Roaring Fun Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Hey there (mum!). How’s your week going? I think I’m suffering with back-to-work-itis. Last week was truly relaxing and so nice to be away from the laptop. Back to reality now though.
Our final trip out last week was to the beautiful Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in North Devon. It combines a wildlife and dinosaur park, spread over 28 acres, and includes lots of indoor and outdoor attractions for the whole family. We had lots of fun, with our highlights being the sea lion show, wallaby stroking and getting up close to the meerkats.
Animated Dinosaurs
I don’t know about you but my boy absolutely loves dinosaurs. When I told him we were going to a dinosaur park he fired a load of questions at me. Are they real dinosaurs mum? Can they move? Will they eat me?
As you walk through the valley, be sure to look out for dinosaurs hiding in the bushes. We were also keeping track of pumpkins through the park! If you found them all, you won a small bag of sweets.
The valley is completely green and luscious, reminding me of the Jursassic Park theme park in the most recent movie.
We were also super lucky to have wonderful weather and this made the gardens burst with colour.
On the hour be sure to watch the T-Rex show in the main area by the deli. Get up close to see these creatures in action…!
More Animals, Less Cages
The park is home to lots of different animals, and many of them have been rescued or rehomed at the park. You can read some of their stories here. It’s sad, yet not surprising, to here that so many are unwanted pets.
It was great to see such huge, open areas for the animals to be homed in though.
One of the highlights for me was walking through the wallaby enclosure and getting a chance to feed and stroke them. They were just so cute and gentle. B commented that he now wants a pet wallaby. Don’t worry, we will stick to cats!
Next to the wallabies live the goats, lemurs, penguins and this beautiful pink stork. He was huge!
And of course Mr D can’t resist a goat.
Combe Martin is home to loads of animals so be sure to take your time and join in with some of the talks which take place daily.
There is also a tropical house which is worth a wander to see the terrapins. I love this shot of Daddy pointing out where the terrapins are hiding. They are well disguised amongst the rocks.
Bug world and the reptile house are also interesting if you want to get close to spiders and snakes.
Monkeying Around
I don’t mean B, although his listening ears seem to have vanished for good…
At Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur park, you’ll find several different species of primates. We loved watching a mum and her baby nibbling on the lettuce. I did take some photos but they aren’t that great. It’s tricky to get good animal shots!
The baboons caught b’s eye too. For all the wrong reasons I must add. He wanted to know why their bottoms were so red.
The Wolves
Combe Martin is home to grey and white wolves. They are beautiful animals and I managed to get a shot of them sleeping.
Get Close to the Meerkats
The meerkats have such a large enclosure and twice daily, you can join them inside while they’re being fed. We were warned not to bend down and attempt to stroke them as their bites are pretty nasty. No one tried! Apparently they can eat scorpions and the venom doesn’t harm them as it would us. They also feast on unlucky squirrels if they get the chance too!
Sea Lion Show
The sea lion show was another highlight of the day for me. Morgan was amazing and so good at explaining the difference between sealions and seals to the crowd. My photos don’t do him justice really.
It was great to hear that the show is based around the natural behaviour of sea lions. They are trained to accept any necessary medical checks that might be required. This behaviour is then used as part of the show.
Tomb of the Pharaohs
These tombs were decorated for Halloween and were home to lots of ghosts and ghouls. Be sure to clap as you wander through as this brings them to life. B enjoyed this and we wandered through twice.
As you wander through, have a look at the hieroglyphics and paintings. The park owners spent months recreating these so that they resembled the real thing!
The Dinosaur Museum
Even though it’s small, there are loads of impressive exhibits including a complete Allosaurus skeleton and a fossilised nest of eggs.
Look at these eggs!
All Aboard for the Dino Express
For a small extra cost £1 per person, ride the small train up to the waterfall. You’re in for a treat…that’s all I’m saying! Be prepared to get a bit wet.
A Bite to Eat
There are plenty of places to grab some food if you haven’t packed a picnic. We ate at the main restaurant and there was plenty of choice. We had the jacket potatoes, baguettes and kids lunch box. The dinosaur sandwiches were cute and actually ensured B ate them all!
Have you been to Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park? We had a fab day and it is def worth a visit if you’re in the area!
Disclaimer: We had complimentary tickets to the park. As always, thoughts are our own and honest. We genuinely had a lovely day!
Visiting Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park seems like a wonderful experience that combines the thrill of seeing dinosaurs with the joy of interacting with live animals, making it a great educational and fun outing for families or anyone interested in nature and history.