During our weekend in Shannon, the caravan club members took a trip to Owlcatraz, native bird and wildlife park. Entering the café building, we paid our fees and got reacquainted with Big Red, or rather, what was left of him. Sadly, Big Red is now confined to the wall, but in his day he was a real draw card. Reputably the world's biggest cattle beast, Big Red weighed in at 2.8 tonnes and stood 2m high at the shoulder. All that weight had given him trouble with his hips and legs, and he died during an operation on his feet. We remember getting our photos taken standing beside him some years ago on an earlier visit.
The remains of Big Red
Derek made friends with Joey the Cockatoo outside. Who’s a cheeky boy then?
Derek with Joey
The peacock was busy displaying his gorgeous tail feathers while the two peahens showed not the slightest bit of interest. No doubt they had seen it all this posturing and tail feather shaking before. We were quite impressed though.
The resident peacock
The guide led us to the main aim of our visit to see the native owls (ruru) in their owl house. Photography was not allowed inside the darkened house, and we were told the exciting news that two new owlets had recently hatched.
Then we were taken on a farm walk, and helped feed the Kune Kune pig her dog biscuits. She is so well mannered that she sits down waiting for visitors to toss the biscuits in her mouth.
Oha Kune waiting for her treats
What else? Donkeys and alpacas, all coming up to the fence when the visitors arrived, waiting for some treats from the public. Children in particular (and the young at heart) love to feed the animals.
Donkeys and alpacas
The path meanders through native trees and took us on to the man made Lake Owlsmere, home to many varieties of ducks and birdlife. Our guide stopped and we looked for eels in the streams, yes, they were there all right. This is a lovely property, with much to see and do.
Tranquil Lake Owlsmere
Returning to the gift shop we sat and enjoyed a complimentary cuppa, while Joey the Cockatoo kept us amused at his antics. His favourite thing to do is to tear up cardboard boxes, and have fun with the visitors. It was a great afternoon out.
2 comments:
It sounds like you all had an interesting outing. Poor Big Red.
Hi Jenny and Robin,
I took the grandsons there in January - good fun. We stayed in the motorhome overnight (for free) in the carpark and had it all to ourselves.
I had passed it many times on my way to and from PN airport when commuting to Hokitika, so was keen to check it out. It was certainly worth a visit and was well planned to make it interesting and interactive for kids.
Cheers, Marilyn
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