Irwin

(Sorry for lengthy gap in updates! We have been in the Hinterlands, with nary a computer in sight, let alone one attached to the internet! Anyhow, we have returned, so Japanese keyboard notwithstanding, let us continue...if I can remember)

Friday, we planned to go to Australia Zoo, the most famous zoo in the world, thanks in large part to the efforts of Steve Irwin and his family. Bren and Reg drove us down to the Zoo gates and out we got, ready to be amazed by crocs and various odd Aussie wildlife.
After paying the entrance fee (crippling, but worth it), we sauntered to the park map, only to discover a khaki-clad ranger standing nearby casually holding a baby crocodile. The day was shaping up to be everything we could have hoped for.
We planned what we would do around some live animal shows and located the stadium where the first was to be held. We were 10 minutes early and caught the last song and dance routines of Bindi Irwin, the eleven year old that has taken over Australia with her nature-wise rallying cry, in memory of her dad. 11! We were impressed, if a little concerned for her, but she and her mum and brother are doing an epic job of holding everything together.
We were then astounded, literally, by what happened next. A chirpy, upbeat Aussie bounded into the arena and explained that she was going to fire up a bidding war between members of the audience for an afternoon in the echidna enclosure with the Irwin family. Alex and I sat firmly on our hands so no-one could accuse us of offering money we definately do not have to the cause in the auction...we were expecting a few dollars here and there, but we watched in utter amazement as the bidding rose, until the prize was rewarded to the winning bidders - at 1600 AUD!
As the winning family were led away (no doubt in shock at the amount they just dropped on a family day out), enthusiastic rangers leapt into the ring, babbling loudly on mics. Suddenly, huge bright blue and red macaws soared out from under the stadium and over our heads, tail feathers literally trailing inches above the audience as they flew round and round. A small flock of flourescent green lorikeets sped out like twittering bullets and almost took our ears off as they zoomed, chattering loudly right in front of our eyes. Then, the enclosure cleared and the white and black cockatoos that had been sitting all round the bannisters let out a screech and flew off - the audience was asked to yell the name of one of the birds out in the zoo. Everyone joined in, yelling out an obscure name (I can't remember it...something like 'Djambela'). Then, as we watched, an absolutely huge black and white stork-like bird could be seen in the distance, approaching the stadium. Long, spindly red legs trailed out behind her and the rangers ran out of the ring to give her space to land. She was as tall as the men, about 6ft, with a truly massive wingspan. As she walked elegantly out of the enclosure, the keepers once again went into hyperactive mode and announced, with great glee, the entrance of the crocodile! The giant screen lit up showing the crocodile slide menacingly out of its  'paddock' behind the stadium and move into the water in the ring. As it moved its whole four meter length of predatory muscle and teeth into the open, the Irwin family ran out, Terri, Bindi and Robert, as well as some keepers to maintain order and keep the kids safe during the act.
We watched as the silent shadow swum under the water, then rearer out towards the antagonising keeper stomping his feet at the edge of the water. They fed him scraps while teaching the audience that 'crocs are not the ferocious animals you think they are...but lets watch him attack a pig leg and do the death roll, just for funsies'.
After the show, we stumbled out of the heat (in the full sunshine, one gets woozy fast) to the shade and had some of our picnic lunch. Then, we embarked on our trip round the zoo. We posed with the model of the crocodile that weighed two tonnes and measured nine by three meters when it was alive (!) and craned our necks to see the red pandas swaying at the tops of their trees. We stood next to the Indian Elephants while they were being fed, watching as their trunks curled up to suck up bite sized chunks of melon. We sat by the otter pool and watched, enchanted as the tiny sisters showed-off their synchronised swimming moves and then snatched fish heads from their keeper. We pressed up against the glass of the tiger enclosure as the keepers entertained the two big cats with toys and the tigers, in a bound of overenthusiasm found theirselves swimming in the pool. We also found out that while tigers like to swim, they don't like going in front feet first as their front paws are so sensitive - so they back into the water! We went through the aviary and looked at all the colours of the parrots and then into the koala pen to pat the koala's soft fuzz and laugh at their expressions. We meandered through the Roo Heaven and were almost run down in a stampede as the entire mob of kangeroos bounced through the park and right by us. Luckily, we stayed very still, and then soothed them with handfuls of roo food, which they munched contentedly with snuffly noses. I was chased by a huge water dragon lizard that was laying on the path when I tried to photo it. We peaked in at the wombats, heavily weighed down by the babies in their pouches. The discovery of a petting zoo had us laughing at the climbing goats and piglets, the calves and gently baaing sheep. We roamed through the shop, amused at the inclusion of woolly mammoths in the toy section and marvelled at the Bindi brand, which is massive and a sheer money-making machine.
After a lovely, fascinating day, we loped out just as the zoo was closing in order to catch our lift back up into the mountains.