Double the fun: East & West coast Disney & Universal parks during the holiday season - Sydney Complete!! - UPDATED 3/31 About This Page:

[clio]

Great start to your trip report. I enjoyed seeing all your pictures from the aquarium. You have a great trip planned. Can't wait to read more.
Liz

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

I do believe that the teams of the "Amazing Race" were just at that aquarium! Great TR and pictures!!

I wasn't aware that the Amazing Race was filming in Sydney - how awesome it would've been if they had come through the aquarium at the time of our visit! I can't wait to see the episode in question when it's screened over here. I really enjoy watching that show - it's so much fun seeing all the places the teams get to travel to, and the activities they undertake.

Glad you've enjoyed what I've written so far, and the photos both my bro and I took - thank you .

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by chezp

Wonderful start to your trip report!

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare at the hotel - that experience in the elevator must've been terrifying, I'd have been freaking out!

Thank you .

Fortunately, Nest and I don't suffer from claustraphobia. We were just really annoyed and bored being stuck in such a confined space for so long . Though I must say I would've been freaking out if we were trying to catch a flight or other such important appointment!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Sorry about the small room! And getting stuck in the lift! Great pictures of your day!

Originally Posted by pamcarey

Great update! What a disappointment with the hotel room! Doesn't look very deluxe to me! Great pictures from the aquarium!

Thanks, ladies!

If I ever go back to Sydney, I'm defintely staying at a different hotel! I actually wanted us to stay at a hotel right on the harbour this time round, but it was out of my league, price-wise, what with all the other plans I'd already booked. On hindsight, I've been wondering if I should've continued saving for one more year, before heading off on this trip. I probably would've gone crazy in the process though, as I was way overdue for a break from work as it was

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by clio

Great start to your trip report. I enjoyed seeing all your pictures from the aquarium. You have a great trip planned. Can't wait to read more.
Liz

Thanks Liz

Glad you liked the photos. My bro is the main photographer, but I still do my best to capture the moment myself (The shots without a copyright statement are mine.)

The trip took ages to plan (and it was so much fun! ) I've since recovered from the bumpy bits that didn't go so well, and are looking forward to planning my next trip

New entry coming up soon!

[Big Sister]

DAY 2: Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Taronga Park Zoo

We had set the alarm for 9am, as we didn't want to miss out on breakfast at McDonald's, which ends at 10.30am. I didn't have a restful sleep, as there was a busy intersection right outside our window, and so much noise was generated from it, especially at 1am and 3am when the street cleaners came around. Also, our room got so hot at times, even with the ceiling fan going. At least our beds were comfy, and I was relieved I could walk without pain when I got up.

View from our room

Nest was super tired when I woke him up for our all day excursion to Taronga Park Zoo, so we took things super easy and snacked on crackers and tasty cheese while watching cartoons. We also caught the end of an Auckland Zoo show which featured gorgeous little bobcat kittens.

I dashed to McDonald's myself via a shortcut down Quay Street once I realised time was getting away from us, and made it with 15 minutes to spare for the breakfast menu. I got us each a tray of hotcakes with whipped butter and maple syrup, a couple of hash browns, and a bottle of mango fruit blend (33% apple, 22% mango, 20% orange, 16% banana, and 9% passionfruit.) On my way back up Quay Street, I did my best to hold my breath, as it smelt of fish and warmed-up vegetables from the fresh food markets underneath Market City.

Looking up Quay Street

We set off for the Zoo at around 11.15am. We walked down to Pier 26 in Darling Harbour to buy our Zoo Express tickets. The tickets covered return ferry to the Zoo, Zoo admission, and a ride on the Sky Safari. Perfect. The 11.45am ferry turned up just as we had bought our tickets. We were so relieved we hadn't missed it, as the next one wasn't due until 12.30pm. We sat inside at first, and then ended up out on deck taking photos of the passing sights, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and Luna Park.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Luna Park

I was so excited to be back at Taronga Zoo after seven years, especially as Nest was with me and it was his first visit. It was a gloriously sunny day without a cloud in the sky as we got off the ferry and walked up the hill to a winding flight of very long stairs. The stairs led to the Sky Safari boarding area, and as I climbed them, I was hoping I wasn't holding the people up behind me, as I'm so slow when it comes to climbing stairs. We shared our flight pod with a nice old English lady who was travelling by herself. She sat opposite us, and when Nest went to take a photo of the view, she shrank to the side and laughed, as she didn't want to be in the photo (not that Nest was aiming for her to begin with.)

My crooked view from the pod (Nest's shot turned out straight)

Nest in the pod

Catching the Sky Safari was a fantastically fun way to enter the Zoo. The views from our pod were fantastic. I was so excited when we passed over the elephants, as I had been busting to see them in particular ever since my last visit, especially as two new littlies had recently joined the herd.

View of the elephants from the pod

As we approached the disembarking point, our pod began to rock wildly, as if we were on a themepark ride - it caused the lady and I to shriek with laughter, while Nest sat quietly by, no doubt going an invisible shade of red with embarrassment. As we exited our pod, I noticed this fantastic mural of cute animal noses on the far back wall. I would've loved to have taken a photo of it, but for some reason we were immediately shepherded in the opposite direction before being left to go our own way. We stopped at the Information Centre to pick up a map. We didn't know where to start, as the Zoo's such a big place and we wanted to see everything, so we just ended up following where the path led us.

The first animal we came to, was the komodo dragon. I seriously couldn't believe how big it was, even though I had just seem them on Stephen Fry's show, Last Chance To See. I suppose everything looks much bigger in real life compared to on TV. It had a very long forked tongue which it repetitively flicked out while Nest and I were there - it was so gross and slimey looking, as it was dripping with saliva.

Around behind the komodo dragon, was the reptile house. There was so much to see inside, but the three reptiles that stuck in my mind the most, were the reticulated python, the dwarf tree frogs, and the star turtles.

The reticulated python was truly memorable due to its sheer size. It was so big in length and thickness, that I seriously thought it was an anaconda from the horror movie series of the same name! Unfortunately, it was impossible to get a decent photo of it, as only a portion of its body was in view of the window, and I didn't think it would make for interesting show-and-tell. I would've loved to have seen its head .. permitting it remained on the opposite side of the glass, of course.

I loved the dwarf tree frogs, as as their name suggests, they were very small, therefore very cute, in my eyes. I was never all that fussed over frogs until I got to hold a splendid tree frog back in 2009. I still remember how light and delicate it felt in my hand, and how slightly sticky its little padded toes were. It wasn't slimey like I had been expecting it to be.

The star turtles stuck in my mind, as I had never heard of them before (and also because I like turtles and stars - who would've thought that such a combination would actually exist?) These turtles had yellow markings on their brown shells, which were in a kind of 3D star shape.

I was absolutely thrilled to see the Zoo's two fishing cats (but then I go nuts over any sort of cat.) They soon made themselves scarce though, and I had so much trouble spotting them again, despite Nest trying to point them out to me. One of them only had three legs, but unfortunately I can't remember why that was. I can remember reading that they have slightly webbed paws, and thought it was interesting how they paddle the surface of the water to attract their prey. Their night den had sparkling lights in the rock walls, which I thought was really pretty.

The fishing cats were the only cats we saw that day. The lions and tigers were asleep, and some of the animals were hiding altogether. It was probably in an attempt to escape the heat. The gorillas were asleep also, but luckily for us, one of the walls of their sleeping quarters was made of glass so we could see inside. Some of the gorillas had got to have been some of the biggest I had ever seen. But then, this was the closest I'd ever been to a gorilla - all the others I'd seen have been from a distance.

Now Nest and I aren't obsessed with barbary sheep, but in our attempt to escape the heat, we spent half an hour in their shaded viewing area, as it was the coolest place we could find nearby at the time. During the time we were there, we saw them being fed. They followed the keeper to where the food was going to be served, and gobbled it up as soon as it appeared. I was really impressed with the males' big curly horns and long flowing hair - it made the big ones in particular, look quite majestic. At the opposite end of the size scale, there was a little barbary sheep getting around, making these cute little bleating noises - it was so adorable.

Male Barbary Sheep

Baby Barbary Sheep

As expected, the meerkats were so much fun to watch. They all seemed quite young, and there didn't seem to be anyone on sentry duty, though I did notice one take heed when a currawong landed nearby, making its usual annoying call. The meerkats seemed really interested in our arrival, and then continued on with busying themselves digging everywhere and being on the move constantly. I loved their inquisitiveness at everything.

At 2pm, Nest and I went and caught the seal show. The seating area wasn't shaded at all, and we absolutely baked as we waited for the show to start. Three different types of seals and their respective trainers made up the show, which had an underlying environmental message. The star of the show was Mitchie, an absolutely huge Californian sea lion. He had a deafening voice, and showed us how he used his whiskers to balance a ball on his nose.

After the seal show, we had a very late lunch at the Taronga Food Market. Unfortunately, it wasn't much of a market on the day we went, as all of the stalls were closed except for two. We got lunch from the 'Taronga' food counter, as the bakery was only selling ham and cheese sandwiches that late in the day. Nest had a chicken wrap combo (consisting of a chicken wrap, portion of fries, and a bottle of water), and I got a burger combo (consisting of a burger, portion of chips, and a bottle of Coke.) We ate our meal out on the patio, which had a partially obstructed view of the elephants.

Immediately after lunch, we headed straight for the elephants - I was so excited, especially as there wasn't much of a crowd to contend with! There were two places we were able to view them from - ground level, and an elevated platform. Unbeknownst to us, we only just made being able to use the viewing platform, as we weren't aware that access to it was closed off at 3pm.

I absolutely loved seeing the baby elephants in particular - they were adorable beyond words. I loved their long baby hair which stuck straight up, their cuteness, their curiosity, and their playfulness.

The eldest baby (a little boy called Luk Chai), was a particular joy to watch. He kept on trying to put one of his back feet into a tyre swing. I thought it was funny how he tried it with both back feet until he succeeded with one of them. When he finally got a foot in, he then proceeded to try and get it out. It took poor little Luk Chai aaaaaages. Everybody cheered when he eventually freed himself from the tyre swing. With the amount of time this took him, I was both surprised and amused to see him repeat the process all over again! LOL! I seriously could've happily watched the elephants for the rest of the day, but we had other animals still left to see, so we eventually moved on.

Other animals we saw during our visit, were giraffe, tahr (a type of mountain goat), coloured koi, a pygmy hippo, a bongo, and a binturong (also called a 'bearcat', due to its appearance, found predominantly in Thailand. This was the first time I had ever heard of them.) It was while we were looking at the cute little chicks running around the scrub in the deer enclosure, that we heard an announcement that the Sky Safari was closed for the day due to an approaching electrical storm.

Tahr

Bongo

Coloured Koi

Binturong

Pygmy Hippo

Hen with chicks

Nest loves primates, and as we had yet to see the chimps, we set off in a desperate search for them on hearing the storm warning. It took us quite some time (either the cartographers need to design maps in a way Nest and I can read them, or Nest and I need to go on a navigating course!) We were so happy when we eventuated on the sign directing us to the chimps, and Nest had his camera out ready to snap away. Unfortunately, it was also at this point that it began to pour with rain. It didn't start off as a slight sprinkle, it was as if the heavens opened and dumped an enormous amount of water exactly where Nest and I were standing. We dove for the nearest cover due to Nest's camera gear. We didn't have any protective clothing or umbrellas with us, as it had been such a boiling hot sunny day when we had set off late that morning. While Nest stayed under cover and dried off his camera with tissues, I made my way back to the shop I had bought a pygmy hippo postcard from earlier on in the day, to buy umbrellas.

In an attempt to make the most of the rest of our time at the Zoo, we decided to make our way to the aquarium, as at least that section would be under cover. Unfortunately, the way to the aquarium was out in the open, and Nest and I got absolutely soaked, despite our umbrellas. Once we arrived at the Zoo's aquarium, we were crestfallen to find the door locked and the building empty. It was at this point we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel.

Because of where we were on property, we had a very long walk back to the ferry. Our comfortability status during the walk went from absolutely soaked, to thoroughly drenched. We felt as if we had gone swimming in the harbour, fully clothed, and our sneakers were completely waterlogged.

We waited at the jetty for half an hour. During that time, the jetty got absolutely packed with people waiting for the ferry. This surprised me, as never at any one time during the day, had I noticed that many people at the Zoo. At one stage, the rain got so strong, that the jetty began to bounce up and down. I was so relieved when the majority of the people waiting, caught the big yellow ferry back to town, as I had begun to worry how we were all going to fit on the small white Captain Cook ferry Nest and I were waiting on, and whether we'd get on or have to wait for a later one.

Our ferry ended up being quite crowded after all, but Nest and I were lucky enough to be able to get on (and get a seat inside.) We endured a very bouncy ride back to the city, but neither of us got sick because of it, thank goodness.

It had stopped raining once we got back to Darling Harbour. We walked back to our hotel, stopping off at the 7 Eleven for salt and vinegar crisps, honeycomb crunch Tim Tams, and bottles of Pepsi Max and Mountain Dew. We also purchased less exciting items of bottled water, loo rolls, and the thickest newspaper available, so we could stuff our sneakers with it in the hope they would be dry enough to wear for our flight to LA in two sleeps time.

We were surprised to find our room had been made up by the time we got back. I wasn't aware our room came with such service, and that we needn't have bought the extra loo rolls after all. But enough about loo rolls. It was a relief to shower and change into clean dry clothes. Immediately afterwards, I organised all our washing and purchased some laundry detergent. I went down to the laundry room, but the signs said that a normal load would take 45 minutes (not including drying time), and that the laundry closed at 10pm. This didn't leave me enough time to get everything done, so I vowed to return the following morning between the hours of 6-10am when the laundry room was next open to guests.

For dinner, Nest and I rushed to McDonald's and brought it back to our room. Nest had a cheeseburger, chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, and a chocolate sundae. I had the same as the night before. We were hoping to make it back in time for The IT Crowd, but we missed the first nine minutes - dang! We then went on to watch Chapelle's Show followed by It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

As I went to sleep to the background noise of sirens and wheelies emanating from the busy streets outside, I reflected on our day at the Zoo. It was funny how we spent five hours there, yet we still didn't get to see everything. All the more reason for a repeat visit somewhere down the track. I was so glad to be in bed by that stage, as I was very tired and my feet hurt again.

Next entry: Wildlife World & Robin Williams

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures from the zoo! sorry about the rain and getting soaked, but sounds like you got quite a lot done there!

[clio]

I love your pictures at the zoo. The baby elephants are so cute. Our zoo doesn't have elephants right now. Sorry about the rain.
Liz

[chezp]

Sounds like a wonderful time at the zoo, despite the rain.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great pictures from the zoo! sorry about the rain and getting soaked, but sounds like you got quite a lot done there!

Originally Posted by chezp

Sounds like a wonderful time at the zoo, despite the rain.

Thank you

Lets just say the rain was quite an experience ... but not one we want to repeat . The gorgeous weather at the beginning of the day, certainly didn't hint of a downpour - it certainly had us fooled!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by clio

I love your pictures at the zoo. The baby elephants are so cute. Our zoo doesn't have elephants right now. Sorry about the rain.
Liz

so much! I seriously could've watched the elephants all day, I loved them that much. The babies were so cute and playful, and the adults so caring and magnificent. It must be a wonderful job to be their carers.

I hope your zoo acquires some elephants in the not too distant future .

[Big Sister]

DAY 3: Thursday, 11 November 2010

Sydney Wildlife World & Robin Williams

We had decided to get up at 7am in an attempt to get our washing out of the way early, so we could enjoy our last day in Sydney. I ended up getting up at 6am, as once again, the traffic outside our window was so noisy, and it was sweltering hot inside, despite the ceiling fan spinning at top speed.

I decided not to wake Nest, as seriously, how many people does it take to load a washing machine? If I thought our room was hot and stuffy, then I had another thing coming when I entered the laundry - it was absolutely terrible. Also, due to the condensation from lack of ventilation, the tiled floor was dangerously slippery. I was surprised to see one of the washing machines already in use so early in the morning. I quickly loaded the last remaining two washing machines, timed 45 minutes on my watch, then gladly escaped the suffocating heat box. On my way out, I noticed there were rooms on either side of the laundry, and was so glad we weren't allocated one of those, as they must be awfully noisy!

While our washing was going, I walked to McDonald's to get us breakfast. Nest had requested two serves of hotcakes and a mango blend, and I got myself one serve of hotcakes, a hash brown, and a mango blend.

After breakfast, it was back to the laundry to transfer all our washing into the dryer. I was annoyed to find our washing covered in what looked like shredded tissues. I could've sworn I had checked all our pockets beforehand, and came to the conclusion that perhaps the filters hadn't been cleaned in ages.

While waiting for the dryer to finish its 45 minute cycle, I went back to our room to watch cartoons with Nest and write postcards.

When I went back to the laundry to retrieve our clothes, I was greatly annoyed yet again, this time because the dryer hadn't dried our clothes at all! There was no way I was going to waste another 45 minutes of our day by putting our clothes through yet another cycle, so I angrily shoved our clothes into the plastic bags I had brought with me, and took them back to our room, where I hung them wherever I could find space. Even though our room had been unbearably hot throughout our stay, I just hoped it would be hot enough to dry all our clothes before tomorrow morning's flight. Having our clothes hanging up all over the place, made our tiny room seem even tinier, and I hoped that housekeeping wouldn't interfere with our arrangement.

After I had hung our clothes up and while Nest was getting ready for the day's activities, I went down to reception to organise a shuttle to the airport for the following morning, only to be told to come back later, as the shuttle people weren't answering their phone. It was turning out to be one very frustrating morning!

The fun part of the day started at 12 noon, when Nest and I set off for Wildlife World, which is situated right next door to the Aquarium. We stopped off at the Harbour Walk McDonald's (different to the one we had been getting breakfast from - variety is the spice of life!) for a light lunch of cheeseburgers and water.

We reached Wildlife World at 12.30pm, the same time as a large group of noisy school children, screaming teachers, and crying babies - noooooooo! We held back for a little while, in the hope they'd shoot through the exhibits quickly, leaving us to view the exhibits in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The first exhibit we came to, was devoted to ants, spiders, and a variety of other insects. The ants weren't your ordinary everyday little black house ants that invite themselves to picnics and invade your pantry at the first opportunity they get - they were the Chuck Norris of ants - the huge aggressive bull ant and green tree ants.

I can't remember what the bull ants' plaque said, as I was so transfixed by the size of their mandibles. What I do know (though thankfully not from personal experience), is that once they bite you, they don't let go. If you're allergic to bull ant bites, it's possible you could go into anaphylactic shock, and if left untreated, their bite has been known to be lethal.

The green tree ants were a pretty green colour, but that's where their niceness ended. Their plaque said that they're best known for their painful bite, as they spray acid into it "for added effect". If you're being bitten by a 1cm long ant, I wouldn't think you'd want any "added effects" such as acid, added into the experience.

Like most people (I'm assuming), I'm afraid of spiders. However, I don't mind looking at them if they're in a secure exhibit with no chance of escaping. The four main spiders on exhibit in Wildlife World, were the wolf, huntsman, net weaving, and Sydney funnel-web spiders.

All I know about wolf spiders, are that they're big, and that they move when I scream (one was on the floor outside my bedroom one morning, and it moved each time I screamed for someone to come and get it for me.)

Huntsmen spiders are huge, and are the ones we seem to find inside our house the most. Thankfully, they're not venomous.

As for net weaving spiders, I hadn't heard of them until my visit that day. (The less spiders I'm aware of, the better!)

I left describing the Sydney funnel-web spider till last, for good reason. It had a huge red sign above its exhibit, screaming ...

... as it has the deadliest spider venom known to man. Thankfully, no one has died from a Sydney funnel-web spider bite in the last thirty years, as bites from this spider are uncommon, plus an antivenom has been developed. There was a sign up nearby, saying that a heart attack brought on by the fear of the spider, has a greater chance of killing you than the spider itself. They line their burrows with a funnel-shaped web, hence where they get their name from. Wildlife World's funnel-web was in its burrow during our visit, but going by the nearby picture, they're big black chunky nightmares, whose body alone can grow up to 3.5cm, so imagine how much bigger they appear once you add a head and eight long legs to that equation! Ahhhhhh!

Exactly whose idea was it again to come to Sydney, knowing that this is the only place in the world this particular spider's found?!

Thankfully, real ones don't grow this big!

Other insects on display in this area, were things like grasshoppers and rhinoceros cockroaches, but they paled in comparison after having studied such huge spiders.

As we began to move onto the next area, we noticed these TV screens hanging from the ceiling, broadcasting a couple singing and bobbing about (their heads were on cartoon bodies in a cartoon setting.) It turns out they were in a small games arcade around the corner (which to me, seemed really out of place there at Wildlife World), in the "Dance Heads" machine, where, for $10, you chose a song, sang to it while bobbing around to make the video as entertaining as possible, and get to take the DVD home. For such a long time afterwards, I was wondering if they knew their efforts were being broadcast around the centre?

If I felt like making a giant embarrassment out of myself (which I didn't), I would've chosen to do the 1989 hit, Pump up the Jam by Technotronic, as in my opinion, it was the best song available you could move the funniest to. However, the 1965 hit, Wooly Bully Sam the Sham was also on the list, which I know would've gotten a hilarious reaction from one of our brothers back home. Then there was the 1987 version of Hot Hot Hot Buster Poindexter and the 1976 hit Car Wash Rose Royce, which would've been too good to resist also, as Nest and I have had big laughs about those songs in the past. At the rate I'm going, I could've compiled a whole dance video to embarrass myself with in front of family and friends. I thought it was hilarious how the video screen said, "Be a star - no talent required!"

Just a bit of light relief for you there, as from the scary spiders and crazy ants section, we moved onto the reptile section, which featured the top three most venomous snakes in the world, who call Australia home. As Nest was taking of a photo of the inland taipan, the most venomous snake in the world, we both got a shock when it jumped as the camera flash went off.

Also featured in the reptile section, were turtles, goannas, and a variety of lizards.

I love how the lizard on the left looks so casual!

As we left the reptile section, we turned the corner and came to this beautiful deep deep clear shaded pool with glass sides. There were a few little fish swimming around in it, and Nest mentioned to me that it looked so nice, that he would've liked to have gone for a swim in it. He soon changed his mind once we discovered who actually lived there - a five metre rogue croc weighing 700kg and going by the name of Rex (though for some reason, I kept calling him George?!)

Several years ago, Rex developed a taste for pet dogs, which brought him too close for comfort to peoples' homes, so for safety reasons, he was captured and placed into a croc farm in the Northern Territory. While at the croc farm, he ate two of the other crocs he lived with, so he was eventually brought to Sydney's Wildlife World, where he'll be able to live out his estimated 40 remaining years in complete solitude.

I was in absolute awe at the size of Rex - I couldn't believe just how huge he was! I couldn't even fit him into the frame of my camera! I was surprised to hear that he may grow another metre or more! Must be all the hormones in the chickens he's being fed. Unfortunately, our visit didn't coincide with one of Rex's feeding sessions, but I've seen photos of them, and I remember one particular shot being quite dramatic, which then led me to wonder where the photographer was situated at the time.

While we were admiring Rex, I heard Nest go, "Ahhh, flipping cockroach!" I immediately looked down, and saw this huuuuuuuuuge stripey cockroach go scurrying over his feet. As I was wearing thongs also, and didn't want to feel scurrying cockroach legs over my bare feet, I proceeded to do a cockroach avoidance jig, accompanied by a scream which was amplified due to the hallway we were standing in. The woman next to me thanked me for the warning ... at least someone understood

I super loved the nocturnal section, as it was full of adorable little mammals and marsupials without an ounce of venom in them or any dangerous habits threatening to humans. The most gorgeous of them all by far, was the feathertail glider, the world's smallest gliding mammal. I have never seen such a tiny delicate furry creature like this before. It's little body couldn't have been bigger than 2.5 inches, and it's tail was so delicate looking. It stopped for a drink out of a tiny 'bowl' that looked like a lid from a Coke bottle. I wasn't able to spot it at first, but with a bit of patience and an eagle eye, I eventually detected movement and layed eyes on it, calling Nest over to take a photo (I had no hope of capturing it on film with my lack of night photography skills, especially as it moved so fast.)

Other lovely creatures in the nocturnal section, were fat-failed dunnarts, spinifex hopping mice, and bilbies.

A fat-tailed dunnart is a small marsupial who dines on insects and spiders. When food is scarce, they rely on the fat stored in their tail. I found it surprising how they don't drink, as they get all the fluid they need from the things they eat.

The bilbies and spinifex hopping mice were housed together in the one huge exhibit. The bilby was busy snuffling around in the dirt looking for snackas, while the spinifex hopping mice were darting crazily about at supersonic speeds, doing whatever it is that native mice do.

I love the little guy in the background - we didn't notice him at first!

Spinifex hopping mice

Another big favourite creature of mine found in the nocturnal section, was the good old wombat. I love how whenever I see a wombat in a wildlife centre or zoo, that they're always asleep. It reminds me of myself, as I'm just so lazy (I do realise that the wombats aren't being lazy though, and that their sleep time just happens to be during the day.) I double-checked to see whether wombats are strictly nocturnal, as I have seen them out and about during the day before. I found out that they're actually crepuscular, meaning that they're mainly active during the twilight hours.

A big section of Wildlife World was specially heated for a variety of butterflies. We didn't spend too long in this section, as it felt ten times hotter than our stuffy hotel room, which neither of us could handle for too long. It was nice to see the butterflies fluttering about in such a big area though.

Another section we went through, contained well-known Aussies such as kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and kookaburras.

Speaking of koalas, while we didn't get to hold one like I had been hoping (for Nest's sake), we still got to pat one and have our photo taken with a group of them (Sid, Jack, Jay, Mo, and Charlie). After the official photos were taken, Nest was then permitted to take some close up photos of his own. We couldn't have timed our session more perfectly, as just as we had finished, a tour group of thirty people turned up for the same experience.

The same time we were buying our koala photo package, we also picked up some refreshments. We both got chilled bottles of water, with Nest getting a Street's Golden Gaytime ice cream (a toffee and vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and wrapped in honeycomb biscuit pieces), and me getting a Lemon Calypo ice block (a tart lemonade flavoured ice block.)

In the gift shop, I was surprised to find no official photos of Rex the "super croc", as I would've loved to have bought some. Instead, I made do with a small magnet of Rex's head, and some postcards of the fat-tailed dunnart.

While we had been in the gift shop, I had missed a call on my mobile. Once outside, I checked to see who had called, to find that it was Ivan, our flight agent, with some really bad news that totally wrecked our day. He told me that it was possible that our flight to LA the following day would be delayed by ten hours, but that he hadn't been able to confirm the news. Apparently the Delta flight agent he had spoken to, wasn't too helpful, and when he checked their website for us, our flight just had an unconfirmed delay status. Nest and I were so stressed at this news, as how were we meant to know whether to get ready for a morning flight the following day or not?

For afternoon tea, Nest and I went to ... no, not McDonald's ... Subway! Nest had a toasted chicken, swiss cheese and salad foot long sub with a milk chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of water, and I had a toasted turkey, swiss cheese, and salad foot long sub with a white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookie and a bottle of water. It was a delicious and satisfying afternoon tea, which we ate outside near the harbour in the shade.

On the way back to the hotel, we called into Paddy's Markets for a good look around all the stalls. Nest took a particular interest in some pocket watches, but didn't purchase any, as they weren't of a high quality, and he wanted to save his spending money for the pocket watches at Disney World and Disneyland.

Once back at the hotel, we spent the rest of the evening before going to see Robin Williams, trying to sort out our flight dilemma, so we'd know what plan to go with the following day. Firstly, I rang Delta Airlines, because if anyone was able to give me an answer, they should be. Unfortunately, I didn't know their offices closed at 6pm, and I just happened to call at 6.09pm. Next, I rang the Flight Centre's emergency out of hours phone number, only to be told that they wouldn't know what was happening until tomorrow. As a last resort, I went down to the public internet terminal in the foyer, to see if Delta had updated our flight status, but they hadn't. I was seriously close to tears of frustration. How can an airline hint at such a big deal, but not confirm it till what seemed like the last minute? What were passengers expected to do? Were we to get ready for an 11.25am flight as originally expected, or were we to risk believing that the unconfirmed ten hour delay was going to go ahead, and plan for a 9.25pm departure instead? As I had done all I could to resolve the problem, there was nothing else left I could do to get an answer until the following day, so as hard at it was (as I was so worried about it), I had to force myself to stop thinking about it and focus on the night's exciting plan of going to see Robin Williams.

Three months before our trip, Nest and I found out that Robin Williams was coming to Australia for the first time, to tour his Weapons of Self Destruction show. We watched all his televised interviews with excited anticipation. I found out that tickets for his show went on presale (?!) on the last day of August at 4pm, so I stayed behind at work late that day (I usually knock off at 3pm, as I start at 7am), my right hand on the mouse and credit card at the ready, determined to get the best seats possible. As soon as the clocked ticked over to 4pm, away I shot with the reservation. It was frustrating I wasn't able to pick seats in the exact section I wanted, so I had to go with the 'Best Available' option. I came away with seats three and four in row E of section thirty six. Looking at the seating map on the Sydney Entertainment Centre, I was happy with this allocation.

In October, I received an email offering Nest and I a pre-show dining experience, starting at 6pm, two hours before the show. While this idea was very appealing to me, unfortunately the menu wasn't. It was a set menu, therefore there was not a number of dishes to choose from, and at $100 per person, you would want to be happy with what was on offer. Entree was tea smoked ocean trout with coconut and mint salad. Mains were grain fed beef sirloin with crushed potatoes, sauce béarnaise and bacon-wrapped greens. Dessert was honey scented vanilla panacotta with roasted fig. All drinks (beer, wine, and soft drinks) were included. The mains sounded good to me (except for the bacon), but I didn't fancy the entree or dessert. I knew without having to ask (though I still did, just to make sure), that Nest wouldn't like any of the dishes, so I declined the invite.

Robin's show began at 8pm, so we left the hotel at ten to, and walked the five minute walk down to the Entertainment Centre. It wasn't as crowded outside as I was expecting, but that's because everyone was already packed in the foyer, making their way to their seats, with the 'show eminent' bell ringing in the background. As Nest and I joined the slow moving crowd, I noticed a stall selling t-shirts and tour programs, and balked at the t-shirts costing $50 each. Robin would've made a small fortune on t-shirts alone, if everyone there that night would've bought one!

You can just see the golden arches of McDonald's to the right!

The theatre inside was huge and packed with people. Our seats weren't as great as I had originally thought, and we later found that to see Robin clearly, we had to watch the big screen as opposed to Robin himself, which I was very disappointed about. Looking at it in a positive light though, at least we were much closer than the majority of the people there that night. It took quite a while for everyone to get seated, and by the time the support act came on (much later than expected, I may add), all the seats were taken.

The support act was Australian comedy duo, The Umbilical Brothers. They're kind of a mime act with vocal sound effects, yet they differ from a traditional mime act in that they talk occasionally also. Their act went for about half an hour, and while I admit they're very good at what they do, it wasn't for me. I only found one thing they did during their whole act, particularly funny, and was so relieved when they left the stage to make way for Robin.

Robin came onto the stage to thunderous applause, which he had trouble quietening down so he could begin his act. He wore a light coloured pair of slacks and a bright Hawaiian shirt, and delivered an energy-charged show without waning, for about 1.5 hours.

Particular anecdotes I enjoyed, were:

· How racoons were like koalas with mardi gras make up on. He went on to say that racoons do not like greenies, because greenies recycle, therefore there's no food scraps left in the bins for the racoons to snack on, just plastics, which the racoons spread over the lawns in protest.

· Robin commented on how he has to take prescription medicine, and how one of the side effects are seeing ninjas on his lawn

· I loved it how he was talking about having a gps system with a pompous voice, and how he was halfway across the Golden Gate Bridge one evening, when it told him to take a right! He thought it would be better to have a Scottish person as the voice on the gps, as it would tell him when his turn was, and if he missed it, it would tell him in no uncertain terms, what kind of person he was (just think of the way Billy Connolly talks, and you'll get the idea.)

· Another particularly funny anecdote, was how drinking alcohol and shopping on eBay are not a good mix, as you could wake up in a week's time, to find that you've ordered a whole heap of Shamwows. Nest and I are always laughing at the Shamwow advertisements on the TV, so particularly appreciated this anecdote of Robin's

Naturally, Robin delivered this material in a much more entertaining and funnier way than I could ever describe it on paper, but I thought I'd do my best in sharing my favourite bits with you to the best of my ability. Robin left the stage to more thunderous applause, came back to take a bow with The Umbilical Brothers, and then they all left the stage for good.

Before going back to the hotel, we called into McDonald's next door to the Entertainment Centre, for supper. We both got medium Grand Angus combos (a Grand Angus burger, medium portion of fries, and a medium Coke.) I'm glad we didn't have our hearts set on a sundae each as well, as they had all sold out of ice cream.

We took our meals back to our hotel, so glad we didn't have to contend with the crowds of traffic making their way out of the underground parking structures nearby. We watched Father Ted on the TV and brought our journals up-to-date while eating supper, before calling it a night.

Today would've been perfect if it weren't for the unconfirmed news of our flight being delayed (and if I didn't have to do the washing in the morning!) Going to Wildlife World during the day was fun, and we had really enjoyed going to see Robin Williams that night.

Next entry: Leaving for LA

[chezp]

Another great update! Sorry the seats weren't great for Robin Williams. I hate it when you end up watching a screen, rather than the person...

[Colexis Mom]

Another great day! Great pictures from the Wildlife World! Robin Williams sounds great! Pixies for your flight!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by chezp

Another great update! Sorry the seats weren't great for Robin Williams. I hate it when you end up watching a screen, rather than the person...

. Yes, I so expected the seats to be much closer than they were - I must've misunderstood the seating plan, plus I expect that corporations were able to purchase blocks of the best seats before they were available to the general public. On the rare occasion I go to the theatre, I like to be able to see the performers' face myself - if you have to watch a screen to see them, sometimes I think you may as well be home watching them on the tele. Still, we made the most of our outing, and really enjoyed his show .