|
Anyone Game? It’s my Sep 2013 Blog! Normal Routine around Town #783, 05/18
Anyone Game? It’s my Sep 2013 Blog!
About Me Hello, and welcome to my Anyone Game…It’s my September/October2013 blog! This is me…. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...nDLDay1030.jpg …and I have been lurking on the boards since 2004 and a member since 2010. You’ll find me hanging out with the Games, Photographers and the Aussie section of the Boards and lurking about on the CB. Contrary to popular belief, I’m really the shy and retiring kind. My fingers, on the other hand….well…on both hands….my fingers – they’re the really sociable and chatty type. I’m planning to head back to WDW in late September or early October 2013 with my DH and DS. The reason for the trip will be to catch up with some of the other DisGamers for a DisMeet, which is the inspiration for my title! I’ve called this a blog rather than a PTR. Anyone who’s read one of my PTRs before (except for the 1st one) will have realized that I fill my PTRs with my outings and photographs than with actual planning. Given that we have a whole year, this will probably be more along the lines of “A Year in the Life of Melbourne” than it will be of ‘A Year of WDW Planning’. Afterall, there is really hotels, ADRS, tour plans and just about everything in between to plan for…..compared to festivals and other events, fairs, Christmas, birthdays, Australia Day, Chinese New Year, Easter, mini-breaks, scavenger hunts and whatnots to photograph. Besides; I've just finished a TR and everyone knows that the best way to beat the post trip/TR blues is to start another one! I hope you’ll settle in and join me in the next year on this journal. I look forward to sharing with, as well as learning from, all of you! So let’s see….introductions, start of thread….we’ve come to the DISclaimers section. DISclaimers.
I hope you stick around for this blog – as always – no seat belts required, feel free to keep your hands, feet and head or any other part of you outside the car – and remember….no liability will be assumed by the writer at any time! princess::upsidedow |
My Trip Details
My Trip Details
This page is reserved for details regarding the trip as it develops. My travel dates: As at 26 Jan 2013, these dates are locked in as the long haul flights have been bought and paid for. 13 Sep- Travel from Melbourne and arrive LA. As I will be crossing the International Date Line, I will be arriving in LA on the same day. 10 Oct - Travel from LA and head home to Melbourne. As I will be crossing the International Date Line, I will be arriving in Melbourne on 12 Oct. My travel companions: DS: He is 12 and he shows every sign of being a Disnophile, providing rollercoaster thrill rides are included. DH: He is not 12. He understands my love of Disney and happy to let me plan Disney vacays providing we pepper it with other activities. My DisMeet companions: Bobbiwoz franandaj. Her PTR for this trip can be found here. dhorner233 SunDial TiffanyD luvchefmic. Her PTR for this trip can be found here. ....and ANZAC Dis-sers Jade+3 WanderlustNZ My itinerary: As at 18 Feb 2013, here's the firmed up itinerary: 13 Sep: LA/Anaheim (4 nights) 17 Sep: Sedona (3 nights) 20 Sep: Grand Canyon (2 nights) 22 Sep: Page (2 nights) 24 Sep: Monument Valley (1 night) 25 Sep: Durango (4 nights) 29 Sep: WDW (8 nights) 7 Oct: Universal (2 nights) 9 Oct: LA (1 night) 10 Oct: Depart for Melbourne. Previous plans that have fallen by the wayside: 26 Jan 2013: New York and Hawaii are no longer in the picture. But hey......this is a PRE-trip report. Anything is still possible. 02 Feb 2013: First firm itinerary proposed - 13 Sep: LA (4 nights) 18 Feb 2013: Extra time in LA at the end has been culled. We are fitting in additional time in the Four Corners area and also shifting time at Universal at the end of the Orlando leg. We had previously thought to head there at the start of the Orlando section before WDW. And we are no longer taking the left fork at Albuquerque! My camera: Canon EOS 7D dSLR and a whole bunch of lenses princess::upsidedow |
Wild On at the Werribee Open Range Zoo
Wild On at the Werribee Open Range Zoo
If it is July in Melbourne, it is the heart of winter. This year has been particularly cold and wet thus far. Our winters do not get as cold as the mid-west as we don't have snowfall in the city (except on rare occassions) but wind chill in Melbourne takes it into Antarctic proportions. (Okay, I might be exaggerating the Antactic proportions a little...but there really is nothing but the stray Emperor Penguin between us and the Antarctic!). It is also winter school holidays in Melbourne and there is a ton of holiday activities for us to drop a bundle of cash on. I love animals of any description and my family have been Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ) members for quite a while now. Our FOTZ membership provides with free entry to the 3 zoos in Melbourne all year round. The three zoos include the Melbourne Zoo, the Werribee Open Range Zoo and the Healesville Sanctuary. So far this year, we've been to Healesville once, the Melbourne Zoo twice....and in July this year, we headed out to the Werribee Open Range Zoo. You see....in winter and during the school holidays, the WORZ has Wild On nights where the zoo is opened late. Much like being at Animal Kingdom, it is really an EMH between 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm; every night for the 2 week period. BYO torch, blanket and warm clothing. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn003.jpg We arrived there shortly after 4 pm; we got there too late and missed the last safari run. But the zoo includes a walking track round and we took the opportunity to check out some of the residents. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn006.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn009.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn038.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn031.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn036.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn017.jpg I rather think they were checking us out! Afterall, they are used to having the run of the facilities this late in the day. This was especially true of the big cats! http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn023.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn056.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn058.jpg For the Wild On nights, the zoo runs special programs. One of them was a close up encounter with the serval cat. The lucky ranger gets to work with the lovely servils and she showed us some of the behaviours and hunting tendencies of these cats. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn099.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn131.jpg This particular serval wasn't behaving properly on this night. It might have had something to do with about a couple of people in the audience eating during the show! The servil was looking in their direction until the zoo keeper told them to put the food away. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn142.jpg I also caught the fire dancers' show on this night. http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn167.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn204.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn219.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn267.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn177.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn181.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn148.jpg http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/z...8WildOn151.jpg DS likes the Wild On nights as the zoo provides free marshmallows to toast around an open campfire. Plus the zoo cafe makes a decent hot chocolate...*sweet*. Me? I'm always thankful for the opportunity to pull my camera out and practise shooting....particularly at an Open Range! princess::upsidedow |
|
No you're not exaggerating. It's antarcticly cold in Melbourne!
I always learn something new reading your PTR/TR/blog. I didn't know about the open range zoo!!! Perhaps it's a reason to go down to Melbourne again along with that fishbowl noodle soup. Gorgeous capture of the animals by the way! |
I am here and ready for the blog....
|
How do you expect your followers to get to the first page if you post so many updates first off? :rotfl2: Going back now to read.....
|
Excellent start. I am hoping to take a trip next October, but it would be the end if we did. One day, I will meet some or all of you gamers. Your trip sounds awesome and like my next three or four trips all in one. I am glad you are checking out Cars Land. New York and Hawaii are both on my list, so you cannot go wrong whether you or DH win on that topic. I've been to New York, so I would rather go to Hawaii first.
Excellent pictures of the zoo. Granted, they are very small on my phone but they still look awesome. Sorry you missed the last safari run, but glad you made "extra magic hours." Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards |
Holy smokes I haven't caught up yet with all the other stuff. I am in.
|
popcorn::
Sounds like it will be an awesome trip :thumbsup2 Can I put in a request for you to go to Hawaii so I can see Aulani :rotfl: I love the Werribee Zoo (especially the meerkats) - would have had our wedding there in a second if it wasn't so far away! As usual you got some awesome pics! And I finally know which big cat my little cat Oliver takes after with his markings - it's the servil! |
:tiptoe:
I'm here! Nice start :) The zoo trip looked like fun! |
I'm in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
PrincessInOz, please forgive me if this has been asked of you dozens of times (I just stumbled on this thread), but what camera are you using for your photography? Your photographs are stunning!
By the way, we will be in WDW shortly after you leave. Our trip is planned for the end of October. MNSSHP, here we come! I look forward to reading your blog, I'm glad I stumbled in! :) |
Hopping on board...
|
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:36 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 1997-2013, Werner Technologies, LLC. All Rights Reserved.