Anarctic Orana

More of the animals 

A colossal breakfast at Speight’s saw us fit and recovered to collect our second hire car. We travelled to the Antarctic Experience in the morning due to meet Hazel for lunch at HER wildlife park (Orana). The highlights of the Antarctic Experience is the big fridge (they simulate an Antarctic blizzard) and the Hagglund ride (an amphibious all terrain vehicle ride). They also have some penguins for you to tread on (another story).
 “I’m Hazel’s Brother” turned out to be a very useful phrase over the next few days and it all started on arrival to Orana. We were welcomed in and given our tickets to be eaten by lions and shown round the office. We had a pleasant lunch break with Hazel apart from her being set upon by a duck (she hates those ducks, not that she is an orange monkey or the duck was green or wearing a nappy!). After lunch we chased the feeding tour round the park. Lions, giraffe, rhino, cheetah, trout and wild dogs the list goes on. The big cats feed was the most impressive being in the cage on the truck within the enclosure while the keeper fed the lion above your head trying not to loose any fingers or customers. We were dedicated to seeing all that the park had to offer. This included us being at least half of the audience for the Trout Feeding session. Maybe the lion feeding was too much for everyone else who no doubt couldn’t then face the splashing of hungry fish… An honourable mention must go to the excellent new tiger exhibit and its clear and informative signage, many praises to the author of such fabulous work! That evening was the Orana Christmas bash at Speight’s (can’t guess who organised that) and we were reintroduced to many of Hazel’s colleagues some who I suspect may be after a quiet day at work the day after.