We met the Coles at the bottom of the hill but there was no more parking so we drove up to the top carpark. We bought our tickets and walked in while Lynn arranged for the Coles to meet us at the top as we figured it was better to work our way down to the bottom and take the Chair Lift up at the end. It sure was steep!
Assuming that they would be a while we found a ride to go on called Free Fall to give them time. It involved sitting in a large chair, being raised about 15 m in the air and being dropped repeatedly from various heights. I loved this ride and the view from the top was amazing! Craig had a farewell party with his mates from his old job last night and I couldn’t help but feel a little naughty by suggesting that we should all go on this ride when the Coles arrive!
We made our way to the lift terminus and waited for a while. Apparently there was quite a queue for the lift so Pete, Will and I went in to the Dodgems. Will started to freak out when we tried to get in a car so Lou came and rescued him while I chased Pete around the track. It was over too quickly and wasn’t fast enough but I guess I had just been to Alton Towers and at least the queues were shorter. Not long after, the Coles arrived at the top of the hill. Layla in particular enjoyed the ride!
Next stop was the Flight of Fantasy which was a neat little ride that went around in a sideways vertical circle. Unfortunately Will was too small to go on it but Layla enjoyed it. We wandered to the top of the hill to an area called Little Switzerland where the Coles went on the Flying Elephants ride and Pete and Lynn took Lorna on the Log Flume which made a huge splash while Lou and Will went through the Royal Cave Exhibition and the animatronic Animal Farm.
As we walked down the hill to find a spot for lunch we found the indoor soft play house which Will didn’t want to go past. It was a large soft room with big rubber pads and a section full of balls. Will played in the ball room for a good 20 minutes swimming, throwing and interacting with the other children. He didn’t want to leave but I promised him a packet of chippies and then he was willing.
We had our lunch in a nice quiet spot and made our way further down the hill where we found several wooden pictures with the faces cut out. Will and Layla jumped up to get their photos taken in a photo that looked disturbingly real! We carried on to the Rio Grande train ride. Will had developed a love of trains on our trip and was quite excited about it. The track was quite short but the train was fairly slow so Will had time to look around and enjoy it.
Next, we went on the Free Fall again. Pete wasn’t keen but Craig went on. Fortunately for him he was feeling a lot better than he was in the morning so he got to enjoy it without the nausea. Will was watching and got really upset the first time it dropped. Layla and Lorna went on Balloon’s Ferris Wheel while the rest of us went down the Lazy River Ride. There was a long queue for it but still nothing compared to Alton Towers. It was very much like the Congo River Rapids ride without the fast current and splashes which made it a nice leisurely ride.
The last ride was the Pirate Ship. Will was just big enough to get on so on we all got. Will started to look a little apprehensive when the bar came down became worried when it started moving then terrified when it was in full swing. He was gripping on the bar as hard as he could and he gritted his teeth so hard that we could hear it over the screams of the other riders. We did our best to calm him down and he relaxed when it started to slow down. However, as soon as we got off we was laughing and bouncing down the steps. Lou and I went on it again with the Coles and enjoyed it much more as Layla and Lou were faux screaming together.
It was time to go home so we bought some ice creams, said goodbye to the Coles and made our way to the Chair Lift. It was an old style ski lift with very little separating us from the ground. Will and I jumped on the first one and I was impressed with the way he sat there without squirming and just looked around at the scenery. It did get very high off the ground in a few places but that didn’t faze him at all.
Back at home we fired up the barbeque and cooked up a meat feast. The afternoon was hot and perfect for it. We had a great time drinking Pete’s non-alcoholic punch and watching the kids tire themselves out on the lawn. After they went to bed we had some wine and had a laugh at some of the photos we had taken over the last couple of days.
It was getting late so we retired indoors and sat ourselves in front of the Nintendo Wii that Rob had borrowed and brought over. It comes with controllers that sit comfortably in the hand with a strap that goes around your wrist. There is a sensor that tracks the movements and mimics them on the computer so you can play tennis or go bowling from the privacy of your own home. Probably a good thing as we all looked like a pack of idiots flailing in front of the TV. The whiskey was out too which made things more enjoyable and uncoordinated!
