3:28pm Friday 31st July 2009
By Ash Bolton
WITH the school summer holidays now in full swing, thousands of youngsters could be at a loss as to what to do with their time.
But the prospect has been made less daunting by Hampshire County Council and its culture-all campaign designed to celebrate everything that our county has to offer, from its main attractions to its hidden gems.
Here we take a look at the myriad of animal attractions right on our doorstep, focusing on Marwell Wildlife… WHAT do you do when you forget your little sister’s 12th birthday by more than a month? Well after feeling incredibly guilty I figured taking her and her friend to Marwell for a day was a step in the right direction.
It’s been ages since I’ve been to a zoo and it was great fun wandering around the park looking at dozens of different animals, insects and reptiles.
For me the highlights of the park included the giraffes, the rhinos, the lions and the Tropical World.
The Tropical World was fascinating as it mimicked the humid conditions of a rainforest and showed a variety of insects and plant life indigenous to that environment. The ant colony inside the large green house-style building was particularly interesting to watch as thousands of ants walked from one side of the colony to the other with bits of leaves on their backs to take to their nest.
One thing that isn’t obvious at the start of the park is the sheer scale of it. It is literally massive. Despite spending a whole day there I don’t think we managed to see everything.
But it’s not just the wide variety of species on display. We ended up in a well-equipped playground for a good two hours as the two girls (and my girlfriend and I) spent ages on a giant tyre swing and slide.
We also tried to walk across a giant rolling log. I almost made it across but fell on my bottom a mere foot from the end.
Other highlights of the park included the Bat House. In here you are almost in complete darkness so you can see the fruit bats. Be warned they were very smelly though.
But my favourite part was definitely the giraffes. Obviously they are very tall but you don’t really appreciate their size until you are right up next to them. The African Valley was also incredible to watch, as herds of zebra appeared to play tag in the distance.
I think if we were to go again I would take a picnic as there is plenty of open green space to spread a rug out and relax in the sun.
A great day out and plenty to keep a family entertained for an entire day.
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