Koala Park Sanctuary

A couple of days ago, Wanda and I paid a visit to the Koala Park Sanctuary.  Part sanctuary and part petting zoo, the place is a nice way to see the local wildlife without having to tromp through the brush.

A little penguin from Tasmania.

A dingo.  They look like normal dogs but howl like wolves.

There were lots of different types of birds in cages scattered throughout the facility.

A cute kangaroo.

The park allowed these particular kangaroos to roam about and take food handouts.

It’s a KANGAROO!

Yes, they are ridiculously cute.

The possum wasn’t coming out to play.

I scored some free food so I could feed one of the kangaroos.

These wallabies were behind a fence.  Maybe they’ve tasted human flesh and have to be kept away?

A sleeping wombat.

Some birds wandering around.

The koala hospital where koalas that have been hit by cars or bitten by dogs get treated.

I’m going to guess peacocks aren’t native to Australia.

Poor parrot.  It knew how to talk.

Koalas hanging out.

Wanda petting a koala.

I got in on the act as well.

Emus.

A cassowary.

It’s supposed to be the most dangerous bird in the world.  They didn’t seem that bad to me.

Baby on board.

This one has a baby nursing, hence the upside-down feet.

Flying foxes.

A koala rest station.

Shearing sheep in Australia.  Well, in a tourist park anyway.  The guy’s accent is top notch!

Sheep herding at the tourist park.

Getting ready to board the train back to Sydney.

ANZAC Memorial and Odds and Ends Around Town

The ANZAC War Memorial in the middle of the Sydney CBD.

Excellent details abound inside.  Wonderful 1920’s and 1930’s style-architecture.

The central statue looking up at the star-filled ceiling.

Looking across the rotunda.

The reflecting pool in front of the memorial.

A heavy door guards the entrance.

On the roof there is one star for every person from New South Wales who served in World War I.  120,000 stars in total.  No one knows why the stars get more concentrated at the middle.

The eternal flame remembering the ANZACs.

Walking toward Circular Quay from the ANZAC War Memorial.

An odd fountain gifted to Sydney from some people in France.

A minotaur being killed.

Some guy with rams. and the central figure.

A woman with a bow and a stag.

Albert the Good, Prince Consort of Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria hanging out on the other side of the street from her prince.

Random wild boar statue.  Touching its nose is supposed to bring luck.  I wonder what touching its naught bits is supposed to bring you?  The naughty bits were much shinier than the nose.

A famous explorer.

A famous explorer’s cat.  Yes, the cat got its own statue.

Skater punks fleeing the scene of an impromptu skateboard competition.

The main body of the skater punks had already passed by the time I pulled my camera out.

Tall sky scrapers in the CBD.

Looking toward the ANZAC Bridge.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge from the Sydney Observatory.

In a few weeks when the WWII destroyer returns from dry-dock, I am going to spend a day at the National Maritime Museum.  They even have a replica of Captain Cook’s ship!

Looking toward Ultimo from Darling Harbor.

A (partially?) solar-powered boat.

Part of the FIFA World Cup setup in Sydney.  The FIFA organizers floated two huge jumbotrons in the harbor for people to watch the matches.

The monorail passes over the Darling Harbor bridge.

FIFA Fan Fest entrance.

ANZAC Bridge and around

Underneath a highway there are these odd light tree sculptures.  At night they turn on and glow a pleasant yellow.  It takes what would otherwise be a dingy place that one wouldn’t want to linger in to a place where you wish to stay and look at the artwork.

In Pyrmont.  The old buildings are beautiful.  The whole area is filled with interesting shops, trendy restaurants, and local corner pubs.

A park and a pier in Pyrmont.

The ANZAC Bridge.

Some big old rusted steel spheres in a riverfront park.  Perhaps these were buoys or mooring points?  Each is about 15 feet in diameter.

A military ship tied up on a forlorn pier.

More balls.

Looking at the ANZAC Bridge from an old quarry where most of the stone used to build Sydney came from.

A park along the old quarry cut.

A tree is growing down the rock face.

The underside of the ANZAC bridge.

The old bridge that the ANZAC Bridge replaced.