When mum kindly gave us season tickets to Manor House (Manor Wildlife Park) for Christmas I decided that I’d try to visit at least once a month to make the most of them. We went in January, I accidentally missed February and then became conscious that we were nearing the end of March so quickly planned a visit! We visited last weekend with Jo and Cerys (sadly Mum was too poorly). Here’s what we got up to:
Making the most of our tickets, each time we visit we try to focus on a different area of the park. If you are visiting from far way you can cover the whole park in a day if you arrive early but living locally we tend to arrive a bit later (leaving time for much needed weekend lie ins and homework time!). Last time we loved our time with the wallabies, but on this visit decided to focus on the safari walk and valley of the apes. At the beginning of the walk, the teen moaned that he didn’t want to join us on the walk. I was so tempted just to let him stay behind for an easy life but I’m glad I persevered because the moaning eventually faded and he began to enjoy himself- initially I always question whether I’m doing the right thing though and if the stress is worth it- with the benefit of hindsight- yes it is!
We still caught a glimpse of the wallabies along the way.
We also spotted Jaya and Terima, the Sumatran Tigers so went to see them before beginning our walk.
The Przewalski’s horses were so lively and playful- it was really fun to watch them run around..
We also passed the Bactrian Camels…
…and the rhinos.
We passed Oryx and admired their magnificent horns.
We also spotted an ostrich pecking for worms.
We spied robins and seagulls in the fields too!
I love the way their horns curve together in this photo.
The kids love the space to run around.
Running down the hill we spotted Rebecca was walking along with a cat. Caitlyn was a bit scared. She loves dogs and I often suspect she is part dog (haha!) and therefore either gets on with certain cats or not at all!
“Cat” is a boy cat and one of the loveliest cats you will ever meet- he is so gorgeous, fluffy and affectionate!
The kids wanted to take him home! He was so lovely and kept brushing against us.
He even has a heart shaped print on his back paw!
Cousins!
We finally reached Valley of the Apes. It’s always a joy to see Steve, the Siamang gibbon, in his natural home (rather than his old cage) and with his mate, Lisa and son Bryn. They make such a happy little family.
The girls joked that it was like watching Dave and Danny playing around together and I had to agree!
On the way back we stopped to admire the majestic tigers once more. Then the kids ran to play in the huge indoor soft play area.
After this we went to play in the hay barn. Life really is about the simple pleasures and the kids love this part of the day so much.
I love seeing just how happy she is being covered in hay! Haha!
The kids (okay and adults!) love jumping in the hay too.
Jo and I spent a lot of time laughing because as well as the graceful jumps there were also lots of times we could just see bums and legs sticking up ungracefully from the hay but they all had lots of fun!
Lastly it was time to play on the green. The kids love it here but my kids were in the mood for bickering and fighting over the one bike (oh they joys!). I’m sure onlookers suspected I was a bit cruel at one point as I left Izzy cry a little over a dispute with Danny but I do find they need to be given a chance to solve some problems on their own so they know what to do when I’m not around. They usually do…eventually!
Eventually it was sorted and they were all were friends again. I think now Izzy is getting older her siblings are beginning to treat her as an equal but she’s used to having advantages due to her younger age so is having to adjust to her new status in the sibling peer group- family politics, eh?!
Overall it was a lovely day and we will visit again soon!
