Taronga Zoo

This incredible Tuesday started off with us four adventurers heading off to Darling Harbour, which is where everyone seems to have that perfect balance. It was a work day and yet people were taking their time with their breakfasts and lounging near the water and sharing precious time with their loved ones.  We walked into the huge building with an “i” on it for information…but should have been for interesting! The late 20-year-old working there was quite the character. She was extremely helpful in guiding our decision to go to the Taronga Zoo by ferry at noon. Our ISIC (international student cards) came in handy when we got major discounts on the zoo and ferry transport. When it came time for paying, we all whipped out our credit cards and the first thing that came out of her mouth was “Bloody Americans!” I gave her a funny look and she explained how we all seem to have credit cards with signatures and not a pin number. Now this is no big deal back home, but apparently in Australia, they have stigmas about credit cards. Such as, we have to get three or four receipts for signing, checking whether or not the bank at home with do the conversion rate or we will use the AUS amount, and you can’t purchase anything under $20 with a credit card, etc, etc. The funny thing is that she wasn’t trying to make us feel comfortable and she wasn’t trying to make us feel bad. It was just how she felt, and she had no problem telling us how it was. I’ve noticed that’s how people are here, and it VERY refreshing. She also had difficulty with figuring out her lefts and rights, and held up her hands in “L” shape for assistance. I held up mine, NOT attempting to mock her, but simply because I had forgotten that trick and was curious to try it quickly. She then blurted out to me “Bloody hell I saw that!” Laughing, I mentioned to her that I frequently still count on my fingers and she thought that was hilarious apparently because then she started mocking me! After all the paying, signing, more signing, laughing and advice, she said “Cheers” and we were off. The Captain Cook Ferry took us 20 mintues to get to Circular Quay then the Taronga Zoo. Because I’ve been to plenty of wonderful and diverse zoos, I spent most my time there in the Wild Australia section. And I am SO glad I did. You know that picture that everyone that visits Australia has with a kangaroo or koala? I now have a few…or more than a few, of those, along with plenty of ones that I’m pretty sure not many people have. This is because we met the nicest volunteer man there who let us hand feed the wallabies until they would hop over to us. We had to stay on the path so if they were off sleeping or hopping around away from us, we weren’t allowed to go up to them. After a while of having no luck with close-ups with the animals, the volunteer gave us some red flowers and plants to lure the animals closer. There weren’t many people around so he said I could go up away from the path a bit, and the kangaroos happily posed in pictures with us. Then all of a sudden, a large emu comes and grabs the plant from my hand with such rigor it was unbelievable. They are much more intense and mysterious in person than from a distance. A noteworthy part of the day was when we went to the reptile section and saw the largest snake in the world, pythons, anacondas, and learned how Australia has 11 out of the top 15 deadliest snakes in the world. Many breeds are around the Lismore area, but most are near water or further north in tropical areas. After a full day of adorable sleepy koalas, energetic wallabies, a joey in it’s mom’s pouch, Tasmanian devils, platypus and much more we were satisfied with the day’s worth of wildlife. The night ended with rum raisin and crème caramel gelato by the water’s edge and taking in the impeccable city lights around the harbour.