5/7/10 (toowoomba)
Annie LinToowoomba – Gold Coast – Brisbane
It was time to say good-bye to Toowoomba. We were sad to leave Ally since we had such a good time playing with her. Luckily we were able to spend some more time with Jean and Jono since they took the day off and we were all heading to Brisbane for the weekend. We decided to visit the Currumbin Sanctuary in the Gold Coast since Jean told us that we would likely see red kangaroos and be able to hold koalas, which were on our list of Aussie things to do. Jean got a special deal on the tickets, which included a picture with a baby crocodile. Just as we arrived the photo opportunity was taking place so we decided to get it out of the way. We lined up for our pictures and as we got closer I got very nervous. They had taped the crocodile’s mouth so that it wouldn’t bite anyone. Jean, Jono, and Jon went ahead of me and by the time it was my turn there was a line of about eight kids behind me. My heart was pounding and I felt like I was going to pee in my pants. As soon as I walked up I knew there was no way I could hold the crocodile. The closest I got to the croc was sitting next to it while the handler held it. Everyone was trying to convince me to hold the tail and as I was moving my hand towards the tail the croc jump and I said forget it. The kids behind me had their arms crossed and didn’t look thrilled to be waiting so long for their turn. I was afraid if I held the croc and got scared that I would drop it and thought the kids or the handler wouldn’t appreciate that. Jean, Jono, and Jon got a good laugh at my hysteria and the video clip has been played many times for people’s amusement. Jon said the croc felt soft and cold. What a way to start my day.
Next we went to have our pictures taken with a koala named Babosa. We weren’t able to hold koalas at the Australian Reptile Park so we didn’t have our pictures taken. At the sanctuary Jono held Babosa while I petted her. She was quite soft and fluffy.
We walked around the sanctuary and saw some crazy looking animals, ones that none of us hadn’t ever heard of. There were tree kangaroos that were a bit smaller than grey kangaroos and had a brownish golden coat. They lived in the trees and one of them had a joey (aka baby) sticking out of its pouch. We saw a red kangaroo but it wasn’t as red as I thought it would be though it was still pretty big. There were a lot of interesting looking snakes, including the third most venomous snake but we can’t remember the name of it. We had a great time at the sanctuary. As we were walking out one of the croc handlers we saw earlier in the day “took the piss out of me” by letting me know there was another opportunity to take a picture with the croc. I graciously declined.
We then headed to Burleigh Heads for some lunch along the waterfront. It was a beautiful day and the waves were pretty high. After lunch we headed to a vista point to check out the surfers. People say the Gold Coast mirrors Miami and there is some resemblance with its residential apartments hugging the coast and surf community.
In the late afternoon we made our way to Brisbane where we were staying with Jean’s friend, Kylie. We had met Kylie last weekend at Jean and Jono’s and she had invited all of us up to Brisbane to spend the weekend with her. Jean and Kylie have been the best of friends since they were in junior high. They both grew up in a town called Ipswich, about 30km from Brisbane.
After we arrived at Kylie’s we decided to check out a vintage fashion show that was taking place at the local racetrack. There were all sorts of vendors selling stuff and one of even selling doc marten shoes. Have those shoes been around long enough to be considered vintage?
We caught a little bit of the Australia vs New Zealand rugby league game on TV while having dinner at a restaurant. It was a pretty big game and though the Kiwis haven’t won against the Aussies in the last seven years in this annual game it still makes for an exciting rivalry.
Killer Croc from Annie Lin on Vimeo.
Reader Comments (2)
Correct me if I have wrong, but I bet Jon was doing his best Steve Erwin when you saw the "third most venomous snake"? I probably would have poo'd my pants.
You'll just have to come back again and face your fears next time!!...