Wildlife

Australia is one of the most amazing places in the world to visit. It is so down to earth and real and still has the feeling of a new country slowly coming together. Evidence of the old pioneer days spring up from time to time, but one of the most exciting things you can see in Australia is the wildlife. Much of it is hidden and you need to know where to look, but from time to time, something pops out to dazzle and amaze you. Just be ready, and make sure it isn't poisonous! Australia's typical wildlife are of course the wallaby, koala, emu, and then there's the nasties, spiders, scorpions and snakes!

However, the most commonly thought of Australian animal is of course the kangaroo. They are simply stunning beasts and you should be able to get up close to one in many of the zoo parks that can be found throughout civilized Australia. Many allow you to go into compounds with "roo food" and you are able to stroke them with one hand while feeding them with the other. While it's great to get close like this, nothing compares to seeing them in the wild. You can be driving along and you'll see some bouncing along in the plains, just watching these magnificent animals in full flight is one of the most special things you'll ever see.

Our friends the koalas are also very highly thought of Australian wildlife. Even though they are often called a koala bear, they actually are not part of the bear family, and while they appear cute, if you manage to pick one up in the wild (extremely unlikely), they can be quite ferocious. Sadly they are a dwindling species and the most likely place you'll see one is in a zoo.

Australia does seem to have this reputation of having a lot of venomous creatures too. They do, but don't let these put you off; the chances of getting bitten or attacked are extremely small. It's very unlikely you'll see any of these, and even more unlikely they'll attack unless you provoke them. Depending on which part of Australia you visit will depend on what type of "nasty" you could possibly encounter. But their spiders are big, but often the bigger they are, the less chance they are venomous! It's just another thing to experience and add to your adventure.

The final typical Australian wildlife there are is of course the crocodile. Again you'll be very unlikely to encounter one of these in the wild unless you know where to look, but the best place to see them is in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, home of the famous Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. This zoo is still going strong despite his sad and untimely death and is well worth a visit to see most of Australia's typical wildlife.

Wherever you decide to go in Australia, you will have a fantastic time and you will see so many wonderful things, but most of all, don't waste the opportunity to see Australia's wonderful wildlife.