The Flora and Fauna of Australia, Part I: Sydney

Sorry about the long silence, everyone. Had a pretty uneventful week in Sydney followed by a week in Melbourne for a conference where I was -- gasp! -- without internet access. So let's play a little show and tell catch-up and I can show off my photos of some of Australia's favorite critters...

During my first week back in Sydney after orientation, I met up with some friends at the Sydney Aquarium, which is a pretty nice aquarium with one of those exhibits that's all the rage in aquaria these days-- the overhead tunnel that lets the fish etc swim right over you as you walk through. Given Australia's amazing marine diversity-- particularly when it comes to sharks-- this was pretty spectacular.

Now if you were that fish, wouldn't you be worried? Unfortunately, this was one of the few days I forgot to charge my camera batteries before heading out, so I don't have pictures of the shark feeding. Have to say, though, these guys are all pretty well fed. They were eating with a sort of bored indifference. Or maybe it was because they were only allowed to eat pre-killed squid, and not the tasty wriggly morsels sharing the tank with them.

The next day a couple of us headed out to Manly Beach (great name for an Australian beach, don't you think?-- exactly what it sounds like; the western peoples that named the beach found the Aboriginals they encountered there to be "manly", hence the name). Despite the blustery weather (which turned to steady rain by the end of the day), the surfers were out in full force, battling the massive waves crashing against the sandstone cliffs so characteristic of Sydney's coastline. We watched them in awe and concern for a while, then set out off on a lovely, if sometimes mildly impenetrable, hiking track that led us to some incredible views of the coastline. With very un-American access to precipitous cliff edges-- not a handrail culture, this.

I'm definitely going to have to make a collection of my favorite signs from this trip. For sure the "No Furbees" and the "Falling Hiker" will be at the top of the list.

Of course, the next natural stopping point in our tour of Sydney's wildlife is the Zoo! Taronga Zoo, which has the cutest platypus logo (which I, of course, failed to photograph). From the CBD (Central Business District = Downtown, for those that aren't up on the lingo yet), it's accessed by ferry, which provides some stunning views of the harbor skyline.

For those of you who have been jonesing for some opera house pictures, here are a couple. We're finally having more sunshine this week, so I may get out there again to get some closer shots.

These are really the pictures that make me think, when I go back to them: "gee, I'm really here."

The news came out last week that the Opera House has made it onto the list of World Heritage Sites. Definitely a deserved honor-- it's just as incredible as it looks in the photos.

I haven't yet been to see anything in the opera house, but there are several theatres inside showing anything from opera to traditional plays to experimental theatre and comedy. Which is great, because it also means there are shows available for every budget. That might be what I treat myself to this weekend.

Okay, back to the animals at Taronga Zoo. We'll start with one of my favorites-- I think this one looks like a platypus that has lost its tail and is in the middle of being badly electrocuted. Any guesses? Yes! It's an akidna! Yay akidnas! Aren't they the best?

And of course, when talking about cute stodgy animals, one can't leave out the koala. And I even have an action shot! Extremely rare, as these guys spend about 22 hours out of the day sleeping.

Can someone say "Aww?"

Really they're glorified sloths, but very cute ones. Though I don't think they're known for their friendly nature; there are only a few parks here where you can get really up close and personal. There's a place up in the blue mountains where you can handle most of the animals. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go up there for a day or two and check that out.

Now here we have some of Australia's more esoteric creatures:

This is one that might be more at home in certain parts of the US...

And here are some invasive species you may be familiar with....

And if you think it's only tourists that get enthusiastic about the local beasties, you've got another think coming! Just look at the national team names here: the Socceroos, the Wallabies-- which reminds me, the Wallabies just beat South Africa in the Tri-Nations Rugby Cup last week. The first half was an exciting game, with South Africa starting out ahead and then Australia rallying to score, but once the Wallabies were in the lead nothing much happened in the second part of the game.

And finally, before I leave you for now, a new arrival to Sydney's fauna-- Fiona's new puppy! This is Leilani (Lani for short, or as I prefer, Squirt). She's a Mini Foxie (sp?) puppy, cute as a button but with a penchant for nibbling on toes. She's just getting settled into life in Balmain but has been generally a very good dog, and sleeps quietly most of the night. I would suggest wearing thick socks should you come to visit, though.