Adventures Down Under -- Seriously Overloaded with Pictures!!

[JLC]

So....jet lag has kicked in with a vengeance and sleep is impossible. I'd say it's worth a few days of disorientation, though! Since I can't sleep, I figured I'd get some pictures uploaded, as they are in rather high demand. These are just ones from my own camera. There are many pictures that others took that I need to get my hands on, and some professional pictures taken at one of the parks that I haven't had a chance to go through yet. But this is a good taste of what we got to do in Australia.

Traveling with Brian Barczyk and all the crew was awesome. Our Australian guides, Peter Birch and Colin Shoemark were amazing. I can't express the deep appreciation I have for those three men who put this trip together and made it a genuine pleasure for everyone involved.

Just FYI, I'm fairly confident on most of my identifications if I give them, but I might misremember some, as I'm rather sleep deprived while doing this!

Ok, no more chatting...let's get to the pictures!

First full day in Australia at the Scales 'n Tails show...

Crazy black head python


Lots of carpets and olives at the show


Stunning carpet python


Frilled dragon striking a pose


Lace monitor


Shinglebacks




Blue tongue skink


Fresh water crocodile




Salt water crocodile


Our own Annarose15 holding a monitor


Me holding a black head python


- - - Updated - - -

The AUSTRALIA ZOO!

On the way...


Group Shot


Steve was there in spirit


Brian gets silly


Animals


















This is a wild water dragon...they were all over the zoo and easily the most common lizard we saw wherever we went.


Cool reticulated python skeleton display


Got to feed and play with kangaroos


Justin Julander and his lovely wife Heidi joined us for a couple of our adventures.


Iconic croc show

[JLC]

The next day we drove for about three hours across beautiful Australian wilderness to visit Bob Irwin on his property, a nature preserve called Camp Chilli.

Remnants of wild fires that surrounded his property. When we drove past this again after dark, you could see ghostly flames flickering and some of the trees were glowing. But Bob's property remained untouched by the fires.


The entrance to Bob's property


Wild parrots enjoying the feeders


Bob's pony...a very friendly fellow. Wish I could remember his name!


We piled onto the backs of two "Utes" (utility vehicles) and one pickup truck, and went exploring


Brian does some SnakeBytes work as we release some wild carpet pythons Bob had caught messing with his chickens






The flies were crazy!


More wild carpet pythons






Mike got a little too close with his GoPro camera and nearly took a bite on the nose!


Koalas in the wild




This is an observation deck that Bob built himself. It was very cool to climb.


Standing in the wilderness, talking conservation with Bob Irwin




After dark "herping" on the deck of Bob Irwin's home






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The next day we flew out to Darwin. While in Darwin, we did some herping at a park called Fog Dam, but I didn't get any pictures of that. Our second day in Darwin took us to Crocosaurus Cove where much adventure ensued!

Entrance


Peter, Colin, Seth, and Brian...hanging out at the entrance waiting for folks


Anna


Saltie skeleton


Classic bearded dragon


Handsome frilled dragon


This is a full grown monitor called the "blue line monitor"...still waiting on its own species designation


Lots of young salties, including a hypo


Brian gets ready to feed this big boy...


...and nearly feeds it his GoPro!


Brian and Peter in the "cage of death" with a huge wild-caught saltie named Chopper




Anna and me in the "cage of death" with Chopper. They feed him while we're in there and get him to slap his jaws closed and smack the cage right beside our faces! SO cool!!

[JLC]

The next day brought a 3.5 hour drive out into Aboriginal lands to see some ancient rock paintings. Was hot, humid, and filled with insane flies, but also breathtakingly beautiful. On the way back, we stopped to visit a local with a very unique and totally awesome way to keep Fly River turtles. He built the ponds and gardens by hand...larger than most swimming pools and more than six feet deep throughout. And we got to swim in it with the turtles!

Aboriginal art


Some cool trees on the hike


Termite mound!


Cool wild birds we saw along the way


Swimming with turtles

[JLC]

After Darwin, we flew to Sydney. Our first full day in Sydney was spent exploring the beautiful Taronga Zoo and then jumping on the ferries to zip back and forth across the Sydney Harbor and go visit Manly Beach.

Group shot at entrance to Taronga Zoo


Animals at Taronga


















Giraffes with a view


But this guy seems unimpressed










Red belly black snake








Lazy Roos






Anna and me


Brian and me


Brian dominates the playground...


...and tames a Komodo dragon


Picture of a picture


Views of Sydney Harbor from within the zoo grounds








On the ferries and Manly Beach

[JLC]

Our last full day in Australia took us out to The Reptile Park and then a quick visit to Peter Birch's home.

Group Shot


If I remember correctly, The Reptile Park has the only American alligators in all of Australia.


Crazy owl


Galapagos tortoise


Another huge Galap named Hugo. He's 63 years old.


Brian doing SnakeBytes


Messy eater


Brian got stepped on


Tasmanian devil


Fiji iguana


Mama and Joey


Brian snuggles a young tazzy. We all got to do this, but the pictures of me holding her are on someone else's camera. They're very soft!


Off to Peter Birch's house. Peter is a premier breeder of Anateresia pythons...they're a little bitey!


He also has a beautiful collection of death adders


The only venomous serpent I held...an elapid known as a golden crown snake that Peter caught in his yard.


And the next thing we knew, it was time to say goodbye....


There's so much more on my heart to say and share, but it will have to wait for another time, as this has gone on awfully long already! Hope you enjoyed it!

[ROACH]

Nice Pics! Looks like you all had alot of fun!

[Emilio]

Love the pic's Judy glad you had a blast must have been amazing to be in the water with that beast.

[Schmee123]

Awesome pics! Looks like you all had a blast!

Thanks for sharing!

[DooLittle]

Amazing!!! I can't even tell you how jealous I am. Thank you for sharing! That would have been so much fun, and so neat to see all that stuff!

[mechnut450]

sweet pictures
I remember when the post was up about the trip and tickets. ( need to win lottery so I can take my wife one time)