Center Parcs Leisure Resort with Isobel & Dan

 Center Parcs Leisure Resort

The sun was shinning as we excitedly arrived at our woodland lodges in the heart of Sherwood Forest. 

Following the woodland trail along the winding paths led us to the Wildlife Feeding Hide where we sat and carefully watched for any signs of wildlife.         

                                       

                                              

The key to being successful bird spotters is patience and before we knew it we were surrounded by squirrels, rabbits and beautifully coloured birds. 

A fun morning was spent on the lake where the water glistened in the warm spring sun. We put on our lifejackets and set sail on our electric powered boats. We all had a go at stearing, navigating our way around, taking in the stunning views. 

Back on dry land we treated ourselves to a tasty ice cream. 

Fun was had on the Adventure Golf course. We tackled this challenging 18 hole course, playing some fantastic shots all trying to get a 'hole in one'! 

We love celebrating a birthday on one of our holidays and we surprised Nicholas with a delicious chocolate cake. 

This sporty group put on the trainers and headed to the tennis courts for some friendly games of singles and doubles. There were some great skills on show, especially from our keen tennis player, Grace.

We had all been looking forward to our boules tournament. We split into two teams and the game commenced. It had been a close tournament throughout the morning, with only a few points in it. We crowned Team A champions and gave them a huge round of applause to celebrate their win.

Most mornings we were greeted by some very hungry geese. We were more than happy to oblige and we loved feeding them bits of bread. 

Farm Experience & Zoo with Midi & Netty

Farm Experience & Zoo 

We were overjoyed to be back at one of our favourite places, Colchester Zoo. We think the animals were just as excited to see us as they happily paraded around their enclosures. The cheeky monkeys and meerkats made us laugh with their silly antics and we were lucky enough to see the giraffes being fed. 

A highlight of the day was walking through the goat petting corner. They were more than happy for us to stroke them, hoping we may have some food for them.

We enjoyed a refreshing ice cream in the peaceful Zen Gardens. 

It was an amazing experience to be so close to all the different animals. 

A fun afternoon was spent at Boydells Farm; it was a real hands on experience.  

We met the friendly farmer who happily showed us around and introduced us to the week-old baby goats and lambs that we were thrilled to be able to cuddle. 

We fed the lamas, alpacas, horses and cows. Luckily for them we had plenty of food to go around. 

Our day ended with the farmer showing us how they milk the cows on the farm which they then later use to make into cheese and yogurts. 

Another day and another animal experience. This time with a few more unusual species! This fearless group happily jumped at the chance to hold the slithering snake, the terrifying tarantula, a bearded dragon and a very fluffy ferret.

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Taking in the fresh sea air we enjoyed a stroll along the promenade in Maldon, famous for its salt and also its collection of 200-year-old sailing ships that moor here. 

Midi did a great job as head chef, providing us with a delicious BBQ feast. It was a lovely way to relax and chat about our fantastic days out. 

    

Ready for our day ahead on the River Crouch and it had been something that we had all been really looking for to. Papermill Lock was our starting point, a beautiful spot with stunning views of the Essex countryside. We made our way to the vintage barge boat and took our seats before setting sail. A relaxing journey took us along the riverbanks where we all became expert bird spotters and wildlife watchers. We particularly enjoyed going through a lock and learning how the water level rises and falls. The views were picture perfect.