 10 minutes).

Once inside we go through the early New Zealand and Maori exhibits - the displays are always excellent!

Then we head through the old Christchurch streetscape, through the transport section, and we zip upstairs to the Egyptology, geology and dinosaur exhibits.

All of these different areas have plenty of hands-on stuff for the kids to enjoy - they get to sit on a horse in the old Christchurch street and go inside an olden-days toy shop. They get to ride in an old carriage and sit on a penny farthing in the transport section. There are magnet headdresses to put onto Egyptian pharoahs and you can touch meteorites and quartz in the geology section.

Then you come to the Discovery room - it is an added extra, especially for kids, and it costs $2 per person (free for under 3s). It is well worth it. (You can also pay an annual membership, about $15 if I remember rightly, which gives you unlimited access for the year).

We easily spend up to an hour in the Discovery Room - there are puzzles, books, magazines, toys, and a myriad of stuffed animals and pinned insects and butterflies to look at. My favourites are the jars upon jars of preserved specimens, including animal foetuses and even a human hand! The kids particularly like the animal figurines and the hands-on activities. We both really like opening up all the many specimen drawers to see what's inside.

My only complaint with the Discovery Room is the computers - they are loaded with The Magic Schoolbus games, but every single time we've tried to use them they seem to go SOOOOO SLOWWWWW. Plus the volume is set very low and we usually end up giving up in frustration after a few minutes.

Continuing on around the museum, there's the bird hall - always interesting. Then there's the boring room of Asian artifacts. Then there's the very interesting Canterbury environment exhibits - I always want to spend ages reading every single panel, but the kids always hurry me along as they're not that keen.

Last but not least is the Antarctic exhibit. Now, having just been to the Antarctic Centre a couple of weeks ago, I have to say that this exhibit is great. Save your money and just visit the museum instead.


Then there's the Museum Cafe. I have got good memories of this cafe - when I was a bored younger mother with two toddlers in a pram we used to come here during the quiet weekdays. The large picture windows give a lovely view of the Botanic Gardens and there were magazines for me to read while sipping my coffee. Plus there was a fantastic kids' play area, complete with baby friendly options also.

Then came this latest visit. Hmmmm.

Admittedly, it was a VERY busy Sunday afternoon. There were only two young women behind the counter, both working flat out, trying to serve the long queue. Unfortunately this meant that the cafe was disgustingly dirty. None of the girls had a chance to come out to clear and wipe tables. Every table was laden with dirty dishes.

I ordered a mocha coffee, which took about 10 minutes to arrive (due to the woman making coffees being snowed under in orders). It was the worst coffee ever. Luke warm, with a huge solid lump of grainy chocolate (inedible) at the bottom which made the last quarter of the cup undrinkable.

We also had a piece of chocolate fudge cake. Seeing as it was obviously made earlier in the day I figured it couldn't go wrong, right? Wrong. Worst fudge cake ever. It was disgusting and had the texture of sawdust.

I could have gone and complained, but those poor girls looked very unhappy to be there anyway. We just quietly left.


So that was my only disappointment, and it was a REAL disappointment after my previously good encounters in this cafe.


But overall, the museum is GREAT.


Cost - FREE!!!! (Donations accepted). $2 per person for the Discovery Room.

Allow - 2 hours minimum, but you could easily spend 3 - 4 hours there.

Location - Rolleston Ave, central Christchurch.

Visit the website for more information!

The Antarctic Centre

I must say in advance that I've always been a bit biased against the Antarctic Centre, ever since the first time I ever went there, in about 1997. I couldn't believe then that I had to pay the HUGE sum of about $12 to get into what I thought was nothing more than a boring museum about snow. Hmmph!

So over the past ten years I've refused to go back. "Overpriced!" I'd mutter. "Boring!" I'd snarl. "Tourist entrapment!" I'd yell.

But finally we decided to go for a visit, mainly because my five year old son had been BEGGING me to take him, so that he could see the penguins (he's a wildlife nut). And the reason that finally broke down my defences was that there was a half price special for locals on. So, I gritted my teeth, bundled the 5 year old boy and the 4 year old girl into the car, and off we went.

My first impressions were AWFUL. As I pulled into the carpark I nearly had a fit when I realised that you now have to "Pay and Display". This is a new thing, it certainly hadn't been there a couple of years ago when I came out here. I was LIVID.

I left the carpark immediately, deciding to park on the street. Well, that was no good, as there were now yellow no-parking lines everywhere. I could possibly have got a free park a few kilometres away if I really wanted to. Muttering murderously I reluctantly returned to the carpark.

I calmed down a bit once I went to put my money into the machine. Firstly, it was only $1 an hour, which wasn't exorbitant (I was fully expecting the centre to be charging something crazy like $4 an hour). Secondly, I only had a $20 note on me, which the machine didn't accept, but a nice woman gave me a couple of dollars and said "Enjoy yourselves!" I know she's not part of the Antarctic Centre's experience, but hey, she made me feel better.

(In hindsight I realise why the Centre has to now charge for carparking - the airport is only a ten minute walk away and I'm sure that they would have been having problems with people parking at the centre for free and then walking to the airport).

We went in and paid our money. The four year old was free (free for under 5s), the five year old cost $10 and I cost $15. Remember, this was half price admission - it would normally have been $50 for us to get in.

We headed straight to the penguin room, as they were being fed. My son was initially disappointed as the penguins were Little Blue Penguins. I guess he had been expecting Emperor Penguins or something! But the penguins were cute, and the viewing rooms gave views both above and below water, from three different angles, so that was cool.

We then went back to the Snow and Ice Room. We put on our warm jackets and overshoes (provided) and went in. It was cold. It was about minus 8 degrees celsius in there. There was an ice slide, that looked rather dangerous to me, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. There was also an igloo thing and a Antarctic tent. Then there was a countdown to the "storm", which built up slowly to a crescendo of wind and temperatures dropping to minus 20. It was a bit scary for my four year old, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Back out again, the rest of the time was spent looking at the static displays. There's heaps to look at, and a LOT of information about Antarctica and Scott Base in particular. My kids weren't into reading up all the scientific information on the display boards so we skimmed most of it and focussed on the visual displays. My son liked the Antarctic aquarium as well, with its non-moving fish and starfish.

The car parking machine had suggested that most people stay at the centre for three hours. I only paid for two hours, as I know my kids. I was right - we left after being in the Centre for an hour and 45 minutes. If you were to read every information panel you could easily be there for three hours.

Our admission was just the basic one. You can also pay more and get a ride on a Hagglund (overland transport truck used in the Antarctic). You can also pay more and actually go inside the penguin enclosure with the keepers. See the website for more information on these.


So, what did I think? Was it worth the price we paid?

Well, it was okay. I paid $25 for the three of us, and I felt it was only slightly overpriced. If I had paid $50 I would have felt ripped off.

I think that if you are REALLY interested in Antarctica and the scientific side of what happens down there, then you'll love it and will find it value for money.

I like the Snow and Ice Room - that's a great idea (except the ice slide) and the storm is good. The penguins are a nice addition.

But in general? Well, let me just say that we won't be visiting again for another ten years (time to save up).



For more info visit the Antarctic Centre's website.

Antarctic Centre - half price for locals in June 08

I've been wanting to go to the Antarctic Centre for ages (mainly because my 5 year old son keeps pestering me about seeing penguins) but the exorbitant (in my opinion, anyway) cost has always made me balk.

BUT! For the month of June 2008 the centre is offering half price admission for local residents, which makes the prospect of a day out much more affordable.

Just take along some proof of your local resident status (power bills with your address, library card, etc) and make the most of the offer. I'll be going along later this month and giving my opinion.

(And just for future reference, the Antarctic Centre's website has a page on it specifically for local special deals - yes, they do have them occasionally!)

Summertimes

Well, summer in Christchurch is finally crawling to its end, and so does Summertimes.

"What is Summertimes?" I hear you ask. Well, it's just a whole bunch of events, festivals, concerts, yada yada yada, that happen in summer. The Christchurch City Council markets them all together as Summertimes.

Some of the stuff is a bit... *yawn*... boring. But most of it is great.

We have certain events that we go to EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.


One of them is the World Busker's Festival.

Fantastic stuff! Free entertainment! Hilarious antics! Special shows just for the kids, as well as special night-time shows JUST for the adults (heh heh heh...).

Of course, as I said, it's free... but remember that they're buskers - this is what they do for a living. The council pays for their airfares and accommodation (altogether now! Y! M! C! A!) but they have to beg off the audience for their paychecks. (We're a bit stingy in our household but the kids do love to throw a couple of coins in the busker's hat - it's all part of the experience.)

So, the Busking Festival is a must-see. It happens every year in Christchurch in mid-January. Check out the website for more details.


What else? Oh, there's a myriad of other things to do and see. We used to go to the Teddy Bear's Picnic until the year we lost our 2 year old son in the 10,000 strong crowd. It was a tense 25 minutes, I tell you. Teddy bears or not, we've never been again.

The Culture Galore festival at Ray Blank Park is always another must-see in our household, both for the extraordinary array of cultures exhibiting (who knew that so many different nationalities resided in whiter-than-white ol' Christchurch???) and the fact that Ray Blank Park is only a block from Grandma's house. But seriously - the kids had a great time, and when you have a Free Bouncy Castle and Free Face Painting on offer (amongst other Free Stuff), what more could you ask for?


And finally, the other Fave Festival is the Chinese Lantern Festival, held every Chinese New Year in Victoria Square. This year it was a bit of a wash-out, but last year's event was spectacular. One word 0f warning though - hold on to your children's hands VERY TIGHTLY. Better still - carry them. The crowds were so dense that I was seriously worried that we would be crushed or suffocated. (Maybe in this respect the rained out event was better after all.)


These are just a few of the many things on offer in Christchurch during the summer. Take a look at the Summertimes website to check them out.

And if you're just wondering "What's on this week in Christchurch?" then have a squizz at the Be There website. Plenty of things to see and do. You can even get a weekly newsletter emailed to you to let you know what's happening so that you don't miss a thing.

Have fun!

The library!

Some people might think that the thing I'm about to suggest is about as exciting as watching paint dry, and for them that may just be the case. (I'm also surprised that these people can read are reading this at all, but there you have it.)

We LOVE visiting the library. Myself and the kids visit at least weekly. We have a card each, each cardholder is able to take out up to 20 items a time, and so we're usually walking out of the local library each week laden down with 60 books/DVDs/posters/videos in several carrier bags.

If you have preschoolers then the Storytime sessions are a great source of free entertainment for an hour each week. For parents who're bored stiff and know no other parents, they're also a great way to meet new people. (I should know - nearly all of my best friends were collected at the library).

Once a month the Storytime hour is taken over by a Music and Movement hour - again, totally free and great fun for the little ones.

If your little ones are REALLY little ones (i.e. under 2) then there's also Babytimes - these are monthly sessions and even sometimes end with a laid-on morning tea, with the emphasis on the parents getting to know each other.

I *heart* our libraries!


Christchurch has a huge number of libraries, and just about every suburb has easy access to one. Some are in stunning locations - I have spent many a relaxing half hour reading magazines while sitting on the sea-view seats looking out over the Pacific Ocean at the New Brighton Library.

Libraries are no longer all about books - on a rainy day you'll find plenty of people playing computer games, surfing the net, reading magazines, and even playing Playstation games (only in some libraries!). You can borrow movies (kids' ones are free!), posters, CD roms, talking books, puzzles and more.

If you have preschoolers, and are at a loose end, then try to find a Storytime session. Relaxing, easy, back to basics stuff.


Library locations in Christchurch:

Central, Bishopdale, Halswell, Fendalton, Hornby, Linwood, Lyttelton, New Brighton, Papanui, Parklands, Redwood, Shirley, South, Spreydon, Sumner, Upper Riccarton.

For Storytimes session details visit here.

Waitangi at Willowbank

You all know that I love Willowbank. It's a great day out for the family, in my humble opinion.

Well, for those of you too stingy to fork out to see for yourself, head along down to Husseys Road on Waitangi Day (February 6th) - every year Willowbank offers free entry between 10am and 3pm.

I've never been along myself on that day as I hear it can get a bit crowded (and with my ANNUAL PASS -did I mention what great value that is yet? - I can go whenever I like anyway) but there is apparently entertainment and it's a good day out.

So there you go.

The Botanic Gardens playground

The Christchurch Botanic Gardens playground is CLASSIC. I have photos of myself, aged 3 years old, playing happily there. It is practically a Christchurch institution.

These days the playground is a bit safer than it used to be - heaps of sturdy plastic equipment, plenty of soft mats to fall on, and NO roundabouts (have you noticed that every playground in Christchurch is slowly but surely becoming roundabout bereft? Not that I'm particularly upset, as I've spent many a worrying moment watching toddlers attempt to board a speeding one). But the playground STILL has the wonderful toddler pools and is still situated in a gorgeous and central part of town.



The good things:

• The pools. There are two pools - one bigger and deeper for the older children (it's about 70 or 80cm at its deepest, at my guess) and a smaller shallower one for the babies and toddlers (about 10 or 20cm deep). These are only filled in the summertime, so remember to bring your togs on those hot nor'wester days!


• The equipment. There are two areas - one specifically aimed at toddlers, which is handy as you don't end up getting your just-walking one year old knocked over by rambunctious eight year olds, and the other is a general play area with the usual swings, slides and monkey bars.


• The Botanic Gardens in the centre of the city - you're right there. It's a lovely setting and SO easy to wander off with the kids on a nature walk.


• The ice-cream shop attached to the kiosk.


• The places to sit and have a picnic - plenty of seating around the place and heaps of grassed areas to lay out a picnic rug.


• The toilets - only a short walk away.


• Car parking - plenty of free carparks in Hagley Park - take the Armagh Street/Rolleston Ave entrance.


• For those with disabled children, there is also a special wheelchair friendly swing - I've never seen it being used but at least it's there.


• The ducks from the nearby Avon River. Remember to take some bread! The kids LOVE feeding the ducks, and in spring you have the added bonus of ducklings.

The bad things:

• The ducks. Don't feed them IN the playground area if you can help it, as they end up pooing all the over the place. Watch where you sit.


• In the winter try to avoid the playground before about 11am, or else you'll find all the equipment is covered in dew. It's a bit tragic to have upset kids wondering why their backsides are wet when the sun is shining.

This place is really popular during weekday mornings with mothers' groups, as the preschoolers have the run of the place while the older kids are at school. Bring your own thermos of coffee or buy a cappuccino and a slice at the nearby kiosk cafe - even better on a cold winter's morning as they have an open fire.

Make sure you take the time to stand on the footbridge leading to the carpark and look for trout and eels in the river below. And if you have an extra ten minutes walk the 100m or so over to Victoria Lake and watch the old men playing with their remote control yachts - the kids love this!

THE LOWDOWN:

Cost: Free!

Location: Botanical Gardens, in Hagley Park. Either walk through the gardens going West from the Museum entrance, or drive into the Armagh Street entrance and park in the carpark and then head over the footbridge - the playground is just there.

Hours: The gates are open during daylight hours.

Suitable for: Everyone!

Allow: as much time as you have - half an hour is okay, but three hours and a picnic is better.

Swimming at the CCC pools

Swimming - perfect for those hot sunny days when you just need to cool off, but also great for those cold winter days when the thought of a hot spa and sauna makes your toes tingle with anticipation.

Christchurch has plenty of great pools, but I'm only going to write about the ones I go to regularly - QE2, Centennial and Pioneer.

My favourite is DEFINITELY QE2. It is amazing value for money!

There's the 50m lap pool. The diving pool. The preschooler's pool. And then there's the main leisure pool, complete with Pirate Ship (with nice little water slides perfect for the little kids), lazy river (with crazy whirlpools), and REAL LIVE WAVES every half hour or so (my kids' eyes nearly popped out of their heads when the waves first started on our first visit - they'd never had so much fun!).

And then there's the spa pools, the sauna and the steam room. Mmmmmm.

Oh, and did I mention the hydroslides? These have a minimum age limit (not entirely sure what it is) and you have to pay extra, but from what my nieces and nephews say, they're well worth the cost. (I haven't yet had the chance to experience the hydroslides, but that's because my kids are too young to leave them unattended!).

Anyway, so QE2. Crazily good value. Myself, my 5 year old and my 4 year old get in for $5. Yes, you heard me right. $5 for ALL THREE OF US.

Of course, if I were to go all by myself it'd cost about $5 as well. But then at least I'd get to actually go into the lap pool, do a few laps, then chill out in the spa, sauna and steam rooms without having to keep eagle eyes on my two little ones.

The only con I can think of with QE2 is the location - WAY out in deepest darkest... ummmm, what is it? Burwood? North Brighton? Queenspark? One of those Northern suburbs anyway.


So, if you're stuck in town, without transport, then head to the Centennial!

It's right in the central city, and it also has a kid's pool (with lazy river), a lap pool, a spa, a sauna and a steam room. Again, such good value and only five minutes walk from Cathedral Square.

The only "con" with the Centennial is that, being in the central city, you have to pay for parking.


And if you're out in the southern suburbs? Then the Pioneer's the place for you. The facilities are pretty much the same as the Centennial, but the parking is FREE (as is QE2, in case you hadn't realised).



There are heaps more pools in Christchurch, including some outdoor ones, but these are the ones we like to go to.

As I have both a boy and a girl, another bonus is the family changing rooms in these places. My 5 year old son is telling me that NO WAY is he going to be getting buck naked in the GIRLS' changing rooms anymore (fair enough), and NO WAY am I letting him go to the BOYS' changing rooms all by himself. So these wee private family changing rooms (complete with private shower) are a godsend. All the CCC pools have them.

Oh, and if you're that way inclined, these pools all have gyms associated with them and they do awesome packages that include unlimited pool and gym use. Great value!


THE LOWDOWN:

Cost:
Adults $5, Child $2.50, Parent with preschooler $2.50 (so it's cheaper for you to go with your little one than to go by yourself!). There are plenty of other prices so check the website for info.

Hours:
Generally between 7am and 8pm.

Location:
Check the website!

Suitable for:
EVERYONE!

Allow:
A couple of hours - or at least until your fingers and toes have gone pruney.


My rating: 9 out of 10

Willowbank

Willowbank, aah, Willowbank. My family has a serious love affair with Willowbank.

Before I had kids my knowledge of Willowbank was minimal. I'd been there once in the evening for dinner at the restaurant in 1996. It was my sister's 16th birthday, plus the night that myself and the husband (then he was simply a British tourist I fancied) decided "officially" to tie the knot. Maybe it was the romance of Willowbank that clinched it for us?

Anyway, a few years down the track the kids arrived en masse. (Well, okay, en duo, if you will). Suddenly we rediscovered Willowbank.

Willowbank is FANTASTIC for preschoolers. All the paths are stroller/pram-friendly (which also means that they're wheelchair friendly as well, in case that's an issue for you). You never have to walk for very long to come across the next animal attraction - very handy for keeping the little ones interested.

We rediscovered Willowbank when my son (now 5) was about 3 (although I'd recommend the place to anyone, children or no children, and even babies after the age of about 6 months seem to enjoy seeing the animals). After one visit we realised what a hit it was and immediately bought annual passes - EXCELLENT VALUE. We now visit on a monthly basis, and dependent on the weather there's always something new to see. (I remember once going when it was raining - we had the park almost to ourselves and WOW! Suddenly all the animals that are usually so shy on a sunny day were out in force.)

The other good thing about having an annual pass (and thus going regularly throughout the year) is that you can visit during each season, which is great from a "cycle of life" perspective. We've seen ducklings, baby pukekos, goslings, lambs, and my absolute favourite - the Kunekune piglets (always at this time of year there's a sign up saying they're for sale, and I'm always SORELY tempted).

Our favourite parts of Willowbank:

• The Kiwi House - I've been to a few Kiwi Houses in my time and this is BY FAR the best I've ever encountered. On a good day you can see about six kiwis and sometimes they're close enough to touch (but DON'T).
• The Farmyard - splash out and buy some animal food at the front desk. It's fun to feed the llamas, the pigs, the sheep, and especially that rambunctious goat that always gets itself tied up into knots trying to get at the food.
• The Aviary - those kea are fantastic. We once happened upon the aviary when it was kea feeding time, which was very interesting.
• The Eels - again, you can buy food for the eels if you like, but try to catch the eel feeding if you can - lots of interesting information to learn if you ask the right questions!
• The Geese - these are free range geese and actually scare the living daylights out of my kids. But I love them. I also love the free range ducks, pukekos, chickens and peacocks.

Other animals you can see are deer, ostriches, wallabies, turtles, spider monkeys, otters, parrots, lemurs, chimpanzees, Clydesdale horse, and more.

Okay, so no place is perfect, right? Well, yes. There are a couple of things I DON'T like about Willowbank.

Firstly, the only toilets are in the main building. I learnt the hard way (with young children) that it's best to remember to GO TO THE TOILET FIRST before you set off around the park. Otherwise you'll end up with kids whining "I need to go WEEEEEEEES! NOW!!!!!!" and you have to quickly race back to the main reception building (or else try to do a sneaky one in the bushes, which I haven't had to resort to YET).

Secondly, the picnic area by the Farmyard isn't really that great. Sure, there are a few tables and chairs scattered around, but the last time we went to Willowbank it was 35 degrees celsius and SWELTERING. NO-ONE was sitting at the tables. Everyone was huddled around the edges of the picnic area trying to get any shade they could find. It was actually extremely uncomfortable. Sure sure, I realise that on a usual Christchurch day the last thing anyone wants is shade, but surely it'd be good to put out some sun umbrellas or at the very least MOVE THE TABLES to somewhere shady on a hot hot day?

But overall, no real complaints. Willowbank is a great day out.

THE LOWDOWN

Cost:

Adults $21, Kids 5 and over $10.50, Seniors $18.00 (current as of today), Under 5's FREE.

Annual pass: Adults $29, Child $19, Family $62 (valid one year from date of purchase).

Hours:

From 10am til late (evening dinner, Maori Cultural Experience and night tours available at night - haven't done it yet, but hope to go this year)

Location:

60 Hussey Road, on the city boundary. Drive yourself or take the Christchurch Best Attractions Bus from Cathedral Square (see website for more info).

Suitable for:

Adults, children, teenagers, preschoolers, seniors, disabled.

Allow:

About 2 - 3 hours, and remember to take a picnic lunch (or else you'll end up having to splash out at the cafe, which isn't the worst thing in the world that can happen).

My rating: 9 out of 10.