Human zoo

I got an email from Taronga Zoo last week, informing me that it was offering 40% off admission over the weekend. Wacko! I thought, the Household are so there.

What I didn’t consider were two things …

1. 40% off an astronomical sum is still an astronomical sum. Normal entry is $112 for a family of four. You do the maths on how much that is with the discount ’cause I can’t remember, but it was still somewhere in the $70s. Which doesn’t include parking – $16 – or additional sustenance to bulk out the paltry water bottles and cheese & bikkies snacks we packed. Souvenirs were so off the agenda, no matter how much Sprog 1 pouted.

2. Taronga Zoo send that email to A LOT of people. We arrived at 10am to the sight of several hundred people in a very long queue. Which was a bit nervous-making considering we had to be back at the Sprogs school by 2.30pm to register the eldest for band. Anxiety levels increased as we lined up behind another few hundred people for the seal show – totally worth it, those seals are awesome (although meeting my ex-brother-in-law’s mum in the queue was a bit freaky … Not to mention having to be explained to extended family members “This is your brother’s ex-wife’s sister”, “Er hi!”) – then several hundred people at the food court for the most expensive fried food on the planet after airports.

Queues, heart-attack inducing food and penury aside, the zoo was spectacular. It’s been fancied up since I was last there and totally gives my previous favourite zoo – Singapore Zoo – a run for its money.

The best bits (I reckon) were the meerkats, especially the guard meerkat, all alert and agitated; the giraffes, such improbable, gorgeous creatures; and the jungle fowls, I so want me some of those, do you think anyone breeds them for domestic purposes in Sydney?

The Sprogs loved it too, aside from the not-being-able-to-buy-anything-in-the-gift-shop bit. Boy am I getting strict on that front. Although … I did buy them Beanie Boos on Saturday to apologise for mixing up my hair appointments and making them sit on a couch in a salon for a two-hour colour rather than a one-hour cut.

But I did ban viewing Doctor Who on Saturday arvo when Sprog 1 came wailing to me that Sprog 2 punched her – impressive red mark to the ribcage – and Sprog 2 said it was because Sprog 1 threw her soft toy down the stairs. And Sprog 1 said she didn’t. And Sprog 2 said she did …

OK, so I backed down when Sprog 2 finally came clean and apologized for punching Sprog 1 and lying to me … but I stood firm for hours … which is definite progress for me.

So, how was your weekend? Total budget blow-out? Corrupted by bribery? Share please …