Reptile Park, Palm Beach and Pelican Island

My last day in Sydney! Today I met Melinda’s mother Gladys and what a lovely lady! Melinda drove the three of us out to a Reptile Park near Gosford. I was looking forward to seeing some stinging, biting and killing creatures, especially the Tunnel Web Spider and the Crocs, and I wasn’t disappointed.

However, apart from an excellent selection of scary reptiles, there were also some beautiful birds and animals of the more cuddly variety. Don’t worry Kyile, the Koalas were all asleep so I didn’t really get to see them properly. I did see my first kangaroo (not in captivity) though.

The park was very well laid out with open enclosures and bush paths, with many of the animals and birds freely moving about amongst the visitors.

After the Reptile Park, we went to WoyWoy, a Pacific Ocean Beach (well all the beaches are on the Pacific Ocean of course). It was a beautifully warm afternoon and again, I wished I’d brought my cozzie.

Melinda and Gladys went up to the café overlooking the beach, while I headed out to sea again for a paddle. On the way, I noticed some very colourful succulent plants growing in the sandbanks.

I recognised them from garden centres at home but just couldn’t think of the name. Can you help Leigh? After paddling in the surf, I sat on the warm sand to survey the scene before me. My new clever mobile phone told me I was on Palm Beach, wow how cool is that (sorry Kerrie, hope I didn’t wake you with that message).

I rejoined Melinda and her mother then we headed off to see some friends of Melinda’s who lived nearby, just on the off-chance they might be home.

Graham and Ann live in a very desirable area overlooking a large expanse of water, an inlet which I noticed was inhabited by a great variety of birds. When I exclaimed at a passing pelican, Graham very kindly offered to take me for a walk to Pelican Island, just ten minutes away. I was conscious of Melinda’s tight schedule but this was just too good an opportunity to miss, and she agreed to this expedition.

In fact we sighted many birds in just 15 minutes or so, including a pair of galahs, rosellas, cockatoos, cormorants, mallards, and delightful little wagtail (not at all like ours) he was more black and wagged his tail from side to side. But the cream on the cake was a whole colony of pelicans on their very own island.

Periodically a flock of them flew across in formation. By now the sun was going down and Melinda wanted to get home before dark.
The four of us went out for a very nice dinner at their local Rugby Club to celebrate Melinda and Dennis’s wedding anniversary which was yesterday and wishing me well in my onward travels. Now I must go and pack! Goodbye Sydney, hello Brisbane!