Australia Zoo
Trip Start
Sep 05, 2004
1
19
20
Trip End
Sep 24, 2004
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Gold Coast,
Queensland,
Australia
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
The day did not disappoint. We started with the koalas but they were well hidden high above us so we went to check out the land tortoises. We were just in time for their feeding and I especially enjoyed Harriet, who is the oldest living creatures on earth. They think she is about 175 years old. She is quite a messy eater. But I think when you are an old lady you have that luxury.
We saw some handlers walking baby elephants across the grounds so we went to have a look. The babies are larger than their adult handlers! But what beautiful creatures. I tried the koalas again and had more luck photographing them this time around. Then we went over to Roo Heaven.
Here you get to walk amongst the kangaroos and that is pretty cool. They are pretty lazy, lying around in the shade. They let you get quite close and we did manage to touch one but I was a bit scared of him throwing a boxer's punch to my nose.
We left the roos and headed for the stands so we could watch a show on tigers. They brought out some gorgeous Bengals. They were just babies and the trainers had bottles for them but they looked pretty large and intimidating to me. The tigers played in the shallow pools and seemed to really enjoy being in the water.
We decided to stick around for the crocodile show and boy were we glad we did.
Land tortoise
It was a special day at the zoo as Steve, Terry, and Bindi Sue were all there and they were hosting the croc show today. Steve was his crazy self, and he gave the audience some good laughs. He got right up in front of the crocs and got them going for us. Bindi Sue was a charming little thing, just like her dad. She sure knew how to work the crowd. She took the microphone with no hesitation and talked to us while her dad fed the crocs. It was so fantastic.Steve was a real hoot though. He was so excited and enthusiastic. He jumped right in the water with the crocodile and tried (with success!) to lure him out for us. He told us how this particular croc came into the zoo's possession. Knowing there were crocodiles in the area, one woman stubbornly continued to walk her rottweiller along the water thinking he would protect her. Well I guess he did in a way, as this big crocodile took him down in an instant and swallowed him in a flash. The lady escaped uninjured, and Steve went in and rescued the croc.
As he was playing in the water with his new crocodile, Terri pointed out that Steve's wrist is wrapped in duct tape. He somehow cut it and it was bleeding just before they came on, so he quickly wrapped it in duct tape to take care of the bleeding. You have to admire his innovative solution (like there wouldn't be first aid kit nearby at the zoo!)
All four of us felt very fortunate for having come on this day of all days and getting to see Steve Irwin at work. After the croc show we went to visit the koalas.
Baby elephant
You can actually hold them so of course we did! We got our photos with a koala. The trainer gets you to put your hands in a cradle position and then slowly places the koala into the cradle. Then you stand very still and smile! You don't want to move around much with the koalas as they can be quite aggressive. But during the day they are pretty lethargic so the risk is low. Still, I wasn't taking any chances and did everything the trainer told me to. The koala moved one of his little hands and put it right on my breast, which is exactly when the photographer took my picture. Way to capture the moment!We walked around the zoo and checked out all the other exhibits, including the crocodiles. Steve Irwin was over there working with them so there was a big crowd gathered around to watch.
I had a great time at the zoo. They are very focused on conservation and awareness, and have large habitats for the animals. It is a really nice zoo and I enjoyed seeing it.
When we got back to Brisbane, Mandy's parents took us all out to dinner at a really nice restaurant. Ally and I wanted to pay as we wanted to thank them for having us, but they insisted. Mandy and I shared a crab and we all enjoyed dessert as well. We could see that the family enjoyed dining there so after dinner Ally and I bought Geoff and Bea a gift certificate to say thanks. We didn't know what else to do since our plan all evening had been to buy them dinner! We had a fabulous stay in Brisbane with Mandy's family and I am so grateful for their hospitality.
