"Scared, scared, scared," muttered 10-year-old Josh under his breath as we walked out to the plane at Dunedin International Airport.
His brother Kris (8) hopped excitedly across the tarmac, not bothered a bit.
In a weak moment, I had promised my nephews their first flight on a big plane, and when a bargain internet fare to Christchurch came up, I bagged it.
However, the only place I know well there is the airport, where I have spent many zombie hours in transit.
For advice on what to do in the South Island's biggest city, I needed to ask a local.
Like so many travellers these days, I hit the internet, where I found the Christchurch Tourism website.
Pre-teen boys don't care about gardens, or English heritage, or architecture.
They don't really want restaurants or wineries or art centres.
They just want to have fun, and the first activity that took my fancy was Adrenaline Forest, but sadly, Josh and Kris were too short for treetop adventures.
However, Orana Park looked ideal, so I planned to take them there straight from the airport.
But first, the flight . . .
From the folding tray table to the seatbelts to the view, everything was new and exciting.
Even Josh forgot to be nervous once we took off, and no sooner had we had eaten our biscuits and drunk our water than we were on the ground in Christchurch and heading for adventure in our rental car.
Orana Wildlife Park
"I'm going to take one picture of every animal," says Kris, "and feed a giraffe."
"I want to see the wild dogs," says Josh.
And so we set off around Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch's 80ha open-range zoo. High on a skinny treetop sits a meerkat, keeping watch.
If he detects a threat, he will warn his friend with one of two calls.
One signals danger from the air, so they will hide on the ground; the other means danger on the ground, so they will all climb.
Cameraman Kris takes many, many meerkat pictures.
On an island not far away, we find ringtailed lemurs, which have 13 black and 13 white rings on their long tails.
Apparently the film Madagascar was wrong - King Julien would not have ruled the lemurs.
They would have had a queen, since the females are in charge.
At the farmyard are pet sheep, pigs, a llama and a calf, as well as the peacocks that roam freely around the park.
If the peacocks get into a carnivore enclosure it's just bad luck, although when the park's rare white peacock flew into the tiger enclosure recently, staff took action to save its life.
Next stop is the giraffe enclosure, where members of the public can climb the stairs to a feeding platform and hand-feed these huge and beautiful beasts.
Staff hand out branches and we are instructed to hold them tightly so the giraffes can eat them.
We pat the animals on the side of the neck, firmly so they don't think we are flies landing.
Josh thinks their tongues are "gross".
Past the water-buffalo enclosure we find a group of southern white rhinoceros, waiting to be fed.
As these short-sighted giants eat their hay, visitors can get really close but are kept safe behind strong fences.
The African wild dogs sound like squeaky toys as they run in a pack, but fight over their food like the savage creatures they are.
The losers stay hungry and will fight harder for their next meal.
As we pass the spider monkeys, they come out to play, although it's getting chilly and gloomy.
On really cold days, they mainly stay inside where they sometimes get to watch television.
The big cats are a highlight.
While waiting to be fed, the cheetahs mew like cute little kittens - then snarl and lash out with a paw that could take your face off with one blow.
Tigers are very intelligent, very beautiful and very, very dangerous: if they get hold of you, they will kill you.
Even the keepers never go into an enclosure with a tiger.
The 10-month-old lion cubs are big but still cute, but as the lions grumble and cough in the gathering twilight, it's a spooky sound.
And if one of the lions should turn his back on you, move.
Anyone who has had trouble with a tomcat spraying can imagine why.
Too soon it's closing time, and we leave for Designer Cottage, where the charming Chet helps with our bags and shows us around the B&B made up of several cute adjoining cottages, all formerly private homes.
In our comfortable beds we sleep like logs, and get up early so we can have breakfast - toast and coffee, juice, cereal and yoghurt - and visit the International Antarctic Centre before we fly home.
Sadly we have only half an hour to spend and miss out on experiencing a blizzard, but the boys enjoy the ice slide and discover that a snowball at minus 8degC is as hard as a rock.
And we get a great view of the blue penguins, in and out and even under the water.
The Hagglund ride and a proper look at the displays will have to wait.
"We need a week in Christchurch, not a day," said the boys as we boarded our flight home.
"And next time you go away, you're taking us."
• Janice Murphy was hosted in Christchurch by Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism, Orana Park, Designer Cottage and the International Antarctic Centre.
Tips
You could spend all day at Orana Park.
The animal-feeding routine is designed to let you see it all, and there is a cafe for lunch, or you can bring a picnic or use the gas barbecue.
Your children will get tired long before they get bored.
The International Antarctic Centre is not cheap, though it is interesting.
To make the most of your visit you need to allow three or four hours.
On the net
For advice on what to see and do, or where to stay, visit www.christchurchnz.com
Designer Cottage, Sydenham: rooms from $60 www.designercottage.co.nz
Orana Park, Macleans Island Rd, open 10am-5pm. Cafe, gift shop. Concession ticket (two adults and up to three children) $56. www.oranapark.co.nz:
International Antarctic Centre, beside Christchurch Airport, opens 9am. Adult $55, child $36. www.iceberg.co.nz
The kids say . . .
"All you mums and dads who read this, take your kids to Orana Park in Christchurch."
Kris (aged 8).
"People should stay at Designer Cottage, because the rooms are nice and the people are nice and the breakfast is really nice."
Josh, (aged 10).
