On my first full day in Australia, I had to visit this place.

Moonlit Sanctuary was definitely one of the most important places I visited during my stay in Australia. I love animals and photographing them, and although I had some idea of what it would be like, I was still surprised by how close the animals came to visitors. I could literally look into their eyes!

They were clearly very eager to greet us — especially since we had snacks for them. I quickly discovered that ducks are very food-possessive (at least the ones living at Moonlit Sanctuary). They tried to eat everything themselves and didn’t want to share with their friends — the wallabies and kangaroos.

Honestly, I hadn’t even known much about wallabies before going to Australia. I thought they were just small kangaroos!

My dream came true that day. Not only did I see a wombat, but I also got to cuddle one! Her name was Mary — she was found in Marysville, hence the name. She wasn’t particularly interested in the two humans who had paid extra to meet her. What truly fascinated her (and apparently tasted amazing) was a carrot. She gave all her attention to the snack, completely ignoring us — two people who had traveled from the other side of the world, thinking and talking endlessly about wombats.

It might sound unreal, exaggerated, or just plain strange to dream of seeing a wombat in its natural habitat. But since the devastating bushfires that destroyed so much of Australia’s wildlife in 2020, I’ve become a huge admirer of wombats. I learned that their burrows helped save many animals — offering shelter and protection from the fires. It’s hard to imagine what might have happened without those funny, brown Australian creatures.