Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

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Hola!

Hope you all are doing well. Pictures from previous “blogs” are up and more are on their way….

I will tell you a little bit about one of the most interesting and coolest days (Saturday, Jan. 6th) I have ever had.

The study abroad group loaded up on a Greyhound bus at 8am and headed out on an all-day adventure. The bus took us through the Dandendong Ranges which is a very lush-green terrain, rich with wild ferns and sizeable lakes in the suburbs of Eastern Melbourne. The Ranges were beautiful even though Australia (and Melbourne specifically) is having one of the worst droughts in the country’s history.

We stopped at the Dandendong Ranges National Park, where the bus driver prepared us breakfast consisting of coffee/tea, sweet cakes and crackers and Vegemite. Vegemite is this sick black stuff that looks like peanut butter (even is packaged similar to peanut butter), but tastes like feces. It is made from “leftover brewer’s yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacture, and various vegetable and spice additives.” See Wikipedia. It tastes nothing of beer, or veggies, or spices—it tastes like crap, but at least I gave it a try.

After eating, I found some bird seed and started feeding the many birds that inhabit the Park. The birds were very aggressive as you will be able to see by the pictures.

We then hopped aboard the “Puffing Billy” Railway for a “steam train” ride deeper into the Dandendong Ranges. The train was a blast and the scenery was beautiful. Apparently Australia does not have tort liability similar to the U.S., because as soon as the train started moving everyone left their seats and immediately starting hanging out the traincar windows, even going as far as sitting on the open window sills while the train was tearing/puffing up the tracks. Never would be allowed in the U.S. Things are just a little more relaxed here.

The train took us to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary which was definitely the highlight of the trip. The Sanctuary has very few boundaries/fences separating the public from the animals—much different than visiting a zoo. At the Sanctuary, I saw Wallabies, Koalas, Flying Foxes—humongous bats, Wombats, Dingos, Tasmanian Devils, Monitors, Crocodiles, an assortment of lizards, a Death Adder—one of the most poisonous snakes in the world—here, however there was a thick glass window protecting the park patrons, and a variety of “Birds of Prey”—raptors (eagles, hawks, owls, buzzards). In addition, I saw both Red (larger) and Grey (smaller) Kangaroos and even got to feed a Red one. Really, really awesome.

We left the Sanctuary on a bus and headed to the Rochford Winery in Eastern Melbourne. The Rochford Winery was initially a very small family owned winery, but after winning the 2005 best Pinot Noir in the world competition, the place has blown up! Now they hold a summer concert series in the backyard of the winery and have many famous musical guests coming to play in the upcoming weeks: The Pretenders; Crosby, Stills and Nash; and John Fogerty (of CCR) to name a few. I was not able to taste the winning Pinot Noir, as they were completely sold out within one week of the announcement of the competition victory, but did sample (and re-sample, and re-sample, and . . .) many of their other wines. I left the winery with a good appreciation of wine (and a kick-ass buzz!).

After arriving back in the city, the group re-mobilized and headed out to St. Kilda Beach—where the nightlife is out-of-control! Aussies surely know how to drink some beers. I enjoyed myself thoroughly while imbibing and walking along the beachfront bars and nightclubs. Awesome area of Melbourne.

More stories and pictures will be on their way. Please email me or post through the Travelblog at anytime—I love reading from familiar voices. Take care.

Andy

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Photos

Dandendong Ferns
These ferns grow as tall as redwoods, but do not have near the girth of redwoods.

Bird Feeder
This guy was a little aggressive and flapped and pushed until the red bird left.

Emu
No....I did not get spit on.

Echidna
Australia's porcupine.

Wallaby
This little guy looks and hops like a baby kangaroo.

Comments

[John Browning]

pet
You need a pet Wombat - what a sensational chic magnet. Bring one home. Your mom would love it. See ya - John

[ju]

spitterific
no, randolf, i am sure you did not get spit on, because you are so damn good at spitting on people, that you knew what was coming and got out the way. but, being that an emu would out-spit a llama anyday, anytime, i am postive that you most definately got spit AT!

[Whitney]

Um, jealous....
Those birds better not have been females! I saw them eyeing you.... Any progress with the accent?

[Jana]

A small favor....
Can you smuggle a koala back for me? I have always wanted one. I'll go ahead and plant a eucalyptus tree now.....