Saturday, September 15.
The boat left the Southbank of Brisbane at 10 am and putted up-stream at 10 knots. One hour ride past ostentatious homes and we arrived at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
They have many things at the sanctuary including crocodiles, birds, Tasmanian devils (nocturnal, so sleeping), wombats, duck-billed platterpus' (platterpi?), koalas and kangaroos.
The koala handlers were young women wearing tan shorts and fluffy ears. For a small fee, you could "cuddle a koala" and have your picture taken. The koalas obviously have a union, as each koala can only be 'cuddled' by sucessive strangers (1 minute each) for 30 minutes per day. Every so many days, they get a day off.
Here am I, holding a koala named Major, who I learned from his handler, is in cuddling training. He did a pretty good job, don't you think? Give him a promotion!
The fur is as soft as it looks and they smell of musky hemp. They are pliable little guys, who don't seem to mind being moved from person to person. They have huge claws for climbing trees; the handlers wear black rubber bracelets around their wrists to protect them. They also carry boughs of eucalyptus that they munch on continually.
After my reassuring cuddle, I was embolded to see some kangaroos close up. In a fenced in area kangaroos hopped about, looking for tourists to give them food. These guys were everywhere, and let us get close up. In many instances I watched a young child almost step on a tail.
Up close, they remind me of a cross between a deer and a rabbit. They like to lounge around in the shade. Sometimes you see an extra appendage sticking out of a tummy, and realize it's a joey in its mum's tummy. This guy seems to be heading there:
They walk slowly in a way that looks quite painful. They lean forward on their smaller forepaws then jump a small distance, reach forward and jump again. Take a look at the red fellow here:
When moving on their hind legs, they bounce at speeds of 20-40 kmh. For short distances they can travel at 70kmh.
Getting up so close and personal with these animals, as opposed to seeing them in a cage, allows you to feel their presence. I was awestruck as roos passed around me, came up to me looking for some food, passed me by. One young man had no food left, but rubbed the roo's neck. The roo leaned its head back and twisted its head in pleasure.
How different their lives must be in the wild. These kangaroos are safe and will be cared for, but you have to wonder what they lose.
I got to know a couple of Dallas, Texas on the way back, as well as some software developers from the U.S. and India. A gang of Spanish visitors took over each room they moved to, talking loudly, drinking, playing jokes with each other that none of us could understand.
Back in town, I discovered the wonders of Brisbane's Southbank.
But that will take another post.
The boat left the Southbank of Brisbane at 10 am and putted up-stream at 10 knots. One hour ride past ostentatious homes and we arrived at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
The koala handlers were young women wearing tan shorts and fluffy ears. For a small fee, you could "cuddle a koala" and have your picture taken. The koalas obviously have a union, as each koala can only be 'cuddled' by sucessive strangers (1 minute each) for 30 minutes per day. Every so many days, they get a day off.
Here am I, holding a koala named Major, who I learned from his handler, is in cuddling training. He did a pretty good job, don't you think? Give him a promotion!The fur is as soft as it looks and they smell of musky hemp. They are pliable little guys, who don't seem to mind being moved from person to person. They have huge claws for climbing trees; the handlers wear black rubber bracelets around their wrists to protect them. They also carry boughs of eucalyptus that they munch on continually.
Up close, they remind me of a cross between a deer and a rabbit. They like to lounge around in the shade. Sometimes you see an extra appendage sticking out of a tummy, and realize it's a joey in its mum's tummy. This guy seems to be heading there:
They walk slowly in a way that looks quite painful. They lean forward on their smaller forepaws then jump a small distance, reach forward and jump again. Take a look at the red fellow here:
When moving on their hind legs, they bounce at speeds of 20-40 kmh. For short distances they can travel at 70kmh.
Getting up so close and personal with these animals, as opposed to seeing them in a cage, allows you to feel their presence. I was awestruck as roos passed around me, came up to me looking for some food, passed me by. One young man had no food left, but rubbed the roo's neck. The roo leaned its head back and twisted its head in pleasure.
How different their lives must be in the wild. These kangaroos are safe and will be cared for, but you have to wonder what they lose.
I got to know a couple of Dallas, Texas on the way back, as well as some software developers from the U.S. and India. A gang of Spanish visitors took over each room they moved to, talking loudly, drinking, playing jokes with each other that none of us could understand.
Back in town, I discovered the wonders of Brisbane's Southbank.
But that will take another post.
So, wait a minute. What happened to Bris-Vegas? Where're the gambling stories? Where're the shot-gun wedding shacks?
ReplyDelete(Though I love the cuddling pix -- that's worth a few bucks, easily!)
My NEXT post will be about Briz-Vegas - which isn't all that vegassy. Other than: they turned the old Treasury building into a casino. Very weird.
ReplyDelete