6 Koalas and a Leech

This morning we were at the Koala Hospital at 08:30 AM. Here, injured or sick koalas are received, treated, and cared for, and if possible, released back into the wild. Some very old or blind animals have also found their last home here, even if not everyone likes that - one is always trying to climb a tree to escape. Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Still, he doesn't look as offended as GrumpyKoala, who is probably annoyed by tourists since he will be allowed out soon.

Facts about Koalas: They belong to the family of marsupials, eat only about 1% of the 80 different eucalyptus species, are prone to chlamydia infections, sleep 20 hours a day, and can defecate up to 800 times in the remaining 4 hours. Impressive!
After the Koala Hospital, we have a longer drive ahead of us, stopping at several viewpoints. Finally, we arrive at Dorrigo National Park. We check into our rooms and then set out on the announced horror hike in the park. The horror comes from the fact that there are many leeches that can get on your body and latch on if you're not dressed properly. Our hiking gear is therefore typically German: absolutely safe! Rain pants tucked into socks, leggings under jeans, knee socks under the leggings; everyone has their own strategy. In the end, one participant in our group found a leech on her calf, and we all received sleepy smiles from Australians in flip-flops. But better this way than the other way around, right? Because the national park is beautiful and impressive. Suddenly you're standing in a forest among all the plants that the average German has as houseplants next to their TV. Crazy.

After dinner, we get a little concert: The frogs have come out of their hiding places and are outdoing each other. One even jumps on me when I try to photograph it. However, since one should be a bit cautious regarding poisonous animals in Australia, I unfortunately don't dare to kiss it - so I can't really judge whether that was the approach of a charming Australian prince or surfer...