What Are Crocs Made Of

Children's notebook: Walk on water

WALK ON WATER News just in from the USA: Crocs are no longer the only option for little feet that want to spend as much time in as out of the water. The American brand Sun–San has launched in Britain, bringing us leather sandals in myriad colours that are treated with a water–resistant sealant. With repeated wear the sandals will mould to the shape of the foot, and the rust–resistant buckle will allow for a comfortable fit, even on narrow feet. Better still, if you have a child with a preference for muddy puddles the sandals will survive a spin in the washing machine. There are six styles (Surfer and Swimmer are pictured), from a baby size 0 to a youth size 3, from £32–42; see sunsansandals.co.uk for stockists.

CHILDREN IN CHARGE Devon and Cornwall Unlocked (£6.49, unlockedguides.com) is the fifth in a series of guidebooks for children that focus on activities, rather than places, that are fun. Discover the best spot to ride a sea tractor (Burgh Island) feed a pelican (Paignton Zoo), or sail a toy boat (National Maritime Museum). While the idea of placing yourself in your children's hands for a day is potentially terrifying, there is a small chance that you might end up enjoying yourselves.

THINGS TO DO IN NORTH NORFOLK 1 Look out for the Bean brothers' orange and white ferries on Morston Quay and take a boat ride out into Blakeney Harbour for guaranteed seal spotting on Blakeney Point. The trips are a very manageable one hour long. Adults, £9, children, £5; booking essential (beansboattrips.co.uk). 2 Next, stop for lunch at the Wiveton Farm Café, three miles away, with views across the strawberry fields to the marshes and the sea. The atmosphere is relaxed and child–friendly, with outdoor seating and a large selection of cakes. Open daily 9.30–4.30 (01263–740515). 3 Lastly, rejoin the coast road to Weybourne, to visit the Muckleburgh Collection, the largest privately owned collection of military vehicles in Britain. There are more than 120 tanks, guns and vehicles to swoon over, plus, if you visit on a Sunday, you can take a ride in the ultimate off–roader, the Gama Goat. Open 10am–5pm every day until October 30. Adults, £7, children, £5 (01263–588210).

Portfolio of my Knowledge… » Blog Archive » Australia: Day 5:

This morning we had to get up early to drive an hour to a jumping crocodile attraction. We left at half eight and on the way we saw the plains, stretching on to infinity, looking heavy and loaded with water, almost like an infinite marsh. There were birds in the hundreds, and although we saw no kangaroos, we saw plenty of water buffalo. Just before arriving to the crocodile attraction, we stopped at Ludawei, alternatively known as Beatrice Hill. It was probably the only hill within hundreds of miles, and it now served as a bird watching/plain viewpoint/plant and fauna information exhibition. The views were spectacular, and something not commonly seen, there were binoculars, the kind that are fixed on stands and require money for them to work for a limited number of minutes, except that these binoculars were free, and were set in such a way that you could observe any angle of the plains. We saw even more water buffalo and a few egret birds. We read some scary info on crocodiles, and continued on our journey to our destination.

We arrived a very short time later. What we were going to see exactly was a cruise on the Adelaide River, with the guide feeding *wild* crocodiles, teasing them with dangling pork chops off of a long pole, enticing them to jump for their prey, basically. I made sure to be the first person to get on the boat so that I could pick the most advantageous seat. I got a seat on the open upper deck, instead of the lower deck that had windows. The lower deck was certainly closer to the crocodiles, but windows show up on my camera, so I picked the upper deck. We started off on the river, and apparently had a very lucky day. We saw at least six different crocodiles, one of them being the second largest male, one who didn’t usually like to come out to the boats. Three of the crocs made quite energetic jumps, the others just freaked you out by zeroing in on the pork chop and just staring at it. Sometimes they would lose interest in the pork and fixate on the people inside the boat, just staying completely still, and staring. Staring, staring, always staring. Crocodiles are scary… but amazing at the same time.

We also saw what are known as Sea Eagles. For a while, I was confused, because the heavily Australian accented guide mashed the words together, and I believed what I was seeing were Seagulls. They looked nothing like seagulls, instead, resembled a falcon. They could disappear for weeks at a time, and we were very lucky to have them pass by on the day we came. They got fed pork chops as well, only in smaller pieces, but the food was thrown into the air and they all swooped down to grab it with their beaks or talons. Some passed very, very, very close. So close, that I could have grabbed one out of the air without falling over the railing, if they weren’t going so lightning fast. The cruise also gave the opportunity to see marvelous nature, a murky river, and plenty of foreign vegetation. It lasted an hour, but certainly seemed like a lot longer. There are several other companies giving the same service in the area, and I don’t now about them, but I definitely recommend The Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise to any and everyone passing through the Northern Territory, Australia, said to be the home of the crocodiles.

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