Tracking the koala

From Bourke, we drove back towards the coast. After a brief stop in Newcastle, we stayed for a night at a campsite on the stunning One Mile Beach. Here, we had everything our hearts desired; from a pool with a slide and a great barbecue grill to a trampoline and talking birds. :-) This was quite a contrast to the previous nights! In the outback, we sometimes stayed at so-called freecamps (= campsites where you don't have to pay). However, they often lacked the most essential things, especially showers and toilets. There were also some possums, small Australian marsupials, running around the campsite.

As the weather got worse, mainly due to cyclone Debbie, we stopped for a few days at a hostel in Port Macquarie. Here, we visited, among other things, the Koala Hospital.

The hospital mainly takes care of koalas that have been injured in accidents, burned their paws in bushfires, or contracted chlamydia due to cold and wet weather. They are nursed back to health at the hospital. The daily routine of the koalas actually consists of two things: eating and sleeping. Koalas are the only creatures that eat the (also poisonous for them) eucalyptus leaves. Due to the poison, their bodies take quite a long time to digest the food. Because of this, they are quite sluggish and sleep almost the entire day.

These koalas are quite adorable! :-)