This park is known for its program in breeding koalas, and they actually supply some of the zoos and other parks with their koalas. (Side note: my buddies in the other wildlife park told me that they paid AUS $42,000 for three koalas there, which is about $34,000) I went in the park and saw a few of their scary, venomous snakes, including the most venomous one in the world, and a few other local serpents that would surely not be a pleasant sight along the forested walking trails of the area. Next, I saw the endangered and elusive Southern cassowary, a huge black bird with long legs and a neon blue head and neck. This is much like an emu or ostrich, along with a yellowish, bony ridge on its head that it uses for some potent headbutts, in addition to the sharp talons of its feet, ready to cut or disembowel any potential enemies, and this bird is reputed to be quite aggressive towards humans or anyone else, so two lines of fences protected it from us and us from it. I tested my luck with the bird for a while, but after not being able to provoke any reckless charges, I moved on. I passed the exhibits of noisy, colorful birds - parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, and all that sort of thing, and then a bright white mass of fur caught my eye. In the small fence in front of me were a few small kangaroos, but one of them stood out. Maybe it was his shy personality, but more likely it was his snow-white fur, pink nose and red eyes. This was an albino kangaroo, and apparently there are a few breeders that have isolated this genetic anomaly, and the park was able to get a pair of the unique marsupials. I stared at the animal for a while, but I think it started to feel self-conscious, so I continued on, giving it a feeling that it's just like all of the other kangaroos that just happen to have a bit more color on their fur.
I went to the macropod feeding area with my food in hand, ready to meet the cute locals. I found a few brave wallabies, but the animals here actually seemed a bit more timid than some of the other ones that I'd encountered. Soon enough, though, I had three cute little wallabies standing at my feet, begging for food and pulling at my pants and my hand as I tried to split the food equally amongst them. I tried to feed the other albino kangaroo in the pen, but he didn't seem too excited to see me, so I soon gave up. I also found an adolescent kangaroo that must've just had a new coat of fur come in for the winter, as most kangaroos aren't that much softer than a horse or deer, but this one's coat was superbly soft, almost like a fleece blanket. I petted Softie for a while as he lay on the ground, relaxing from a hard life of doing absolutely nothing other than hopping around a bit and being hand-fed by adoring tourists. As I was ready for my next exhibit, I got caught in a conversation with a Canadian girl named China (or maybe Chyna if she's really cool), but I managed to extricate myself from the familiar traveler's conversation about places visited and future stops just in time to make it to the koala exhibit. In a large, sort of circus tent shaped room, 10 or 15 koalas made their homes in the eucalyptus trees, surrounding a walkway that allowed us to get quite close to the sleepy animals. At the same time, the ranger was giving an informational talk about them, and he got one of them down on his shoulder for pictures and pets. The cute koala wooed everyone around, allowing us to pet him, though the ranger said it would be too traumatic for each and every one of the people that he sees everyday to hold him, so I settled for a close-up look and a chance to pet the little guy. Just as his speech was ending, the pounding sound of huge, isolated raindrops upon the tin roof of the enclosure began to fill the air. The rain started slowly, but it soon picked up and filled the room with the loud pings of millions of powerful drops, pelting the roof above. Soon, a full-fledged storm was upon us, and I was ready to hit the road. I ran out to my car, jumped in, and I was soon back on my way, with the defrost on high and the windshield wipers struggling to keep up with the torrential rain.
My next stop was the hippie/surfer town of Byron Bay. Every single person that I've talked to, in addition to the guide books, lists this as a must-see place. The beach is nice, the atmosphere is laid back, the accommodation and food are cheap...you can't go wrong with it. As I drove into town, I decided it was time for some Beach Boys on my iPod - classic surfing tunes that have surely graced the airwaves of this town for decades. I passed by the spiritual cleansing and palm reading shops just outside of town, excited about what I'd find in this place. Passing through the main roundabout, I soon was on the main street, and it was as if I'd arrived in backpacker hell. All forms of young hippies, old hippies, fake hippies, trashily-dressed partiers, grungy young people and those still young at heart filled the streets, bringing the main road to a near stand-still. The "quaint" town featured rows of cheap food, supermarkets, travel agencies, souvenir shops and the like. I know I should have given it more of a chance, my I just had absolutely horrible first impressions of the crowded, pseudo-laid back town that was surely not the peaceful retreat that I had imagined. I spent a little while at the travel agencies trying to make plans for the cities further up the coast, and then I headed out of town, deciding that I should at least see the beaches before I left. The large expanse of beach was fairly nice, split by a large, forested head upon which sits a lighthouse overlooking both main beaches of the town. I stopped for a few pictures of the place and headed back out of town, making another stop or two to check out the beach, full of amateur surfers and sun seekers. The final beach in town was reputed to be a nude beach, and my curiosity got the best of me, so I stopped to have a look, but everyone that I saw from my brief vantage point was clothed (for better or worse, depending on which person you were looking at). After that, I made my way out of town, very hungry, but not wanting to spend any more time in the disappointing town. I stopped in the next city along the coast and found a kebab shop at the edge of town that sounded perfect. I feared that it might be closed, but the sign said open, so I slid the door open and walked right in. The food and condiments were still out on display, but the tiny shop was completely silent with no one to be found. I called out for a few people, but there was no one around, and I found that the other door was locked, so I surmised that I actually wasn't supposed to be in there.
Let down by Byron Bay and my kebab shop, I continued North up the highway, not in the greatest of spirits. The hippie town somehow managed to seem abrasive, in complete contrast to the feel that is so highly-touted when anyone mentions the place, and the trouble in finding good food had me down. Soon, I was right at the border of New South Wales and Queensland, and I headed towards the next town, hoping for some good food. I soon found a Domino's Pizza place, happy that I'd be able to get a good deal on my dinner for the night. I ordered another of my beloved Godfather pizzas, clearly specifying that I wanted the deep dish crush (it's more filing) after being so disappointed upon receiving a thin, crispy crust a few days before. (The thin crust actually tastes great, but I'm looking for better value for the money, and the thick crust has a much higher rating on my scale.) A few minutes later, my pizza came out - one large cheese pizza. I mentioned that it was supposed to be a Godfather pizza, but I was fine with it, but the slightly frightening, slightly hunchbacked worker with straggly black hair falling over his ears decided that he'd make it again. Another ten minutes passed, and I was soon on my way with two pizzas - the right one and the extra cheese that they accidentally made, all for about $6, so my mood was soon picking up. In addition to the free pizza, the sky began to turn varying shades of orange and pink while the sun set behind the clouds. Despite my bad day, the night finished perfectly, and I drove just across the border into Queensland. I was in too-heavily populated of an area to be able to find a rest stop for sleep, so I decided to just take one of the small highways that headed inland towards the hills and look for a nice spot along the side of the road to sleep. About ten minutes inland, I crossed over a river and under some power lines, and I noticed a large, abandoned parking lot at the bottom of the hill. I made a quick U-turn at the local school and soon secured my spot in the lot, hoping that I would be ok there until the morning. I awoke early and got out of there, hoping that I wasn't going to be noticed by the time I moved on. Within minutes, I was back on the freeway, heading for the loud, crazy resort town of Surfer's Paradise.
(Awww. Poor little guy doesn't even have any pigment. I call him Albino Al.)
(Right now he's thinking that my camera might be a food source.)
(Nice to meet you, too, mate. I'm pretty sure that they like this. You can tell by the annoyed look on his face. By the way, check out the albino one in the background...but don't stare. That's rude.)
(Koala Conservatory = lots of koalas. How many can you see? I count 41.)
(The calming sunset and the Hungry Jacks sign on the left - the Aussie version of Burger King)
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