Photo Essay: Animals of Australia

By the time we pick up our dollar-a-day Apollo camper van, Ryan is chomping at the bit to put miles behind us and get out into the middle of the big, wild Australian Outback.

Except I’m still looking for kangaroos.

And I’m concerned that if we start driving, we won’t get very far because I’ll have to chase down every kangaroo I see until it agrees to pose in multiple Tasha Kangaroo selfies.

“It could take days just to reach the Nullarbor,” I warn Ryan.

“But it’s getting late,” Ryan complains in the Apollo parking lot. “If we don’t get moving, we’re not going to get anywhere by sunset.”

“Yes, but think of how long it could take us otherwise. There are kangaroos, koalas, wombats… so many animals! I could just get it over with now, cuddle ALL OF THEM, and then we’ll be free to drive to your heart’s content.”

“What is this place you want to go to?” Ryan says, looking defeated.

“It’s called Caversham Wildlife Park and it’s like 20 minutes north of here and they have a kangaroo petting zoo, and koalas and tons of weird animals. Can we, can we?” I plead.

Ryan looks at his watch, then looks at the camper van and sighs. “But we’re going east, and we still need to go to the store and pick up supplies…”

“Just think of my safety,” I say, as Ryan squints at me skeptically. “You don’t want me jumping out of a moving vehicle every time I see fur. That will totally happen. I need to cuddle some kangaroos. Pete told me they have Albino kangaroos at Caversham and you can pet them, and feed them and take pictures of them.”

“Pete also said there are drop bears,” Ryan says.

“PETE WOULD NOT LIE TO ME ABOUT THIS.”

We both win! I get kangaroos and Ryan gets his picture taken…as a koala.

I am in Kangaroo Heaven. Pete was totally not lying.

Wallabees! I had no idea these guys were like tiny, adorable kangaroos. I’m offering this little guy a home in our new camper van. I think he’s considering it.

I once begged my parents for a pet koala and they said, “Eucalyptus trees don’t grow in New York.” What they should have said was, “Koalas don’t do anything but sleep.” Not that that would have put me off…

Yep, still sleeping. But they’re so cute, aren’t they?

In the “Wombat & Friends” tent, we get to hang out with some pretty birds…

And some less pretty ones. Like this guy, who looks like someone glued a frog to his face. (High fives to anyone who can identify this strange bird, BTW.)

Anyone know what kind of owl this Aussie relative of E.T. might be?

“Dude, am I the only normal-looking owl in here?”

It’s a mouse! It’s a kangaroo! It’s a kangaroo mouse! No? Oh, of course, it’s a bandicoot!

These adorable bandicoots are marsupials, like so many of Australia’s strange animals.

This is “Buttercup,” a friendly golden possum, and also a marsupial.

The audience’s reaction to meeting the “star of the show.” At least the children weren’t alone in their confusion. I was also there, asking “WTF? That’s a BAT?!”

It turns out a “wombat” is not a bat. But a “flying fox” is. Go figure.

“Okay, NOW can we get this road trip started?” Ryan asks.

What other weird Australian animals do you know of? Other than the dubious Nannup Tiger (aka Thylacine), that is… I might just go back and track them down. Seriously.

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