Crikey!!!

This morning, I took a train out to:



Like the sign says, this is Steve Irwin's zoo. His presence was everywhere - if his spirit is still around, it's got to be haunting the Australia Zoo. His sayings and his picture are on all of the little plaques describing the animals, and you get the feeling that he's still there. It must be strange for his family to be there. In fact, the only indication you get anywhere in the park that he's not still around is a touching display of some of the many things that people from all over the world sent in after his death. I don't think I've ever actually seen an episode of The Crocodile Hunter, but I'm a bit more interested now that I've seen what else he and his family have accomplished.

The zoo was very nicely done. There were a lot of animals in nice little habitats and there were public feedings throughout the day. You could feed elephants, kangaroos, and farm animals or pose with dingos, (small) crocodiles, or snakes. I had my picture taken with a giant Burmese Python, but my camera batteries died so I only have the printout they sold me and no digital copies. It was one huge snake though! I did manage to take a few pictures before my batteries went - here's one of me with a giant croc they have on display. This isn't an actual crocodile, only an indication of how big one could grow if left on his own in the wild with no interference whatsoever. Most only grow to much less than this.



The highlight of the day was the live animal show in the "Crocoseum". This is a 5000 seat stadium that was built specially for the crocodile show. Here's a picture of what it's like.



Animal handlers came out and showed everyone snakes, falcons, cockatoos, and other colorful birds. They put on a very nice show. Then it was time for the crocodiles! We got a bit of luck - Terri Irwin (Steve's widow) was there to do the show herself! Here she is:



Steve's "best mate" also came out to do the show. They talked about the dangers crocs face in the wild and also told us a bit about the nature of crocodiles. Then they fed him several pieces of meat, while jumping out of the way of his jaws themselves! Here are a few action shots I got before my camera died.



This one was to show how high a croc can jump out of the water - about half it's body length!





And that was about it for the day! I walked around a little more and then caught the train back into the city. Tomorrow I head out to my last destination - Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. My plan is to go to the rainforest one day and visit the reef on the others. I'm there until Saturday, when I begin my epic journey home. Hopefully, I'll be able to update a few more times before then!