Day 51: Great Stories and Small (Toxic) Creatures

19.08.2016

Welcome to the Australia Zoo! Enjoy our variety of different animals and don`t miss the famous crocodile show at 12pm.

Of course, we won't miss the show, we have to be commercialized sometimes. In hindsight, Gudi is absolutely right that such a destination in Australia should be visited. As luck would have it, we arrive at this sunny weekday (attention: important additional information, I better not be here on weekends à crowds of people) in a zoo that has also been transformed into a kind of memorial over time. For whom? Most of you probably still know the mushroom head, who played with far too deadly animals on various action channels in the 90s and 2000s, as if they were little kittens. Yes, you guessed it, we are visiting none other than the Australia Zoo operated by the Australian Crocodile Hunter. The operator and worldwide star/Australian figurehead and national hero Steve Irwin founded this park (actually his father, Steve just expanded it) and became known over the years for various crocodile relocations and later numerous documentary programs with highly dangerous animals. After he was killed in 2006 - ironically by a stingray - not only a cult began to develop around his person, but also around his park.

So we had the honor not only to celebrate every animal and the shows in the name of Steve Irwin, but also to admire his personal museum. Actually, I have to admit that the story about the madman from Down Under is not only highly exciting but also quite dramatic and moving.

The zoo itself is also quite nice, especially since we have the opportunity to get up close with kangaroos and pet koalas. Also, a lot of crocodiles and alligators can be admired - as expected at this place. In our opinion, the crocodile show is rather unspectacular, which may be due to the fact that Charlie the crocodile seems a bit lazy and rather overfed than highly aggressive. In the end, I fear that the main takeaway for young children is that you can almost pet crocodiles - but at least you can hardly be their prey.

Other residents of the area, such as rhinos or tigers, don't really catch our attention - we know them not only from Schönbrunn but also partly from the wild. I would like to make an exception for the range of snakes that can be admired in order of their toxicity. As an absolute ophidiophobe, who is horrified just at the sight of snake skin, I am not sure if these thin slices can actually protect against these spawns of hell.

In summary, a nice, for once not completely overpaid day in an Australian zoo. You can do it, but you probably don't have to.

Gudi's Glorious Laws:

You don't need a coffee every half hour!

Not only the animals, but also I am locked up here. Outside, the wonderful camping stove would be waiting for me and I could prepare myself an excellent lukewarm coffee. Instead, I am forced to spend the day in an almost comatose and tired state, having had only two big cups in the morning.