Where the wild things are

As city dwellers, I don't want my boys growing up thinking that the natural habitat of animals is the zoo. Every chance I get, I remind them that hey, animals do live in the forest or parks around us.

One bright early morning (at 6.30am) during our stay at Bay of Plenty Lodges, which is located right in New South Wales (NSW) Booderee National Park itself, I saw a bright patch of red among the green trees right outside our cabin. It was a bird chomping on some fruits for his breakfast.

I brought Kit, who was awake at that time, as close to the bird as I dared and pointed out the bird to him. Then I left him in his playpen, grabbed my camera, and tried to see how close I could get to the bird.

I got really, really close and the bird just continued eating. It obviously didn't think I was going to have him for breakfast. (Later I found out that this species of bird is called the Crimson Rosella. What a pretty name.)

Pretty Rosella wasn't the only wild life we saw at the national park. Kai and Terence were chased by a wild kangaroo which probably knew they had some yummy grub for him back in our cabin. It stood right outside our door for a long time before going back to graze at our front yard. On our way to the lodge late in the evening, we saw more wild kangaroos (and a joey hopping into a pouch!) as well as a mummy possum with her baby on her back.

I certainly hope Kai will remember this experience for a long time to come.