Ever Been to a Billabong?

On this bright and beautiful Day 38 of our journey, my excursion of choice was "Townsville & Billabong Sanctuary" which necessitated a short bus ride up the main highway to Brisbane, Queensland.  I have felt so at home with all these names as I travel along the Gold Coast of Australia.  It's like a stroll through the shop, where all these names are on the labels of Queensland Yarns.  Three residents of Brisbane, whom I met in Craft Class one sea day awhile back, scoffed at the idea of any yarn actually being produced in Queensland.  If they say so, I'll take their word for it, but I do know that those yarns reflect all the vibrant colors of this landscape, sea, seashore and sky!  Another thing I've learned is that what I have always known as Ayres Rock, is known as "Uluru" - another line in my Queensland Collection!

...As I was mentally strolling through Nan's, our guide was imparting all kinds of pertinent information for our survival. When she started quoting statistics of how many people were killed by crocodiles each year, I sat up and took notice of her advice to stay clear as they have a very long reach. When we reached Victor's (a ten-or-so-year-old rescue crocodile) billabong, I stood well behind the fence. Not so for the cute young park rangers who entered the enclosure and proceeded to tease Victor with a chicken dangling from the end of far too short of a pole, at least in my estimation. This to demonstrate Victor's ability to suddenly, without warning spring up and out of the water some ten to twelve feet. Finally Victor was allowed to grab the chicken, consume it in one bite, and sink back into his pond. Sadly, I have no photos of Victor nor the brave park rangers. The other inhabitants of the Sanctuary were much less dangerous creatures, all indigenous to Australia.

I was particularly drawn to Manfred, a Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat; born in the wild, rescued (from what is unclear) as a joey in 2020 and raised in Wyalla, South Australia. He seems to be quite happy with his new life here as a ". . . part of the national breeding program for his species. He tends to be the most lively and rambunctious of the wombats here. . . " Fun Fact: Over short distances wombats can run at over 40km per hour.

Manfred

My personal favorite of the day, however, was the shy little sleepy koala trying to catch a few winks hidden in the tree leaves. Then there was the short-beaked echidna (a mammal that lays eggs) looking much like a cross between a 'possum and a beaver to me. The only other Australian monotreme (egg laying mammal) is the platypus.

Echidna or "spiny anteater"

My new friend Trudy and I also spent a good bit of time in the walk-in Macropod Corral with the kangaroos. No touching allowed here, but for a fee one could have one's picture taken with a koala, kangaroo or snake. I have a photo holding a koala and another petting a kangaroo... and I will happily pass on touching a snake every chance I get!

All kinds of other creatures were at home in and around the billabong. All too soon, it was back to the bus for the short ride to town with a quick photo op stop of something or other... but I was quite content and totally exhausted, so passed on that chance.

And for those who don't remember the song Waltzing Matilda, a "billabong" is a watering hole for all God's creatures.

Today is Someday! Stay Far Away From Australian Crocodiles!