Kangaroos, Koalas, and Wallabies.

When you think about Australia, these are the animals that come to mind, right?  Oh…and let’s not forget the Tasmanian Devil!  Our family loves animals and we couldn’t wait to see these creatures up close and personal.  A friend had warned us to be careful, though, as kangaroos were everywhere, and many people renting cars often hit them on the highways!  After hearing that, we were sure we’d see them everywhere.

Unfortunately, that is not how things played out.  In fact, we only saw Kangaroos (and wallabies) once while driving between Port Douglas and Cairns.  There was a huge Troop (yes, I actually had to look up the correct word for that one!) along the road behind what looked like wire fencing.  They did not seem “free” but then again, I can’t imagine they couldn’t have simply jumped over the fencing.  We’re not sure what they were doing there.

Suffice it to say, Kangaroo sightings were slim, at least in the areas we visited.  Perhaps if we visit Australia again, we will focus on traveling to lesser known areas where Kangaroos are in abundance.  Since we did not have any additional time, we decided to make a visit to the Featherdale Wildlife Park, (highly recommended by local friends) where Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Koalas wander free and you have the opportunity to actually learn about them, as well as touch and pet them.

There is even a crazy Tasmania Devil and true to his name (and the images the very name elicits), he was running around madly.  It was tough to get a good photo.  Here are a few shots from the day.  Hope you enjoy!