Kangaroos and Koalas and Emus, Oh My!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the first and oldest koala santuary in Australia.  About 30 minutes outside of Brisbane, it's a small and low key area where koalas, wallabees (a species of small kangaroo) and kangaroos are protected.  The koalas are free to hang out in their enclosures, and the kangaroos, wallabees and emus can roam and hop within the grassy hills.  You can even buy food for the kangaroos and feed them by hand.

M. and Big J feeding a cute little wallabee

This guy was absolutely MASSIVE.  Easily over 6 feet tall if he were standing tall. Check out how muscular his shoulders and upper arms are.  I would NOT want to mess with him.

Coming to a koala sanctuary also involves taking that quintessential of all Australia trip photos: you, cuddling a koala. 

 M. just asked me if I regretted not holding the koala.  I explained that under no circumstances do I ever want to touch a wild animal.  And then he shared with me the fact that although Mr. Koala smelled lovely - -like minty eucalytus, of course--he was also pooing on the trainer at that exact moment.  So, thank you very much, I'll take cuddling my own little human baby (as opposed to my other child, an alien baby) any day.

Obviously, for a three year old, this is all pretty mind blowing.  But I'll admit that my head exploded a bit, when we witnessed the following:



The sanctuary is also home to Emus, as well as caged birds, crocodiles, cassowaries (another gigantic bird that looks like a cross between a peacock and an ostrich) and dingos.  And the massive lizzards that we see everywhere were just walking around as per usual.

Seconds after taking this, the lizard moved, which of course scared the bejesus out of Big J and caused him to scream his little head off.  Case in point. Touching wild animals is generally unwise.

This guy was enormous.  And there is really something otherwordly about emus.

This day was a big highlight for us.  And Big J really was in heaven.  It's a place we definitely plan to return to before leaving this glorious country.

Wanna Start a Hippy Commune With Us?

That's it, it's settled. You'll sell your house and all your worldly possessions, buy up property here, and we'll all settle down together. Jobs, shmobs.  When we're not swapping partners and nursing each other's babies, we'll make hemp necklaces and sell them on the beach.  I can even mix up some psychedelic Kool Aid if that will sell you on it.

If you're more of the reserved type, we'll make it work. It's OK with me if you want to wear your hair in a creepy high poof in the front, and a long, frumpy braid in the back.  M. has Bountiful, Big Love for all of you, so we can accomodate.  Have I convinced you yet?

Today marks 2 months since our arrival in this paradise.  I've spoken at length about the beaches and wildlife. For more on that, see "Wild World", "It's Not Easy Being Grey", "Surf's Up", and stay tuned for an upcoming post featuring kangaroos and koalas. But the Noosa area has much more than the natural world to offer, and the following list includes more elements which we feel make it an incredibly liveable place.  

1) Family friendliness

I am continually amazed at how geared the area is to families.  But not in a cheesy Disney character/McDonald's Happy Meal/Bouncy Castle kind of  way.  Sure, those things exist here.  But the Aussies also seem to get the fact that you can be a parent and (gasp!) not want to spend every minute of your life in parks, zoos, or "family" restaurants.  They get that family time can also be: you sitting down and having some sushi or an Americano, with your kids.    

Lunch at a swish resto on Hastings St. with my new friend Mette, Little J and Littler J (not pictured), who was fast asleep in his stroller.

Here, pretty much all restaurants, even really fancy ones, have a kid's menu, as well as high chairs.  And many restaurants even have a basket of toys, if not a little kiddie area with a table and activities. So you can relax over that Americano, and your kid can sit happily with a colouring book. As a result, you see families in restaurants, everywhere, all the time. We really love eating out, and I appreciate not feeling forced to go only to certain types of places.  I have yet to feel unwelcome when we arrive with kids in tow.  



Little J took Dada out for lunch at the Surf Club after his first surfing lesson.

Most parks here have public barbecues, and on weekends, they're enjoyed by families who are picnicking and grilling up goodness. Surprise of all surprises: lots of Aussie homes don't have their own BBQs as a result. People just prefer to use the barbie communally.

At the park on the Noosa River, enjoying a BBQ dinner for Mette's birthday. 

2. Great public facilities and services

We've been using several of these, and they offer extremely high quality programming. The Noosa Leisure Centre has fitness classes, gymnastics for Big J, and music class for Little J. It has a lovely crèche (babysitting/daycare room), so it's possible for me to do the classes individually with each kid, while the other plays happily with the sweet women in the creche. 

The Noosa Aquatic Centre is an open air swimming facility where both kids go for excellent swimming lessons. They're doing Swim Australia, which is a national swim program that most kids here go through. Big J went from being afraid to dunk his head to "diving" down to the bottom of the pool in the space of about 4 lessons.

The library system is great too. We were able to get visitor's library cards, and when I asked what the late fines were, I was told that they don't have fines. You still check out books as you would anywhere else (for a 3 week period), and you can renew online, etc.  But if you're late or forget to renew, that's ok. They're not interested in charging you, they just want the books back when you're finished with them.

3) Accessibility for people with disabilities

The Australians are way ahead of us in this regard. I'm particularly attuned to accessibility issues because I'm so often pushing a stroller. At home, there are so many places I just can't go, including most stops on the TTC.  It's just shameful.  And at least I have the option to drive or walk to where I need to go, unlike people who need to get around via wheelchair. Here, I have yet to have even the slightest difficulty.  Everything seems to be accessible.

This  photo was taken from the Liberty Swing website.

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I was blown away when I saw a swing for people in wheelchairs in one of the parks here. It's a massive device, and is Australian designed. When I saw it in action, two grown men were pushing another grown man (in his wheelchair, of course), and he was sailing through the air gleefully. That something so freeing as swinging should be available to anyone, not just typically-abled people seems obvious after seeing that. I've just never seen anything like it, anywhere else. 
http://www.devinelibertyswing.com/


Have you started packing your bags?

Good News. I'm...

Pragmatic. 



That's right, y'all.  I wanted you to read this post, and am clearly not above using my womanly wiles to accomplish that.  BOO ya KA sha.

So, drum roll please.....it's time for....

The First. Ever...

WORLD AS MUSE CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!
YEAH YEAH!!!
OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ohmiGAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was that emphatic enough for you?

Here's the challenge.  Since you've come this far, you're almost done.  All you have to do is leave a comment.  That's it.  One comment.  On this, or any other post. 

And why, you ask?  Why all this gurfuffle, just to get you to comment?  Here's why:  my blog stats tell me you're reading.  And yet, only a handful of you have shown your faces around these parts.  Hmm.  That came out wrong. 

But really, I just want to know who you are, and I want you to see that posting is fun and easy. And I'm an egomaniac, who needs constant props and attention.

I've changed my settings, so you should be able to easily post without any log in shenanigans.  And what will you gain, you ask?  (You sure are curious today)

I shall reward you, handsomely.  That's all I'll say.