Crikey!

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No visit to the area is complete without a visit to the famed Australia Zoo! On the drive up, P pointed out a mountain in the shape of a gorilla. He said it was named Mt. Tibrogargan because that's the aboriginal word for gorilla.

We really liked the set up at the zoo - the staff were extremely friendly and helpful in answering questions about the animals. On the walk from the parking lot to the main gate we encountered several animals with handlers there to meet and greet the guests: a camel, a lizard, and a baby pig.

We decided to go to the show in the "Crocaseum" first, unfortunately it was a disappointment. We liked seeing the parade of animals and of course the crocs snapping at chickens, but the narration by a guy in a safari suit with a fake British accent was over the top. He pretended to be frightened by the animals, then the handlers would explain why there was nothing to fear. It was condescending (even to kids) and not entertaining at all. P asked J if he was "packing heat." They would do better to just have the handlers tell about the animals and let the animals star in their own show!

We had another opportunity to pet koalas and to hand feed kangaroos while at the zoo. We also saw Bindi's best friend, the 100+ year old Galapagos tortoise that was also friends with Charles Darwin!

There was a large tribute to the late Steve Irwin with pictures, notes, stuffed animals, shirts, and many other special items left by his fans. Terri and Bindi were not at the zoo that day unfortunately.

For lunch, we had Aussie burgers. What makes them different from our burgers? Well, they have a fried egg, bacon, cheese, and beetroot on them in addition to the regular fixings. Yes, beetroot (we just call them beets). It's actually very tasty! And don't forget, fries are chips and they are eaten with "tomato sauce" not ketchup!

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Photos

Fatso the Wombat
J totally loved wombats after seeing these at the zoo.

In Line to Pet the Koala
None of the places we visited allowed us to actually hold the koalas, only pet them. Lame.

Bindi's Best Friend
Giant Galapagos Land Tortoise