Friday, May 22, 2009

Face to face with Australian iconic animals in Cleland wildlife park…yeah!!!

IMG_6203

Just a 15 or 20 minute drive from Adelaide into the beautiful Mount Lofty ranges will bring you to open air Cleland wildlife park.

Cleland wildlife park is like an open air zoo with a big range of Australian native animals: koalas. kangaroos, emus, wallabies, tasmanian devils, dingos, etc.

Thus, one can actually see and touch (if allowed) the animals for FREE!!! Sit beside them, feed them, take tons of photos…..it’s a good concept to see the animals roaming around the environment which mimic their native habitat.

IMG_6184

Right after viewing the stunning panoramic view of Adelaide from Mount Lofty summit, i trekked down 3km to Cleland wildlife park which is also located in the Mount lofty ranges. One can also trek to waterfall gully and Mount lofty botanic garden from here, which many ppl do so. It’s either you trek from Cleland wildlife park uphill to mount lofty summit or down from the summit to the cleland wildlife park. Bear in mind, jogging around this region is famous exercise, so you’ll see many jogging to travel between these tourist spots.

IMG_6185 IMG_6187

The trail and aussie bushes along the 3km trek :), as it’s summer still, it’s dry and easy to walk on, no dirt, no mud, ….the trail is just well paved and CLEAN.

IMG_6189

IMG_6192IMG_6197IMG_6195IMG_6196

Be dazzled by some pretty wild flowers along the trail leading to Cleland wildlife park and many conifer-type trees.

IMG_6198IMG_6199

Seen this blue stuff before?? No, right? Neither do i, i’m surprised to see that you are ask to clean your footwear before you end the trail by rubbing the bottom and side of your trekking shoes on it to brush off a particular type of fungus called Phytophthora (root-rot fungus) that might have stuck in your shoes. This particular type of fungus has threaten the local plants by infesting the root system and preventing the plant from absorbing water and thus wilting of the plant. This particular fungus has sort of became a national problem for aussie plants, the aus gov are trying their best to control its spread.

IMG_6200IMG_6201

A wooden sort of home for birds on the trees here (photos on top left), i guessed, the authorities are taking gud care of the birds, haha.

IMG_6204

Finally, i have reached Cleland wildlife park after trekking for 3KMs.

IMG_6205IMG_6207

Bought a 12 dollar concession ticket and a bag of food to feed on animals, and i rushed for the feeding session of Australia wild dogs called dingoes. Hmm, did you know that Australia has the world’s longest fence to fend off the wild dingoes from farms area???

IMG_6209IMG_6210

The caretaker for dingoes whom tame and take care of this pack of wild dingoes gave us a nice introduction on dingoes. Apparently, dingoes are similar to dogs, but there have some features that make them different, forgot all dy….wahahha. However, these dogs the same as the african wild dogs live in packs and have dominant alpha male as the leader of a pack.

IMG_6213IMG_6217

This one here on the top left is also a dingo but 5years old (if i din remember wrongly) and is very nice and more comfortable with humans around where as the other dingoes are shy. He is also more tamed compared to other dingoes. The fur of this dingo is more white as he is older. This one is the dominant alpha male which is more experienced in hunting and more cunning. THis is the only dingo in this wildlife park that is a pure bred where as others seems somehow to be mix dy and this alpha male is the only dingo in this park allowed to roam in the adjacent bushes for hunting.

After an interesting session with the dingoes, i moved on to se the famous iconic animal of Australia, KOALAS….So excited!!!

IMG_6219 IMG_6220 IMG_6222

Do you know that koalas spent most their 24 hrs zzzz on the trees?? Only active during early morning and late evenings??? the eucalyptus tree leaves they eat is actually toxic and contained very little energy for koalas, thus koalas are not active animals to preserve the little energy they consumed from the leaves.

The best thing here is you get to see koalas really close and in fact you get to take photos with them!!! You can even hold them if you pay $$ and take photos in another room.

Saw that small mammal in the top right pic?? It’s not rat, dun scream….wahaha. It’s actually a type of mammal and it is not afraid of human beings :)

IMG_6231IMG_6236

Me with the koala :) :) :) :)….wahahha, i was pretty shock to find that koala is actually quite a big size animal than what i owez thought, and the big ones are not as cute as i tot…whahaa. Anyway, was so excited to c it and even touch their soft fur only on the back of the koala (you are not allowed to touch its head, it’s like u dun like ppl to simply touch your head, wahaha).

There’s also a wetland in this park…thought i din pay much attention to them, just birds….wahaha.

IMG_6239

However, there’s this pretty tiny blue bird with kept on popping here and there on one of the trails in the park….can you c it in the above pic???

IMG_6250IMG_6264 IMG_6266IMG_6270 IMG_6273 IMG_6282

KANGAROOSSSSSSS……there are so many here, there must be hundredth of them here in the open area. These kangaroos are not behind cages or fences, you are free to “interact” with them…wahha, as well the emus, the big bird tat look like ostrich and cant fly too. These kangaroos are like care-free and SO USED to us, humans, as if we are more “38” to see them than them seeing us, wahah :) Some are just like BORED with humans, and some dun “hiew” the food you gave them…wahaha.

There are grey and red kangaroos here that i know, though i’m not sure exactly how many species there are actually. These kangaroos just sit or lie there under shady trees to avoid the hot sun and it’s really interesting for me to actually see for the first time, the galloping of this kangaroos with their strong hind legs :), the smaller kangaroos are definitely cuter than the big ones which can be taller than you when they stood up, abit scary….wahaha.

IMG_6279

Wallabies!!! I actually never heard of them before until i reached here and know that they actually these kangaroo like animal….really similar except they are generally smaller in size but looks more cute and have more colourful fur. There also various species of wallabies, this one in the top picture are found among the rocky hills slopes.

IMG_6286IMG_6285

The bad evil tasmanian devils!!! Cant really see them except part of the face and the eyes as the animal burrow themselves during day time and are only active during nite time. These animals are born evil and selfish due to their competitiveness right after they are born as cubs compete for limited milk from their mom, even after they grow up, the same siblings fight among themselves and especially for food (Surprised i noe so much?? i learned from documentaries, wahahha).

IMG_6287IMG_6291

A protective fence for the tree (top left) to prevent animal CRAWLS which damage the bark.

A less interesting animal to me, the wombat….wahaha, moved quite slow and in fact this one on top was on diet, and visitors are adviced not to feed them….which I DID coz i saw the sign later…wahaha.

IMG_6295IMG_6298

Living fossils?? this animal just look like a porcupine to me…..din noe such animal exist.

IMG_6301IMG_6304

Somemore wallabies (another species) that is less beautiful, wahhaa (top left).

There is also an animal house for nocturnal animals. This place is only dimly lighted to suit the habitat of these nite-active animals top right and bottom left).

IMG_6307IMG_6306

All in all, awesome encounters and experience with these native aussie animals….How lucky am i to have this chance to see them… :)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mt Lofty ranges – Mt.Lofty summit 10th Jan 2009

IMG_6153

At 710 metres above sea level, Mount Lofty Summit offers stunning panoramic view of Adelaide city centre and surrounding areas.

It is the highest peak in Adelaide hills. Mount Lofty Summit is 15KMs from Adelaide. I was deciding whether to hit the beaches or the hills first, haha….finally the spectacular view from Mount Lofty summit shown on those brochures became my choice.

On the way to Mount Lofty Summit, snapped a couple of photos, and below were some unique ones i think…haha, y??

This was the first time i saw such fences totally built of dried twigs (the left pic), apparently it was quite normally used here. I’m just like ‘sam pa lau"’, haha. And the unique stone sculptures of sthg like rockets (the right pic)…haha, tat’s an icon for the town der, forgot wat town dy.

IMG_6147 IMG_6148

The trip to Mount Lofty ranges took about 40 mins from Adelaide CBD, going through hills and tunnel.

IMG_6150 IMG_6149

Once you reach the foothill, you will have to transfer to another bus which takes you uphill to mount Lofty tourist attraction places. There are three main tourist spots there which are: Mount Lofty summit, Mount Lofty botanical garden and Clelannd wildlife park. Another less attractive to me is the Mount Lofty house which is transforms into a hotel and restaurant. The bad thing is once you reach there, you have to wait for the bus which only operates 3 times a day, each time going up and down. So you have to plan your schedule properly to fit in the bus time, you dun wana walk as it’s not that easy going uphill all the way and quite far. Though, this place is famous for cyclist, i really salute their strength and determination to ride all the way uphill.

Finally reached the mount lofty summit, hehe. Anticipated alot and it really din disappoint me!!! It’s quite a clear day with no clouds.

There’s a tourist information centre on top which is well equipped with information you want especially regarding Adelaide hills (mount Lofty is part of Adelaide hills), even maps, indigenous and Australian made souvenirs, postcards…..i did found that the price here is quite reasonable compared to other places. Next to the tourist information centre is a restaurant which many ppl dine there while enjoying the stunning view. The restaurant offers fine dining as well as alfresco-style (left pic).

IMG_6151 IMG_6156

The stunning panoramic view from Mount lofty :) Right at the middle of this picture is Adelaide city :)

IMG_6163

IMG_6176

There’s even information boards to show you where and what are you looking at, good eh?? And that’s a rock with sthg memorial of wat wat….haha, i did found that SA have alot of this type of stuff.

IMG_6178 IMG_6173

There’s the giant white obelisk which the icon of Mount Lofty summit….It was there to help ppl sailing in the sea in directions. At first i thought it was a light house, wahaha. But mayb light house are only build near sea and in the middle of the sea :)

IMG_6166 IMG_6168

In memorial of Matthew Flinders, the voyageur that discover mount lofty from Kangaroo island (the right pic). Now, wana go for a walk or trekking down the aussie bushes?? The track condition are mostly well maintained (middle pic). Duno what tower is that, must be some tower of telecommunication or radio or….duno….built on the summit (left pic).

IMG_6169 IMG_6174 IMG_6177

Really love this place, a MUST RECOMMENDED for ppl who plans to visit Adelaide, SA :)