I touched a koala’s butt.
Not exactly my dream, but I did hope to hug one while here in Australia and in that, I succeeded.
We spent the past two days in Brisbane, relieved at last to wear flip flops and T-shirts as spring continues here down under. Saturday we grabbed a late lunch before wandering along the city’s river, undertaking the Lonely Planet walking tour. Exhausted from travel, we opted to chill on our hostel’s rooftop terrace with a beer for the evening.
Sunday (Day 18) – Hugging a Koala, Pestering a ‘Roo
Sunday, we set out to visit Lone Pine, a koala sanctuary outside of the city. Getting there was one of those tourist adventures that’s probably funny later, but really frustrating at the time. We knew we could take a bus, but tracking it down wasted a good chunk of the morning. We finally arrived though and walked around the small park.
Australia’s native koalas were once hunted nearly to extinction. Now they are protected by law, but still face the perils of everyday life, which today include a dwindling Eucalyptus forest, cars, dogs and backyard pools. (They’re good swimmers, but they can’t often climb out.) This sanctuary was started with just two cute koalas and now boasts 130.
The sleepy animals sit around in trees all over the park. We learned that the Eucalyptus leaf does not provide many carbs or sugar, which is why koalas spend most of their time conserving energy. Although small, the park was pretty cool. They let you hold a koala and pose for a photo, so Leo and I did just that.
You must put your hands, one on top of the other, against your waist, palms up. The keeper gently places the creature’s butt on your hands and adjusts its rather sharp claws around your neck. Hold still; they don’t like their faces to be touched. Turn and smile for the camera! My paid-for printed photo didn’t turn out that well, but they let you take your own, too. Here’s a montage Leo put together.
We also wandered around checking out some of Australia’s other unique animals, the platypus, wombats, cool birds and of course, kangaroos and emus. The cool part about that was the kangaroos and emus are wandering around a large enclosure and you go inside and walk right up to them.
You can buy kangaroo food and feed them, so we took a bag and nervously approached them. You can’t do so standing up; they get a bit cranky and might hit you. Or so we’re told. These lazy, well-fed kangaroos looked more bored than anything. I think they’re tired of people wandering up with food in their palms. I finally got one to eat something and then … kangaroo spit. Right in my palm. Yuck.
Our return bus ride was so packed we had to stand. We were tired, but we forged on to New Farm, a Brisbane neighborhood known for being cool. There we found a tapas restaurant/bar with a nice, big open window. And there we sat, slowly working our way through three rounds of food and drink.
Monday (Day 19) – Welcome to the Tropics
We arrived here in Cairns around noon local time. It’s our final stop on our journey and the warmest, as Cairns is part of the tropical north, where rainforests are the norm. (We’re here ahead of the rainy season, luckily.) Leo and I sort of wish we could spend an extra day here; the weather is so perfect (about 90 degrees with nice breezes) and it’s the kind of laid-back place that seems to keep its own time. But really, there’s nothing to do. We wandered around the dull central business district within 30 minutes. Despite being a popular destination, the town doesn’t really even have a beach. Instead, they’ve installed a pool with sand around the edges. So we wandered, found lunch and returned to our hostel to swim in its pool.
The major appeal of Cairns is, of course, the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkeling there is our next, and final, big Australian adventure. I’m guessing it’ll be the perfect way to wrap up our trip …
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