Taronga Zoo - Wombat

Hello beautiful!

I must say that it is rather fortunate that the upper bit of grass is covering her forehead this morning. Just before I arrived to visit the wombat (her) enclosure, a bird must have flow by and dropped something on her forehead. She then must have tried to rub the wet stuff off, succeeding only in sticking a gum leaf smack dab in the middle of her forehead. Oh well, as long as there is dirt to dig and grass to eat, Mme Wombat seems to keep content!

Taken August 2010 - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW

Taronga Zoo - Giraffe feeding time

All I can say is this - What a tongue! Yes it's blue, and man it's strong.

In March, Micah and I managed to visit the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. I mention this only because Micah got to feed one of the lovely ladies there. Glee was all consuming for Micah, and the carrots were all consumed by the giraffes. Oh, and apparently a carrot to a giraffe is like a piece of chocolate to a person. Yummy!

Taken August 2010 - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW

Taronga Zoo - Wallaby

I am always struck by how much kangaroos and wallabies look like dear. I really can't get over it. I think it's probably their ears and the gentle herbivore nature, though I might just be wishing for connections between these lovely creatures.

This beautiful lady actually came over to say hi to me while I was visiting her at Taronga. The keeper even gave me a peanut which Merrybel was oh so happy to gently take from my hand. Merrybel was raise from the size of a joey here at Taronga. Her mother was unfortunately hit by a car, an she was found hopping around at the side of the road by the place of the accident. Since she was hand fed, she's very use to having people around, and really loves to be petted. Let me tell you, she is so soft! What a beautiful girl to spend a sunny afternoon with eh?

Taken August 2010 - Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW

Mount Tomah Gardens - View

So where do you think this picture was taken? Doesn't seem like Oz eh? :)

Mount Tomah Gardens really are a treat. There are so many areas with so many garden styles that it is easy to imagine yourself just about anywhere on the planet (well, maybe not Antarctica, but you get the idea...) I always think of an English manor with this shot. It's funny though, not 100m away you can be standing amongst the tall gums looking at what is obviously a classic Blue Mountain scene.

Also, how green is this grass? It really is amazing what a misty day in winter will do for the ground here in Australia.

Taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW

Hunter Valley - Lock Ness??

What do you think this is?

I spent almost half an hour watching this thing swim around a damn (read Australian for pond or lake) in the Hunter Valley. This was the clearest picture I could manage . The above kept swimming around the clumps of reeds flicking water over its back.

After about an hour of guessing around on Google to figure out what it was, I finally discovered the truth. I'll let you click here to find out. ;)


Taken August 2010 - Damn (Australian for pond) in the Hunter Valley, NSW