Blackbutt Reserve...... Koala petting!!!

It was nice and cool today which was a relief from yesterday's heat.  Elodie and Gustavo took us girls up to Blackbutt Reserve.  It is a lovely and wonderful place for a picnic as well as a good place to see some Australian wildlife.  The drive is about 20 minutes out of Newcastle and once we arrived we were immersed in the bush.  There are tall trees, lots of green, and plenty of space to walk about.  The reserve was established in the 1960s and holds animals indigenous to Australia such as koalas, kangaroos, and wombats among many others.  What's great about this place is that there is no fee to see these animals unlike in Sydney where the zoos and wildlife centers charge a hefty entrance fee.

What to see first?

The highlights for the day were ding ding ding petting and seeing a baby koala up close and personal, then seeing a wombat for the first time, and last but not least having an awesome Aussie BBQ!

Where the wombat lives.....

Ahhhh wombat sighting!!! He's so cute and big!

I have been wanting to see a wombat since coming to Australia and at the Taronga Zoo they were hiding in their burrows, but at Blackbutt we were able to view their sleeping quarters and they they were! Much bigger and quite unlike what I imagined them to be.  We called them tanks because they were so large and oddly enough cute.  I will never forget seeing them because all of us just laughed and laughed at how cute they were.

Getting ready to grill!

Yummmmmmmm!

Enjoying the afternoon

In Australia the parks have areas with BBQs that are electrically heated and are free to use for the public.  It is wonderful! I wish they had it back in the States.  We had gone to the store before heading over to Blackbutt and picked up some steaks, tomatoes, bread, sausages, onions, and strawberries.  Elodie also made a nice couscous salad the day before.  We enjoyed ourselves immensely and the relaxed Sunday atmosphere was awesome as we enjoyed the conversation and company.

Koala yay!

Ted the 1 year old Koala.  He's soooo cute & cuddly!

Last but not least we had our personal koala encounter.  We waited all morning for it as it started at 2 pm.  When the gates were opened,we were introduced to Ted, a 1 year old baby koala who nonchalantly munched and chewed his Eucalyptus leaves as we gushed over how cute he was, took pictures, and petted him.  Koalas are really soft and cuddly, I wish I could have picked him up!

It was a great way to spend a day trip and I enjoyed it a lot.  Tired, full, but content I return back to my room ready for a busy week ahead.  Tomorrow I will take my second train trip down to Sydney and spend some time with my family friends as well as do some work with my preceptor.  This Tuesday is Australia Day, a national holiday here so I will check out the festivites and share them soon!