Toronga Zoo - Roar and Snore!


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Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney » Glebe
February 18th 2008
Published: February 26th 2008
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Toronga zoo - but first...

Well I have been in Sydney now for 17 days and surprise surprise, am loving it! One of the best ways to see Sydney is to get a weekly travel ticket, which allows you to take all buses and ferries for minimum $32. The bigger the area, the more the ticket is. The passenger ferry takes you all around the harbour and is an excellent and cheap way to see it and avoids costly harbour cruises. My international student card is not so accepted in this state though annoyingly, as I have to be a NSW student to benefit, which I think is very unfair! Despite that, Ive been to several museums and art galleries, round the Rocks area, where I bought my first present since being away...it was a CD of aboriginal digereedoo dance music! It's awesome! I was busily having a nosy around the quay, when I was attracted by this cool didge beat and found this aboriginal guy playing away. (I of course had to meet him and had a chat with him and his brother. see the pics. I got him to sign it as well. Im such a tourist!). I've also been to a Turkish dance club with cabaret and a few sights and sounds of Newtown and Oxford St..all very pleasurable.... 😊

Then, on the 17th feb, was the mardi gras Fair Day, held at Victoria park, which was conveniently positioned at the end of my road and was fantastic. It is a day of celebration for gay people and their friends and family to go down and have a gd ole picnic, chinwag, drink, dance and people watch. Stalls galore, Djs, artists and the veritable dog show (and im not being derogatory here, I really do mean of the canine variety!) I was enjoying myself immensely and met up with some friends I had not seen in a long time, when unfortuantely for me, I had to leave. Yes, it appears that when i was sorting out my MG diary, it was not explained to me fully what this day was all about ie it was down as a 'picnic with friends'. So when I came to sort out my sleep over at Toronga zoo and was presented with only 3 possible dates in February (they get booked up months in advance) I chose this day for it. well damn it all to hell frankly! After 5 cans of bacardi and cokes and watching my friends then go into the dance tent, I really did not want to go. But I thought of the money spent ($175!!!) and I purposefully staggered off to get a bus back to the hostel to pick up my bag; waited an eternity for another bus to take me into town to catch another bus to the zoo. Needless to say I was already running late and ended up getting a taxi to the zoo. Fortunately I got chatting to the taxi driver and bless him he let me have the fare for a lot less than it should have been!

And so I arrived, not a little intoxicated at the zoo and suddenly remembered that I had forgotten my pillow and sleeping sheet and yes we were in tents in the middle of the zoo. However, they were fully prepared for these clearly common memory lapses and provided with the necessaries, plus food.....god i hadnt eaten all day and did not realise how hungry I was. I introduced myself with a mouth full of celery stick and dip, but did explain the reason and everyone nodded their understanding, if not with a little sympathy for my predicament...I was impressed with the education there and the opportunities they provide for children and adults alike. You can see and touch snakes, a baby croc and the veritable Koala. We went ona night walk, which I have to say I expected a bit more, ie the actual nocturnal animals in the separate displays for eg quols, duckbilled platypus etc. We then went to bed and were up at 6am. Needless to say I got no sleep whatsoever. I decided at about 2am that I could either get no sleep and listen to the constant loud snoring of my fellow zoo nighters and get no sleep, OR listen to my MP3 players and get no sleep. I chose the latter and so I spent my night in the zoo listening to Pure Moods. Up and at em the next day and off to feed the giraffes and the grizzly bears. All good fun. The tour then ends and you are free to wander the zoo at your leisure. All very pleasurable.

Last week then saw me at the Sydney Opera House, (which is to be listed as one of the new wonders of the world. I have some difficulty believing this to be honest. Yes it is unique, but frankly I consider it to be beautifully ugly. I would think differently if the outside "shell or sails" had anything to do with the acoustics...but they dont. In fact the acoustics are poor and I cant understand how a building that was built for shows and music which require excellent acoustics, can be so highly regarded.) I was there to collect my tickets first and foremost, but then I saw that it was raining and I'd forgotten my waterproof, so ended up on a tour of it as well (which is actually worth it, see the pics). The show was Cabaret Decadanse, which was an adult puppet show. If you get the chance to see it, see it. It's incredibly clever with the emphasis on movement. It's also very funny and generally highly entertaining. The Botanic Gardens are quite quite beautiful and vast! It's just so lovely to walk around and sit under a tree and read with a picnic and they are right next to the Opera House. I ventured into the herb garden looking for some basil to go with my picnic, but ended up with some garlic chives instead. They were delicious!

I also went to the Blue Mountains with a day tour and although the area is unquestioningly beautiful, the tour itself was very rushed, which was rather annoying. Although it rained, I saw a rainbow over the rainforest which was equisite (again see the pics, altho rather misty). They are called the Blue Mountains because of the eucalyptus trees giving off a blue hue (basically). We went on the steepest tram ride down and the steepest cable car ride back. Amazing!

Of courze I've been out n about checking out more nightlife, which is all fun. Went to a night for mardi gras called Tongue Twister on the sat night, followed by the MG Harbour Party on sunday day. This is at Mrs Maquaries point and overlooks the harbour, bridge and the opera house. We also witnessed the passing of the Queen Victoria and the QE2. I cannot express how utterly huge the Q Vic was. It was literally a floating building. It defies belief that something that big floats! In contrast the QE2 was a paddle steamer and rather an anti climax! All gd fun tho, although I dont think the Harbour party was worth the $120. There was only one dance tent and 2 bars and no other entertainment, but I was quite happy to chill out in the sun chatting with lovely randoms, after the previous night!

I've met some really lovely people at the hostel and enjoy their company and its nice just to relax on the rooftop watching the sun go down with a barbie and a cold beer. Fantastic! Although I really must pay more attention to their names and on one occasion, their faces. I managed somehow, to go to my room and met a girl in there rummaging in her backpack, with a towel on her head. I quickly introduced myself, for her to turn around and then I realised that it was Erika whos actually been my room mate for the last 10 days! I just didnt recognise her with a towel on her head! I felt such an idiot. It's also been great to catch up a with a few friends over here as well. It's always nice to know people but Im still maintaining my own space..mostly by sleeping!

I'm off to the Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight at Star City, which should be excellent. It's had rave reviews and neither my friend nor I have seen it b4. I also had my volunteers meeting for the parade on sat night. I will be wearing a white "Parade Official" t-shirt and its my job to keep the crowd in my area entertained and in check by jove! Im really looking forward to it, notwithstanding the fact that I will have a birds eye view of the parade on Oxford St. Look out for me!!!!

I'm also seeing Margaret Cho on thurs night and looking forward to that. Then of course is the parade after party sat night and a club night on sunday night to bring things to a conclusion. I leave for NZ next tues and its really come around very quickly.

All for now. Keep those comments coming and hope you are all well.xx


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