Best part was going riding on Noosa beach with my friend Chloe. We hooned around on a gorgeous beach on some cool wee stock horses and it was so fun. Payed for it though 'cause I haven't ridden for a long time and so could barely walk (or go from sitting to standing without pained looks on my face) for the rest of the trip.
We also went to Australia Zoo (thats the one that was run by the Crocodile Hunter) It was a lovely Zoo but soooooo much merchandise! A gift shop at each different area of the park and the faces of the two children of the Crocodile Hunter slapped onto everything imaginable. Steve Irwin was famous for his conservation message but it really seems like it was very "forced" and that the Zoo is really just a revenue gaining venture now that he has died.
I have to say though, they put on a Free Flight bird display - it was amazing! Birds flying into the open air auditorium, landing, grabbing a fish or treat and then flying (or walking in the storks case) out again - they have Gala's, Rosella's, macaws, water birds, stork-y things and more. It was cool, most were a bit too fast to photograph though.
And of course the crocodiles
And the kangaroos were really tame too
I like the old looking ones with the sad faces best (I think they were the grey kangaroos)
And miscellaneous other creatures
And I got to meet Hsin-Yi and Honey to deliver a collar custom by Helen, which must have had some kind of special zoomy magical powers if Honeys dancing the next night was anything to go by!
OMG, Mom is so jealous of your horseback riding on the beach! She has always wanted to do that! It looked amazing and well worth the sore muscles the next day! Looks like you had a great trip all around!
ReplyDeletethe birds were my favorite part of Australia Zoo as well. We did the photo op thing with their dingoes, but they weren't people-focussed dingos like the ones at my favorite fauna park (which is in south west of WA - their dingoes have spent a lot of time with people and though they are still quite wild, they actually like being around you).
ReplyDeleteand watching them walk wombats and tassie devils around the zoo in harnesses on leashes was pretty cool too! heh
Looks like it was a great trip, sooooo jealous that you got to ride on the beach!
ReplyDeleteOh! I"m glad you posted about Australia Zoo coz I've been meaning to ask you about it - and whether you think it's worth going? Coz we only have a few free weekends left before we leave Queensland and were thinking of making that a trip before we leave...
ReplyDeleteI think that commercialisam and merchandising is very much a part of Australia. :-( We really noticed that when we moved over. Everything is SO much more commercialised here - I think it's just a different culture thing but we really don't like it! I have to say, I do agree that I think they over-commercialise the 2 children - I mean, the radio here runs ads from the Zoo all the time with the kids promising performances and tours and meetings and God knows what else - they're really promoted like a brand - it's too much, I think. Adults can choose to do that but I wonder how much choice (or understanding) little 7yr old Robert Irwin has! We find it all a bit disturbing.
Those are some fantastic pictures - especially that croc bursting out of the water!!
Hsin-Yi