Tierisch cool

Filled with anticipation and high expectations, we wake up. Even though the alarm clock rings at 5:30 am, we don't complain about the early hour. Because at 6:30 am, we want to be at the Tin Can Bay harbor. We stand in front of the still closed wooden gate and wait. We are not the only ones. A few minutes later, we stand amidst a crowd of around 100 people, all waiting for one thing: the arrival of the dolphins.

A few years ago, some residents of the village Tin Can Bay took care of an injured dolphin. He survived, then came to visit every morning and let himself be fed. Over time, he also brought his family along. This is why almost every morning, a few dolphins appear in the small harbor of Tin Can Bay. Some days there are up to 5 animals that allow themselves to be fed. The feeding is organized by volunteers, and since these are wild dolphins, care is taken to ensure that the animals are not touched by tourists and that only a certain number of people are in the water with the dolphins at a time.

At around 7:30 am, two dolphins appear. After the volunteers introduce "Mystique" and "Squirt" and provide some insights into the life of the dolphins, the dolphins are allowed to be fed.

For us, it is an incredible experience to observe the animals up close. In the age of SeaWorld and aquariums, it is certainly extremely rare to be able to hand-feed wild dolphins that come to Tin Can Bay of their own accord.

After this highlight, we make our way to 1770. The only city in the world whose name consists of a number. For an overnight stay in Seventeen Seventy, we have been recommended the Horizons Kangaroo Sanctuary. A sanctuary for kangaroos, which also has a campground on its property. Or better said: the daily life of kangaroos and campers blend together. The campers (including us) are completely thrilled to be able to pet and sometimes feed the kangaroos, and the kangaroos take a closer look at the campers and attentively observe what is happening on their territory.

As the cherry on top, we can also see the ocean and the rainforest from our campsite. After a tiring day, we cook in the campground kitchen and exchange experiences with the other Danish and Dutch guests about Australia and other countries. We receive some tips from the Danish family that will likely influence our further route planning.