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Published: February 27th 2008
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Rogue Kangaroos
Breakfast Dishes Kangaroos Coff's Harbour to Brisbane
We wake up bright and early and get breakfast together. While getting ready to do the dishes, I say to Trish, let's go to the camp kitchen and do them there. It's easier, cleaner and faster than doing them in the caravan. She agrees and we head down.
All of a sudden. HOLY CRAP!!! there's 3 kangaroos eatting just a stone's throw from the caravan. We stand in awe for a few minutes watching them pick stuff up off the ground. And what a time not to be carrying any camera! One even has a Joey in her pouch. Awesome!!
As we're doing the dishes, the couple I had been talking to last night appears to say good morning and says there's more kangaroos around the corner. They also comment how unusual it is to see them.
After dishes we start to pack up and go for showers. On my way, I'm a little late and run into the cleaning lady so I have to wait for a few minutes. I venture to the back of the bathrooms and sure enough, there's 3 more kangaroos. I quietly watch for a few minutes
And what did you have for breakfast?
This guy wants Trish's attention. Eggs&Bacon vs twigs and grass? hmmm and then have my shower. Back at the caravan, I tell Trish and we grab our camera to take some pictures.
I snap some good pictures and head back. Our guy in the tent asks how our steak was last night and if we got some good pictures as he's chuckling taking down his tent. We laugh and say yeah.. It's good to be a tourist and the Aussies love it!
We head out and decide to go all the way to Brisbane because we'd like to get out to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. trish has been pumped about this for awhile.
We head back into Coff's to see the Big Banana. Turns out that Coff's Harbour was quite the banana plantation and the Big Banana now represents that fact. In canada we're pretty used to the big stuff we have in most towns, but the Big Banana represents the 1st large item in Australia. The pioneer so to speak since 1964. We toured around the Big Banana. A walking platform through what was left of the plantation, a candy factory and would you believe they even have an ice rink! Pretty cool
We depart for
Big Banana!!!
Trish holds the largest banana in the southern hemisphere the 4 hour or so drive to Brisbane noting funny road sign along the way. Such as Kangaroo Crossing, Koala Crossing and the like. Funny to drive in another country, far removed from your own. I wonder what they think of ours?
On the way, we pass Surfer's Paradise and I really want to stop for a dip. We find our way in and down to the beach, which surprisingly isn't as easy as you'd think. As we hit the beach, it starts to pour. damn. we walk to the beach and see one of the best beaches we've seen with great surf. Hence the name I guess. I lament about a missed opportunity and we head back out on the road to Brisbane. At rush hour nonetheless.
We find our way through Brisbane taking the bypass and miss the Caravan Park we were going to stay at because of it. Oh well, Sunshine Coast is closer to the zoo so we crash at a Caravan Park there. It's 9pm and we dig around for what food we have left and watch a movie on the laptop and crash pretty early
Australia Zoo
Up early we
The couple at the Big Banana
Trish and Hughie at the Banana Plantation get ready to head out to the Zoo. It was good to stay at the Sunshine Coast because we're really only 15 minutes or so away from the Zoo.
We get to the parking lot at 10am and it's pretty bare. Its Saturday and I was surprised there wasn't more people. We grab tickets and are greeted with another down pour. We decide to wait it out under the covered ticketing area and are greeted by a lady with a baby aligator!! Funny because Aligators are American! We pet the little guy and head out on our way. We walk through Steve's salt water crocodile's, some of which had been at the zoo for 30 years. I'm also surprised that's there's still so many images of Steve around. Of course most people know that the Crocodile Hunter was killed in 2006 by a stingray barb while filming a documentary, but here, it's still as if he could come out at any minute.
We head to the "Crocoseum" where the croc shows are done in a 5000 seat theatre because a show should be starting in 30 minutes or so. Its funny, because there is still no one around.
Big Prawn
Is it as good as the big banana? you be the judge As we pass a wall, we notice that its all pictures of the family in different stages of their life's. Steve's mom and dad started the zoo, so there's lots of a teenage Steve. Continuing down the wall we see an interesting site. Where there should have be displays of native creatures, it's taken over by letters expressing condolances. We're moved by the shrine we've stumbled upon and are glad to have no one around so we can enjoy it. Even racks of Australia Zoo shirts like the one Steve used to wear are strung out undercover of the Crocoseum signed with condolances. There must be 50 of them. Very touching indeed.
We dodge out and hope that we run into the afternoon show or find out when the next one is. Spotty showers still occur and we head to the far end of the zoo. We find the Kangaroo Island and head in. In the middle there's a shelter to read about the different breeds of kangaroo with some great paintings on the wall. On the outside we see a pen with an Echinda inside. Funny little animal.
We walk along a path to get to the
Welcome to Queensland
The border!! we're supposed to switch our clocks back - HA!! other side when all of a sudden we see 5 kangaroos hanging out. Not behind pens or anything, just hanging out. We giggle like kids and walk closer. Maybe we'll get some good pictures, I wonder to myself when all of a sudden a big one comes bounding towards us. Trish and I get nervous and giggle as this guy is expecting to be fed. THIS IS AWESOME!! we get to pet him and marvel at how soft his fur is. He finds we have no food and just hangs out.
We giggle and keep walking. All of a sudden there's 15 or so just around the corner. So we get closer and 4 come bounding up to us. So this is what it's like to be mobbed. We get nervous again and stand still. The Kangaroos sniff our hands, find no food and move on. It's really awesome now!!! Two sneak up behind me and scare me pretty good and Trish and I laugh pretty hard.
We hand out for about 30 minutes and head to the elephant pen. Trish is able to stand in line and feed one fruit. They have two fruit feedings every day
Crikey!!
Steve Irwin is still everywhere and luckily we've stumbled onto one.
After that we head to the tiger exhibit where we see 3 cubs. In the distance we can hear a show at the crocoseum. Darnit! we missed the start! We decide to catch the afternoon one instead and head out to see the rest of the zoo.
We have a light lunch and see the rest of the zoo before the afternoon show, when I suddenlt realize that Queensland (the state we're in now) has no Daylight Savings Time. We actually should have turned our watches back when we hit SUrfer's Paradise!! We got to the zoo at 9am not 10am when they actually opened. I'm surprised they let us in!!
After a good laugh, we set our watches and realize that the show was on time and we're only 20 minutes from the next one.
Back on track we watch the show which includes 8 or so different species of birds and a crocodile information display. How they live, swim and attack are all displayed which is really cool. Even funnier, after the final attack demonstation, the croc decides just to sit. He hangs out for about 20 minutes until
Baby Aligator
I again make Trish pet something icky!! they are able to lead him out with extra food. Good ploy croc!! good ploy!!
The day over, we head to a different caravan park in Sunshine Coast and crash early
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