After 10 days at sea, we were very ready to get off the ship and see some sights south of the Equator in Australia. We docked in Brisbane, at the Queensland Bulk Terminal. (Not the usual spot for a passenger vessel, which was a constant source of confusion for taxi drivers during our stay.) Experienced world travelers now, we made our way to Brisbane Central Station with the goal of hopping a train to Australia Zoo. Perhaps overconfident from the ease of transit in Japan and the expectation of returning to an English speaking nation, we ended up asking for directions from the ticket agent. He gave us a very friendly explanation and instructions… which we didn’t understand a lick of. The language barrier remained in place.
We did make it with little trouble; the zoo is a major attraction considering it’s 2.5 hours away. Those of you raised in the 90’s will probably recognize the name Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter, and this was his zoo located in Beerwah, Queensland. Steve was not there when we visited, but they had someone dressed in the same outfit messing about with crocodiles, so we got the experience. Celebrity affiliation aside, it actually was a very nice animal conservation and interaction habitat. I had seen a specimen of kangaroos and koloas before, but the focus on Australian wildlife really drove home how different the biogeographic isolation is.
Oh, I also saw a Galapagos tortoise there named Harriet which was very cool. There was a zookeeper in her enclosure feeding her and talking to people. She mentioned that Harriet had been collected by Darwin. I believe the interaction went: “She was collected by Darwin.” “Wait… Darwin Darwin?” “Yes.”
“She was collected by Darwin.”
“Wait… Darwin Darwin?”
“Yes.”
Which, you hear about how long these tortoises live, but that really hammered it home. She apparently died 3 years later at the age of about 175, one of the oldest on record. We had a very nice day at the zoo indeed. Afterwards we cooled our heels waiting for the next train, watching the sunset in Beerwah and took the long train back to the Bulk Terminal and our bunks.
The city for Semester at Sea is
Cairns, Australia