Travelling Lost Girl: December in the South

Next stop Margaret River to Surfpoint Hostely type place!

However we decided to have a little detour after checking out, and partaking in the paracetamol (too much gin!)

En route to Bunbury, not Margaret River just yet!

One of the river mouths that flow to the ocean!

So we went to the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury! Such a dinky little place, SO cheap to get in ($9! AND you get another 2 free entries - so lovely!)

There's quite a bit on the conservation of habitat, feeding, how humans impact on the habitat, well on the Earth really. Not too much information so your head implodes, but enough to make an impact on your mind and make you think.

I wish I'd have taken more pictures of the displays...

This is the Dolphinarium - it shows a 360 degree animation of 3 things: a dolphin birth, feeding themselves and a shark attack! Suzanne and I could easily watch this over and over again.

Gorgeous little turtles sent over from Perth Zoo for rehabilitation and hopefully releasing back into the ocean

Lovely rock pool

Feeding time!

Funny female octopus... She's a bit cheeky!

Trying to escape, then shortly tried to shower the volunteer who was feeding her!

Out in the bay there's a dolphin!

Crossing fingers it comes in to say hello!

She was there... But didn't come in to say hi. Ah well, they're wild dolphins that aren't "fed", or do tricks. It is wonderful and a little bit magical regardless! They come into the bay to interact of their own free will. Beautiful.

So, onto Bunbury Wildlife Park! We had originally wanted to go to the Metricup Bird Park (Metricup-Bird-Park Facebook page) Unfortunately it's closed :( We had a look at other attractions in the near area and Bunbury Wildlife Park seemed the logical option. So glad we came here.

The park is small and state funded, but is gorgeous! You can interact with some animals, others are in cages/areas for your safety!

These ones above are gorgeous. We thought we wouldn't be able to get up close, I hadn't spotted you CAN! (Thanks Suze)

Just lovely.

He was coming in for the bird seed I'd bought in reception...

However I crapped myself because a LOAD of them took flight to this corner!

This is my mate. I gave him some seed but it looked like he wasn't all that interested. Plus there had clearly been a few people in feeding him already... so Suzanne got me something he might enjoy...

I believe he likes it :)

We then proceeded to have a little tug of war!

However this tug of war meant I got to give him a little stroke whilst his beak was preoccupied!

I can safely say that was my first time having a tug of war with a bird!

I think he was a bit sad we were leaving his part of the park!

But we had spotted this rather majestic fellow!

I've never seen a peacock up close, and we walked right up to it...

Beautiful colours!

So, here I am, presenting this gorgeous creature to you when Suzanne suggests I feed it!

Yep. I'm happy with you being this close to me... But Suze says "See if it will eat out of your hand"

IT DID! However you (thankfully) cannot see my face of glee mixed with terror

I love these beauties. Just the call of the kookaburra! (Mum and Jo will remember my imitations in my yoof!)

Funny little things these are

They kept following us (they knew we had food)

After seeing all the gorgeous birds, we came across the kangaroo enclosure. You can also feed them with the bird seed! And so, with a slight trepidation that I was going to be kicked up the arse by a roo, we went in...

This one got up right away (the others were lying in the shade, not bothered)

"Please miss, can I have some food?" Ohh all right then, since you're ridiculously cute!

So sweet, and gentle!

And then cuteness overload began!

Pleeeeease can I have some more

This kangaroo is so tame! Suze suggested it's probably hand reared. Its fur is not soft, kind of wiry, but this roo is so gentle, and not pushy at all!