After leaving LAX and hopping the pond, our very first plane landed in Brisbane. What was originally going to be about a 3-hour layover with our original flights, turned into a 12-hour layover with our new flights. I don't think we really realized it until we landed in Brisbane and saw our next boarding time for Cairns (or at least I didn't). For a brief second it was a bit of a harsh blow but if we had learned anything the past 24 hours it was that plans change, you deal, and you move on to make the best of it. So we grabbed some maps, found some open space to sit down and plan, and began to plot out the best way to see what Brisbane had to offer in 12 hours or less.
Growing up, I was raised in a household with a little brother who adored Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, and every move this man made. From the animals he worked with to the lovable energy and personality he resonated to the zoo he founded in Brisbane in the sole interest of animals, education, and conservation, my brother was captivated and soon had in his possession every Crocodile Hunter video, movie, action figure, and even an Australian themed bedroom. To say Sept. 4, 2006 was a sad day in our house would be a bit of an understatement. Because of the nature of our trip and the time limits we had, I had given up on trying to work the Australia Zoo into our itinerary and didn't really push the matter once our schedule and travel paths were set. Then came a 12-hour layover pushed right in our laps. I took one look at the map, found that the location of the Australia Zoo was only about 12-15 stops down on the train, and convinced Travis that this should be where our 12 hours were spent.
So after getting over the initial sticker shock of the train ticket cost and the fee to get into the zoo, we hopped a train and made it there by opening time. As soon as we stepped in and saw how close up we were able to get to the animals, we soon forgot about the fate that brought us here, the amount it cost, or even that it had been raining off and on since we got on the train. Our first few hours into the country and we were thrown head first into Australian wildlife's finest!
It wasn't long before we broke out the cameras:
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| Waiting on the train |
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| at the very colorful train stop. |
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| One of the first creatures we saw. That neck!! |
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| Drop bears: snuggly one second... |
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| ...sizing you up for the attack the next. |
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| "stuck...STUCK!!" |
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| It wasn't even Wednesday |
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| We saw one and got super excited! |
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| Little did we know we were about to see dozens! |
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| They were all so curious until they wised up to the fact that we didn't have food. |
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| "Do you have food? Then I think not." |
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| "Hey, I want some lovin too!" |
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| "Paint me like your French girls" |
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| I want to keep one. |
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| These particular little guys felt like velvet. |
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| In the land of kangas |
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| She looks less than thrilled to hold this snake. I was even less thrilled how close she was holding it to me! |
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| A dingo demonstrating how to ride in the ambulance if you get attacked by an animal, you know, as they do. |
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| A mini animal show. |
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| Travis thought he'd give it a try. |
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| Nailed it! |
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| I'm touching a koala!!! Clearly I'm excited. |
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| He talks a big game about drop bears but deep down he loved every minute of this! |
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| Wombat!!! |
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| Apparently zebras, giraffes, & rhinos can live together. |
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| Cassowary |
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| Perfect (just don't ask how many tries it took) |
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| Outside the animal rehab hospital they have set up behind the zoo. |
Next up: Cairns...
** Photo credit: Sarah-Jane Cruz and Travis Simnitt **
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