The Wonderful Wombat

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One of the draws to visiting Australia is the unique wildlife. They have some of the most unusual animals in the world and are only native to their prominent island destination. You will find creatures such as the kangaroo, wallaby, emu, Tasmanian devil, platypus, koala, and the one we will be diving deeper into, the wonderful wombat. 

What makes the wombat so wonderful?  

First, as we mentioned, they can only be found in Australia. (zoos don’t count) There are three species of wombats that you will find on your travels:

  • The common wombat (pictured)
  • The hairy-nosed northern wombat
  • The hairy-nosed southern wombat 

You will likely find at least one species in all but the Northern Territory. However, the hairy-nosed northern wombat is at the highest risk of extinction and is harder to see in the wild. 

Second, unlike other marsupials, the wombat’s pouch faces backward. The pouch is a uniquely designed trait for the wombat is a digger. Having it backward prevents them from throwing dirt into the joeys that may be residing in the pocket. 

Third, speaking of digging, the wombat has strong, powerful claws. They are the largest burrowing mammals in the world and can dig up to three meters deep. That is almost 10-feet. They create an intricate tunnel system beneath the ground to include bed chambers.

Fourth, a fun fact, the wombat has cubed shape poop. The shape results from their diet, but it also serves a purpose. The wombat uses their poop to mark their territory and entrances to their burrows. 

Fifth, despite their short, stubby stature, the wombats are quick. They can run up to 25 miles per hour. I wouldn’t recommend getting too close in the wild as they could catch you and take a nip. They do bite. 

Finally, I’ve only touched on several characteristics of the wonderful wombat. What is not so wonderful is they are at risk. Predators, habitat, and even mange (an infection of the skin) contribute to their decline. However, all over Australia, licensed rehabilitation organizations are helping to secure their longevity. Boomerang Escapes is happy to support one of them as a “Wombassador.” You can read more here.

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslThe Wonderful Wombat
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My Favorite Places in Australia

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Lisa, what are your favorite places in Australia? This question I get all the time when working with my clients. Where would you go?

It is the most challenging question for me to answer because I love every experience I’ve had over my seven visits. (as of the time of this post) For me, Australia could never disappoint, and she continually outdoes herself whenever I go. Just when I think she can’t deliver more, she does.

For me, it is a destination that has captured my heart and soul. However, I will give you a short list of some of the places that hold some fond memories and that I would certainly return to again and again.

My Favorite Places in Australia:

  • Whitsundays-A collection of islands off the coast of Queensland located on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Choose any of the islands for a perfect relaxing end to a long trip or a romantic escape. A visit to Whitehaven beach and a helicopter ride out over Heart Reef is necessary. 
  • Rainforest Walk-The lush green vegetation, babbling water, and history of this ancient place are beyond words. Experience the Daintree with a local Aboriginal guide. One of my favorites was a Dreamtime Walk. 
  • Kangaroo Island– Australia’s unique landscape and spotting of notable wild wildlife highlights here. Enjoy authentic eats while dining on a cliff looking out over the ocean or grilling in the bush. 
  • The Outback-I spent two weeks entirely in the lower portion of the Northern Territory hiking and climbing gorges, canyons, and more. Uluru and the surroundings feel like the heart and soul of Australia. Another outstanding experience here was a helicopter over the land at sunrise. 
  • Western Australia– A place I need to explore further, and despite my overwhelming love of koalas and getting a cuddle when I can, two of my best wildlife experiences were here—visiting Rottnest Island to meet Australia’s happiest animal, the quokka. During my encounter, the quokka decided to curl up in the crook of my arm on the cold, wet day we visited. And then the exhilarating swim with whale sharks. Words can’t describe the feeling of seeing these beautiful creatures very up close. 

Wow, the memories are flooding in. I could go on and on. I am truly overcome with emotions when I think of all the beautiful things I’ve had the privilege to do in Australia and the people I’ve met. As you can probably tell, I may be a bit biased, but I genuinely believe you should discover Australia.  

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslMy Favorite Places in Australia
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Answers to Your Questions About Kangaroos

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When you think of kangaroos, you most likely think Australia. It is no surprise as the kangaroo is an iconic symbol of Australia. This oddly proportioned animal with large powerful hind legs and feet for jumping paired with it’s small head and arms as well as a long tail for balance, can be found as a symbol on Australia’s coat of arms, currency, their major airline, and the Royal Airforce to name several of the places this creature pops up in Australian culture.  One of my favorites is the Christmas story of Santa and his six white boomers.  Boomers is another name for male kangaroos.  They can also be called bucks, jacks or old men. Whereas females can be referred to as does, flyers, or jills.  The infant kangaroo is referred to as a joey.

Kangaroos are fun and fascinating animals and can be spotted in the wild, found randomly within neighborhoods, on golf courses or on streets. You can also visit them in sanctuaries, zoos, and wildlife parks.  One of the fun things to do while visiting Australia is being able to feed them by hand. There are many opportunities to have a kangaroo encounter throughout Australia.  Several of my favorites have been Featherdale Wildlife Park, Cleland Wildlife Park, Kangaroo Island, and Kosciuszko National Park.


How many types of kangaroo are there?

There are four species of kangaroo. The red kangaroo, the eastern grey kangaroo, the western grey kangaroo and the wallaroo.  Also related to kangaroos, but smaller are the wallabies.

How high can a kangaroo hop?

Kangaroo have been known to leap in the air up to 25 feet.

What do you call a group of kangaroo?

A group of kangaroo is referred to as a mob, troop, or court.

How large can a kangaroo get?

Red kangaroos are the largest of the species. They can be up to 6 feet tall and way nearly 200 pounds

Are kangaroo aggressive?

Kangaroo males act like any other male animal in the wild and will be aggressive when protecting their mob or territory.  They would only show aggression towards humans when threatened.  It is advisable not to approach to closely in the wild and save the close up encounters for the parks and  zoos.

How many females will a male kangaroo have?

Up to 20 females can belong to a single male’s mob.

Do kangaroo migrate?

Kangaroo will stay put for the most part as long as there is plenty of food. However, they will travel if they are in need of more food source.  They mostly graze on grass and vegetation.

How long does a joey stay in a mother’s pouch?

A joey will usually stay inside the pouch for up to 9 months.

Do they really eat kangaroo?

Yes, wild kangaroo are shot for meat, their hides, and to protect grazing land.  It is quite delicacy and a nice low fat protein alternative.  I eat it on almost every trip and it is not nearly as gamey as our venison can be.

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslAnswers to Your Questions About Kangaroos
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3 Ways to Have a Koala Experience

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Koala (koh-ah-luh).  The koala is probably one of the most loved and iconic animals of Australia.  With their leather button looking noses, small round eyes, and what appears to be soft fluffy bodies of fur,  they have captured the hearts of millions. In fact, they are my very favorite animal.

Often mistaken for a bear, they have no relation what so ever to bears and belong to the marsupial family.  Marsupials are distinguished by the fact the baby is carried and suckled in a pouch. Most marsupials are found and reside in Australia and New Guinea, but here in the states we do have the opossums.

The koala can be found in a variety of states and regions in Australia, but mainly in the forest areas where their source of food the eucalyptus tree grows.  There are over 700 species of eucalyptus, but our picky eater the koala only likes about 10 and depending on which region they live in depends on which of those they like.  The koalas not only smell like this eucalyptus when you encounter them, but the blended oils from eating it act as insect repellent for them.

I know for me the thing I wanted most when I went to Australia was to have a koala “cuddle”, but much to my disappointment that did not happen on my first encounter.  It is good to know that there are only limited areas where “cuddling” a koala is still allowed by law as excessive handling can be quite stressful for these very inactive animals who sleep nearly the whole day.  So how can you get up close and personal with koalas in Australia?


Spotting Koalas in the Wild
One way to see the koalas is right out in their own backyard.  You go out on trek to see if you can “spot” the koala just as it sounds. Koalas sleep high up in the gum trees and with the color of their fur can be hard to spot unless you have a good eye.  There are several operators that do this. One great place is to do this on Kangaroo Island.  It’s a full day of spotting broken up with tea at a billybong  and lunch cooked in the bush. Besides koalas you will also encounter a variety of Australia’s other native animals.  A second option, that I recommend is in Victoria, in the You Yangs outside of Melbourne.  There is a company that has been following a whole system and family of koalas for years. Go out in find them in person while learning all the fun facts such as how each koala has a unique nose pattern.

Koala Pat
The koala pat aka selfie opportunity is found in around most of the city areas and zoos, like Wildlife Sydney,  in the states that don’t allow cuddling.  There are specific times allotted each day to “meet” the koala or even “breakfast with the koalas”. The koalas will be placed on a branch in a viewing area. You will be allowed to go up, maybe place a hand gently on their bum or just get side by side for a nice photo op  or selfie.  Another great option is to include this with a day trip out to the Blue Mountains stopping in the morning enroute to see them for breakfast.

Koala Cuddle
The koala cuddle like the pat is found in zoos or sanctuary areas in the two states that still allow the “cuddle” which are Queensland and South Australia.  Like the pat there are specific designated times when the cuddles are allowed. It is a very short time each day because as mentioned earlier the touching can cause stress to the animals and each koala is limited to the amount of times it can be held. For the “cuddle” the handler will tell you how to hold your hands and stand and place the koala on you supported by your interlocked hands.  You will then have the opportunity to have a photo taken for a fee.  You will be surprised to find out the koala is not as soft as he appears and his fur is more akin to a sheep’s wool.

Any or all of the experiences can be incorporated throughout your Australian itinerary. The spotting in the wild would be a full-day tour that I would recommend booking in advance.  The pat and cuddle can be done more on the fly, but it is nice to have the advanced tickets to the zoo or exhibit you will be visiting and make sure to know ahead of time what time the koalas are available.  Nothing in my opinion quite beats the up close and personal experiences you can have in Australia with these very unique and beautiful creatures.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa Rossmeissl3 Ways to Have a Koala Experience
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Swim with Whale Sharks in Western Australia

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Just when I think my experiences can’t get any more amazing, Australia tops herself.! On my most recent visit back to Australia, I had the fantastic opportunity of making it to Western Australia.  Given Australia is roughly the size of the United States, Western Australia often gets short changed by American travelers as it is an extra approximate 5 hour flight time to reach. However, I am here to tell you, it is so worth the extra time to visit Western Australia and my day with the Whale Sharks is one of the reasons.
Your swimming whale shark experience actually takes place in Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo Reef is a World Heritage listed site along the north west coast of Western Australia lying on the East Indian Ocean, about one and half hour flight north of Perth.  It is the world’s largest fringing reef and offers a plethora of water and coastal activities for the active adventure traveler to experience.

One of the coolest experiences for you to take part in is a swim with the whale sharks.  Spend the day out in the ocean, in snorkel gear, popping on and off of your boat into the water to swim along these beautiful magnificent creatures.  Between your spotter and your group guide, you will be sure to have an up close and personal encounter you won’t soon forget.


To give you an idea of how your day with the whale sharks will go, let me share my day with Exmouth Diving Centre with you. I highly recommend using this the company with their expert trained staff.  You will even find a marine biologist among them to end your day with all the fascinating facts about the incredible sea creature you just swam with.

First, you will be picked up from your Exmouth hotel accommodations bright and early in the morning and then taken to where the boat is moored.  They will then bring a small boat over to take you on board.  Swimming with the whale sharks is limited to ten persons in the water at the time, so our boat had two groups of ten on board.   Once on board you will head out to the open waters.  While making your way out, you will be fitted with your wet suit, flippers and snorkel gear, followed by a briefing as to how the day will work including the safety precautions and rules of swimming with the whale sharks.

The first stop you make is actually a test swim.  It’s run just like there might be a whale for the group to see.  It all begins with Group One Ready. When you hear that call you slide onto your bottom to the back of the boat and wait for the Go! Go! Go! When you hear the cry, you then quickly get your rear in the water and start swimming.  The test run is to ensure several things, including how to enter the water, is your gear fitting, and can you do it.  I won’t lie, the activity is a bit more strenuous then you realize with getting in and out of the back of the boat. I was happy I had been preparing with daily workouts to increase my strength and endurance. But, no worries on keeping yourself afloat as the wet suits act as floatation devices and you can request one of those pool noodles as well.

Once the testing is over you get back on board and wait for them to announce a whale shark siting. They use a spotter plane above that finds the whales and then gives the captain the location. Once a whale is sighted the boat is off as fast as it can to the spot. Once there the drill and swim commences with “Group 1 Ready!”, “Spotter in!”, “Group 1 Go! Go! Go!”  Let me tell you the thrill and excitement have the adrenaline pumping!  I do have a bit of a fear of deep waters, but once in the water and seeing this incredible creature face to face, literally, my fears subsided and all that remained was pure joy for the opportunity.

Once group one has had their swim, they drop back and tread water until the boat circles round to pick them up, while group two repeats the process.  The dive companies goal is to get everyone at least three good swims.  We were very lucky the day we went out in June to swim with five whale sharks.  In addition to the whale sharks we also swam with a manta ray, saw whales breaching, dolphins mating and a rare siting of a dugong with her calf swimming along side our boat. We had the “big five” as they say similar to if you are safari in Africa.

The best time of year to see the whale sharks in Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef is March to July. Despite that being fall and winter there,  you will find the temperatures in the north west of this region to be quite nice. Temperatures are in the mid to upper 70s meaning you will get plenty of sun exposure and quite possibly return with a tan.

For more information on booking your swimming with the whale sharks and other coastal experiences in the region, please contact me at 1-844-386-3600 or click here to schedule a planning session.

Photos are from my experience and courtesy of Exmouth Diving Centre.
#amazingaussieadventure #justanotherdayinwa #boomerangescapes

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslSwim with Whale Sharks in Western Australia
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Amazing Facts About Koala Joeys

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1. Baby koalas are called Joeys. All marsupial babies are called joeys – kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, tasmanian devils, possums & bilbys. The meaning/origin is unknown – it’s possibly just a diminutive used at that time for any small animal. Joey as a baby marsupial was first recorded in use in 1839.
The use of the word joey may have started with the word being applied for a British fourpenny coin. Politician Joseph Hume promoted the use of the fourpenny, thus the coin developed the slang name joey after him.

2. The first time you see a koala joey it is already 6 months old. Koala joeys are born as tiny naked creatures that don’t look anything like a koala. They move straight into the pouch, and remain unseen until they emerge at around 6 months old.
Actual emergence takes time. The joey first pokes his head out of the pouch at 5.5 months, and fully emerges at 6 to 7 months. By 8 to 9 months the joey becomes too large to get into the pouch, and spends all his time on his mother’s belly or back.

3. Koalas invented pro-biotics. Koala joeys eat ‘pap’ – a special substance produced by their mother that looks like poo and acts like a probiotic. It contains gut flora that the joey needs to process eucalyptus leaves. The mother koala produces it from her caecum (a special chamber in her large intestine) and delivers it from her cloaca, so though it looks a bit like poo, its not.
Pap is absolutely essential to a koala’s health. Wildlife Carers with orphaned koala joeys will frequently ask the wildlife care community for a postal delivery of pap from a koala mother – any koala mother will do, the closer the better but any is better than none. Imagine receiving that package of squishy green slurry in the mail!

4. Koala joeys are born out of their mother’s central vagina. Female koalas have three vaginas.

Why? Its complicated, and deserves a complete blog on the subject. Suffice to say that the two lateral (side) vaginae are for the passage of sperm to the uteri, and the median (central) vagina is for birth.
5. Koala joeys are born high in a tree. There is no danger of them falling to the ground – they are so tiny they get trapped in their mother’s fur. At birth a koala joey weighs only 1 gram – as much as a single sultana/raisin – and is only 2cm long.

It’s Koala Joey Season in the state of Victoria right now. All over the state wild koalas can be seen with joeys – hotspots are The You Yangs near Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and Raymond Island, East Gippsland.
Echidna Walkabout runs the following tours to see koalas in the wild – with a high chance of seeing koala joeys each year from September to November:
Wildlife Journey 4 days
Great Ocean Road 3 days
Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD 1 day
For more information contact:
Janine Duffy
janine@echidnawalkabout.com.au
T: +61 (0)3 9646 8249
Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours & Koala Clancy Foundation
http://www.echidnawalkabout.com.au http://koalaclancyfoundation.org.au

*Reprinted with permission from Echidnawalkaobut


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslAmazing Facts About Koala Joeys
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Little Penguins of Phillip Island

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I was first introduced to the Little Penguins at Featherdale Wildlife Park in August 2011 during my first trip to Australia. Featherdale is located just outside of Sydney and makes for a great day trip for visitors wanting to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most famous wildlife.

As our trip continued along the Southeast coast of Australia to Melbourne, I got the experience of a lifetime at Phillip Island, which is home to The Little Penguins.

Phillip Island has a wealth of activities for visitors to partake in with great landscape and wildlife. Some favorites are visits to the Churchill Island Heritage Farm and the Koala Conservation Centre, but Phillip Island has probably become most well known for the Penguin Parade. The island is one of the Little Penguins’ homes that come in each night to their nests.
The penguins are the smallest of all the penguin species. They have homes along the rocky coastlines of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia’s southern coastline like Phillip Island. The penguins are under increased threat from non-native carnivores, and areas such as Phillip Island have become national parks that work to protect and conserve these tiny creatures.

Phillip Island has set up an amazing opportunity for educating visitors while allowing them an up close and personal glance at these cute creatures. This is an impeccable experience that allows visitors to see the creatures make their nightly trek up into the rocky shore banks to return to their nests. Hundreds or more birds each night come ashore and make their waddle to the nests. Visitors can choose from several watch options for viewing from the main area at Summerland Beach to personal guided eco-tours. My personal view back in 2011 was from the Penguin Plus Viewing Platform. I highly recommend spending the extra few dollars for a closer viewing station for a more intimate experience and a front-row seat.
Listening to the bird’s chatter and call out to one another as we watched them make their nightly journey was truly amazing. It didn’t even matter that we were getting wet in a light rain that had begun to fall. I was literally close enough to reach out and touch them but sadly was not allowed. Photography is not allowed either. However, the shop at the end of the tour has professional photographs available for sale in various formats. I took home several of the postcard photos, one of which you see here. Animal lover, bird lover, wildlife enthusiast, or not, you will love and be amazed by these little birds and their nightly trek home. Photo courtesy of www.visitphillipisland.com

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslLittle Penguins of Phillip Island
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Cleland Wildlife Park-An Adelaide Animal Experience

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Many of you may have realized koalas are my favorite. But, it is not just the koala. I am wild about wildlife. I have been since a child. Koalas, along with the other amazing Australian wildlife, have been my inspiration for years. It is no wonder that Australia’s animals rank high for traveler’s top reasons to visit, and Australia does not disappoint with nearly every imaginable encounter you can think of.

Truly, no matter which state or territory you decide to visit, you will be able to include a wildlife experience in your itinerary.


Upon my most recent visit Down Under to Adelaide, I enjoyed introducing my son to my love of Australian wildlife. Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, which is “wildly” know for its wildlife experiences. With this visit, I made sure that our first full day in the state would be filled with an experience he wouldn’t forget.

We were staying in the heart of Adelaide near Cleland Wildlife Park.

Being close to the city center, the park can be reached by public transport or even a cab. We decided to opt for having the hotel desk call us a cab. A note to the wise, be sure your cab driver actually knows his own city before leaving the hotel. Our ride over to the park was a bit like an episode from “The Amazing Race,” where the driver says, “Yes, I know where that is.”, and then you find yourself pulling up to the wrong park. After that, you find the clearly has no clue where he is going. Fortunately, I kept a global data plan on my phone and was able to call up maps and guide the cab driver to our destination.

The park is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (except for Christmas). What makes the wildlife parks in Australia a bit more unique than the familiar American zoo is the close and personal encounters you get to have with the wildlife. Imagine yourself in a giant kid zoo. Different educational and close encounters are scheduled throughout the day. The park has an eatery and gift shop as well. When buying your ticket (which runs about AUD 22), you can pick up a map along with food for the animals.

Our first stop was to head to the kangaroos. We were there during spring and got to see so many little joeys in their mom’s pouches. My son was amazed at how close you could get with them. You could even lay or sit beside them. It was like pulling teeth to have him move onto the next area where the wallabies were because he was so intrigued by all the little joeys popping their heads out. He had great fun taking selfies and making videos on the Go-Pro. Nearby the wallabies were the wombats. Now, these guys you could not feed, but the enclosures still made for great viewing. They even had white ones.

After a good hour or more feeding the kangaroos and wallabies, we finally moved on to explore the rest of the park with birds galore, reptiles, and the koalas as the main attraction. South Australia is one of Australia’s remaining states that still allows a “cuddle with a koala.” Of course, I couldn’t wait. I could never get enough koala cuddles in my lifetime. What was really the best for me was to see my son’s delight and watch him fall in love with my passion as well. The cuddle was a grand experience as we got to hold an adult male. Having only cuddled young ones of 1-3 yrs, this guy was a hefty fellow but loved it all the same.

We worked our way back through the park and stopped for some lunch before heading back to the kangaroos, which proved to be one of my son’s favorites. With still one bag of food left, we couldn’t let it go to waste. We spent nearly six hours at the park that day. With souvenirs for his friends in hand, we had the ladies at the entry call us a cab for the ride back to the hotel. Luckily, it was a much shorter trip this time. If you ask either of us, we would definitely recommend a day trip from Adelaide to this wonderful nature reserve.

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslCleland Wildlife Park-An Adelaide Animal Experience
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Bora Bora Shark and Sting Ray Excursion

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Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt….. Did your mind quickly conjure up the movie Jaws? Jaws was a thriller, blockbuster film released in 1975, by director Steven Spielberg, with the unforgettable theme music to portray the shark attack. Were you, like me, afraid to enter water ever again?

Nevermind, thinking of swimming, especially thinking about swimming in deep ocean water. Since the film’s release and its later sequels, I wonder how many of us developed this fear of being eaten alive.

For me, I was fine with going in the ocean or other waters as long as I could see my feet and touch the bottom. Dark, deep waters were out for me, especially after I was subjected to swimming in lake water where I could not see but only feel the things that rubbed up against me. I still shudder.


However, on my most recent trip to French Polynesia and her island of Bora Bora, I participated in an excursion, which became one of the best moments and activities of my entire visit. We did the Swim with the Sharks and Sting Rays excursion.

I was so excited! My mind was like, “cool,” we will be in a contained area of shallow water with sharks and stingrays. Wrong!

The Shark and Sting Ray excursion in Bora Bora is roughly a 3-hour small-group excursion.

They take you out by boat. And when I say out, I mean out to the wide, open, deep, blue sea. Clear as a bell, but don’t even think about touching here. When the boat dropped anchor and realized we were getting out into the open waters, my heart started pounding. Snorkel gear was handed out, and we were told that if we didn’t want to get in, we could stay in the confines of the boat, where I could watch the feeding of the sharks while the others snorkeled with them. Well, as they say, “When in Rome..” So, I gathered up all my nerve, put on my gear, scooted my rear to the edge of the boat, and jumped in! Oh my gosh, it was so amazing to put my face in the water and see the tropical fish and shark swimming around me as the driver of the boat sprinkled food across the top of the water. These were blacktip sharks, not known for desiring humans, and certainly not nearly as frightening as the Great White portrayed in Jaws. We also saw a few nurse sharks a bit deeper in the water.

Once back on board the boat, I was so exhilarated. I was just beaming, for not only the experience, but the fact that I had conquered my fear. I was so excited to head to our next spot to see the sting ray. The sting rays were awesome! When the boat anchored here, all we needed was a pair of reef (water) shoes. The water was only about waist deep. Once we were all in the water, the guide got in with a bucket of food. The sting rays along with a few more blacktip sharks immediately surrounded us. They were like puppy dogs or cats, but much more slimy feeling, rubbing up against us. So playful! We had fun stealing kisses and petting them. I hated to leave and move onto our third stop.

The last stop of the excursion took us to the Coral Garden.

We once again donned our snorkel gear and hopped overboard for a swim amongst the rainbow colored coral and tropical fish. The fish loved to get really close whenever you stayed still, even bumping into your face mask. We all tried very hard to capture a picture of ourselves underwater with the “I Love Bora Bora” written in the depths below us. The morning couldn’t have been any better. It was truly an event I will never forget and certainly will repeat on future trips to Bora Bora.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslBora Bora Shark and Sting Ray Excursion
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