Bad Hair Day?

If you think you're having a bad hair day, then spare a thought for these little fellas who have permanently wayward hair. 

However, crazy hair and all, they are super cute! And those rebellious locks simply add to their charm.

In Richmond, a township just south of Nelson, is a popular country gift shop by the name of Eyebright.  

And it's here, at Eyebright, that a group of guinea pigs reside in a Guinea Pig Village called, Wendelton.

Wendelton has several miniature buildings, such as; Lord Guinea School, The Piggy Bank, Dr Doolittle's Surgery & Wendelton Maternity Unit, The Guinea Guinness Pub, and The Piggy Wiggy Hair & Beauty, plus others.

Maternity Unit

The guinea pigs are very friendly and rush to welcome you, hoping you'll have some food. Mikah, my wee granddaughter, fed them little bits of carrots (that we got from the Eyebright Store), and this gave her an opportunity to give them a little pat. 

This well-known community of guinea pigs hosted a wedding in 2005, when Hansel & Petal exchanged vows with over 150 guests to witness their special occasion, (you can view it by clicking this link ) 

The owner of Eyebright (Peter Owen) wrote a book about them, named 'The Wendelton Book'.

If guinea pigs aren't your cup of tea, Eyebright is still worth a visit. It's one of Nelson's iconic attractions, especially around Christmas, when many people come to admire their Christmas displays.

An added treat, are the gorgeous cottage gardens, they're full of colour with old and new plants mingling together. 

On a side note:

When I was a youngster I had guinea pigs as pets but I really didn't know much about them, other than, they were ALWAYS hungry and squeaked whenever they heard you, to remind you to feed them!

While writing this blog I thought I'd google some facts about them. I'll bullet point a few things I discovered ...

• When guinea pigs run and leap (which they often do when they are happy), it's referred to as popcorning.
• Guinea pigs have four toes on their fore feet and three toes on their hind feet.
• Guinea pigs are very social and only sleep for short periods, they're active for 20 hours in a day.
• Guinea Pigs originate from the Andes in South America.
• Even though male guinea pigs are called boars and females are called sows, they are rodents. Their scientific name is ‘Cavia porcellus’, which is why they are sometimes referred to as ‘cavies’. The word ‘porcellus’ is latin for ‘little pig’. This name may have come about because of the pig-like squeaking noises they make.
• Guinea Pigs don’t get on with rabbits. Rabbits bully guinea pigs, and they have different needs. Rabbits can also carry diseases which can be very harmful to guinea pigs.
• They like to chat to each other. However they do like human affection, but guinea pigs need to be with others guinea pigs and should always be kept in pairs or small groups. 
• Baby guinea pigs are called pups. They with their eyes open, and with fur. Plus they're able to run when only a few hours old.