A Day at The Zoo

07 Jan 2026

East Malvern Probus members relives childhood memory with a fun-filled zoo adventure and up-close encounters with elephants and meerkats.

Remember, as a child, a trip to the Zoo was the highlight of the school holidays. Up early, full of excitement, ready for the adventure that awaited. Even catching the tram or train to the Zoo felt like part of the fun.  

Fast forward to 2025, when a group of East Malvern Combined Probus Club members set off—this time in the comfort of a Stonnington Council minibus, which holds 17 people. With a cheerful council driver behind the wheel, offering smiles and a helping hand to anyone who needed it, the adventure began.  

Coffee was the first stop, shared in the company of the meerkats, who did not seem to mind the visitors one bit. Members later joined them for lunch. 

Next came the highlight for many was the open bus tour through the Zoo’s wide savannah. Billed as an Animal Experience, it truly lived up to its promise. Members felt as though they could almost reach out and touch the animals as they roamed freely.

Everyone saw zebras, giraffes, many species of deer, and lots of rhinos. They felt that they were on the plains of Africa.  

But the moment that everyone had been waiting for was meeting the majestic elephant herd in their new themed habitat. The group was captivated by the baby elephants splashing in the pool — playfully pushing one another under, diving beneath the surface, then popping up again with tiny trunks reaching for air.  

It was a wonderful day — one that reminded members how fortunate they are to have such incredible zoos here in Victoria. More than that, it rekindled fond memories of their own childhood trips to the zoo with family and friends.