Sydney, AU Part 2

Fires have continued to rage throughout New South Wales.  Sadly, hundreds of homes and a quarter million acres have been lost so far due to the fires which have been burning the last couple of weeks.  Luckily, firefighters are beginning to get an upper hand, and all but 23 of the fires are under control.  As a result of the fire's impact, all of the state’s National Parks were closed, including the popular Blue Mountains, just west of the city, so those were stricken from our to-do list.

One of my “must do” things for Sydney was to see a production at the Sydney Opera House.  With cloudy skies and rain in the forecast for the next day, we decided this would be a good activity.  The play South Pacific was being offered.  Having just traveled across the South Pacific, this seemed perfect.  With 1400 seats available, there was no

problem getting last-minute matinee tickets.  This Lincoln Centre Theater’s production, of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, had won 7 Tony Awards while playing on Broadway and the West End.  Even though we were seated in the upper balcony, we had a wonderful view of the stage for this musical and thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Renting a car the next day in preparation for our departure from the city, we took advantage of having a vehicle to drive to Featherdale Wildlife Park.  Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and dozens of other uniquely Australian mammals, reptiles and birds were located through the park.  Emus and kangaroos vied for a share of the animal food we offered.  Koalas were draped over branches, oblivious to anything going on around them.  They sleep at least 18 hours a day, and we saw little activity from them during our visit.  We did have an  opportunity to pet “Oscar.”  (Handling of koalas is strictly regulated.) 

Southern Cassowary

Seeing a mother kangaroo carrying a little joey in her pouch was a thrill.  With an estimated 50 million kangaroos in Australia, there are 2.5 kangaroos for each person in the country!  Intrigued by the bizarre-looking Southern Cassowary, we were surprised to learn that this endangered bird is a dangerous adversary. 

An attack by this large bird can cause death, so they are not just another pretty face.  Actually, they have a prehistoric look but the long claws are dangerous weapons.  We are hoping to see some of these animals in their natural habitat as well, but we enjoyed having the opportunity to see and interact with them a bit here.

Driving north, we are headed toward the tropics and will make a few stops on the way.

Kangaroo with a joey and an emu

Kookaburra

Brahminy Kite

Perenti-- the 4th longest lizard in the world, up to 3 meters

Echidna

andling of these animals iHH                    Hhhh