20-07-20 Kingsley: Zoo with Lachie

Monday 20th July 2020

A visit to the zoo to celebrate the final day of winter holidays is on our agenda today as we take every conceivable mode of transport to take us from 60 Brook street to Taronga and back. We begin early enough and quite miraculously out the door by 10am age three kids clean fed bathed dressed changed and my phone battery charged.

We walk to the bus, take the 374 to Randwick, meet Lachie Anya Sienna and mum Nikki at the Tram, a tram ride to Circular Quay, a ferry to Athol Wharf then up to Taronga by bus. By this stage all six children are hungry so even before entering the turnstile we take a picnic.

Of course Kingsley won’t eat Nikki’s home made sausage rolls but happily takes a packet of crisps which horrifies me. By hook and crook Kingsley eats some tasty meat from the sausage roll, and a glass of milk. Only now can he eat his crisps without me flipping.

And so at 1pm precisely three hours since we left home, the kids are ready to explore the zoo and first stop is the largest rodent on earth, the capybara. Nary do they even cast their eye on them; the climbing structure and playground here is awesome!

Next is the backyard petting area, boys already in their shorts and flip flops not even bothering with the pretty alpacas. They’d rather be climbing once again the large structure and splashing about in the water feature. In they dive and out they emerge an hour later shivering and frozen. I manage to shove a banana into Kingsley’s mouth but only because he wants to show Lachie how to feed the goats banana peel.

Kiddies enjoy the giraffes, the chimps and oddly enough the giant carp.

Going home on the ferry some old crusty seaman grumbles to the older three “where are your parents?” when on board. Our kids weren’t even doing anything but waiting behind the yellow line. But Kingsley couldn’t care less; he got his prize: finding $2 coin in one of the vending machines he’s always checking.