Australia Zoo

Despite the fact that there are koala and kangaroo crossing signs all along the roadways, most of the iconic Australian animals have been elusive in the wild, so we made the journey to the Australian Zoo which was a great one-stop-shop to see them all. Up until now, the temperatures have been pretty pleasant here on the Sunshine Coast, but the last few days have seen summer really kick in. Why we chose the first 97 degree day to go to the zoo is beyond me, but it was well worth it.

The Australia Zoo is run by the family of Steve Irwin and prides itself on the conservation projects, rehabilitation and education programs it runs. Although it did not change my opinion on zoos in general, I really enjoyed the day here and appreciated seeing how well cared for the animals appeared to be.

One of the cool things they do at this zoo is rehab animals who have been hit by cars or have been found in the wild with other injuries. We were able to take a ‘sneak peek’ of the hospital. At the time when we were there, we were able to see a baby kangaroo getting some shots and a koala hanging out with a broken leg.

Reptiles

Animals of Africa

A little of this and that

Aussie Natives

The Cassowary is a flightless bird who could kick a human’s butt if it needed to. The colors on the head of this thing were amazing!

Won’t be long and I’ll be seeing the Tasmanian Devil in Tasmania, but this little guy who was trying to avoid the heat was a good substitute for now.

All the dingos were napping. They look a lot like the African street dog to me.

One of the wombats was out for an afternoon stroll, while the rest were all napping.

The zoo puts on a daily wildlife show that features free flying birds and the star of the show, a giant crocodile.

I saved the cutest for last. Here are just some of the MANY photos I took of the koalas, wallabies and kangaroos. The koalas were on a break from their tourist photo session, so no one was allowed to pet them but they were so cute one could just sit there and watch them for hours!

The wallabies were pretty timid and wouldn’t let you get too close. Supposedly one was carrying a baby in its pouch but there was no way to figure out which one it was.

And finally, the best part of the day! The kangaroos and wallabies were together in a large enclosure where you could purchase food (corn kernels and pellets of some kind) and interact closely with them. The kangaroos would come right up and eat from your hand and let you pet them. It was so cool! The first two photos below are Red Kangaroos while the rest of them are Greys (I think).