Wiggly Safari (video)

Wiggly Safari is a 2002 Wiggles video filmed at Australia Zoo.

Plot
Opening: The cover is formed with pawprints appearing on the side, Steve Irwin and Captain Feathersword swinging, the rest pop up, the logo spins forward and the yellow "WIGGLY SAFARI" comes from either side. Going in the Big Red Car on a Wiggly Safari Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony are in the Big Red Car and going for a drive in the bush. Don't worry, they have a lot of food in the BRC (that is if Anthony doesn't eat it all!). But, Uh-Oh! They are lost. Not to Worry, though, as Steve Irwin saves the day and they sing his introductory tune The Crocodile Hunter. This song is all about Steve and describes how he wears his khaki uniform and saves crocs. "Crikey! Its a croc.. Danger Danger Danger.."

This song is followed up by Australia Zoo which includes the entire cast and characters of The Wiggles, including Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Dorothy the Dinosaur and the Wiggles dancers (including our new "friend" Ben Murray). The song is all about all the different "animal adventures" to be found at this fun zoo. Murray plays his guitar for the crocs, Greg does some magic tricks for the koalas, and Jeff falls asleep (big surprise).

But, double uh-oh! The Big Red Car is broken down. The Wiggles ponder, "How do people get around in the bush?" and then just when you think you've seen it all.... Captain Feathersword riding on a camel? Yep! I only learned this recently, but they have camels in the Australian desert. This song, Wobbly Camel, includes all sorts of fun facts about camels.

Once again, Captain Feathersword (Paddy), gets to have a lot of fun. The next number, Cocky Want A Cracker is all about a hungry Cock-a-too who likes to sing. Steve is teaching the the Captain how to speak in cockatoo and its really all in good fun. The Captain is wearing a great big silly white and yellow cockatoo hat that looks like the head of a bird. The song includes little kids dressed up in similar outfits and the rest of the Wiggles with the Irwin family dancing along.

Next, we see Anthony with a cast of kids all dressed up just like Steve Irwin in their khaki wiggly safari gear. Anthony introduces them one by one by their name. Bindi Irwin is one of the kids, of course. They are talking all about Dorothy the Dinosaur and her favorite things - which include roses, ballet, and butterflies. The song Butterflies Flit features a dancing dorothy, and the little girls and one little boy dressed up as butterflies. (My husband absolutely put his foot down here, but I think its really quite sweet).

Dorothy Queen of the Roses is all about her most favorite thing in the world, why roses to eat of course. The song doesn't take place at the zoo - but instead this number is taken from a live show. Here we see Jeff in the audience collecting roses from children for Dorothy. We recently went to a live show, and brought roses. Children were given the opportunity to give the roses to Murray and Jeff, and even Anthony came out to help there were so many. If you go to a live show, be sure to bring roses! We don't want Dorothy being hungry, now!

The Captain's getting all the fun again! We see him dressed up in a wet suit that looks just like his pirate outfit (and he still has his eye patch on) and he is ready to swim with the dolphins in Swim with Me, which was actually filmed at Sea World. Kids get to learn about dorsal fins, and more. Wow, the Captain sure looks like he is having a blast in the water with the dolphins!

When I think about Australia, I usually think about Koalas. And anytime I've seen koalas (at the zoo) they are sleeping - just like Jeff. I have to say that probably the sweetest song on Wiggly Safari is Koala La La which is a lullaby-like tune about the Koala who's taking a snooze in the eucalyptus tree. Greg sings all about the baby koala clinging to his Mother's back. Terri is holding the Koala, and Bindi is cuddling it. Awww!

Wags the dog isn't the only one who likes to tango. Steve introduces Anthony to a family of Dingos that are quite tame. But, he explains that dingos in the wild are just that, wild animals. The Dingo Tango is a short number about these dogs that don't bark, but howl at the moon instead.

Speaking of dogs, You Might Like a Pet is about animals of the domestic variety. It talks about loving your pets and the responsibilities of animal ownership. The song features Anthony with his dog, Jeff with a stuffed sleeping cat, Murray with a goldfish and more.

Old Man Emu is the tale of an interview with an Emu and all about this great bird that can't fly, but I'm telling you he can run the pants off a kangaroo. Kids can learn quite abit about this bird that can't do things like fly or swim, and doesn't even have wings! The song is a hoe-down type of tune and it spotlights Ben Murray dressed up like an emu. This is one of the numbers that we saw performed the live show and I'd have to say its Ben's defining piece. Who wouldn't love a guy who dresses up like an emu and runs like mad all around the stage?

Wiggly Safari wouldn't be The Wiggles without some sort of food reference. Now, this isn't yummy yummy fruit salad, or crunchy munchy honey cakes. But instead, its Feeding Time at the zoo. This song describes feeding the crocs (who are having chicken dinners) and the other animals. "Check that out, that's a Croc moving his huge ancient body silently through the water to get to his chicken dinner on the shore, Look at his teeth chomping". But more importantly, this song has an important chorus that applies to daily life and not just crocodiles! "Eat and Chew. Eat and Chew. That's what animals do. Eat and Chew. Eat and Chew. Animals Eat, and so do you!" A highlight of the song for kids is seeing a giant galopogus tortoise, named Harriet and she sure is chomping down her veggies!

Steve introduces us to a really cool owl and The Wiggles get an idea for a dance. Do the Owl is a song and dance number that is performed from a live show. In it all the Wiggles are wearing roller blades and dressed up in disco type gear doing a special 70s type dance that is sort of like Xanadu.

Anthony joins Captain Feathersword in the pool, except he is wearing his Wiggles outfit and Captain is in his pirate wetsuit. The 2 of them do all sorts of crazy kookaburra impressions before leading in the song The Kookaburra Choir.

There is always one song on each Wiggles program that sticks in my head and I find myself humming it or singing it in the grocery store. On Wiggly Safari, my all time favorite song on this entire album, is Snakes (You can look but you better not touch). The song is all about snakes complete with warning to tell an adult if you see one and do not touch them. You can look, but you better not touch! (Danger, Danger Danger)(The same rules don't apply to Steve Irwin, though, of course!) The main snake featured in the song's name is Rose and she is Terri Irwin's pet - she is massive.

Wiggly Safari wraps up with a big song and dance number including the entire cast singing and dancing to We're the Crocodile Band. The kids are all wearing really cool crocodile hats, too.

Is the Safari over, yet? Not yet! The end of Wiggly Safari includes a couple of out-takes that will set you and your kids giggling. I won't spoil them for you.

The credits include names of each Wiggle and cast member on the screen. We even see my new favorite, Andrew Harcourt as Wags the Dog, as well as who is underneath Dorothy and Henry, too.

One very touching part of the credits is a memorial dedication of this video to September 11th and FDNY's Brian Cannizzaro who was Wiggly Dad. The Wiggles and Steve Irwin are shown wearing special T-shirts to pay a tribute to all the heroes and victims of that day, almost a year ago.