Australian Animals, Fruits and Musical Instruments
CRIKEY! It’s The Australia Zoo!
Home indeed to the crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin. It was a must see we decided, and despite not catching a glimpse of Mr Irwin himself we did have a fantastic day. It opened at 9am and we were waiting at the gates. We’d spent the night parked up outside someone’s house, so hadn’t hung around when the sun came up.
The place was massive, and the pictures will say it best, but we spent the whole day there and didn’t leave until it closed. There were croc shows, bird flying demonstrations and lots of opportunities to stroke koala’s.
The zoo isn’t just a place for visitors to gaze at rarely seen animals, but a sanctuary for the near-extinct animals that are struggling to survive because we, as humans, are destroying their natural environment. This place does a lot of conservation work; in fact at the time we went Steve Irwin was in the Northern Territory, finding out how crocs spend there day by strapping a GPS bug on their back. The more they know about an animal, the better they can look after them.
This chap was huge; at least
This is Harriet the tortoise, who was found on Palm Island in 1830 by Charles Darwin. She’s 175 years old. A hundred and seventy five! Crikey!
It’s actually behind glass, confined. Not quite the same as our Thailand experience. Nothing will beat that.
Aw, it’s a little joey!
Within the large area that is home to lots of Kanagroos, you can feed, stroke and cuddle until they’ve had enough and head off to their part of the grounds that we’re not allowed in, so they do get peace and quiet when they want.
Laura, up in cloud nine.
This is as close as we got to Steve.
The impressive croc show. They taunt the crocs to jump out of the water to catch their feed not just for the show, but to keep them exercising their normal activities, which they would be doing if in the wild.
And you thought cockatoo’s were only yellow.
If you can’t read what it says, the important part to note is this “little beauty” has the power to drop 100 grown men in one bite. The most venomous snake in the world! UNBELIEVABLE!
The second picture is an American crocodile, but look at this little beauty in the first picture. It’s a lizard, although it was as big as the croc! Massive!
Untill we saw this little critter, we didn’t know what a wombat looked like
Laugh kookaburra, laugh (everybody now…)
What a beaut! Laura getting up close and personal with Steve.
Dolphin Feeding At Tin Can Bay
Heading North without much plan we caught sight of a sign advertising Tin Can Bay as the place to see dolphins, so we took a detour.
We woke up far to early in the morning – after running out of gas halfway through cooking chilli con-carni the night before and going to bed with only a sandwich – to be let down by the wild dolphins, who apparently had caught quite enough food themselves the night before. One can understand the lack of enthusiasm to swim all the way through the harbour to be hand-fed by a swarm of eager tourists, dishing out just a few kilo’s of fish; a light snack from the thirty five kilo’s they eat a day.
It wasn’t a complete loss however. Apart from seeing our very first in-your-face gigantic Pelican, I got talking to a nice old chap from North England who had visited a place further north, where one could witness turtle hatchlings take off from there nest and dive into the sea. And so we got driving to Bundergerg.
Turtle Hatchling Watching at Mon Repo
We arrived at Bunderberg’s Visitor Information Centre just in time to buy a $8.50 ticket each and head to Mon Repo beach for a 7pm start. Because these turtles are wild, it’s impossible to know if visitors will be lucky to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder. Fortunately we were. After only a brief wait in the reception area – spent reading up on the history and future of these awesome creatures that can live to the age of two hundred – we were guided down the beach like Famous Five recruits. After finding a nest we huddled round and watched 108 turtle hatchlings burst from the sand like ants. After feeling their strength of their little fins (I guess that’s what they are) on our hands, those who had torches stood in a line trailing down to the sea to guide the hatchlings out into the very dark big blue. Apparently their journey from the nest to the sea is like a homing imprint, so when – or more to the point, if – they are reading to make little hatchlings of their own, they swim back to the area they were born to do so. Sadly the ratio of survival of these little guys are 1:1000.
NEXT UP IS OUR TIME IN CAIRNS, AND OUR JOURNEY GETTING THERE. PLUS OUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE OUTBACK, TO ALICE SPRINGS, WHERE WE ARE NOW!
Tags: Australia, Travel
Monkey
Hi Guys
Crikey youv’e managed to pack a heap of fab things in recently! Still enjoying those up-dates, must be something in the fab style that you write in, always so interesting.
Well Gary and I have found a little cosy abode and hope to move on the Easter weekend. The address was so great we had to have it – 69 Claybottom!
So not much new apart from that we are all still working hard and trying to play hard too. Hope you enjoy your long drive to Ayres Rock and the red centre. I am sure you will find it very spiritual and uplifting.
See you soon – big hugs xxxx
Hey V,
I had a few old school friends who lived at Claybottom, we used to hang around in the park and on the cycle track, usually after or before a house party in Claybottom. Good times.
I also know someone who’s just moved out of Claybottom… I wonder if you’ve taken their old house? Wouldn’t that be odd.
Anyway, sounds great, look forward to visiting!
Lots of love,
Rupert and Laura x x
omg what do you think were not human so we have to type a code?
Wow this is a cool website, i am doing a project and your website helps a lot. mostly because of the pictures but i really wish i had your jobs it sounds fun!!
oh and wat is up with the anonumous person?……….. and how did i type and become a minute before he did?
and he typed first……..wierd
lol
The code thing is to stop spam – but not my doing, just a standard for this blog type.
Thanks for the comments. Wish we were still out there.
Take care.
this site is great the animals are you cute luky i went i went on site because it is greet
Thanks for this nice write up. I absolutely liked every little part of it. I have you bookmarked and will be reading more.