After an improvised breakfast of coffee, cornflakes and muesli in the hotel room, we set off shortly after 9 a.m. towards the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, a rescue center for koalas and a wildlife park with native Australian animals.
Driving still requires a lot of concentration to avoid ending up on the wrong side of the road. We are also probably the car with the cleanest windshield, as the indicator and windshield wipers are swapped over, meaning my husband regularly activates the windshield wipers instead of signaling. On the other hand, I suddenly developed a weakness for left and right when navigating, which didn't make driving any easier.
When we arrived at the sanctuary, the first thing we did was go to see the koalas, who were sleeping peacefully in their trees or chewing. The children had the opportunity to see a koala up close and pet it.
After we had seen enough of the cuddly teddy bears, we continued walking around the grounds and looked at the other native animals. Besides the wombars and tree kangaroos (which were really extremely difficult to spot), we also saw Tasmanian devils and lots of birds, snakes and iguanas.
wombats Tree kangaroo dingo Tasmanian devil Cockatoo
Of course, the petting enclosure with the different types of kangaroos was also a hit! However, the animals were already so spoiled and full that they only moved slowly for a handful of food, if at all.
We finished our sightseeing tour in the early afternoon. We had arranged to meet a former classmate of mine who has been living in Brisbane for several years. He then gave us the tip to drive up Mount Coot-Tha. From there we could enjoy a great view of the city and the surrounding area.
After a short stop at the hotel, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Before we went back, we took a detour over the bridge to South Bank to take a final look at the nighttime skyline of Brisbane.
