Animal Instinct: 14 October 2006
This week on Postcards the team use their animal instincts. Bridget enjoys a Rip Roaring Feed with the lions at the Werribee Zoo while Giaan decides the hippos lead a pretty good life. Matt Welsh shows Lauren everything there is to know about the Melbourne Zoo. Lawrence goes head to head with Bridget in a polo lesson. Glen goes whale watching in Warrnambool and stays in a fabulous beach house with its very own dog friendly beach.
Werribee Open Range Zoo
Visit Werribee Open Range Zoo and discover an amazing array of animals living in a wide open savanna. Discover cheetahs and cheeky monkeys at play, get close to a pride of lions, and trek across grassy plains to encounter rhinos, giraffes, zebras and hippos.
Rip Roaring Feed
Rip Roaring Feed offers an exciting and unique opportunity to encounter a pride of African Lions behind the scenes. Journey into Lions on the Edge and come face to face with lions in their natural African savanna habitat. Visitors accompany the keepers as they feed the lions and explain hpw they manage lion wellbeing, both in the zoo and in the wild. A Rip Roaring Feed is an unforgettable experience.
Open Vehicle Adventure
Take a unique opportunity to come face to face with magnificent wildlife from the back of an open vehicle. Have your camera focused and ready as you find yourself surrounded by rhino, zebra, giraffe and antelope. An Open Vehicle Adventure is the perfect setting for photographers to take out of Africa photographs without leaving Victoria. You will be completely immersed in then sights, smells and sounds of the savanna.
K Road, Werribee
Ph 03 9731 9600
www.zoo.org.au
Melbourne Zoo
More than 350 animal species from Australia and around the world are on view in a 55-acre botanic garden setting just outside of the city centre. Melbourne Zoo is Australia's oldest zoo – it opened on this site in 1862. Significant historic features such as the design of the Main Walk and an early twentieth century menagerie exhibit have been preserved in an historic zone.
Melbourne Zoo Twilights 2007, with artists such as Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Taxiride and Killing Heidi, begin on Saturday 20 January and runs every Saturday and Sunday night until 24 of March 2007.
Adopt an animal
Keepers at Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo care for more than 350 different animal species, from critically endangered snow leopards to gorillas, rhinoceros, platypus and giraffes. The funds raised through Living Gifts go towards the highest standard of food, expert veterinary treatment and daily care from zoo keepers. If you adopt an animal you will receive a personalised Living Gifts adoption package containing a certificate with a photo and facts about your animal. Throughout the year, you will receive bi-annual issues of Animals, the Zoos' official magazine with lots of stories about what's happening behind the scenes at the three zoos.
Elliott Avenue, Parkville
Ph 03 9285 9300 or Adopt an Animal 03 9285 9314
www.zoo.org.au
Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre
The Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre is one of Victoria's key international standard sporting facilities. It attracts interstate and international competitors and visitors to major events like Equitana and the World Polo Championships. The Centre was officially opened in 1984 as the designated state centre for equestrian activity and primarily as a focus for major equestrian events and elite training in Victoria. It consists of facilities suitable for both indoor and outdoor equestrian activities including dressage, show jumping, polo and cross country.
170 K Road, Werribee
Ph 03 9741 7672
www.werribeeparkequestriancentre.com.au
Whale watching
Southern Right Charters and Diving is operated by husband and wife team, Greg and Stephanie. It began operating as a company in 1998. The crew and skipper have over 40 years combined sea experience.
Each year between late May and early September, the waters along the Warrnambool coastline become a nursery for one of the largest species of great whales, the southern right whale. The southern right whale is sometimes known as a black right whale or as the Pacific right whale.
Adult southern right whales can measure up to 18 metres in length with tail flukes spanning five metres, and weigh between 50 and 80 tonnes. Calves are born in the shallow and relatively warm waters of the Southern Australian coastline (which includes Warrnambool) weighing approximately one tonne and measuring between four and five metres in length. They gain over 90 kilograms in weight per day with a diet of up to 125 litres of very rich milk from their mothers. Within the first few months of life the calf will gain up to ten tonnes in weight and eight metres in length.
Southern Right Charters and Diving
Ph 03 5562 5044
www.southernrightcharters.com.au
Hearn's Beach House
Glen checks out a five bedroom state of the art beach house located on private property on the south side of Port Fairy. Hearn's Beach House is ideal for two families or group of people. The beach house has all modern appliances and fantastic decks with breathtaking views. There is no better way to spend time away.
Ph 03 5568 3150
www.hearns.com.au
