Delightful Ducks

As you may have noticed, we love ducks!!!!!

Last week we went back to the Wellington Botanic Gardens and one of the many lovely sights was the ducks in the Joy Fountain.

We don't usually see the ducks in the fountain as there are usually to many kids playing in the fountain so this was very cool to see.

People had been feeding them bread but these ducks in the Botanic Garden are very well fed so the bread was just floating around in the water.

Just down the path is the duck pond.
Tourists and locals alike love to come here.
There was bread floating around in the water here too.
Too many well fed ducks again.

We spent a bit of time watching the ducks as usual, it's very hypnotic, and before you know it time has flown.

A few of the male ducks were having a few flapping fights which is quite comical.
Others were busy grooming themselves and enjoying the sun like the rest of us.

Mother duck was taking the kids out for a paddle and at least they were eating the ignored floating bread.

The ducklings are really growing quickly.
Hopefully we get to see them next time we visit, which going to plan, will be next week.

Water Wars at the Joy Fountain

Surrounded by beautiful tulips and in the warm sunshine, the kids are all drawn to the Joy Fountain.

The Wellington Botanic Gardens has several fountains and this is a real favorite.

The fountain is of a boy and some birds.  The birds look like pigeons.  Around the sides of the pool are bronze frogs with water coming out of their mouths.
The kids, including Salem, were making the water from the frogs mouths spray everywhere and managed to cover quite a bit of distance.  They were aiming at each other.

Needless to say that the kids kept squirting each other, some were getting quite wet.
Salem got a bit soggy.  He enjoyed that.
I remember doing the same thing many, many moons ago.

I also spied him getting carried away with getting all the other kids to block off the other frogs mouths so that the pressure would build up in his frog so he would end up spraying people going by on the pathway.
Naughty boy!!!!

The Joy Fountain was unveiled in 1946.  It took 16 years to make. 
The cost to make the fountain had escalated from £120 up to £520.  
It was designed by Mr. Alex Fraser and it was originally made from Hinuera stone.

Over the years the soft stone of the fountain had deteriorated, so in 2009 it was remade with reconstituted marble.  The original frogs which have always been popular with generations of small and "big" children, were then recast in bronze. 

Only two more posts to go about our Spring Expedition ...........