Koalas

Hello after my first full day of working here

We began this morning with trying to find the guy who is directing our work ... and he was trying to find us - well this place is 35 acres!

Our task for the day was clearing up the leaves and bark falls around the eco-cabins. The trees here (for various environmental and survival reasons) peel their bark off, especially in the very dry weather this area has been having for years. As a result the ground is littered with peelings of red bark, like dried up orange peel but thinner. The length of ground to be covered was about 800 metres and we did this all day till 3.00. Piles and piles of the stuff, and leaves, dust, stones, rubbish that people leave around after staying in the cabins overnight. We trucked away 4 loads, and by the end of the work, I certainly was glad I do a lot of swimming and am strong!! I think I will feel it tomorrow :)

Once the work is done and the "supervisor" finishes at 3.00 we have time to ourselves. I have just been down for a 2-hour walk in the Sanctuary by myself, no crowds, kids, staff etc and the most amazing thing happened: I got within 6 feet of a male koala and got some great pics of him. He was sitting on the ground, grunting to himself and when he saw me he decided to go up a tree - as you know they don't move very fast and so I could get close ups of him, his face, his white tufty ears, his oval black nose, his light brown/dark brown/white colours etc and he just SAT THERE!!, gently grunting as though working himself up to a full-throated roar to proclaim his territory. Wow!

The weather is heating up and we are due for another 41degs day on Thursday. It usually feels like the air is coming out of a fan oven and we aren't allowed to work on days like that. I feel another day of sunbathing coming on :), or walking in the "temperate rainforest" at the bottom of the sanctuary - all ferns and shady trees - and damn great big pattymelon wallaby which jumped out at me just now!!

See you soon