Day 21: Visit to Roger - the muscular kangaroo

July 12, 2018

Well, this is an early riser vacation (a real challenge for us four late risers!)
The alarm clock rings again at 7 am. There is a lot on the agenda again today. After quickly eating some cookies and cereal bars, we set off. The first stop today: Ochre Pits.

We are so early that we are completely alone. The parking lot is deserted.

The sun is still very low, which enhances the color contrast of the Ochre Pits walls. The ochre pits / walls are used by Aborigines for ceremonies. The ochre colors of the Ochre Pits are considered particularly noble and colorful. The colors look quite impressive in the low sun.

On the way back, we discover that the beautiful tall trees have residents: huge spiders that have spun their webs in the trees! Yuck... luckily I didn't see that on the way there...

Our last stop along the West MacDonnell Ranges is the "Simpson Gap" gorge, about 30 km away.

On the way, we actually have our first sighting of animals in the Outback: no kangaroos, but horses!

Our last stop along the West MacDonnell Ranges is the "Simpson Gap" gorge, about 30 km away.

On the way, we actually have our first sighting of animals in the Outback: no kangaroos, but horses!

The three of them are standing quite bored on the side of the road and willingly let us take pictures. Yay! We've seen horses!

Following an afternoon snack at the cafe, we return to the hotel and check into our room. Something very special is still on the agenda for today:

We visit the famous Kangaroo Sanctuary run by Chris Barnes, where "Roger," the world-famous "muscular" kangaroo, resides. I have booked the tickets for this months in advance. The few tours of the sanctuary are fully booked months in advance, which I luckily had on my "booking agenda" early enough.

A huge off-road bus arrives at the hotel at 4 pm, which is looked at with interest by other tourists. We are called by name and take a seat on the bus. The bus is full - we are apparently the last participants on the list.

During the drive to the sanctuary, we watch an information film about Chris Barnes and his kangaroos. The "Kangaroo Dundee" raises orphan kangaroos and gives them a new home.

About 30 minutes later, we reach the sanctuary and are already expected by Chris Barnes. He carries a bag over his shoulder, from which a curious little kangaroo baby looks out. We are already completely enchanted!

After being told the rules for our visit, we get started. First, Chris shows us a few very small kangaroo babies, then he explains how important it is to always carry the kangaroos in the pouch, to keep them warm, and to cuddle them.

The kangaroo girl named "Maxine," whom Chris was carrying at the beginning, is now allowed to be carried by someone else during the tour.

She chooses my daughter, who can hardly believe her luck and now gets to carry the kangaroo girl Maxine in the pouch.

While my daughter gets to cuddle with Maxine, Chris shows us three more little kangaroo babies he carries in a large basket. Oh my goodness, they are so tiny!

Chris brings another kangaroo girl named Fiona in its pouch (which also wants to be carried) for the tour.

We start the tour to "Roger, the muscular kangaroo".

Roger is already quite old and there isn't much left of his muscle packages. We find him sleeping. Red giant kangaroos like to sleep on their backs, which looks quite strange.

Roger has a hard time rolling onto his side and standing up to eat the dry food that Chris places in front of him.

Chris tells us Roger's story, how he got his "title," and that Roger was involved in several injuries that Chris has suffered in recent years. We also get to see the famous "crushed" bucket.

We are not allowed to touch Roger. Although he is very old, he is by no means a cuddly toy.
(Edit: Roger passed away on 10.12.2018, just a few months after our visit. We are very glad that we got to experience the famous kangaroo live!)

We continue through the large enclosure. While the approximately 40 people in our group take turns carrying the two little kangaroo girls, Chris taps on his food bucket a few times, and kangaroos suddenly emerge from the thicket on all sides. He knows them all by name. I'm amazed at how he manages to tell them apart.

We are then allowed to pet some younger kangaroos - but only on their backs. Kangaroos hate being touched on their faces.
A few meters away, our son also gets a turn:

he gets to feed the two little kangaroo girls ''Milly & Tilly'' with a bottle, and our son gets to feed Milly with the bottle (the smile on his face will last for a few hours :-))

As soon as he gets to carry 'Baby Fiona' as well, his happiness is complete *ggg*. We continue our march through the large enclosure, learning a lot about kangaroos, how they are cared for, where Chris finds or gets them, and what happens to them. Not all kangaroos find a home here; some are released back into the wild.

We get to know different groups of kangaroos, and eventually my husband and I get to carry Baby Fiona as well. I'm amazed at how heavy such a small kangaroo is.

After sunset, the exciting tour of the sanctuary comes to an end. We say goodbye to Chris and thank him for the great tour. I carry kangaroo girl "Fiona" until the end of the tour (that gives me muscle soreness!) and apparently did my job well: Fiona falls asleep and retreats deep into the pouch :-)

When we reach our hotel room, we quickly change clothes and have dinner at the hotel restaurant. We are too tired to look for something else.
After that, we fall into bed. It was once again a very eventful day!



For the statistics:
Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton / Alice Springs
Costs: €114 / night in a double room with breakfast
Driven: 260 km
Animal sightings: Felsenwallabies and many kangaroos, including "Roger"
Weather: Sunny with 21 degrees
Conclusion: We love kangaroos!