The Capital

Adelaide, Australia

This city is actually the capital of South Australia and is known as a planned city.  It was designed by the region’s first surveyor-general, Colonel William Light, who arranged the city into a grid design of five squares containing the Adelaide city center in one region and then surrounding it with a ring of parks. 

The city itself, it going through rebuilding times as jobs are coming and going from the area, but the locals argue that it is the best city in Australia. 

It seems quant and smaller than Perth, which was a city cut off from life outside the city, with the Outback on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other.  However, Adelaide did provide home to 114,000 koalas and some of which we were able to get close enough to nuzzle into their soft, cozy fur at the Cleland Wildlife Conservation Park. 

While we were standing in line and feeding the occasional Ki Kangaroos and Bandicoots, I learned that Koalas actually aren’t bears and they are marsupials.  They also solely rely on eucalyptus leaves for food, which literally have no nutritional value.  So, while they may consume up to 10 percent of their body weight in these leaves a day, they will still sleep the remainder of the time to make up in the lack of nutrition they receive from doing so.  Koalas are also known for not having very good eye sight so it is important to touch them in the lower back area if you are near one or just let it be so you don’t frighten it.  They do however, have a keen sense of hearing to make up for their lack of eye sight.  Therefore, any loud noises tend to alarm these animals. 

And while koalas are on strict schedules at the park, the Lorikeets, Ki Kangaroos, Dingoes, and Red Kangaroos live normal lives and some even roam freely throughout the park itself. 

While the park was a nice escape into nature, we made it back just in time to be sheltered from the rain in our roomy-fully furnish apartment-style rooms.  It was so nice to have full kitchens this week and small porch-like balconies! 

And with the extra space, it was the prime time to have a few gatherings and share our yummy homemade food!

Until next time; Toodle-oo.