We spent our last day in Australia at the Australia Zoo. It was the BEST zoo I have ever been to. It is owned by the Irwin Family, maybe you remember Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter. Actually he died as a result of a sting ray sting while diving off the coast of Port Douglas in the Great Barrier Reef (we heard the story while on our sunset cruise.) His wife and children are still active in running the zoo. While we were there the crocodile show was presented by his wife and son.
The reason I say it is the best zoo I've visited is because of the interaction and proximity you can get to the animals. They have several shows throughout the day with trainers feeding crocodiles, elephants, and tigers. You can feed and pet kangaroos, observe and hold koalas without a fence barrier and most of the animals in enclosures are still very close to you often with a trainer in with them feeding or caring for them. The animals are active.
The Australian animals we saw include the echidna, kangaroo, emu, koala, cassowary, Tasmanian devil (pictured), wombats, and crocodiles. 
Up close and personal with the kangaroos!
They have a small selection of Asian and African animals. We just happened to be standing at the tiger enclosure when the trainer began giving the tiger some milk while showing off it's feline behaviors.
Here we are practicing for our family portrait. We paid to hold a koala and got a souvenir photo! You can pay to pet and hold lots of animals including a tiger, cheetah, or a dingo. All of the money they make goes toward programs they have to protect animals and an animal hospital connected to the zoo.
We read about a koala who has been through three surgeries at the hospital due to being hit by cars. Silly Koala needs to learn to look both ways before crossing.
After the zoo we drove to the Gold Coast, where we were flying out to Japan the next morning. We didn't make it to the beach until the sunset had nearly set but we enjoyed a walk on the beach and an amazing Thai dinner. Finally, we got to enjoy Starbucks on the beach for breakfast before we headed to the airport. Wow, what a great three weeks! Adieu Australia.
No comments:
Post a Comment