Saturday at Healesville Sanctuary

Thanks to numerous recommendations this week to start our sightseeing at an animal sanctuary about an hour or so outside the city, we had little trouble deciding what to do with our first Saturday down under.  The hour turned into nearly two due to the inevitable wrong turns when driving in a new city combined with our inability to interpret the voice on the navigation system, but still it was a successful day.  We wandered around the grounds enjoying the animals and birds and picking up tidbits of information along the way.  The unanimous favorite was the koala, followed closely by the kangaroo and the platypus.

The last twenty minutes of the drive took us into the beautiful Yarra Valley.  Rolling hillsides of grazing sheep and frisking lambs in green pastures alternated with carefully-tended vineyards against a backdrop of blue foothills, white clouds and sunny skies: truly a feast for the eyes.  Unfortunately we didn't stop the to take pictures, but I'll include two that I took from the car window as we continued our journey.

At this point our offspring weren't at all sure this was going to be worth the trip, but a snack of meat pies, ham, roast chicken, and vegemite sandwiches before we entered helped to raise everyone's spirits (the thirty-five dollar price tag for this snack caused me to make a mental note to bring our own food in the future).  I think I was the only one brave enough to try the vegemite---rather bitter, but edible enough if one is starving I suppose.

First stop was the kangaroo presentation.  We were given carrot slices to feed them, although most were either too shy, or weren't hungry enough, to come out of their shelters.

The birds of prey demonstration more than made of up for lackluster kangaroos.  The show included breath-taking displays of several of Australia's iconic raptors, including the peregrine falcon, the endemic black-breasted buzzard, and the wedge tailed eagle.  The latter skimmed literally over our heads as it swooped throughout the outdoor stadium.

The birds of prey were followed by a gentleman of both aboriginal and Scottish descent who demonstrated the didgeridoo and the boomerang for us.  Claiming the authority of four generations, he explained that a boomerang should be no larger than the one pictured below, and furthermore, it should not be painted.  He modeled the proper throwing technique of the boomerang numerous times, making it seem very simple, but apparently it is not, for in addition to hand-made boomerangs, he also conveniently sells a dvd with throwing instructions.

I had some vague notion of the didgeridoo before today, namely that it produces eerie, almost bone-chilling sounds, but I did not know that they were traditionally formed from Eucalyptus trees that  had their insides hollowed out by termites.

Next we came upon the Tasmanian devil, the only remaining carnivorous marsupial, and found only in the island of Tasmania.  Its jaws are strong enough to crush a skull, making us grateful for the electric fence surrounding the enclosure.  It is also known for the strong scent it gives off when stressed.

The echidna, also known as a spiny anteater, reminded us of our porcupine.  It is a monotreme, or egg-laying mammal, an order which also includes the platypus.  I was unable to capture a picture of the platypus as the only place we could view it was a darkened room where no flash photography was permitted, but we loved watching it swim underwater.  There was some discussion amongst us as to whether it is the male or female that is venomous, but according to wikipedia, it is the male that has a venomous spur on its hind foot that is capable of causing severe pain to humans.

The gum trees and other vegetation were also fascinating.  Katie took several pictures of plaques indicating the age of the manna gums throughout the sanctuary.

Brolgas, a type of crane:

 

Pelicans:

We wanted to see wombats, but had no luck this time.  On the way home we dragged the children to two separate furniture places, then headed for an early supper at a restaurant close to our house called Giorgios.  The highlight was a Greek appetizer called saganaki, pan seared cheese served with fig and rocket salad (arugula).  Yum.  

James was begging for his bed by 7pm, and the others followed him shortly thereafter.  Perhaps it will take us a full week to adjust after all.

 

Comments

[Nikki]

I could just snatch that adorable koala bear right off the page! Thank you so much the pictures and detailed information. It's so fascinating learning about a new place through someone else's eyes.

[Shanda]

What an adventure! Will you be able to visit Steve Irwin's zoo? That would be neat.
I enjoyed reading about all the animals but I was most struck by your 35 dollar snack. Ouch!

[Christie]

Shanda--Steve Irwin's zoo is definitely on our list, but it is a long ways from here. Hopefully we will get to it during our first year. I am trying not to get too upset out over how much money we are spending on food here. I am sure we will learn how to manage a little better, or we will just get used to it.