Platypus

I think I was in elementary school when I read about a platypus in Weekly Reader. I was so fascinated by the unusual animal. It was then and has always been ever since to see one in real life. It was at the  Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden Tour that my wish was finally realized.

The focus of the garden is the flowers and trees, but my focus was the platypus. Our guide was up front with us; we may or may not see any of the resident platypuses (platypi?) in any of the three garden ponds. I endured the up hill, down hill narrow paths wandering through the flowerless gardens (it was the end of summer). The information I remembered from our guide is the garden is maintained by aging volunteers. And like with organizations in the U.S. the Emu Valley Garden is having trouble finding local younger people to take an interest in the gardens so it can continue as a tourist destination in Burnie, Tasmania.

Finally, we approached one of the three ponds and all eyes were pealed on the surface of the pond water. 

Finally, a squeal! I see one!

The platypus uses its duck bill to disturb the mud at the bottom of the pond to unearth food. We were told to look for cloudy spots on the water as it would indicate a platypus at work.

It was digging near the shoreline on this photo. We waited for it to surface and when it did, was some  distance away from the cloudy water.

OFD's best photo of one of the residents

Platypus Facts from National Geographic Kids:

• Duck-billed platypuses are small, shy animals. 
• They have a flattened head and body to help them glide through the water. Their fur, dark brown on top and tan on their bellies, is thick and repels water to keep them warm and dry even after hours of swimming.
• A platypus' snout is quite soft and covered with thousands of receptors that help the platypus detect prey.
• Platypuses are bottom feeders, scooping up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud.
• An unlikely mix of duck, beaver, and otter, the male platypus also has poisonous stingers (a spur) on his rear feet.
• Folds of skin cover the eyes and ears of the platypus to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal.

From the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance:

• Often forage 10 to 12 hours per day; longer in some locations and seasons
• Females lay eggs, 1-3 eggs, usually 2
• Females lack nipples; milk exuded through skin patches
• Few platypuses in zoos; currently, two reside at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, all others in Australian collections

From ThoughtCo:

• Size: 17-20 inches
• Weight: 1.5-5.3 pounds
• Lifespan: 17 years

    Population: ~50,000

    Conservation Status: Near Threatened

• 
  

I did see flowers at the end of our tour of the Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden, although they were NOT rhododendrons. They were colorful but secondary to the platypus sightings.

I/we were fortunate enough to see platypuses at the Taronga Zoological Park in Sydney.

Lots of little people and their parents were also looking at the aquarium displays, so getting a swimming photo was impossible. This one is under the branch, waiting to slide into the water.

a lighter colored fur underbelly than the rest of the body

The platypus was hunted for its fur, but it has been a legally protected species in all states where it occurs since 1912. The word platypus comes from the Greek word meaning flat-foot. 

Back to Burnie, Tasmania for a final comment or two...

We were the last cruise ship of the season in Burnie. The mayor of Burnie climbed onto our bus to welcome us to her community and to thank us for visiting Burnie. (Our driver told us she welcomes all visitors on the buses if her duties allow.)  She then invited us to visit the Visitor's Center where locals had hand-crafted items for sale. While Hubby and I looked for the nearby first geocache find in Tasmania, OFD went shopping. When she showed her cute purchase, I was on a hunt. I, too, needed a hand-crafted platypus!

I finally found the lady selling hand-crafted wool items

I now have a platypus to remind me of this amazing cruise

and the real life platypus sightings

This concludes the New Zealand & Australia cruise posts.

Queen Victoria Building

 Once again it was because of geocaching that we entered this beautiful landmark in Sydney. The Queen Victoria Building or QVB as it is known was near the train stop we used to get to Circular Quay and the Opera House and across the street from the first geocache we found in Sydney at Town Hall in the central business district or CBD.

The Romanesque Revival building built between 1893 and 1898 was designed by the architect, George McRae. Designed as a marketplace (building is 98'x620'), it covers a full city block.

OFD is standing in front of a fountain, listening to Islay.

During one of the redevelopment stages of the QVB an unsightly ventilation shaft was discovered and cleverly covered by a sandstone wishing well. Queen Victoria's favorite pet, a sky terrier by the name of Islay was used as the decoration. Islay is a talking dog that says, “Hello, my name is Islay. I was once the companion of the great Queen Victoria. Because of the many good deeds I have done for deaf and blind children, I have been given the power of speech. If you cast a coin into the wishing well now, I will say thank you… Thank you. Woof, woof.”

Islay was sculpted in 1987. The real Islay lived from 1839-1844 and is buried at Windsor Castle.

Queen Victoria was the ruler of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1839 to her death in 1901.

The building was named for Queen Victoria in commemoration of her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of service and the first British monarch to reach that mark on June 20, 1897.

The dominant feature of the building is the central dome which consists of an interior glass dome and a copper-sheathed exterior, topped by a domed cupola. ~ Wikipedia

The rooftop includes other domes of various sizes.

The Royal Clock

The Royal Clock is located in the southern part of the QVB. The clock activates on the hour from 9 am until 9 pm. Each performance begins with the music of the trumpet voluntary as miniature trumpeters emerge from the tops of each of the clock's four outer turrets. The trumpeters withdraw at the end of the voluntary. The six scenes are viewed (one at a time) through windows on both sides of the clock that face the railed walkways. Each scene briefly illuminates to display a diorama of English royal history, before dimming and rotating to the left in preparation for the next scene. ~ Wikipedia

We were not there to hear an hourly chime.

Great Australian Clock

Located in the northern part of the QVB, this clock was our geocaching destination. Standing 133 feet tall and weighing 4 tons, the clock depicts the history of Australia. Both Aboriginal and European settlers are featured by the 138 figures in the some 33 scenes on the clock face. (I photographed 5 scenes, each of them must revolve and display even more scenes.)

The clock was installed in 2000. Designed by clockmaker Christopher Cook it took 4 years to build and cost $1.5 million. It is claimed to be the world's largest hanging animated turret clock.

(Captain Cook) Second Fleet Landing 1790

Crossing the Blue Mountains 1813

The Taking of the Children

Aborigines Before While Settlement

dome of The Great Australian Clock

this circular staircase in the corner caught my eye

leading to a door at the top on the third floor

leading to one of several turrets?

the stained glass window above street entrance

gold decor high on the walls

the interior colored glass inside the central dome

carpeted hallway, glass domed ceiling, hallways of shops

on the third floor

the center of the QVB is open from one end to the other

all 3 floors have shops along the sides

indicator for women's restroom

I was unable to find the signage for the men

OFD took photos of the opulent second floor women's restroom

shops in the QVB such as:  jewelry, clothing, accessories,

sporting goods, stationary, cosmetics, shoes,

coffee shops, small cafes

The Queen Victoria Building underwent a major upgrade in 2009, welcoming new escalators connecting upper levels, elevators, painting throughout, balustrades, carpet, signage and bathrooms.

The QVB was built on the site of an 1810 market. In 1820 a two-story building was constructed on the site. The Druitt street end had offices to administer the market. The cross-shaped Greenway's Market House sold maize, wheat, green forage, vegetables, turkeys, ducks, geese, pigs, drapery and groceries. In 1959 after some years of low shop owner occupancy, a council member suggested the QVB be demolished. In 1971 the council committed to restoring the QVB but nothing happened until 1984 when restoration began, The QVC reopened to the public in 1986.

Taronga Zoological Park in Sydney

 Tarongo is the Aboriginal word meaning beautiful view. The concept for the zoo began in 1908. The zoo at this location opened in 1916 and has undergone some major changes in mission from leisure and recreation to education and animal conservation as well as in structure and expansion.

The Taronga Zoo is not to be confused with the Sydney Zoo founded in 2015 but is 24 miles from the city center. The Sydney Zoo has many of the same animals as the Taronga Zoo, which is located across the harbor in Sydney and much easier to get to using public transportation than the Sydney Zoo.

This is the last of the zoo posts, but one of the most interesting because of the native animals.

We caught the train a couple of blocks from our hotel for a quick ride to the harbor where we met my brother and sister-in-law.

We rode the ferry across the harbor from the Opera House to the Taronga Zoo.

ferry building across the harbor

main entrance to the zoo at the upper level

Many of the buildings within Taronga Zoo were designed to stand out as architectural landmarks. The most recognizable, the main entrance, was designed in the elaborate Edwardian Baroque style with Beaux-Arts planning and featured a copper domed entranceway and ornate plaster decorations of flora and fauna. The Taronga Conservation Strategy suggests that the choice of this aesthetic spoke of: “the prevailing Zoo philosophy to amuse and entertain…”. Much of the zoo’s early design (1913 – 1914) has been attributed to architect and army officer, Colonel Alfred Spain.

one of several metal art at the entrance

the animals of Australia will be the focus of this post

Tree Kangaroo

We would have missed this sighting completely if a zoo worker had not pointed out the tree kangaroo high in the trees. Tree Kangaroos are considered endangered. They spend 60% of their time in trees. I added a link to Wikipedia because I had never heard of a tree kangaroo.

Red-Necked Wallaby

Kangaroo

considered the Kung-Fu Kangaroo because of its fighting techniques

A woman geocacher who attended the event I hosted in Sydney shared her experience when she encountered a kangaroo while geocaching. It looked as though the kangaroo was coming towards her and could attack. She was told the best defense is to lie on the ground, face-down, which she did. The kangaroo jumped on her back, ripping her pants from the waist-band to the cuff.  The next day a large footprint was visible on her back. She was sore, but counted herself very lucky to be alive from her kangaroo attack.

Emu and a Wallaby

note the difference in size!

Koala

look how relaxed it is

tubes containing eucalyptus leaves were attached to each tree

koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day, digesting the fibre and toxins

Dingo

Dingo

also known as a feral dog

Spinifex Hopping-Mouse

Ghost Bats

Greater Bilby

a nocturnal, burrowing marsupial

Australian Sea Lions

Fiordland Penguin

notice the yellow feathers near the eyes

a view of the Fiordland Penguin swimming in the tank

A display showing the different sizes of the various penguin species. Little Penguins (or Blue or Fairy) are the smallest and on the far left. Emperor Penguins are the largest and on the right.

the Yellow-Eyed Penguin

and next to it, the Fiordland Penguin

they are sixth and fifth (in size) from the right/Emperor Penguin

The Yellow-Eyed penguin that I had read with decreased sights of 70% since November 2023 was the one excursion I canceled. I felt lucky to see it in this display.

Little Penguin

also known as Fairy Penguin or Blue Penguin or Little Blue Penguin

New Zealand Fur-Seal

And then an animal not related to Australia or New Zealand, but fitting the interesting category...

Red Panda

has carnivore teeth but eats mostly bamboo leaves

native to Nepal and China

There were other animals we did see and a few we did not, like the Sun Bear and the Tigers. Overall, I felt the Taronga Zoo was excellent and am glad we had the chance to spend the day there.