Once cuddling with koalas - visit to Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary

I think almost everyone has a kind of bucket list with things they want to see, visit or do in life. 2014 was such a moment for me. I always dreamed of seeing dolphins, swimming freely in the open sea, not confined in an aquarium.

And finally, during our vacation in Portugal, near Albufeira, on an afternoon, we went out to the open sea with a speedboat and these beautiful dolphins swam around us.

In retrospect, I have to say it was a money-making scheme. Many boats with tourists came and harassed the dolphins. Another highlight of my life was the time in Norway - yes Marc, you are also mentioned. Here I had the luck to see killer whales, porpoises, and humpback whales in their natural habitat without harassing them with boats. Unfortunately, it's becoming more and more about tourist capture!

In short, dolphins were actually crossed off my so-called bucket list. After seeing them in Portugal, having them swim around our boat in Nusa Lembongan, I thought this could only be topped if I go surfing and have these marine animals swimming around me.

And then I came to Australia. In the first two days, I had the wonderful experience of sharing waves with dolphins. What a feeling! Now, if you're thinking, what else does she have on her list? Oh so much!

But as announced in a previous post, my dream was to see a koala up close. Also kangaroos - but they kept running away. So some Aussies in the water recommended me to go to the nearby Jirrahlinga Sanctuary.

Sanctuary translates to 'animal shelter' or 'refuge'. So not comparable to a zoo, but it is an organization that operates without profit. The work is done on a voluntary basis, some of them get a small wage as students. The sanctuary is funded by donations and the entrance fee. So, let's go.

Take the bus to Barwon Heads, walk a few steps and I am greeted by a nice lady named Sharan. 'Hurry up, you can still see the koalas'. My pulse rises. Can I really go inside the enclosure? You bet! Grant (animal lover and volunteer in the park) is showing a few kids how the koala eats and how they can stroke it. After that, it's the turn of an Englishwoman and me. After a brief hesitation, I stroke the very calm koala, who doesn't seem to be impressed by the commotion around him. The other one is even sleeping.

Grant explains to us that koalas do not feed on all types of eucalyptus, but only on certain ones. Not all eucalyptus leaves are liked by the gray balls. So they are true gourmets.

After they have eaten enough, they need to digest and sleep for a while. And that's about 20 hours a day. And here I thought Paul (our dog) has a dreamy life.

A gray-brown creature scurries past us from time to time, enjoying itself in the grass. Occasionally, it sniffs my shoes. Upon closer inspection, it's a small wombat - Mini they call it - who grew up here as a baby. Grant just said, 'my little darling, come pick him up'. Wow, cuddling with both koalas and wombats. What an experience! Can it get any better than this? Definitely!

Because Grant liked the Englishwoman and me so much, he took us to Lucy. Lucy is one of the very social kangaroos who enjoys putting on a show. When we arrived at the somewhat remote enclosure, Grant opened the door and let the kangaroos jump around us. We can feed them and almost pet them. Well, Lucy wanted to be chased around, which she really enjoys. Just like I know it from our dog at home. Greetings to Pauli! After that, Grant said goodbye, even though he wasn't on duty today, to feed a few more animals. But before that, he told us that he usually talks to the animals and takes care of them again or rescues them from improper households - especially cockatoos.

After that, I went on an exploration tour. 

Past large snakes and monitor lizards, more wombats - who were busy sleeping - and dingoes, the path led me to the emu enclosure. One of the large feathered birds came directly towards me. It's quite scary when such a large animal marches towards you. I don't know what it's up to. And suddenly, Grant stood next to me. 'Do you want to touch it?' What? Oh my. Grant just jumped into the enclosure, played with the bird for a bit, and then brought it to the fence. And then I even dared to touch the emu. What an experience!

I finished my wonderful tour of the Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary with a brief chat with Sharan - she showed me how amazing one of the cockatoos can dance at 150 years old - paid my entrance fee, and gave some donation money.

Back in Geelong-Belmont, we decided to go for a short sunset surf in Jan Juc. Soon, I've surfed on every beach in the vicinity! After yesterday's Winkipop experience - with the best waves for me so far - today we'll probably go to 13th Beach near Barwon Heads!

Let's stay tuned!