Sunday, June 10, 2012

AUS #7: Featherdale and Blue Mountains

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he;
Laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra.  Gay your life must be.

Tawny Frogmouth


I got to pet a koala!  I got to pet a koala!

Wallaby's go to eat little waffle cones and food they gave us!

Wallaby's brekky

Dingo

Peacock
Cassowary

Quokka

Albino kangarooo - red eyes were eerie

Hello 'roo!

Got to pet these guys as well!

Emu


Wallaby

Ring-tailed wallaby


Wombat - the size of a pig, but looks like a large hamster

Eagle

Tasmania Devil (so lucky to see this as they're another nocturnal animal


Little Penguin - yes, that's its given name

Bats

Blue Mountains, on a cloudy day

The Three Sisters




Three sisters again

Cable car (the one returning came up at 51' and felt like we were going to fall out



Three Sisters

Family on the tour living in Singapore (we grabbed dinner together afterwards)

Our tour group - great fun!

Sydney Olympic Stadium

Proof that I stayed with Spartans (Steven Kapeles and girlfriend Shannon)!

Friday, June 8, 2012

AUS #5: Taronga Zoo

Koalas are considered "threatened".  Apparently a nasty strain of chlamydia (no not the same as humans) has caused problems, as has a koala retrovirus (like HIV).  If the UK Telegraph is scientifically accurate (skeptical), they said there was concern of them dying off in 30 years.  Scientists are working on a chlamydia vaccine.

They spend like 20/24 hours sleeping so I was impressed to see them as active as they were.

They are like 80 year old men.  I don't know why.  They just are.  Still one of my favorite animals (#2 but a good effort today!)
Giraffes nice, but Broadmoar Zoo much better for giraffes in Colorado Springs.

Great seal talk!
A roo in the zoo

Why am I so ridiculously wonderful... I just am!
What you want to do?  I dunno whatcha wanna do?  Now, don't start that again.

We had a moment.
Best bird show I've ever seen.  Very cool with the Sydney skyline.

White owl
The people look fuzzy but you can see the bird in the middle left.  They flew right next to our heads.

"If your eyeballs were as big as his, they'd be the size of softballs."  Yes, quoted.
Falco means sharp... fun trivia

My new Florida travel buddy Bob

Funny bird beak

Red panda