A Wollongong Sunset

From our Corrimal St balconies the views are quite good. We can see Wollongong City Beach and the Five Islands. We can see the golf course and the steel works. We can also see Mt. Kembla and Mt. Keira. 

I am not an early riser, so I rarely, if ever, see the sun rise. But I am good at watching it set. 

On this particular January evening the colors were quite amazing. Pinks, purples, reds and oranges lasted for a  little while as the sun went to bed.

Koala Spotting at Kennett Creek, Great Ocean Road

I had heard and read about the 'wild' koalas along the Great Ocean Road and I wanted in. I can't ever remember seeing koala's in nature, sans fence, wire or zoo handler. 

Precariously balancing on thin branches

So we followed the instructions on our brochure from the Lorne information centre. We went past the caravan park and up the dirt road for four kilometres or so. We thought we must have gone too far, so turned around and pulled over.

Very hungry!

Jeff spotted him/her first. High up in the eucalyptus tree. Moving quite quickly. Devouring gum leaves one after the other. Balancing carefully on branches which looked too thin.

A sight not often seen

The koala was huge! Clinging on to the high branches, it just didn't seem natural. But with no one around, no fences, no rangers, no board walks, what could be more natural?

 We then made our way back down to the caravan park where we had to weave amongst the throngs of tourists getting in close and personal with some more marsupials.

Getting in close. Too close. 

 This is what you generally expect when thinking of koalas. Sleepy, sitting in a fork in a thick tree, gripping on for dear life.

Sleepy.

Looking very cuddly

Snooze time

We were both glad to have ventured up the unsealed road and spotted a swift, acrobatic, wild koala for ourselves, away from too close paparazzi and tour buses.

For even more koala's, you can make your way to Cape Otway where dozens of koalas line the road, perched high in their gum trees.