For the Platypus
Trip Start
Dec 12, 2011
1
6
7
Trip End
May 01, 2014
What I did
David Fleay Wildlife Park
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The first issue we came to was getting there, we do not have a car here, and the nearest bus stop was still a long way away to walk, but being young and fit we did it, finally making it to the drive entrance... unfortunately the drive was equally as long and it wasn't a fun walk on the road in the rain. But we made it.
First we headed to the nocturnal house to see what I had really come for. Davis Fleay park is the only one on the Gold Coast which houses a platypus, and I was eager to see him. It took a little time, but he didn't disappoint.
Next we toured the park, which is extremely small (we walked round it twice as we had taken so long to get there and weren't quite ready to set off on our epic journey back. The park gives the impression that the animals can come and go as they wish, which for the birds they can. I did find some bits a little sad, for example at Currumbin you can get in the emu and kangaroo enclosure to feed them, whereas at David Fleay they were completely separated and I thought the emu looked quite sad, on its own pacing up and down. That was the same for the lone Dingo :o(
I did enjoy that you were able to get very close (but safely) to the saltwater crocodile. And it was exciting to see the smaller saltwater crocodile snapping its powerful jaws at the larger one. Also the tree kangaroos were very close and not in a cage, just an open enclosure, so we were lucky to see this endangered species close up.
We stayed for one talk, however there was no microphone and it was hard to hear, unfortunately there was not enough there to keep us entertained in the hour gaps between the talks, so we didn't stay any longer.
It is a shame more cannot be made of this park, unfortunately I would have been disappointed if I had paid the usual $18.20 for an adult ticket.
