This Saturday we went up to Caversham Wildlife Park to see kangaroos and koalas. It was amazing! We started early and the bus ride was about 45 minutes. Once we got to the park, Nick and I continued our game of “Who can spot the Kangaroo First” (I won). All the abroad students were on the trip so we split down into smaller groups of about 15 to go through the park with a guide. Our group first got to see some of Australia’s birds which included owls, parrots, falcons, and turkeys. We were greeted with an “’ello!” from one of the parrots as we walked by, but it decided not to pursue chit-chat.
After the somewhat one-sided conversation with the parrot, we moved on to the Koalas. They were cool, but they didn’t do much. Nonetheless, we all gathered like little kids in front of a toy shop and craned our necks for better views. After a few pets and some posing, I tried to get some neat photos. DISCLAIMER: On my webshots the Caversham Album was a joint project of Nick and me. Neither of us really wanted to be juggling lenses, so we agreed that he would use his zoom lens and I would use my short lens. We combined all our photos at the end and take joint credit.
Now for the big event! After the koalas we were led into the kangaroo enclosure. These animals are the dopiest things in the world. Their faces look a lot like camel faces and you begin to wonder what the drug situation is amongst kangaroo populations. Normally, these marsupials are quite jumpy around humans, but I suppose you belay those fears with enough food. Everyone got a handful of food and walked around feeding the kangaroos. The kangas, knowing that people are associated with food, would crawl up to you and paw at your hands. Me, trading all my food pellets in the first 3 minutes for undying love from 3 kangaroos, had no more left for the rest of the time. I would get them to come up to me, but once they noticed I had no food, they quickly moved on.
After all the excitement with the pouched hoppers, we winded down a bit with a nice camel ride. Not a typical animal one goes to see in Australia but nonetheless, it was fun. After a rendition of Arabian Nights, we hopped on our camels and were led around a paddock. Super neat.
The other two big points of interest in the park were the Dingoes and the Devils. The Dingoes were cool, but they did look like wolfish dogs. Worth it though (and no worries, the babies were kept well away). The devil was something I was really looking forward to seeing because the natural population is in quite a bit of trouble. There is a contagious cancer running through the devil population that is spread through biting each other. Our guide said that the animal will probably be listed as critically endangered in ten years time. Nasty things though. I noticed in the souvenir shop that there were no stuffed devils you could buy. Not the cuddliest thing in the world, but a really cool animal.
We ended out trip with a brief trip to a chocolate factory where we were let free. This was the fanciest chocolate place I have ever been to, and they knew it. Chocolates were described like wines and we were told certain qualities to look out for while appreciated the delectable treats. They also had some nice chocolate smelling soap that I was tempted to buy, but I went with the edible variety. It looks like a gold bar, a solid block (70% cocoa to – the good stuff).
For the rest of the afternoon, the only practical thing to do was go to the beach and cool off. We caught the CAT (it’s the free bus that runs a loop around town) and the driver was getting frustrated with me because my backside kept bumping the bell (I was standing). The beach time was spent with educational fun as I dug holes looking for the water table and explaining to my friends how it changes as we go further from the ocean. They were thrilled.
Today helped me solidify my thoughts that if I do go any further in the world of biology, it would have to be a field biologist rather than one stuck in the lab. A very good day and I think I may have dressed the part quite well. Hope the winter is going well for everyone back in the states. I hear Omaha got some snow the other day. It’s about 80ish here right now, but it did rain the other day so I share your precipitation.
Take Care
After the somewhat one-sided conversation with the parrot, we moved on to the Koalas. They were cool, but they didn’t do much. Nonetheless, we all gathered like little kids in front of a toy shop and craned our necks for better views. After a few pets and some posing, I tried to get some neat photos. DISCLAIMER: On my webshots the Caversham Album was a joint project of Nick and me. Neither of us really wanted to be juggling lenses, so we agreed that he would use his zoom lens and I would use my short lens. We combined all our photos at the end and take joint credit.
Now for the big event! After the koalas we were led into the kangaroo enclosure. These animals are the dopiest things in the world. Their faces look a lot like camel faces and you begin to wonder what the drug situation is amongst kangaroo populations. Normally, these marsupials are quite jumpy around humans, but I suppose you belay those fears with enough food. Everyone got a handful of food and walked around feeding the kangaroos. The kangas, knowing that people are associated with food, would crawl up to you and paw at your hands. Me, trading all my food pellets in the first 3 minutes for undying love from 3 kangaroos, had no more left for the rest of the time. I would get them to come up to me, but once they noticed I had no food, they quickly moved on.
After all the excitement with the pouched hoppers, we winded down a bit with a nice camel ride. Not a typical animal one goes to see in Australia but nonetheless, it was fun. After a rendition of Arabian Nights, we hopped on our camels and were led around a paddock. Super neat.
The other two big points of interest in the park were the Dingoes and the Devils. The Dingoes were cool, but they did look like wolfish dogs. Worth it though (and no worries, the babies were kept well away). The devil was something I was really looking forward to seeing because the natural population is in quite a bit of trouble. There is a contagious cancer running through the devil population that is spread through biting each other. Our guide said that the animal will probably be listed as critically endangered in ten years time. Nasty things though. I noticed in the souvenir shop that there were no stuffed devils you could buy. Not the cuddliest thing in the world, but a really cool animal.
We ended out trip with a brief trip to a chocolate factory where we were let free. This was the fanciest chocolate place I have ever been to, and they knew it. Chocolates were described like wines and we were told certain qualities to look out for while appreciated the delectable treats. They also had some nice chocolate smelling soap that I was tempted to buy, but I went with the edible variety. It looks like a gold bar, a solid block (70% cocoa to – the good stuff).
For the rest of the afternoon, the only practical thing to do was go to the beach and cool off. We caught the CAT (it’s the free bus that runs a loop around town) and the driver was getting frustrated with me because my backside kept bumping the bell (I was standing). The beach time was spent with educational fun as I dug holes looking for the water table and explaining to my friends how it changes as we go further from the ocean. They were thrilled.
Today helped me solidify my thoughts that if I do go any further in the world of biology, it would have to be a field biologist rather than one stuck in the lab. A very good day and I think I may have dressed the part quite well. Hope the winter is going well for everyone back in the states. I hear Omaha got some snow the other day. It’s about 80ish here right now, but it did rain the other day so I share your precipitation.
Take Care
JER! that wombat was UGGGGGGLY. jealous about the camel rides.
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