2 - 4 Melbourne, pandas and kangaroos @ Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

 Melbourne is pronounced Mel' bern (Melbun). The city is slightly smaller than Sydney with 4.91 million people.  It has been voted the most liveable city in the world several times.  It has more coffee shops than anywhere else in the world (per capita?).  It has 17 high rises and 30 more are under construction. When they are complete the population density will be higher than Tokyo.

Today we visited an indigenious animal sanctuary, Healesville Sanctuary.  Finally we will get to see Koalas, and kangaroos! Isn't this koala just adorable!!!!

We arrived in Melbourne this morning at 9 am.  The harbor waters were littered with jelly fish, lots of them.  They looked to be about 1 foot in diameter.  I prefer the dolfins in Newcastle!  There was a  large P&O Cruise ship sharing our dock.

I had a Mamsen's kanelbolle (cinnamon roll) with breakfaast.  It wasn't as sweet as the American version (Lori's) nevertheless, it was really good.  I will have it again.  This is the display with 6 rolls.  I ate mine before I thought to take a picture. The white sprinkles on top are chunks of sugar. 

Our drive to the Sanctuary started at 11 am.  It took 1.5 hrs with a lovely ride through Melbourne's skyscrapers, then the wine country.  We passed several vinyards:  Red Rich Fruit, Chandon, Oakridge, Many Hands, and Cellar Door,  to name a few.

Our wish today was to see the koalas first, we headed straight there.  Most were sleeping as they sleep 20+ hours a day, and all we saw was their back side. There was one koala in each area.  I wonder why they were separated - seems like a lonely life. 

 

What a thrill to find Koalas facing forward even if they were asleep! Koalas have small under developed brains.  If you don't have to think I guess you sleep.

Emus paraded by right in front of us!

Most kangaroos were napping.  It was about 2pm, our nap time too but we kept trucking on!

Feeling good having found our top two, we wound our way through the entire sanctuary. Everything here is native to Australia.  

Pelicans

                                            Enchidnas (about 18" long and the most active animals of the day).  They are NOT related to porcupines.

Tasmanian Devils.  We didn't see any at first, so I took a photo of the display, then we found the real live devil, resting, just like the kangaroos.

Just a word about the sanctuary.  There were no cages for the above animals, they were in natural habitats.  For most animals the only things separating guests from residents was a single rope.  Phil said he thought that  the people walking through their space was enough to keep the animals on 'their' side of the rope.  If you look closely, you'll see an animal at the far side of the grassy area. 

The birds were in a full enclosure, with double door gates so these colorful guys would not fly away.

The dingoes are beautiful wild dogs.  But beware, they travel in packs and will attack people.  Phil got a photo of this dingo before he disappeared in his little hideaway.  Dingoes are housed in a a wire enclosure - much more secure than a single rope separator.   

The ride back was via expressway, faster but not as scenic.  Tomorrow Phil and I will take the shuttle into town and explore on our own:  more gardens, shopping, etc.  It'll be New Year's Eve day, I hope things will be open.