Australia – Oddities

After a day on the reef, my brother, Rob, and I went back to Cairns and got a little carried away with the local wildlife.

A trip to Australia would not be complete without holding a Koala.

Image of a big emu bird — This guy is an emu. They make good eating.

Strange Australian tree — This strange tree was one of many Australian oddities we saw.

A reptile on a rock — Australia is host to many unusual animals.

A flock of seagulls are standing in the dirt near Kangaroos — Here are some Joey’s.

This is a picture of a drugstore window, near our hotel, Tuna Towers, in Australia. I like traveling light, so instead of bringing an extra wheelchair cushion, I just brought a patch kit. Unfortunately, I got a leak on the seam of my cushion. It couldn’t be repaired with a patch kit. I ended up at this drugstore, several times, looking for some sort of replacement. Since I couldn’t find anything suitable, I called my neighbor in L.A. and asked him to mail my spare cushion to me. This was the day before Christmas. Australia has a week of holidays following Christmas. I didn’t know that, nor did I know Australian customs offices would be closed at that time, making it impossible for packages to get through. To make a long story, short, I was in New Zealand, with a faulty cushion, by the time my spare cushion got to Australia.

AGENDA

I told my travel agent I wanted adventure. This is what she put together for me.

To ensure that you have a good time on your trip to Australia, your team members have planned and developed a special itinerary to fill the time during your leisure hours.

Agenda follows:

Day 1: The “10 Deadliest Snakes” Fall Tour. You and a guest will be escorted through the outback and provided with the opportunity to handle and examine each of the world’s 10 most deadly snakes.

Day 2: The “Great White Encounter”. You and your tour guide will take a small boat to the Great Barrier Reef, where you will be able to dive into the chum-laden water and experience the beauty of the Great White shark.

Day 3: The Aboriginal “Festival of Spears”. You will be the honored guest of a small aboriginal village as they celebrate the subjugation of the aboriginal race by the white man, with free liquor and a special hands~on weapons exhibition.

Day 4: The “Crocodile Dundee” Petting Zoo. You will be able to come up-close and personal with the occasionally harmless salt-water crocodiles of the Australian coast. Lucky audience members are asked to participate in a croc wrestling exhibition.

Day 5: “Those Marvelous Morays”. This tour will once again return you to the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, where you will be allowed to hand feed special finger-shaped sausages to the wild eels of Stubby Hand Reef.

We hope you will enjoy your trip!