March 7 - Phillip Island, Australia
Today was another tender port, and a pretty long tender ride at nearly 25 minutes. Our tour left the ship about 9:00 am and went to the Koala Conservation Centre first. After a 30 minute walk through the grounds admiring the trees, birds and occasional wallaby, we entered the koala sanctuary where there are 6 breeding koalas. I think we saw them all, but they are shy creatures so getting a good picture is a challenge. They are also caring for some of the koalas injured in the recent bush fires. They are kept in a very quiet section with almost no human interaction so that when they are better, they can be returned to the wild. Interestingly, koalas normally don't drink water, but rather get all their needs from the tips of the eucalypt tree leaves that they eat. The guide said the pictures of people pouring water for the koalas during the fires, looked good, but actually could have been doing them harm. If they drink straight water, ...