The Family Holiday Part 2

Road Trip Victoria: Healesville Sanctuary, Take 2.

I am starting to get so predictable that you'd knew I'd say that.

One of the other must see places for my family was of course, the Healesville Sanctuary, one of Victoria's iconic animal parks.

We started the leisurely drive in the morning and arrived for a brunch at the local bakers in Healesville. The town itself is quite quaint and probably had an equal number of locals and tourists, thanks to the Animal Sanctuary.


My mum wearing the White Car Hat which is part of the local custom.

The sanctuary itself is replete with animals - Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and many birds native to Australia.

It is a great place to bring families - and partners, of course - the one and a half hour trip will be rewarded with hugs and exclamations of "So cute!!" from your partner, especially if they're female (and certain males, too).


Some of the family in the Healesville Sanctuary - wallabies (so cute!), Tasmanian Devils (so devilishly handsome!), sisters (so cute!), pelicans, koalas and kangaroos. Note the picture where I'm training a wallaby to pick the pockets of unsuspecting tourists.

The other thing that makes the Sanctuary such a fun place to visit is all their shows - they have reptile shows, which let you see the skinks and lizards up close, and if you are brave enough - to touch them. Eeeww.... so cute!


The four faces to employ when touching reptiles: (from L - R) the Chinaman face (this will make a good soup), the surprised face (it feels like a handbag!), the slightly disgusted face (it is slimier than my ex!) and the normal happy face (even the reptiles are nicer here in Australia).

But the winner of the shows must be the Birds of Prey and Parrot in Flights show, a finely crafted showpiece of some of Australia's smartest and largest birds - up close and personal. These are birds trained to entertain, and they certainly do a good job of it!

There is a part of the show where they will let the birds of prey fly quite near you, and I managed to take a shot of one of the birds as it swooped down towards me.


The Bird Show at the Sanctuary has birds getting rid of your rubbish for you, breaking eggs with stones, diving for fish in a pond from great heights and talking back to you. I could watch it all day!