Very fun and good for young kids I'm 14 and still enjoy it till this day and it is very cheapread more

Situated in what appeared to me to be the deserted old fishing town of Maryport (I swear we did not…read moresee a soul on the streets as we drove down to the attraction!) this is quite a small family attraction which kept a group of twenty-somethings entertained for about an hour and a half. Not bad going for the fairly inexpensive entry fee. I do like aquaria, and this one proved to be great fun with the staff very friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining and the exhibits very accessible to adults and the little people (me and children). I loved the ray pool, where feedings, talks and demonstrations are held regularly, and the fish are really friendly and love to be stroked. The cafe was a pleasant enough experience, and good value, though the menu was nothing remarkable, however checking out their website, they now serve thai foodrandomly!

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG!!!! I don't know how much squeeee I can put into a review. This was…read morejust so much fun. I'm not a city girl by any means, but I'm also not a country girl. Yeah, I've been around animals a lot, but not those of the barnyard variety, so I am oh so terribly fond of Sheep, Goats, Ponies, Donkeys and the like. My Scotsman knows this and so he took me to the Mabie Farm Park. Think Petting zoo, but to the extreme. When you pay your small entry fee under $10, you walk the path, past a trio or was it a quad of adorable animals begging for food, so you feed them. The buck toothed alpaca is just adorable, you don't want to give them everything, so you meander inward, over the cobblestone bridge and into the interactive play area. There are bunnies, ferrets and other wee fuzzy bits that are elligible to be petted and talked about. There's a sign that tells you what times the demos are. Next are the big piggies, who snore loudly and are just as you think of pigs.. They're not in any hurry to move about for you. It was a hot Scottish summer day when I visited, so I don't blame them. From there, its into the Goat and sheep pen with a few calves peppered in for extra cuteness. There was so much squee in the barns I really had a hard time processing it. There were go-karts, a swing pit with hay to land into. Some various quarter style rides. Then the back fields held larger animals who either were bullies in their pens (That one white mule) or just insanely full of adorbe. The mule rides were very popular. Besides the animals, there are a bouncy house, jump pads (the floor of a bouncy house), two different ground slides, one which you ride a little wooden scooter down, swing sets, big wheels to ride, paddle boats, though the pond is a bit low. I KNOW I'm missing something, I just know it. Lets just say, take your kids there, take anyone there who's young at heart. it's totally worth the spend.

More of a childrens playground than a farm. There were certainly farm animals there, goats, sheep,…read morehorses and donkeys. But most of the entertainment came from the bouncy castles, the huge slides where the children sat on little plastic trays to slide down the hill. There were also donkeys separate from the others doing donkey rides. It rained the day we went so we avoided the dirt buggies, but other people were using them and they certainly lived up to the dirt name. A good day out for everyone, and definitely worth the money.

If you havnt been here before its defo worth the visit. ..been here a few times with the family…read morethe last time we wnt it had new things added to it Pay a pound at the shoo and can get a cup of food so that u can feed the animals which the kids love. Goats were out walkin about the last time we were here came to us to get food and a pet Theres a peting part were they bring aniamls and u can hold and feed them Kids love it The cafe is good Good picnic areas Park Lake to feed ducks Big boucing thing for kids And an ark Ive put sum pics up wel worth the visit

I have now been to The Ark three times in the last two years. I think this should tell you that I…read morereally like it. The first time, we had some visitors staying and we thought it would be a nice day out. We had a great time feeding and stroking the animals -it was like being kids again! The second time my fiancé took me to visit as part of my birthday fun things to do. It was raining but we still had a great time as many areas are enclosed. There was a school trip there and we lingered by the petting farm area to watch the kids feed the kids (baby goats) using a bottle and to listen in on the educational talk given by the guide. The third time I took my nephew - what a hoot that was - one of the enclosures houses a really big goat who can almost stretch out of his pen - he took a rather large lick of my nephews ice cream which then had to be chucked even though Niall protested by screaming his head off. The farm is well run with a shop selling farm themed toys, animal food as well as farm produce. There are many different types of farm creature that you would expect to find on any farm- pigs, horses, sheep and, rather randomly, a wallaby. For a few quid it's well worth a visit. Apart from the farm animals there is also a really great playground for the (human) kids to enjoy. With a café on site as well as a large indoor area full of toy tractors for the younger ones to ride about on you can have a nice time in the sun or the rain. The owners also offer pony and horseback rides for a few pounds more. Most of the animals have a lot of space and are in pens with just one other of their species - I did notice that some chickens who were locked away did look a little cramped but in fairness most of the chickens are free to wander around the land. A great day out!

The wildfowl and wetlands trust are tasked with maintaining and protecting sites throughout the…read morecountry such as castle espie in comber. Protecting sites for birds also helps protect other wildlife and provides refuge from development of housing in rural areas and gives generations of people the enjoyment of seeing our wildlife not just within parks but outside of site boundaries too.

I have a somewhat strange soft spot for seals so the Exploris Aquarium is one of my favourite…read moreplaces to go for a family day out. The experts at Exploris take in and care for seals which have been rescued from the coast suffering from injury or illness. Mind you, sometimes there are no seals in the seal sanctuary which is obviously good news for the seal population but not for the selfish visitors who want to see them. Check the website before you go to see how many seals are being cared for. The aquarium has loads of other stuff to see and learn about. The first thing you see when you go in is a huge touch tank where there are frequent talks from the expert staff who encourage visitors to touch the fish and rays which is great fun. There are lots of tanks and pools as you make your way through the aquarium, including one which has a wave splashing too and fro. The most exciting bit is the largest tank which has sharks in it. Only little ones but still very exciting nonetheless and throughout the day divers go into the tank to feed the sharks. There are loads of fish and rays in this tank too to really give you an idea of how the species interact in the open sea. You can view this tank from the side through the glass walls or from above as a bridge is suspended above it. Exploris is relatively pricey to get in - £22 for a ticket for a family of 4 and even if you take a break in the café and visit the shop (both of which will see you forking out more cash), I think the most you will spend there is a couple of hours. Stretch out your visit by taking a picnic and going to the park right next door.

Jaw dropping, awe inspiring, beautiful marine creatures…read more Take a trip to Exploris Aquarium and witness the amazing spectacle of what life is like in our local waters. I'm a water baby, always have been, always will be and sea life fascinates me. Lucky mites get to live in the water all day every day, why can't I! They don't even get wrinkles! Bah! Jealousy aside, this attraction is a fascinating peek in to the marine world. It's educational and fun; a great day out for the family or there's a tour/workshop facility available for school trips. You can watch in amazement as the divers hand feed the sharks, even walk across the murky depths on the bridge above the shark tank! Make sure you visit the discovery pool where you get hands on action with the flat fish! The staff give regular presentations and talks throughout the day about an interesting range of topics, so if you're a sea geek, don't miss this! The aquarium is also home to The Seal Rescue Centre *arf arf* where sick pups are nursed back to health before being released into the wild. This is a great programme which ensures the rehabilitation and ongoing care of our local seal population. Yay! There are regular exhibitions held on location so contact them before you come to see whats on. For example, this year there is; shark week, seal week, a puppet theatre and art / photography exhibitions. This year seal week is 6 - 14 Nov ...See you there! As of August 2010 - Prices: Adult £7.00 Junior (16 years and under) £4.50 Family (2 adults and 4 children) £22.00 Family (1 adult and 4 children) £19.50 60 years +, Disabled and unemployed £4.50 Under Fours Free Opening Hours: April - August: Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Sat 11am - 6pm Sun 12noon - 6pm September - March: Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 11am - 5pm Sun 1pm - 5pm For such an interesting, informative day, Portaferry is only about an hour away from Belfast so if you're stuck on a rainy day don't miss it! Or do as we used to and pack the kids away, hook up the caravan and come stay in the caravan site next door and make a weekend of it!