15. Cairns - Koalas and Kangaroos

Monday 22 September


Cairns Tropical Zoo has the largest Koala colony in Tropical North Queensland. Koalas sleep for 18-21 hours a day due to the low energy content of their only food source – eucalyptus leaves. Koalas are marsupials, females having a pouch in which their young first develop. Their pouch faces the rear and has a drawstring-like muscle that the mother can tighten.
There are three subspeies:
P.c. victor (Victoria)
P.c. cinereus (New South Wales)
P.c. adustus (Queensland).
For further information about Koalas click here.


In the Koala House

Our guide took us through the Koala House where we spent quite some time. If you're lucky, they'll be awake, and you can have your photo taken with them - you can't hold them, (although you can cuddle a koala during the day) but you are allowed to (gently) pat them. I was so pleased to get 'up close and personal' with this little fellow.
Isn't he cute?


The Mumma and the Pappa

The koala on the left is the female, the male is on the right. The above photo is from Wikipedia - I have included it to show the differences between the male and the female.



Around the Campfire - Billy Tea and Damper

After seeing the animals we all sat around the campfire and had billy tea and damper. The tea is fragrant with Eucalyptus and is served in small baked enamel mugs and the damper is dipped in Cocky's Joy - Mmm...mmm... delicious! Hanging around the campfire took me back to the days when we'd go up to Emu Bottom (in Sunbury) for billy tea and damper and bush dancing.

The kangaroos are very partial to sharing your food and will hop over to you and wait in the hope that you will share some with them - of course everybody did. They must be the best fed kangaroos in Australia!

After everyone had had their fill, it was time to wash our hands and head back to the undercover area for a spot of music and bush dancing.