Tag Archives: interesting

This would be the last installment on the Melbourne series. I know, it’s about time. Well if you must know, i saved the best for last for you guys.

As mentioned before, one of the goals that i wanted to accomplish when i came to Melbourne was to touch a koala. However after doing some research, i found out that it’s actually illegal to hold a koala in Victoria. Only in Victoria!

I was devastated. I was devastated because i knew i wasn’t going to come back to Australia any time soon and this Melbourne trip was my only shot. But you see, there’s a life motto that i always live by and that is “If there’s a will, there’s a way”.

Fine. So it’s illegal to hold or cuddle a koala in Victoria, but can i still touch it though? Can i get a close picture with one? I don’t even care about holding or cuddling a koala anymore, i just want to get my hands on one! Maybe just rub my finger against its fur just to feel what it’s like. Anything!

After searching up bunch of words that includes something like ‘touch koala Melbourne’ on Google, i finally found a place that allows you to experience a close encounter with a koala and that place was called Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Moonlit Sanctuary, for short.

I read up on some reviews about Moonlit Sanctuary and it seemed like the place to go to get close and personal with a koala. However that’s not their only attraction, of course.

Moonlit Sanctuary also offers night tours where you’ll get to see a variety of Australian wildlife that are not usually found in conventional zoos and wildlife parks. Not only you’ll get to learn about the animals, but you’ll also get to experience a close encounters and even feed them!

Unfortunately for us we couldn’t join the night tour, but we gladly settled with the plan of visiting Moonlit Sanctuary during the day.

Moonlit Sanctuary is about an hours drive away from the city but getting there isn’t hard if you rent a car that comes with a GPS. We just keyed in the address and it lead us straight to the entrance of Moonlit Sanctuary.

Kangaroo and wallaby food that consisted of dry pellets and corn and stuff

GIMME.

A simple map printed on paper

With pictures and information at the back

Wombat!

Did you know that there’s a Wombat Day?

Since 2005 there has been an unofficial holiday called Wombat Day observed on 22 October, at the beginning of the traditional aboriginal spring planting season.

Sup, koalas. We’ll be petting one of you guys later.

Kookaburra

Kookaburras are actually a member of the kingfisher family. They are tree kingfishers, to be exact. You’d probably know the old childhood song about a laughing kookaburra sitting on a old gumtree. Kookaburras actually make a distinctive sound that resembles human laughter.

I stood in front of the kookaburra and waited for it to laugh. “LAUGH, kookaburra, LAUGH!” i said, but it didn’t. If you’re curious to know what it sounds like, you can watch this video.

Did you know that they’re carnivorous too?

In the wild, kookaburras are known to eat the young of other birds, mice, snakes, insects and small reptiles and other small birds, such as finches if they are lucky enough to catch them. In zoos, they are usually fed food for birds of prey, and dead baby chicks.

F*cking crazy birds.

“Let’s go to the Wallaby Walk!”

The back of the map has instructions on how to approach a wallaby or kangaroo. When you spot one, all you gotta do is approach (slowly) it with some wallaby kangaroo food in your palm and kneel down with your hand stretched out towards it. And it will come!

Of course, i sent out a recon first. Not that i was afraid or anything, it’s just fun to see Hoongmao take the first bait (ノ＞▽＜。)ノ

Saying bye to this little one to go feed another wallaby

Aren’t wallabies cute?

I’ve always wondered what’s the difference between wallabies and kangaroos since they look so much alike. The difference became obvious when i walked into the Wallaby Walk here in Moonlit Sanctuary and saw a wallaby for the first time. They’re so much tinier compared to a kangaroo!

But apparently, although wallabies are small, some can grow up to six feet in length from head to tail!

My turn!

I got a rather feisty wallaby because it grabbed my hand with its claws!

It’s not painful, but the claws are quite sharp. I was giggling a lot because the feeling of an animal eating out of your hand and licking your palm is quite ticklish for me.

Also, it must’ve been mating season before because there were quite a number of wallabies with joeys in their pouches!

In case you didn’t know, wallabies are marsupials like many of the other Australian animals like kangaroos, koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils. Marsupials are kinda like a subset of mammals. Their most distinctive trait is that they carry their young in pouches.

I thought this was a common knowledge, but somebody didn’t know of marsupials until we came to Australia. I’m not gonna say who, but it’s someone we all know here. Ahem.

This one looks like Donkey from Shrek!

You don’t have to worry about getting lost cause all you gotta do is stick to the trail! Watch out for poop, though. They’re everywhere.

Our path. And a gaggle of intimidating geese. Would you cross?

We crossed. The geese be cool.

By this time, we probably saw every animal there was at Moonlit Sanctuary. Except for the kangaroos. They were supposed to be roaming around freely, but we just couldn’t find them!

A bit disappointed, we went to have some tea to kill some time until our koala session.

Much to our surprise, we found the kangaroos after tea! They were right where the map said they would be. They must’ve just hopped into the area.

This time, i was the first to approach the kangaroos. With pleasure, too :D

Alas, it was time for our koala session!

The keeper had to pluck the little guy from his comfortable tree. Sorry koala, but your fans are waiting for you!

Finally! With the koala!

The keeper said we could take as many pictures as we want and do anything as long as we leave him on the branch and not touch his head. You can touch anywhere you want, but not his face.

Homies!

Basically i could cuddle it as well :D

We had a good five minutes with the koala, but five minutes passes by so quickly when you’re busy and excited. I was running my fingers through its thick plush fur and petting it as if it was my pet cat.

But in the end, we had to part with the koala. Two girls came by squealing excitedly and we took it as a que to let others experience the koala up close too. I feel you, girls. I feel you.

If you’re looking for the same experience, then you should definitely come to Moonlit Sanctuary. It may be far, but i’d say it’s worth it. Plus on the way back to the city, we dropped by Chadstone and i went crazy at the Supre outlet over there :D