March 10 - The Australian Reptile Park

This past week we had an amazing day at the Australian Reptile Park.  Of course, the best part was that we were there with our daughter and granddaughter, but also I was excited to be able to see and touch some of the animals.

One of our first stops was an informational talk about a few of the reptiles.  It was obvious that Ranger Laura loved her job, and because the crowd was relatively small she invited us to come forward for a closer look.  I stood at the rail beside Lexi and we patted the bumpy hide of a small alligator and the satiny skin of a python.  I was hesitant at first as I couldn’t see clearly and didn’t want to touch the head of either of these creatures.  However, Jenny and Laura guided my hand so that I could touch these reptiles safely.

Another amazing stop was at the koala enclosure. Jen had paid for a picture so we all trouped into the enclosure.  We were all able to pet the koala.  They have such soft fur - but also sharp claws.

At another enclosure I was excited to see two fat echidnas waddling close to the fence of their habitat.  On previous visits to the park, the echidnas had always been too far away for me to see.

I would highly recommend a visit to the park if you are in the area.  The Reptile Park is located just over an hour north of Sydney, close to Gosford.

There are three pictures with this post.  In the first picture I am standing beside a very cuddly koala.  The second picture shows Lexi patting an alligator.  In the third picture I am touching the satiny skin of the python.

 

 

Sue with Koala

Lexi petting an alligator

Sue touching a python