Friday 19 August 2011

Koala's & Paddle Steamers

A weekend spent in Berrigan with Kay's Sister, Wendy & John.

After a great Dinner of "A Rack of Lamb & Seasonal Roast Vegetables" accompanied by fantastic wine and good conversation.
Wendy said, "have you seen Koala bears in the wild? "no" we replied, "only in Australia Zoo."
"Hopefully we will be able to spot a few tomorrow" Wendy said,  dinner was finished off with outstanding tasting, local Port and fresh fruit with a baileys dip.  We retired to bed watered and fed very well.

Bailey Dip= sour cream,, brown sugar + baileys to your own taste.

Sunday started off with a very healthy breakfast, then a drive for approx 30 minutes to an area off the beaten track to search for Koala's.
On the way John talk us through the area we are driving through, which is very flat, fields used for growing crops and sheep farming.
John also went through the recent history of drought they have been through and the irrigation methods and action the local people have taken.
Which provides water for 2400 land holdings, also produces Hydro Power.

Spotting Koala's isn't easy, we drove off the main road on to dirt track that made it's way to the Murray River, follow the Koala's food supply, which is known the world over.
Eucalyptus leaves, bark and oddly mistletoe, Koala's are nocturnal and sleep up to 16 hours a day, they are "Arboreal" this means they prefer to live alone in trees,
With all this information we should be able to spot loads! Wrong, It took us 30 minutes walking with heads looking skywards at the trees (gives you an ache in the neck) before I spotted the first of 12 koala's, We had a nice walk  through a forest along the Murray River, on very sunny Sunday.

The Koala's were very high up and bottoms is the only site. we can now say we have seen the them in the wild.

We finished the day off with a paddle steamer ride, on the Murray River from a very large inland port at Echuca.
Home of the worlds largest fleet of Paddle Steamers,The One we went on is 100 years old this month.







New Zealand.........................................................






No comments:

Post a Comment