It was about 8:15am and Tanya was trying to get a travel agency to book a trip for us to Moreton Island on Monday. Because it was before 9:00am, nothing was open yet. She said we should start for the Zoo and stop along the way to call an agent.
Now the whole Moreton Island thing came about because we couldn't get a trip booked to go out to the opal mines. It is a 2-3 hour flight out there and the cost went up in the last week from $250 to $650 per person. Tanya felt bad about it, but dad and I were not upset. Our butts were still tender from that brutal flight from the US. NEITHER of us wanted to fly ANYMORE! PERIOD! Forget digging opals if I have to fly one more inch! Tanya knows a place where we can pick through ones already dug up. That suits us just fine. The guy that runs the place has a mine and dad can talk to him about it. We'll do that Sunday.
Ok, really, back to the trip to the Zoo. (That dang gummy gecko is still chirping!)
So, we were on the way to the Zoo. Dad's tummy is still giving him trouble. Tanya is looking for a roadside travel agent and I'm in the backseat with the little darlings watching a Barbie DVD.
Tanya sees a shopping center and we find a 'chemist'. Tanya got some stuff that fixed dad right up. Then she and I went into the mini-mall and found a travel agent and booked the trip to Moreton Island. The agent was polite and funny. Everyone here talks funny. I am sure he thought I sounded strange too.
The little town we stopped in is called "Burpingary". Mike and I had quite a laugh about "Aboriginal" names of places, of which this is one. (More likely, one of the founding fathers named Gary had a belching problem and lived in the area.) Mike is of the opinion that the Aborigines (and later the marooned English persons, falsely accused, falsely accused...) named places so as to twist the tongue into excruciating positions. There are WAY too many vowels and just a couple random consonants sprinkled in. Makes for hilarious pronunciation attempts.
The Australia Zoo is a former Macadamia Nut farm. (And current home of a bonafide nut-job. ie: The Crocodile Hunter himself, Steve Irwin.)
First thing, before we get to the ticket booth, they have a live camel standing beside the walk from the parking lot to the gate. Everyone stops for a pet of the beast and a picture.
Inside the Zoo, it is clean and well laid out. You can tell it was built for the animals AND for people to see them safely with easy maintenance.
I wanted to see Agro, Steve Irwin's arch-Croc-nemisis. We found his enclosure easily and found him in the water while his lady-croc guarded their nest. So Cool!
We went back to the main path and had our picture taken with a baby croc. Then off to the "Crocoseum" to see a bird show, snake show, and croc show! Steve wasn't there, but his wife, Teri, was. She did the croc show with a monster croc named Murry.
After the shows, we had lunch in the Food Court. This is a huge, elevated area with lots of tables and chairs and about six food booths. We ordered "American" hamburgers because the Aussie's put beets on theirs! Yeah! Beets!
Another term: Tomato Sauce = Ketchup
The meat was made with Manwich sauce in it and the cheese was grated, but everything was fresh and not bad at all if you forgot you wanted a burger!
After lunch, we went to the Kangaroo Enclosure. You go inside a big pasture (fenced) and can walk right up and fee and pet the "Roos"!!! They just laid there in the shade and let kids poke and pet them without getting "cranky". There was a very small "joey" that all the kids loved. It was really exciting for me. I didn't think I would be petting a kangaroo! (Did have to watch out for the roo-poo. It looks like deer-poo, but is shaped more the size of Jordan Almonds.)
We rode the train around the rest of the park and back to the exit. There were lots of other animals to see, but dad and I were tired.
Australia Zoo. Two thumbs up!
**That brings me back to today's events!**
I made french toast for everyone. Eryn doesn't like new things when it comes to food, but for me, she tried it. Tanya was surprised she would and we were both surporsed she liked it. No luck with Aidan though.