Australia 2009: RainForeStation, Kuranda National Park

During my trip to Cairns, we spent a day at the RainForeStation Nature Park in part of Kuranda National Park. The bus trip took only about 45 minutes from the hostel and once we arrived we split into two groups as there were 42 of us in all. My group first went to the part of the park where all the animals are kept.

A KANGAROO

ME AND A KANGAROO

ANOTHER KANGAROO

It was so cool walking around the corner into the animal section and seeing kangaroos just chilling out on the grass (the first roos I've seen since I've been here). We then all held a snake and had it wrap itself around our shoulders. That snake was very calm and not scary at all...unlike the python they had that ate a dog just before the caught it. Next we saw some of the female koalas they have at the park. They keep the males and females separate because in the wild a male will have about four females but because of the numbers they need to keep the genders separate in order to avoid big territory/mate dramas.

PRETTY FLOWER, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE NAME

THE WHOLE AUSTRALEARN GROUP

SHWEEPIES KOALA

After cooing over the koalas for a while we met "Jack the Ripper". He is one of the longest alligators in Australia and received his name after killing the twelve females the park has presented to him for mating. We also saw some crocodiles who didn't move at all but I learned that crocs sit with their mouths open not to trap/eat an unsuspecting snack but because lying like that allows them to thermoregulate. Next we saw some lizards and a type of fish, Burrumundi, that are born male and stay that sex until about the age of seven and then they become female for the rest of their lives. Pretty interesting I thought.

BATHTIME FOR A BABY WALLABY

JACK THE RIPPER

SALT WATER CROCODILES

AN EASTERN WATER DRAGON

A BLUE TONGUED LIZARD

I then was able to feed a kangaroo! Yep, was very cool, and a little baby wallaby also came up to me and fancied a nibble. Once our group leaders were able to pry us away from the kangaroos we walked up to a little outdoor auditorium where we watched a few traditional Aboriginal dances.

FEEDING A JOEY

PLAYING A DIGARIDOO

THIS DANCER WAS MY FAVORITE, HE HAD THE MOST PASSION

ONE OF THE ABORIGINAL DANCES

After the dances, two of the performers showed us around another part of the park. They taught us how to play a diggaridoo, throw a spear (we weren't allowed to try though), and throw a boomerang (this was tricky and no one really mastered the necessary wrist flick and angling to make the boomerang return but was enjoyable all the same). Once we'd all had a go with the boomerang it was lunch time and the park had a massive buffet with salads, pastas, rice and curry, cold cuts, fruit and cheese platters, soups, and breads. The curried veggies and huge chunks of pineapple were incredible.

SPEAR DEMONSTRATION

The two separated groups then rejoined and we all took an Army Duck ride. Army Ducks are the trucks that look like safari trucks but can also go in water. So we were driven around the rainforest and then into a lake where we learned about what plants to avoid and some of the insects that we will likely see (and run away from) during out time in Australia. After the Army Duck ride we all stood in line to hold/take a picture with a six-month-old koala. She was very cute and more photogenic than all of us.