After a rough and hectic start, we are on our way. Rough, I mean, while doing the last of the cleaning and packing Nicole was vomiting, then when we got up onto the tablelands near midnight I (Brett) needed to pull over on the side of the road and found myself rolling around on the damp grass on the side of the road vomiting and wondering if I was going to be able to get back up again.. Does it get any better than this, the Australian dream holiday ? ?
The next day we arrived in Dubbo with a few things to sort out. First my new ‘on the road’ vege oil filtering system has several leaks – and not a pretty sight !! Also our new satellite phone has not turned up at the Dubbo post office as expected and now need to wait until Monday. This is all good. It gives us time to re-organise the packing, fix the leaking filtering system, and to collect a little vege oil to top back up again.
DUBBO ZOO !! …. When we arrived at Dubbo Zoo we were overwhelmed with the size of the place, luckily a ticket buys two days to explore it. On a 6km road circuit there are many pedestrian/bike circuits. Wild African and Asian animals set among the Australian bush which is kind of strange to see. Like Gibbons swinging from Eucs, Maned Wolves in Cypress Pine forest, and Zebras grazing among an open Mugga Ironbark/Cypress forest (Penny: we may have needed to do some extra veg plots in the Zoo for the Dapper nomination when we were out here !!).
Kaiden absolutely loved the place and turned his desire for “I want to go home” to “I love holidays”. The animal enclosures are well thought out, and the experience is an open one, many enclosures have either a deep ditch or mote around them giving an illusion that the animals are accessible right in front of you. Though I suspect that a 5 metre gap between us and the Cheetah is a different kind of illusion. Considering a Cheetah can reach speeds of 110km/h, surely then a 5 metre leap would be not much of a challenge for this beasty?
The Galapagos Tortoises captivated us all, one tortoise was around 100 years old leaving her with about another 50 years of life ahead. Kaiden loved giving them a scratch and a pat. They reflected for me the whole idea of slowness and presence, and reminded me of human movements like slow food, and our own idea of slow travel.
Day 2 at the zoo…. Kaiden and Nicole handfeed the Giraffes which was pretty exciting for the both of them. Jamala was mesmerized by the Giraffes as they too seemed to stare back at her, perhaps curious about her unstoppable giggles. Kaiden was sad to leave the zoo with the understanding that our ticket was for only 2 days. His spirits lifted again as soon as he went on a vege oil hunt with
Daddy ! It seems oil is plentiful in Dubbo just laying around in the open out the back of restaurants.
The next day we arrived in Dubbo with a few things to sort out. First my new ‘on the road’ vege oil filtering system has several leaks – and not a pretty sight !! Also our new satellite phone has not turned up at the Dubbo post office as expected and now need to wait until Monday. This is all good. It gives us time to re-organise the packing, fix the leaking filtering system, and to collect a little vege oil to top back up again.
DUBBO ZOO !! …. When we arrived at Dubbo Zoo we were overwhelmed with the size of the place, luckily a ticket buys two days to explore it. On a 6km road circuit there are many pedestrian/bike circuits. Wild African and Asian animals set among the Australian bush which is kind of strange to see. Like Gibbons swinging from Eucs, Maned Wolves in Cypress Pine forest, and Zebras grazing among an open Mugga Ironbark/Cypress forest (Penny: we may have needed to do some extra veg plots in the Zoo for the Dapper nomination when we were out here !!).
Kaiden absolutely loved the place and turned his desire for “I want to go home” to “I love holidays”. The animal enclosures are well thought out, and the experience is an open one, many enclosures have either a deep ditch or mote around them giving an illusion that the animals are accessible right in front of you. Though I suspect that a 5 metre gap between us and the Cheetah is a different kind of illusion. Considering a Cheetah can reach speeds of 110km/h, surely then a 5 metre leap would be not much of a challenge for this beasty?
The Galapagos Tortoises captivated us all, one tortoise was around 100 years old leaving her with about another 50 years of life ahead. Kaiden loved giving them a scratch and a pat. They reflected for me the whole idea of slowness and presence, and reminded me of human movements like slow food, and our own idea of slow travel.
Day 2 at the zoo…. Kaiden and Nicole handfeed the Giraffes which was pretty exciting for the both of them. Jamala was mesmerized by the Giraffes as they too seemed to stare back at her, perhaps curious about her unstoppable giggles. Kaiden was sad to leave the zoo with the understanding that our ticket was for only 2 days. His spirits lifted again as soon as he went on a vege oil hunt with
Daddy ! It seems oil is plentiful in Dubbo just laying around in the open out the back of restaurants.
2 comments:
Hi Brett & Family :) How exciting to read about your experiences! So nice to hear it all and connect with your presence and energy... I like the Tortoise reminder...
I'll be thinking of you when you reach Broken Hill :) My place of birth :)
Thinking of you all on your magical adventure!
With Light,
Hannah & Adaya
Thanks Hannah, will be thinking of you too when we reach Broken Hill !!
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