Wednesday - Busch Gardens

Early start today!  Busch Gardens is about 70 miles away and we wanted to get there for park opening, 10am.  Keith and I shopped last night for some sandwich stuff, so we got up and made a cup of tea about 7.15 and I made up a load of rolls and sandwiches for eating in the car for breakfast. We also took crisps, cookies and dried fruit. (hmmm really healthy breakfast!).

Anyway parked the car about 9.40 and took the tram from the car park to the park entrance and waited for them to open the gates. 

First stop was Walkabout Way, we bought 3 pots of food and wandered in to feed the kangaroos.  They were sooooo cute.  I think we all wanted to take one home.  We all had a go at feeding them by hand.

Next stop was Lori's Landing where you buy a pot a nectar and take it into an aviary full of Lorikeets.  Once they see the nectar pots they come flying from all directions and land on you.  Chloe was a bit nervous to start with but soon got used to it.

After the birds the coasters were calling us !!!! so we headed for Sheikra.  (I think we have turned Chloe into a coaster freak!)  Sheikra is a 200 ft high dive coaster - all of us loved it and because there was no queue went straight back for a second ride!  Grandma and Grandad sat watching a group of school kids getting wet from the spray of the coaster.

Onwards again and Sarah, Chloe and Stephen decided to try the log flume while Stewart had a caricature drawn.

Animals next and we entered the new Jungala exhibit where we saw Orangutans, and tigers, the tiger exhibit was great there was even a part where you poked your head up into a glass turret to see right into the tiger enclosure.  Even more bizarre one of the tigers was sleeping right on top of the turret.

Another coaster next, Keith, Sarah, Chloe and Steve went on Kumba, a high speed twisting, looping coaster.  The queues were so small they decided to wait for front row seats.

We headed back to the front of the park to do the Exotic Bird Encounter via the Elephants (Chloe was amazed at these and didn't know she was going to be seeing them), Otters, Giant Tortoises and Alligator.  We thought this was going to be a bird show but it was just a photo op with some of the birds from a different show but it was good, there was 2 parrots, a cockatoo and an owl.

Another coaster - Gwazi, a wooden coaster which is extremely rough.  Chloe didn't like this one so much., although Stephen didn't mind and did reride it with Keith at the end of the day.

Of again and a walk through the Chimpanzee and Gorilla enclosures (didn't see any chimps - I think they were hiding from the sun - it had got very, VERY hot).  We were going to take the train around the Serengeti Plain to see the zebras and giraffes but the train was full so we went to Rhino Rally where Stephen got chosen to the be navigator (slight disappointment here as some of the ride area has been removed while they reshape the area for a new coaster next year).

My favourites at Busch Gardens next, the hippos, I love that you can go to an underwater viewing area and see the hippo swimming (although he was just lolling in the water not actually swimming).  Also saw some turtles in there.  Nearby was some sleeping hyenas too.

Train was still busy so time for more coasters - this time Montu a hanging coaster.  Again no queue so 2 rides for Keith, Sarah, Chloe and Steve.

We watched the Critter Castaway show, similar to the one we watched yesterday at SeaWorld. Some really cute cats and dogs. 

Another try for the train, we managed to get on but because it was getting to closing time it only took us to the next station so we only saw some of the animals from a distance, oh well never mind.  We were all really tired by now, the weather here has been very hot and sticky today (around 89F feeling like 94), so we decided to call it a day and instead spent a while in some of the shops to buy some Busch Gardens souvenirs.

After leaving the park we stopped off for dinner at Cracker Barrel (or Chuckit Bucket as Grandad called them).  Really nice food and very reasonable (that suited Dad!!!).

Back to the villa by 9 and time for a swim for Mum, Sarah, Chloe, Stephen and I before bed.