It's nice to visit the zoo, and be able to go round the back. Often the animals like to hide out of sight, and it's only possible to see them if you're one of the keepers. Or you bribe the maintenance staff. I'm told chocolate cake works wonders.

Managed to get everybody up on time, and out to the zoo. I set off on the tour, and Bronwyn and the girls attempted to follow me around the front, although that was tricky because Auckland Zoo is a total maze, and there's no sense of direction. And Sarah wanted to feed the animals too.

Giraffes first. The keeper got two buckets of carrots and celery. She chucked one bucket over the wall so the zebras could eat before the big boys came over. Then we stood there feeding vegetables into this eating machine with an 18 inch tongue. Giraffe heads are huge, and apparently this one wasn't fully grown.

Hippos next. Our hippo was 50 years old, and took a while to exit the pool. This one was more a case of basket ball. We took turns throwing in cabbages and apples, while she stood there with her mouth wide open. Very messy eaters, hippos. After a while, her mouth was drooling with pulverised carrot and saliva, and every time she bent down, some of it dribbled out.

Rhinos. We were warned not to put our arms round the corner while patting them, in case they shifted and squashed us. Fortunately they didn't. They got a bale of hay between two, and spent ages chewing it. Much slower than cows.

Lions. We had a few small pieces of meat, which we fed through the wire with tongs. My bit was slightly too big, and I had difficulty attempting to prod it through while smiling for the camera and avoiding the lion. The lions like to mark their territory after feeding. They have a range of four metres. We were told to keep our eyes open. However, the male didn't put on a show. Fortunately.

Met up with the others, and did a quick tour of the rest of the zoo, but Sarah was tired and Bronwyn exhausted. But it was worth it, and the weather held off until the drive home.

Bronwyn hasn't been well. Doctor thinks it's food poisoning, so she's on antibiotics and re-hydration fluids. Today she's just very tired, and struggling to keep food down. But she's had a quiet day today. Meanwhile, she's been buying various things for work (work is paying). Including a kitchen sink, a tap, and a number of other bits. She's planning an outdoor washing sink for the play area.

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