As we've mentioned a number of times, we regularly take walks in the forests in the vicinity. It is one of our favourite things to do and we are always awestruck by the beauty of the forest. Forest pictures appear in previous entries as well, but I thought I'd add a couple more for good measure!
We also stopped in to the Babinda Boulders on an aborted camping trip (see next blog entry for details) and we've included a few pics of these interesting formations.
Last week we went to the Cairns Tropical Zoo. Australia is teeming with wildlife but unfortunately, most of it tends to stay well hidden from passing tourists. There are dozens of bird species around, but other than birds, we haven't really encountered much in the way of native fauna in the wild. So, we decided to have a day at the zoo and it turned out the be much better than we had expected. We spent several hours there walking the paths which wind between the “open concept” gages and enclosures where the more dangerous or threatened species are kept, and walking amongst the birds and kangaroos which are in accessible pens and aviaries. It is a small zoo but very well done. They even had a series of 20 minute demonstrations where they showcased and talked about everything from sea eagles and black cockatoos, to a sampling of the region's many snakes. We saw a wonderful display of tropical birds which flew low over the spectators to the commands of their trainers; a charming snake handler who made light of the deadly snakes he showed us; feeding of a cute red panda and a not so cute 15ft crocodile; and of course we got to pet the friendly roo's and cuddly koalas. So....below you will find some pictures of some of the animal life we encountered at the zoo. I would like to have claimed to have seen and photographed all these in the wild, but although we have seen all the birds except the cassowary in the wild, it's unlikely we will see many of the other animals on our travels...and we are hoping not to see any of the snakes!
We spend literally hours at a nearby mall sittin on this bench doing email and blogging!
A WALK IN THE WOODS
A well camoflouged frog on the forest floor.
A typical root-strewn path throught the forest.
This large tree was toppled by Cyclone Larry which swept through the Cairns area in March 2006. There still many pathways closed because of fallen trees.
This large tree was toppled by Cyclone Larry which swept through the Cairns area in March 2006. There still many pathways closed because of fallen trees.
THE BABINDA BOULDERS
The Babinda Boulders are a series of large rocks along a river bed near Babinda, a small town to the south of Cairns.
Very picturesque country though we had a very dull day when there.
Interesting patterns in the boulders
Walsh's Pyramid just sout of Cairns on the road to Babinda, with cane in the foreground. We've thought about climbing this peak but we heard that its difficult and some climbers had to be rescued recently...out of our league!
Very picturesque country though we had a very dull day when there.
Interesting patterns in the boulders
Walsh's Pyramid just sout of Cairns on the road to Babinda, with cane in the foreground. We've thought about climbing this peak but we heard that its difficult and some climbers had to be rescued recently...out of our league!
AT THE ZOO
No doubt Australia's most recognizable animal...the grey kangaroo.
This cockatoo lived at the zoo though he flew around freely and could take off at any time. I guess he like the regular feedings!
The cassowary is second in size only to its cousin the emu. There are many in the forests around Queensland but they are very elusive and hard to spot.
The inside toe of the cassowary's foot is razor sharp and is used to ward off enemies. Humans have been killed by cassowaries slicing jugular veins or cutting open stomachs with this lethal weapon.
Rainbow lorakeets are some of the most colorul birds in Australia.
Kookaburras are everywhere here and we often hear them "laughing" ... (more like screaching!) in trees nearby.
Can't remember the name of this red-eyed black bird but it is very striking in appearance.
This is the Inland Taipan, the world's most venomous snake. A single bite injects enough venom to kill 60 adult humans.
An interesting looking reptile...the Gibson's Forest Dragon.
A cute Red Panda.
This is a rare albino kangaroo...actually a Red Kangaroo.
A koala in a common pose. They sleep about 20 hours a day.
The zoo had quite the collection of crocodiles...both the large saltwater and smaller freshwater varieties. The freshwater crocs are too small to go after humans, but the larger (up to 20+ ft) saltwater crocs can be very dangerous. Many people have become meals for these large predators over the years.
Feeding time for a large croc. The handler says it isn't dangerous if you know what you're doing...yeh right!
Robb with a 3 year old saltwater crocodile. Easy to handle at this age but I wouldn't want to meet its dad!
The inside toe of the cassowary's foot is razor sharp and is used to ward off enemies. Humans have been killed by cassowaries slicing jugular veins or cutting open stomachs with this lethal weapon.
Rainbow lorakeets are some of the most colorul birds in Australia.
Kookaburras are everywhere here and we often hear them "laughing" ... (more like screaching!) in trees nearby.
Can't remember the name of this red-eyed black bird but it is very striking in appearance.
This is the Inland Taipan, the world's most venomous snake. A single bite injects enough venom to kill 60 adult humans.
An interesting looking reptile...the Gibson's Forest Dragon.
A cute Red Panda.
This is a rare albino kangaroo...actually a Red Kangaroo.
A koala in a common pose. They sleep about 20 hours a day.
The zoo had quite the collection of crocodiles...both the large saltwater and smaller freshwater varieties. The freshwater crocs are too small to go after humans, but the larger (up to 20+ ft) saltwater crocs can be very dangerous. Many people have become meals for these large predators over the years.
Feeding time for a large croc. The handler says it isn't dangerous if you know what you're doing...yeh right!Robb with a 3 year old saltwater crocodile. Easy to handle at this age but I wouldn't want to meet its dad!
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