Wild Koalas on Raymond Island

Even after getting to cuddle Malaku at the Billabong Sanctuary Nick, Michele and I still hadn't gotten enough of Koalas. In Queensland we had gotten a tip from a fellow traveling family about Raymond island where you are guaranteed a wild koala spotting. As we went farther and farther south we kept that in mind and made a detour to check it out.The climate had changed dramatically. In just a few days drive we had gone from insanely hot to crazy hot and humid to comfy and now we were under dressed in cold rain. However, the ability to see your breath wasn't going to get in the way of our koalas!

Beautiful Shoreline

The ferry from the small town of Paynesville to the island was 5 minutes and free for pedestrians.  The island has almost 500 residents on it's 12 square kilometers. We started on the well marked Koala Trail but veered off half way. Because the weather was so bad all the koalas were curled up in their trees. We saw a few awake, eating or shifting positions. I bet we saw another 2 dozen sleeping. Even when the tall eucalyptus trees shook in the wind they would snooze some more. At one point Justin led us down to the ocean. Lots of mussel shells were tangled in the overgrown coast. While we were walking around we also saw some other wild life, an Enchidna and a Crimson Rosella to name a few.

A striking Crimson Rosella 

They kind of remind me of sloths

A Day Trip to the Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is one of the iconic landmarks of Australia so of course we had to go! A friend from Thailand had friends in the greater Sydney area so we stayed there and had a welcomed break from hotels and tents.

A simple train ride took us from the suburb of Saint Mary’s right into the heart of Australia’s largest city. The whole day revolved around Sydney Harbor, more specifically the Sydney Opera House. When we had done research about things to do on a day trip all we could find was a hand full of museums and a zoo.

So, from ten in the morning until seven at night we admired the unique architecture from all perspectives. We looked at it up close and realized that it is in fact multiple buildings and has a patterned exterior. From the Circular Quay Train Stop where we got off we could spy it from above and behind, while strolling through the botanical gardens we could see the creamy curves as well, and we also got some of the best views from Mrs. Maquire's chair.

Mrs. Maquire's chair is actually a large stone carved in the spot where Governor Maquire's wife used to sit for the best view of the harbor when the colony was young. My favorite view was from the Sydney Harbor bridge. We were happy to get out of the chilly rain for a nice lunch. After being in steamy tropical locations for months 68 degrees was a shock! You can see that I wasn't joking when I said our day was all about the iconic landmark of Sydney! Unfortunately we didn't get to see a show but by the time it was dark and we hung around to see it illuminated everyone was pretty sick of the Sydney Opera House.

The attractive Sydney Harbor

Tiled Surface of the Opera House

Exploring The Rocks

We managed to spot this hungry kookaburra in the Botanical Gardens

A visual of the harbor

A nice view from the bridge