Travel Videos

Mostly Lisa’s Australian Animal Adventure

As you might have already guessed from the post title, I’m in Australia!

I’m here on the Gold Coast to take some great photos and take a wee bit of a hot and sunny vacation before MacWorld in January. I can’t wait to actually have a skin tone that contrasts with the pasty nocturnal geekazoids at the conference. I will laugh and say, “Haha! That used to be me! But now look at me… I’m all red and… patchy.” Oh yes, I will ride that cool train all the way to the station.

I hope you enjoy all the beautiful Aussie animals I met at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast. I couldn’t believe how accessible the animals were, especially the kangaroos. It’s such an incredible experience to just sit in the grass with a pack of kangaroos and wallabies, petting them, taking pictures, and watching them lounge about. I’m hoping to go back again to spend some more time with these magnificent creatures and learn more about the sanctuary.

Can you name any of the crazy Aussie creatures in the video?

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  • Dennis Bjørn Petersen
    December 4, 2008 at 6:53 AM

    I have a sneaky suspicion said poor kid is Pasquale?! ;)

    Your koala impression has definitely improved. I’m very impressed!

    The only bird that has even taken a dump on me is actually the ones that “attacked” you. Good thing you got away.

    Oh and good luck with the tan.

  • Jonic
    December 4, 2008 at 7:06 AM

    Australia?

    It’s bloody freezing here, and I’ve got the makings of a wicked flu that’s about to kick my ass with a quickness any second now..

    Jealous.

    Have fun :)

  • Aron T
    December 4, 2008 at 7:25 AM

    I think those birds are called “Painted Buntings,” no? Although I might be mistaken since I believe them to be native to southern US states…

  • Stefan
    December 4, 2008 at 8:03 AM

    I was there just a couple weeks ago and I love the OZ nature.
    Isn’t a koala life cool? 20 hours of sleep each day and 4 hours beeing stoned, because of eating all the eucalyptus.

    Ohh.. and have you heard the story of a cassawarry that took a guys “manhood” ’cause it punshed him in “that spot” so hard? So, never take those guys in a headlock, they gonna kick you!

    Enjoy the time over there… it is a wonderful country!

  • aradilon
    December 4, 2008 at 8:08 AM

    Cool movie, Lisa the crazy-bird-lady :) .
    By the way, is that movie made with the canon hv20 or with the canon g9 ?

  • Brian Reavis
    December 4, 2008 at 8:33 AM

    I love the kid in the background trying to lure the one bird in (from 4:30 to 4:40)… while you are there recreating a scene from The Birds :P

  • Mark
    December 4, 2008 at 1:08 PM

    You remind me of my wife with all those birds landing on you to feed. She ends up like that when she goes into our aviary!

    Great video – that looks a really cool place to visit.

  • Keith Lang
    December 4, 2008 at 1:25 PM

    Currumbin is a great place. Make sure you get to the Sunshine Coast as well as the Gold Coast, much less glitzy :-)

  • Chrissie
    December 4, 2008 at 5:12 PM

    Great video showing a good variety of the animals up there. I can name most of them, but I think that would be cheating as I am Australian.

    The crazy-bird-lady get up suits you. :P

    Enjoy your time on the Gold Coast. :)

  • Nate
    December 4, 2008 at 5:51 PM

    Did you get to fly on one of Qantas’s new A380s? Those things are 1337
    http://tinyurl.com/5b7d7c

  • chris
    December 4, 2008 at 9:04 PM

    Australian animals are so… FOREIGN.

    What was the koala at 0:55 doing?

  • Dirk
    December 5, 2008 at 1:20 AM

    Glad you survived the rainbow birds and thanks for the funny video :) Have a great time…

  • Paul
    December 5, 2008 at 10:50 AM

    Another great video by Lisa.
    She’s been nominated in a couple of web award categories here, best social blog and best photo blog.
    Go, vote, revel in democracy.

    http://bestof604.com/category/best-photo-blog/?submit=view

  • Sean OBrien
    December 5, 2008 at 12:13 PM

    What the?!…You’re in Australia? I live just down the road (kind of) from Currumbin Sanctuary… go windsurfing at Currumbin all the time.

    So just to follow up in Chrissie’s absence I will name them, just for everyone’s interest ;)

    0.05 – Wallaby (the small kangaroo looking thing you’re patting).

    1.45 – Frill necked lizard (not to be confused with its bigger and more scary friend the Goanna)

    2.34 – Hedgehog. they rock!

    2.42 – Emu. they run faster than you can run and are quite possibly the weirdest looking flightless bird on the planet.

    2.55 – Kangaroo. aka “roadkill” in Australia. They’re considered pests and in the rural areas most farmers are happy to shoot them on sight. Sorry PETA workers!

    3.37 – Rainbow lorikeets. nice birds, but very loud!

    4.53 – just be happy you didn’t get bitten by one of our brutally deadly snakes, spiders, jellyfish, sharks, crocodiles, dingoes or sting-rays. Yes, we have pretty much all of the world’s most deadliest animals in our beautiful country!

    Enjoy you’re trip…hehe.

  • Toddy
    December 5, 2008 at 12:40 PM

    what ever you do, watch out for the drop bears!!!

    i miss australia. only been 4 months since i moved to canada but i miss it. shovelled the driveway today. gimme -20 over the +40 degree days any time!

    enjoy your trip.

  • Derek Jay Steen
    December 5, 2008 at 12:48 PM

    Name some animals? I’m the one that tagged most of them on the Viddler video.

  • Chrissie
    December 6, 2008 at 2:05 AM

    @Sean O’Brien – That’s not a hedgehog, it’s an echidna. We don’t have hedgehogs. lol.

  • Sean OBrien
    December 6, 2008 at 11:22 AM

    haha, actually Chrissie you’re right, it is an echidna. I’ve been living in Europe too long :-/

  • ultragreen
    December 6, 2008 at 8:07 PM

    One of my buddies is always talking about your blog at work – finally came and checked it out today, nice work! I’m subscribing to your rss feed – keep on posting!

  • Kevbo
    December 6, 2008 at 11:05 PM

    That was fun to watch. You didn’t say crikey once!

  • Mick
    December 7, 2008 at 12:24 AM

    Glad you are having fun out here in Oz Lisa. Just one thing though – They are Koalas, that’s it – Not Koala Bears! They are a marsupial as i am sure you know, not related to bears whatsoever.
    Enjoy the rest of your Holiday and try to make time to come down here to Melbourne, it’s worth the trip!.

  • Stavanger
    December 7, 2008 at 9:15 PM

    That’s the life, eat, sleep, being constipated, pose, being stalked, and bite Lisa!

    I wouldn’t go too near the kangaroos, heard they have roundhouse kicks second only to Chuck Norris.

  • Tony
    December 7, 2008 at 11:29 PM

    Welcome to Australia. Have fun !

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  • Michael
    December 10, 2008 at 1:33 AM

    Koalas aren’t bears ;)

  • Mark Cohen
    December 20, 2008 at 2:19 AM

    Isn’t Currumbin cool! I love it, took my kids up there recently. Did you get scabs all over where the lorikeets scratched you? Did you see the Dingo?

    If you come to Sydney you should get in to the aquarium and wildlife world at King St Wharf in the city – both are cool.

  • Maria
    December 28, 2008 at 12:45 AM

    Pretty cool Lisa! I also love your photo tips…

  • Paul Scott
    December 30, 2008 at 8:30 PM

    > Can you name any of the crazy Aussie creatures in the video?

    Is one Pasquale?

  • Mark Trawczynski
    January 11, 2009 at 10:40 AM

    Great stuff!! My wife and me were laughing are butts off. By the way I love your posts/videos… Just so you know the feedback loop is I follow you on twitter and then go to your links. Thanks for the laughs

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