Feeding a Roo and Eddie Vedder

Yesterday two of our holiday missions were fulfilled. Cerri got to cuddle a Koala (so did I – OMG how cuddly are they!), and I met my first Kangeroo. We went to the Gorge wildlife reserve. A wonderful place where people are able to get up close to some of Australia’s native wildlife.

We arrived just in time for the Koala cuddling. We had seen the wild Koala at the Ashram and I had just fallen in love with these amazing animals. To get the opportunity to hold one was something I couldn’t resist. But it was Cerri’s mission so she went first. The handler passed her over and you could see in Cerri’s eyes how much she was moved by the experience. In the words of a great man, “they are so placid, and self contained” – a piece of prose that could have been written for the Koala. I had my turn and I was equally touched. It was like holding a living teddy bear. She just rested in my arms and munched on Eucalyptus leaves, looking right into my eyes. I didn’t want to hand her back, but the children wanted their turn!


We walked on and entered the Kangeroo enclosure. There was an albino Roo lying on the path and I thought it would get up and hop away, but it didn’t. It just lay there, so I gave it a tickle! Then more hopped up to us! I fed them some nuts right from my hand! It was about then the Mike called me over. I followed him down the hill and there, lying in the sun was Old Man Roo – a really wizened old animal whose eyes reminded me of Mr Magoo. I sat with him. The smell, the touch of his fur, the energy of the beast just made me shiver. Roos are so lovely to look at, but there is a power within them that reminds me so much of our native Deer at home. For one of the Deer People of Britain I felt it had found a Kindred Spirit here in Australia. Again, I could have just stayed with him all day.


We saw Wombats, Eagles, Flying Foxes, all sorts of wonderful animals from this beautiful Singing Land, but my heart lies with the Kangeroo, and the Koala.


In the evening we had got tickets to see Pearl Jam at the Adelaide Oval. Who’d have thought it! Come halfway around the world and see and advert for a Pearl Jam concert on the tv two days before the gig and manage to get tickets – not something that would happen at home! We had to go for it!


It was a glorious Summer’s evening as the sun went down over the stadium stands. It’s weird to watch the sun move anti clockwise across the sky! Pearl Jam were amazing. I saw them on the Binaural tour but they were even better last night. Vedder is a genius songwriter and a Rock God. As the floodlights went up at the end of the gig the band just kept on playing. An amazing end to a magical day.

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