Isle of Wight Day 2 - The Zoo and Sandown Beach

After an exhausting days travel and setting up the tent I think everyone slept really well on the first night camping. Whilst we had a little heater for the tent, Joshua decided to turn it off without telling anyone so It did get a little chilly as the temperature dropped through the night.

 

Anyway our first full day on the IOW was spent at the IOW Zoo and then the nearby Sandown Beach which is literally just opposite the road. The zoo is very small and you can get around the whole thing in maybe 2-3 hours. They have a reasonable selection of monkeys and a very good display of wild cats. They seem to pride themselves on the fact that all their animals are re-homed or bred in captivity and none of them are animals which are taken from the wild.

 

The kids had to search for various animal stamps throughout the zoo which seemed to keep them occupied. Although by the end of the day the stamps were being used to tattoo their arms and not stamp their sheets.

 

After lunch in the Zoo we headed over to the Sandown beach which is really, really nice. We made some sand castles with Holly whilst the boys body boarded and played around in the sea. The water was pretty nippy at around 14-15 degrees but the weather outside was just gorgeous and sun cream was required (especially for me and Josh). Brandon usually doesn't like the sea water on his face and avoids going in, but we saw a very different Brandon this holiday who was absolutely loving being in the sea and didn't even mind the cold water.

 

Back at the tent in the evening we got the burner out and made some smores as a snack. Smores are basically chocolate digestives with a cooked marsh mellow sandwiched in between them. Its a recipe the boys have learnt from Beavers/Cubs and is actually quite nice. This became a bit of a thing at the end of each day to just sit outside the tent and cook some smores before going to bed.

 

One of the monkeys at IOW zoo.

The kids all collecting their animal stamps before realising they can tattoo their arms with the stamps.

Brandon's favourite the Lemur's, once again he bought himself a little Lemur toy in the gift shop.

Beautiful lioness sitting up and soaking in the sun.

The albino lion was more inclined to sit in the shade.

Holly at the farm/petting area of the zoo.

We 5 King's at the IOW Zoo.

Holly with a photo bomb from a little meerkat.

The white tiger was sitting in the shade.

This little monkey enjoyed climbing the trees.

Along with this bigger monkey.

The IOW is famed for its dinosaurs so here is Brandon doing some archaeology.

Joshua finds some fossils.

Brandon helping Holly to find a dinosaur skeleton.

The leopard was a bit more active than the lions.

The boys enjoying playing in the sea at Sandown beach.

Holly playing in the sand with Tina.

Holly actually asked me to make her in to a Mermaid.

Then Joshua wanted to be a Merman.

Holly playing with her new bucket and spade. We couldn't fit any beach toys in the car so I had to buy her new stuff out there!

The boys took their snorkel masks from when we went to Menorca so that they could snorkel in the sea.

Joshua out snorkelling whilst Brandon body boards.

This was about as close as Holly got to going in to the sea.

We saw a new Brandon on this holiday who suddenly seemed to really like playing in the sea.

Brandon practicing some karate on holiday.

Then Joshua having a turn.

Not one of my best sand castles but then Holly destroyed it before it was finished anyway.

Me and the kiddies enjoying an afternoon in the sun on the beach.

Back at the tent and Joshua enjoying his smores.

Me showing Holly how to cook marshmallows over the burner.

Fast learner as Holly cooks her own. Although she never ate them and just kept cooking them for me!

All the family cooking marshmallows and making smores.