First, let’s get some food out of the way…
The beer was Dad’s. I took the picture since I figured it has to be the only beer in the world with a thylacine on the label.
Today I set out at about 8am to walk to Blackbutt Reserve, which is a (free) public nature park with many lovely walks and some very impressive displays of native wildlife. Even at that hour the heat was relentless. I had packed a frozen solid bottle of water with me, but it had completely thawed within twenty minutes of setting out! I was covered in sunblock, wore loose clothing and kept to the shade as best I could but I still felt like I was walking in an oven. The sun was absolutely merciless; every photon hit me like a tiny bullet. I felt like I was training for the army. I felt like I was being punished for something I hadn’t done.
I felt like I was alive.
It took me a little over an hour to get to Blackbutt (if you’re super-bored, check the route on Google Earth), and I immediately set out to see the animals. I had heard the bird exhibits were damaged in the flood/storm of last June and so they were…
< Poor birdy
But damage notwithstanding, this would prove to be my best ever visit to Blackbutt. Rather than explain why, I will show you:
I have never been so close to a Koala. It’s a little hard to tell in the third image, but had I wanted to I could have reached out and touched his paw. The first photo (which I love) was providential – while I was in the Koala house he just deigned to look up at me as I stood there and just watched him. It was almost as if he was mugging for the camera, albeit in that slow-motiony way a Koala moves.
Or do they??
The icing on the cake was that a second Koala was running around on the ground of the enclosure. He was crazy! I got a lot of good video of him (which I can’t upload since Dad has almost reached his monthly quota) and watched him for at least fifteen minutes. I can’t remember ever seeing a Koala so active, much less active like he was (running around sniffing around for food like a cat). It was a very memorable experience.
The other natives didn’t seem to want to disappoint me today either…
I dislike using the flash on my camera, but it was necessary for the wombat photo. One day I’ll walk into a wombat enclosure and they will actually be awake 🙂
Oh, and if you’re an arachnophobe…avoid Blackbutt 🙁
< Terokkarantula
#1. zomg Solo Thrist “Crusher”, it appeals to the warrior in me.
#2. was that kangaroo hiding for a reason?
Remember, I asked you to bring me a Koala? Looks like you had your chance !!