A Day at the Zoo...

It's been awhile! Australia seems to move in erratic bursts - slow days, slow nights and then a full week will fly by. There's a beauty here that is less majestic than that in New Zealand but more constant. Every beach is beautiful - even if you can't get in the water because of the "stingers" or jelly fish that will supposedly send you directly into shock and cause you horrific pain...I'll stick to the shore.
We've done a lot and seen a lot since I last wrote so I don't know where to begin. Hopefully I will have more time in the near future to write a more comprehensive account of our time here but today I think I will share with you one even that sticks out in my mind.
There are some things in life that really never fail to bring about a child-like joy and a trip to a zoo filled with exotic animals is definitely one of those things. Lisa and I made a special stop in a little-known town called Beerah to see the Steve Erwin Zoo there.
I have to note here that while I admit that I thought Steve Erwin was a bit loony for doing things like messing with poisonous snakes and hugging large, obviously unhappy crocodiles, I have to admire his commitment to his cause. On our way to the zoo (via a free shuttle), we got to watch a film that included interviews and home videos from Steve Erwin's life. His death here was much like losing Johnny Cash in the US - an absolute icon in his career who also happened to be a great individual. They say if you find a job you love that you will never work a day in your life. In that case, they should have put the words "A man that never worked a day in his life." on Steve Erwin's gravestone. This man loved wildlife and his passion was obvious in every detail of his life - work, family, and fun. His desire for the zoo was to create a place where people could interact directly with the animals and learn about them. It was his belief that humans want to protect what they love. His goal was to teach people about these exotic animals and allow them to interact with them so that he could create a loving bond that would encourage conservation and protection.
He perfected that goal on the beautiful grounds of the zoo. Unlike many zoos I've visited, these were not animals behind bars in crowded pens. The animals chosen for the zoo were those that could excel in the areas created for them. Every crocodile pond was painstakingly created to provide maximum viewing with minimal obstruction to the animals. The water was still murky, the areas swamp-like and shady but there were elevated boardwalks for visitors to watch from as these great, dinosaur-like beasts cruised along. There were koalas in open air gazebos just out of touch but completely content to nap away in the shady eucalyptus. There was even a large area of grassy hills and shadowy clearings where you could stroll among several types of kangaroos. Imagine my surprise when we walked through a gate and met an animal I had never though I would see hopping up to us in expectation of the feed you could buy to give him. These funny creatures looked and acted like a hopping combination of a dog, a rabbit and a deer. They were quirky and slightly intimidating in their exoticness. They lounged about or hopped directly up to you to be petted and touched.
Other animals were enclosed in borad areas or bushy paddocks. Some of them never made an appearance but we did see the short, squatty wombat (a pig-like creature in actions but furry and rodent-like in appearance), the famous Tasmanian Devil who created a whirlwind of excitement by simply jogging laps around his paddock, and the big Asian Elephants complacently fanning themselves with their ears and wallowing in the dirt of their large encloser.
We watched in awe as they brought a crocodile of considerable size (8 ft or more) into a stadium set up for shows and fed him. The 'guide' told facts about this impressive animal - how they use vibrations to sense pray on the shores, how they are lightening fast in the water but unusually slow and awkward out of it - as he stomped the ground and the crocodile lurched at him from a very unsafe looking distance. As soon as the guide would throw a chunk of red meat into those massive jaws of death the croc would slide placidly back into the water and wait for the next vibration from the edge. I had seen the final "trick" on many Discovery Channel specials but seeing it live struck a whole new kind of fear and awe into me. The guide stood on a platform suspended about 5 feet above the water. He hung a tasty morsel of red meat above the waiting head of the crocodile which was completely submerged in the water below. Right on cue, the giant leaped into the air and snatched the dangling treat. Leapt is perhaps the wrong word - the crocodile actually used his tail to propel himself upward until at least half of his massive bulk was above the water. Many a fisherman among us realized he was no longer safe dangling fish over the edge of his boat or fishing from the safe haven of a tree on the shore. The croc show came to an end and I felt wiser - if not safer - for it.
The zoo was excellent. Something that was pleasing in a very basic "ooohh, ahhhh" kind of way but also impressive because you learned the intent and purpose behind the design and then see the practical manner in which it was implemented. It was in a short a very successful day.

Time keeps marching along in it's determined manner. We have about 2 weeks left on this huge continent and if anything I think the mystery behind it is more realistic and grand than when I arrived. I think you could spend a lot of time in Australia and still always have something to see. Yes - I could be hinting at a return trip. :)

I hope all of you had a great Easter and are enjoying good health and good weather. Missing you all.

Love from the road...