Crikey!

It's been a fantastic couple of days in Queensland. We visited the Australian Zoo (also known as the Steve Irwin Zoo) and the Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort. I have to say, both have exceeded my expectations.

The zoo wasn't quite what we were used to in the US. It was more like the sidewalks were placed in the middle of a natural habitat rather than just a bunch of concrete with cages made up to be like the natural habitat. The variety of animals was limited to mostly Australian animals but it was quite a lot of fun interacting with them. The kangaroos and birds were free roaming in their large enclosures so we were able to get up close and personal. The koalas were close enough to touch (and oh so cute!) and while everything else was behind a fence of some sort, you really felt like they weren't locked up. It was pretty neat.

The Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort was pretty pricey, but by the end of the night you felt the cost was worth it. It's one of the only places in the world where you can hand feed bottlenose dolphins (legally). It was pretty neat! You actually walk into the water and the dolphins swim up to you and take the fish from your hands. Mike and I each fed our own dolphin (mine was nicknamed Shadow) probably 10 fish! Supposely it's done in such a way that the dolphins don't learn to rely on humans for food. We started our day there just prior to lunch and spent a majority of it exploring the beach. There were wrecks you could snorkel and forests you could 4-wheel. There were numerous tours you could partake in - each at an additional cost - we chose to just trek it on our own. All in all - a great day in the sun! We should have these pictures posted soon!

Tomorrow we're going to head down the Gold Coast and hit a golf course and then drive up to the rainforest for a night in the volcano crater. We plan on spending Friday cruising through the rainforest on a scenic drive while we head back down to Byron Bay. Should be a treat!