jennie-robyn
Baby Mali at the Melbourne Zoo (Mali means "jasmine" and she's just as sweet as her name.)
Under sufferance I accompanied my partner to Melbourne for part of the Easter weekend. No mean feat given the six hour drive, (and I wasn't feeling well). I was truly into a martyrdom mode and only the expectation of being able to see Mali made me go. It was, as I said Easter, and the school holidays so I expected the zoo to be busy but I had no idea what it was going to be like and I can be thankful that I decided to go early.
Mali was born in January 2010, so a two month old baby elephant, even one who weighs over 200kg, needs to rest so they only allow viewing for about an hour in the mornings and an hour and a half in the afternoons. This was extended by a half hour to cope with the expected Easter rush.
At the main gates I got through no problems, and was advised that if I wanted to see Mali I should go straight there. It was 10.00 am and the first viewing was a t 10.30 am. I walked quickly but not running to the elephant enclosures and got onto the end of a line already 450 people long. I know this because the system allows for groups of 150 people at a time every five minutes, yes five minutes. And they count 150 and they move you out after five minutes. I got through at the tail end of the third group and by the time I went through, I could see the line stretched as far back as you could see.
There are three viewing areas and they tell you, you'll have no trouble seeing. Almost true but hey, I'm tall 5'8" and I can see over most. I'm not sure this is the case for shorter people or children. And you know what, in most crowds, they let kids go through to the front, but not for the Mali viewing. It was a jungle out there.
After the initial oohs and aahs, I start taking frantic photos hoping I've set the camera right. You have to take a couple on auto and a couple on sports mode, just in case you stuff it up yourself. or at least that's my theory. Then I realise, the sun is on the other side and all my photos have shadows nearest me. So I walked to another viewing area and watched the elephants walk to the complete other end of the barn yard. Damn I said, well no I didn't, I said worse. After all I was under pressure. This guy in front of me is holding up a video and blocking my camera view and all I keep getting is his arm on the side of each shot, zoom at the max.
Then they tell you to move on. So I did, sort of. I hadn't gotten to the end viewing area and by the time I was walking past it, the elephants had been lured back with branches of rubber trees and I could see the baby clearly for the first time so I nicked into the area and took a quick ten or so photos before someone said, quite crossly I thought, hey you can't double back.
I tell you this photography lurk is quite exciting, my heart was racing because I'm usually such a goodie two shoes that I dont go against the orders of officials. But this day I did.
For one moment I thought I would join the end of the line and wait again because after all, how many baby elephants do you get to see in your lifetime. I started walking back towards the end of the line, and walking and walking and walking, 200 metres later I decided the photo's I took would have to do. There was an estimate of about 2000 people (an official told me this) waiting by that time and imagine how long it was going to take in groups of 150 every five minutes.
When I left the zoo at about 12.30 pm, there was a line of about 300 people waiting to just get in the gate. If you're thinking about going, I'd advise to go early and wait until the school holidays are over if you can.
I can tell you I held my breath as I uploaded those photos and found these gems. I am sooo thrilled and soo happy I went to Melbourne for Easter. But dont tell Nigel!!
And if this works, thanks to Ann for showing me how to upload photos into your comments.
Cheers to all my Flickr friends and I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.
Baby Mali at the Melbourne Zoo (Mali means "jasmine" and she's just as sweet as her name.)
Under sufferance I accompanied my partner to Melbourne for part of the Easter weekend. No mean feat given the six hour drive, (and I wasn't feeling well). I was truly into a martyrdom mode and only the expectation of being able to see Mali made me go. It was, as I said Easter, and the school holidays so I expected the zoo to be busy but I had no idea what it was going to be like and I can be thankful that I decided to go early.
Mali was born in January 2010, so a two month old baby elephant, even one who weighs over 200kg, needs to rest so they only allow viewing for about an hour in the mornings and an hour and a half in the afternoons. This was extended by a half hour to cope with the expected Easter rush.
At the main gates I got through no problems, and was advised that if I wanted to see Mali I should go straight there. It was 10.00 am and the first viewing was a t 10.30 am. I walked quickly but not running to the elephant enclosures and got onto the end of a line already 450 people long. I know this because the system allows for groups of 150 people at a time every five minutes, yes five minutes. And they count 150 and they move you out after five minutes. I got through at the tail end of the third group and by the time I went through, I could see the line stretched as far back as you could see.
There are three viewing areas and they tell you, you'll have no trouble seeing. Almost true but hey, I'm tall 5'8" and I can see over most. I'm not sure this is the case for shorter people or children. And you know what, in most crowds, they let kids go through to the front, but not for the Mali viewing. It was a jungle out there.
After the initial oohs and aahs, I start taking frantic photos hoping I've set the camera right. You have to take a couple on auto and a couple on sports mode, just in case you stuff it up yourself. or at least that's my theory. Then I realise, the sun is on the other side and all my photos have shadows nearest me. So I walked to another viewing area and watched the elephants walk to the complete other end of the barn yard. Damn I said, well no I didn't, I said worse. After all I was under pressure. This guy in front of me is holding up a video and blocking my camera view and all I keep getting is his arm on the side of each shot, zoom at the max.
Then they tell you to move on. So I did, sort of. I hadn't gotten to the end viewing area and by the time I was walking past it, the elephants had been lured back with branches of rubber trees and I could see the baby clearly for the first time so I nicked into the area and took a quick ten or so photos before someone said, quite crossly I thought, hey you can't double back.
I tell you this photography lurk is quite exciting, my heart was racing because I'm usually such a goodie two shoes that I dont go against the orders of officials. But this day I did.
For one moment I thought I would join the end of the line and wait again because after all, how many baby elephants do you get to see in your lifetime. I started walking back towards the end of the line, and walking and walking and walking, 200 metres later I decided the photo's I took would have to do. There was an estimate of about 2000 people (an official told me this) waiting by that time and imagine how long it was going to take in groups of 150 every five minutes.
When I left the zoo at about 12.30 pm, there was a line of about 300 people waiting to just get in the gate. If you're thinking about going, I'd advise to go early and wait until the school holidays are over if you can.
I can tell you I held my breath as I uploaded those photos and found these gems. I am sooo thrilled and soo happy I went to Melbourne for Easter. But dont tell Nigel!!
And if this works, thanks to Ann for showing me how to upload photos into your comments.
Cheers to all my Flickr friends and I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.