Koala/Kangaroo encounter questions.

[moyaroo]

Zebra, I have seen echidna, kangaroo wallaby koala platypus and more in my travels to Oz, some even in the middle of the day, but it is hard to do and you really must be in the countryside. Koala in a tree on the edge of the Great Ocean Road 20 feet from the road, but this is not an everyday, it is rare. You are more likely to see parrots flying free in the Rocks in Sydney (and yes they do) If you are in the country side and it is toward dusk you will see kangaroo or wallaby. They are really good at lying low till the sun starts down, then they are there and you see not one or two but tens and twenties. Koala are harder as you must find a suitable habitat, but once you find it, they are not hard to find if you walk slowly and look up and once you see one you get better at seeing more, but like platypus it is finding the right ecosytem first.

 

No one here is trying to highjack anything. just trying to be real and keep it light.

[Bella cruiser]

The sad truth is that we foreigners are absolutely possessed by dreams of kangaroo and koala encounters. Wombats not so much and possum-we gottum.:cool:

 

Hi Joseph, you might want to add Aussie Possums to your cute and cuddly list as they are a completely different animal to your Possums (Opossum).:)

 

Ours are Marsupial and have a pouch (like a Kangaroo) after the babies get to a certain size they leave the pouch and ride around clinging on the their mother's back or stomach.

[hylasgirl]

G'day Hylasgirl

 

I have been to a few of these places over the years - and I have to say that they definitely quite "touristy". However, they are also popular with Aussie families - insofar as the children have the opportunity to "cuddle a Koala". So - yes, in many of them, you do get a chance to "cuddle " them.

 

However , they are still wild animals - and as cute and soft as they may appear, there have been plenty of people hurt by kangaroos and even cuddly Koalas. You only have to look at the size of their claws - and then understand that if they get frightened or alarmed , then they will lash out in defence of themselves. A large kangaroo is easily capable of disembowelling a human :eek: They naturally fight by holding their opponent by their upper paws and kick at the stomach using their lower very strong feet.

 

Barry

 

 

Barry,

 

Thank you so much for the nice and informed post. I appreciate it. I do know there is much more to do and see... but for some reason I've always wanted to have an "encounter" (supervised of course):D with one. I think they are such a fascinating animal. I'd love to cuddle a panda too:) Anyone know where I can arrange that:p

 

Of course the same can be said with the things that people want to see in the USA. Every time someone says they are coming here to go to Las Vegas I think 'REALLY!? WHY?!'

 

Thanks again! I can't wait to get to Australia and NZ!

[Bella cruiser]

Barry,

 

Thank you so much for the nice and informed post. I appreciate it. I do know there is much more to do and see... but for some reason I've always wanted to have an "encounter" (supervised of course):D with one. I think they are such a fascinating animal. I'd love to cuddle a panda too:) Anyone know where I can arrange that:p

 

Of course the same can be said with the things that people want to see in the USA. Every time someone says they are coming here to go to Las Vegas I think 'REALLY!? WHY?!'

 

Thanks again! I can't wait to get to Australia and NZ!

 

Hi hylasgirl, I think others are correct, you are not going to have enough time in one day to see them in the wild, however in Sydney you can see them quite close to where your cruise ship will berth. It's called Sydney Wildlife World (right next door to Sydney Aquarium).:)

 

They have Kangaroos available to interact with and they also have Koala encounters with photo opportunities, if you Google 'Sydney Wildlife World' check out their site, I think you will find out all you need.

 

Sorry I can't help you with what's available in Melbourne. Have a fantastic cruise and I hope you enjoy yourself in Australia.:)

[bazzaw]

These creatures are,in the wild, quite "fleeting". Koalas spend most of their time asleep high up in very tall Eucalyptus trees - and move around (to mate) at night. It is unlikely that you would be able to see one of these anywhere in the wild around the metropolises of Sydney and Melbourne - even if somebody here were to know where some are. Spotting koala , even in a well established colony is not easy! . Kangaroos (and Wallabies, their smaller cousins) generally also sleep during the heat of the day - and move around at dawn and dusk. I live in an area - semi-rural - which is halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. There are MANY Wallabies in the surrounding area - but I seldom see them, except for when they are splattered on a road.

 

I have been to a Buffalo "Park" in Oklahoma - where Bufaloes live in as wild an environment as could be envisaged - but we do not really have comparable places for Australian wild animals. I would not exactly call the kind of places quoted here on this forum "zoos" - but the animals are certainly not free to leave. If you were to go to the town of Broken Hill, you would see more old man kangaroos than you can count - both alive and dead on the roads - also Emus, Eagles, wild feral camels, etc. But Sydney and Melbourne are major modern cities - and there are as many wild animals in them as there are Buffaloes in New York ! :)

 

 

Barry

[sludger]

Sorry, mate, got the question all upside down-probably a location thing :-)

 

Kangaroos and Koala are in zoos everywhere, but we of the otherside of the world are still intrigued. "Can I/Will I see a kangaroo/koala?" is about the first question asked of a TA followed by How do I and where do I?

 

And true enough nothing draws crowds to a zoo faster than Panda and Koala.

 

No worries,

My question really was genuine we have people from all around the world wanting to see Kangaroos and Koalas, most of these people queue for hours to see and get close to them in wildlife parks.

I was just wondering if they had them in their own countries and whether our government jealously guarded them.

 

I don't actually know though how much cuddling or getting that close to the animals the parks here allow you to do now, apart from the litigation problems these parks face if they let you pet them and you get attacked, there are some reports that letting humans interact with these wild animals is not altogether safe for the animals. Cross species contamination is becoming real issue.

 

I also believe that a lot of people overseas realise how large our cities are. It's not as if you can hop off the ship at Circular Quay and walk down to the farm like it was in colonial days, You'll be driving for an hour and a half and you will still be in Sydney, let alone on a real farm.

 

If I was wanting to have a real experience with these animals I would book a cruise tour from overseas with a stay in OZ and then I could have the time to view these animals in their natural habitat and preferably at night. The Kangaroo and the Koala in particular can appear to be stuffed animals during the day.

 

Just a quick response to the OP about cities, well there is no city like Sydney in the world, if you miss it whilst racing out to a farm in the outback for quick glimpse of a Koala you will definitely be losing out.

 

Paul

[bazzaw]

Paul

 

well there is no city like Sydney in the world, if you miss it whilst racing out to a farm in the outback for quick glimpse of a Koala you will definitely be losing out.

 

I would agree with that 100%

 

 

Barry

[sludger]

Paul

 

well there is no city like Sydney in the world, if you miss it whilst racing out to a farm in the outback for quick glimpse of a Koala you will definitely be losing out.

 

I would agree with that 100%

 

 

Barry

 

Are we mates now then.

 

Sludge

[moyaroo]

Hi Joseph, you might want to add Aussie Possums to your cute and cuddly list as they are a completely different animal to your Possums (Opossum).:)

 

Ours are Marsupial and have a pouch (like a Kangaroo) after the babies get to a certain size they leave the pouch and ride around clinging on the their mother's back or stomach.

 

Ours are too, though of a different genus. And I have possum encounters as well as quoll (albeit at a distance in the middle of the night) and of course those cuddly little wombats like the one that walked right over my wife's foot which happened to be in the wombat's way.

 

One place to see much of the native fauna in a natural ie not caged location is Tower Hill in Western Victoria. It is a game preserve and the animals are a bit used to humans so not quite a wary as in the true wild but still in the wild-don't even think about getting cuddles there.

[Scurvy Dog]

Bazza and Sludge are mates now :)..untill there next posts :D

[sludger]

Bazza and Sludge are mates now :)..untill there next posts :D

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of banter, it livens everyone up.

 

You won't like everyone you meet in life straight away.

I think me and Baz are warming to each other though.

 

Sludge

[Scurvy Dog]

Well im glad you two are warming :).. I think you both would make a good couple.....on "friends of Dorothy" :D...na but seriously Banter is the best :)..possums are second best except when they get in your roof and decide to lay down some funky disco moves at 4 in the morning :rolleyes:

[room010]

I too am baffled why nearly all visitors have this urge to hug a koala. Sure they are 'cute' but they are also very cranky with vicious claws and they don't like being manhandled for the sake of a photo opportunity (the koalas don't like it much either). With such a short timeframe I'd say that Healesville is probably the best option but it's a couple of hours' drive from Port Melbourne so unless you are docking early in the morning and leaving that evening you might not have time.

 

I know the OP isn't a zoo fan but Melbourne does have an excellent zoo where the animals are kept in large, well planned enclosures. You can walk through the kangaroo/wallaby exhibit but visitors are asked not to get too close. A kangaroo's kick can cause serious injury and you enter at your own risk.

[sherri3802too]

I think the problem is that both Sydney and Melbourne are amongst the most sprawling cities in the world. Suburbia spreads out a good 50kms from town, so the only chance to guarantee a sighting of a roo or koala in a few hours is to visit a zoo or sanctuary.

There are a lot of places you could visit where you might see roos or wallabies in the wild. I know Churchill park, near where I live, has some. (we are about 35km out of Melbourne and Churchill park is in Lysterfield). I have seen roos out in the wild at Hanging Rock. But neither place would be your top choice of a place to visit if you only have a few hours in Melbourne.

I have seen both roos and koalas at Halls Gap in the Grampians and that really is a sensational spot to visit. If you are into National parks and interesting walks, you would love it BUT there is no way it is a day trip. It is the sort of place you could only 'do' if you had a few days in the state.

 

So that brings us back to the zoos in the cities. Even Healesville is a little far out, as far as Melbourne is concerned.

The benefit of visiting a city zoo is you will at least see the animals and may have time to look at a bit more of the city as well.

[germanyboy]

dup

[germanyboy]

When we were in Australia, we went to Featherdale (i believe), and my daughter got to hold a koala. Actually, they put the little ones on a stuffed koala, and my daughter got to hold the stuffed one. We were told it was to keep her from getting scratched by the real one. And the real one did hold on tight.

[leggyliz]

Also you could try the australian reptile park on the central coast 1.20min north of sydney. pretty sure you can even pat the koalas there. the kangaroos roam free all around the park and if their near you you can pat and feed them. their so soft :D this is the link www.reptilepark.com.au/

good luck liz

[KAYTWO]

Or possibly Symbio Wildlife park at Helensburgh, just south of Sydney. Then you could do a really beautiful drive through the Royal National Park and down the Seacliff Bridge.

 

Sharon

[pinksuit]

We will be in Sydney and Melbourne for only one day each .... bummer.

We are both wildlife freaks and would love to be able to "touch" and have contact with these two beautiful native animals, if possible, not just see them in cages. As we only have such a short time in each port we are trying to figure out which facility would be best for us to actually get close to these animals. Is there such a place???? We have worked in National Parks of South Africa and do not like zoo's very much as we believe in freedom for the wildlife, BUT having said that we do not have the time to go out into the "wild" and see these animals in their own habitat, so we are happy to settle with second best. I know there are lots of Aussie's on this board who are very familiar with these places close or in these cities, and I am sure we will be steered in the right direction. Thank you, can't wait to hear your ideas!!!!

 

Question: Are you going to be going to New Zealand too or just Australia?

If so, we were up close and personal in Tasmania with the Kangaroo's - plenty of them!

Pinkie

[Scurvy Dog]

Hi All :D..I am leaving for Sydney tomorrow and I don't really want to see a Kangaroo or a Koala..but I would love to hold a possum..where can I do this??? Thanks :)

[Debsta]

Hi All :D..I am leaving for Sydney tomorrow and I don't really want to see a Kangaroo or a Koala..but I would love to hold a possum..where can I do this??? Thanks :)

 

About 1 km from my place, dependent on the time of removal from said premises :p

 

I also second the person who quoted Symbio Wildlife zoo as a great day out and a chance to explore the southern side of Sydney with all it's beautiful beaches, natural landscapes :D

http://www.symbiozoo.com.au/node