Crikey! Australia Zoo

(Sorry for the long delay. Here are some of our favorites but there are more good pictures of the zoo in the Yahoo Albums)

We signed up for a tour with Croc Connections to go to the Australia Zoo. Chris was a very knowledgable driver and host, and he had many tips for maximizing time in the Zoo. He even stopped off at a vege stand on the way back to Brisbane, so that we could purchase some cheap and excellent fruits and veges. If you find yourself in Brissy, it is well worth it to call CC's.

The Australia Zoo is fantastic. Since Steve Irwin's passing things have changed a bit, but he is still a prominent figure in the park, referred to with reverence and respect. Personally, the most moving part of our trip was a wall set up with lots of khaki shirts which were signed by fans. Steve was a wild and charismatic individual, and he obviously made an impression on folks from around the world. On the bus ride home, Chris played "He changed our world" and I'd recommend it if you would like to learn more about Steve-O.

First, we went to the Crocoseum to watch the daily show. The hosts showcased the snakes, birds, and of course the crocodiles. The crocs and snakes were cool but having parrots and other birds fly within arms length was incredible. After the show, we visited the crocodile area. Obviously, they don't let you pet the crocs, but you can get pretty close to them. During the show, we saw them leap out of the water by about 3-5 feet and in short distances they can travel very quickly. For safety reasons, there are two fences between the guests and the crocs.

Then we went through the koala area where we were able to pet them. Their fur is rough and soft at the same time. it reminded me of felt. Koalas don't have very big brains, and they don't do much more than nap and eat. Their claws look scary, but the zoo keepers said that they aren't dangerous at all.

We also walked through the kangaroo area, and were able to pet the roos and see some info about their habits and habitat. I was not surprised to learn that a baby kangaroo is called a "joey", but I didn't know that mommy kangaroos are only pregnant for about 35 days or so. I'm sure my sister Marla would be much happier if human gestation was as quick.

There is an area where they keep all of the poisonous snakes, and I have to admit we didn't spend too much time there. There are loads of poisonous snakes in Australia, and the collection reminded us why we didn't want to go tramping out in the bush. I had to think of Erin's mom Judy, because this is probably the only part of the zoo which she would not enjoy. (Erin's note: Mom, the taipan looked terrifying even behind the glass. I hope to never, ever see one in the wild.)

My personal highlight of the day was feeding the elephants. Twice a day, they allow guests to line up and feed three elephants. We missed the early feeding, which actually turned out to be a good thing because there were far fewer folks at the 3pm feeding. In fact, we went through the line 3 times. (Erin: I actually went through four times.) Their trunks can grab so gently and they have such dexterity. We were given small pieces of fruit, and they grabbed it right out of our hands and then put it into their mouths. (Erin: The contrast between their size (enormous) and the gentleness of their trunks was amazing. That's why I snuck through the line an extra time!)

We missed the bulk of the tiger show, but we hung out by the cages for a while and got a show of our own. The tigers have a large play area, and during the time of day that we were there they are more playful. They swam and jumped up onto a large platform. It was amazing to get so close to them and see how they spend their days.

All in all, the Australia Zoo was a highlight of our trip so far.

J