First School Break Holiday Day 13-Dave's Birthday and the Zoo!

Sometimes you know people in the places where you visit, sometimes you don't know a soul and sometimes your friends know people and suggest that you get in touch with them for advice.

This was the third.  We got in touch with B who is a friend of a friend.  Before I know it, we are chatting on the phone and she is offering to take us out for a day to show us the zoo.  She had other plans too, but we are starting to feel pretty travel weary and in need of some down time.

B picked us up and drove us out to a local dam.  She had birdseed for the kids and the local birds were thrilled that we'd stopped by.  The birthday boy got a nice visit as well!

We drove up to the zoo and it was awesome!  The school holidays in Victoria have ended now and it is the middle of the week.  We shared the zoo with a few other families, but not many.  We got to see the kangaroo keeper talk and saw the bird show.  Oh the birds were naughty at today's show!! One flew up really high and wouldn't come back until lured, another two wouldn't leave at the end of their parts.

B is a phenomenal photographer and the quality of today's photos is far superior to what we usually have!

It was an absolutely amazing experience.  We were thrilled to have the local expertise and the advise to come out to the sanctuary campus that houses Australiana rather than the larger more standard zoo.

Before leaving, B bought everyone ice creams and gave the boys a souvenir.  Thank you so much!!

After the zoo we headed to do a beer tasting AND a wine tasting.  Happy birthday Dave! To celebrate, we bough 6 bottles of wine. I got a bit of an exasperated look from my loving husband.  It is obvious that he, rather than I, is responsible to pack up the trunk of the car at each stop.

When we got home our hosts outdid themselves and had a birthday cake!