Australian Trip: The animals

 

I have not been this afraid since Britney Spears shaved her head.
Those big rat-bastards ate all three bags of my Kangoo - Kibble and when that was finished they ate the bags too! 

Now as you already know I have seen a Huntsman spider. Actually I have seen three of these evil bastards. But this amazing country has a lot more to offer than just a mother of a huge spider (they are the size of dinner plates- lord help me). As soon as I got here I had to have a look at the country's big two, that would be the kangoo's and Koalas. But I really really wanted to get my hands on a Wombat and a Platypus.

The Sightings

I will have you know I spotted a Possum on my first day. He apparently lives in a box of old rags in my uncles shed. Upon the sound of rustling coming from a nearby tree. My mother did proclaim that we were under attack, and that there were men hiding in the bushes waiting to rape and pillage our home! My uncie, a former South African, understood her terror, but reassured her that it was a Brushtail Possum and that it meant no harm. I was lucky enough to see both the Brushtail and Ringtail Possum (the Ringtail lived in a tree in my cousins yard, he would wait for the stray cat to leave and then eat all the goodies in the veggie patch).
Interesting facts: There are hundreds of street merchants all over Melbourne who sell Possum knit jerseys. Apparently they are one of the worlds warmest hollow-fibres. Unfortunately one does not simply shave a Possum, hey must be hunted.



Kooki perched on top of Cocky.

I was also lucky enough to see my Uncies resident Kookaburra (top left). Every evening he is to be found between Cocki's cage or the washing line swooping down to eat some worms.
Cocki is my uncles pet Yellow-crested Cockatoo. In South Africa we pay thousands for one of these ugly parrots, but here they are native. I am told that they often will flock in and run riot over a farmers crop leaving chaos and destruction in there wake. It is for this reason that farmers will often go out and shoot hundreds of them, they are like Australia's Pigeon. Cocky was a patient at my uncles veterinary practice having suffered a broken wing. He was nursed back to health in Uncies yard and then released. Cocky obviously favours his cage because whenever he is released he just flies onto the porch and knocks on a window until somebody puts him back in his cage. I was lucky enough to see a whole flock of Cockys sitting in a tree.
Interesting Facts: Once kept in captivity it is unlawful to release a Cockatoo, obviously Cocky is a straight and narrow kinda guy.

Chilling!
Koalas do not like to get wet!

On the second day of my holiday we were off to spot some wild Koalas. I searched high and low on our trip to Apollo Bay when suddenly I spotted one. We all jumped out of the car and took about a billion photos of this one guy high up on a branch. But friends I will give you the best advice - I wish someone had told me his fact - One should not be spotting Koalas, it is best to look out for a large congregation of cars and tourist buses. As we turned the corner from our poor lonesome Koala we spotted the rest of the heard, hundreds of them sitting (and shitting) above all the tourists below. I am told that it is rare to see them in the wild, but there were hundreds.
Interesting Facts: Koalas are not friends, they are scary as hell and if you get close enough to one their body odour is incredibly pungent, an obvious deterring mechanism. If this fails they are host to razor sharp teeth and claws like a ninety-year-old grandmas feet.  

Lucky to be alive.
I took this pic before he started scratching
and moulting all over my jacket.

Kangaroo... Just the way I like it!

On our third day adventure we set off to Ballarat Wildlife Park to feed some Kangaroos and to see my beloved Wombat and Platypus. I have never been so excited in my life! Kangaroos everywhere! I was so delighted when a little Joey hopped my way and ate his Kangaroo- kibbles from my hand. I was lulled into a false sense of security by this bastard. He had obviously told his gang of Kangoos and before I knew it they were in attack mode. I barely made it out alive. I was lucky to see these creatures two weeks later in their natural habitat (that is to say a farmers crop). I had to zoom in on this pic, but there you go, in the middle left corner those bastards are bouncing  about. In a kind of poetic justice, after taking this pic I settled down to a nice Kangaroo roast.

Interesting Facts: Kangaroos cannot be farmed as they are a national emblem. They are however hunted for their meat as it is lean and tasty, the hunting also acts to cull the population. Also there is a lot to say about a Kangaroos genitals but I will leave it to you to google those facts... 

Pickles is five-months-old.

I am in love with his little piggy snout.

Here he is; Pickles the baby Wombat! I was so so excite to scratch his little baby head! I want a little Wombie soo bad! And then I got to see the Hairy- nosed Wombat. Slightly larger than the common Wombat but so damn cute!

Interesting Facts: Wombats make cubed poops! I do not understand the intricacies of their sphincters, but there you go... Cubes!

Ahhh nature you are so... Cubist!

I am yet to see my elusive Platypus in the wild. I am told that they are very rare and extremely shy, but I was lucky enough to spot one at the mall.
 

Platypus... Not quite what I expected, but in Australia you expect the unexpected!

After all is said and done I must admit that I do actually have love for the Kangaroo and the Koala and I hope to see them again very soon.

 

After finishing all his kibble, Boris ate the bag as well!