Since Melbourne is an airline hub between New Zealand and Asia, it made sense to spend a few days here before heading over to Malaysia. What struck us immediately about Melbourne was how expensive everything was. Even our hostel (and we are talking very, very basic) was in the neighborhood of $65 USD per night.
Overall, though, we did enjoy Melbourne. They have a very extensive tram system, which makes zipping around the city very easy for $3 a ride. One of the highlights of our trip to Melbourne was meeting up with one of Katie’s college friends and her husband who now live in Melbourne. They invited us to their church service on Sunday and we went out for lunch afterward. It was great to have an hour to chat about life in Australia with real locals.
The next day, we walked to the Melbourne Zoo — which was a reasonably close walk from the hostel we were staying at in North Melbourne. At the rangers station, they had a sign that said “Tours every 30 minutes.” When we asked about it, they offered to give us a personal tour right then. We tried not to be a burden, but they insisted, and we spent the next hour or so with Margaret, our very knowledgeable personal zoo guide. Margaret knew all of the animals by name and knew each of their stories and personalities. It was a real treat to have her with us. We were especially taken with gorillas and orangutans as she told us about each one of their personalities. For example, one of the gorillas was especially fond of a burlap sack. She carried it with her wherever she went, sometimes putting it over her shoulders like a shawl.
Katie poses with eucalyptus leaves
Look at the fun on this black and white colobus!
Hum . . . that gorilla reminds me of someone.
Dan poses with teh pelicans at the Melbourne zoo.
This orangutan is taking a break from swinging around.
Katie with the zebras at Melbourne zoo
mama koala with baby on her back
We loved seeing the koalas at the zoo!
Look how relaxed the kangaroos are!
This meerkat seemed to be posing for us.
This tree kangaroo seems to be saying, “Hey, you okay in there little joey?”
Katie stares down the gorilla.
Looks like a wonderful zoo trip!