I wanted to see a koala in Australia

With limited time, I did not want to take the ferry to the The Sydney Zoo. It has a wonderful reputation but I just wanted to see a koala.

There is a private zoo on the Darling Harbour in the heart of Sydney, the Sydney Wildlife Park. It is next to the Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Sydney.

I set off on a 15 minute walk to Darling Harbour to see a koala.

I was disappointed in my first impression of the Sydney Wildlife Park. Just after entering, a photographer wanted to take my picture in front of a green screen. I could buy my souvenir photo for $35.00. I don’t like an up-sell before seeing what the attraction offers.

The first large exhibit was the butterfly pavilion but there are more butterflies in my front garden. I was beginning to regret my decision to see a koala at the Sydney Wildlife Park. With a $42.00 admission price, I expected to see butterflies in the butterfly pavilion.

Well, I had already paid the admission price so it was time to find my koala.

This is not a koala

This is a Tasmanian devil.

At first, the Tasmanian devil den looked empty. But after a few minutes, a Tasmanian devil hopped out of his den and stared at me through the glass barrier. I was starting to feel better about my trip to the Sydney Wildlife Zoo.

My only knowledge of Tasmanian devils comes from the Looney Tunes cartoon character. The Government of Tasmania had a long running trademark dispute with Warner Bros. on cartoon Taz. The dispute finally settled in 2006, thereby allowing the Government of Tasmania to sell stuffed toys of Taz, with profits to be used for research into a disease that has ravaged the population of wild Tasmanian devils, devil facial tumour disease.

Tasmanian devils were once native to mainland Australia but now are only found on the island of Tasmania. Tasmanian devils are marsupials. The pups spend 100 days in the mom’s pouch.

Tasmanian devils are popular with tourists.

The fierce Tasmanian devil has a very strong bite

A Tasmanian devil is the size of a small dog. Keep your dogs away from devils!

Although this Tasmanian devil looks very fierce, he had just gotten up and he is yawning.

This is a shy cassowary

The cassowary is a solitary bird. It is a tall, heavy bird, smaller only than an ostrich and an emu.

This cassowary lived in a large, forest-like enclosure. He was constantly on the move so it was hard to grab a photo.

You need to see a kangaroo if you go to Australia

The kangaroos were very sleepy. This one finally woke up and used his small front paws to scratch his fur.

You can be a star in your own Crocodile Dundee movie

Crocodile Dundee, starring Paul Hogan, cost less than $10 million to make and grossed $328 million worldwide at the box office.

This large saltwater crocodile at the Sydney Wildlife Zoo spends most of his time staring at tourists.

This scene looks like a scene from a Jurrasic Park movie before a disaster. I just had to head down to the crocodile viewing bubble to get my own close-up.

This is a close-up of the crocodile at the Sydney Wildlife Zoo

The crocodile is looking inside the viewing bubble, hoping for lunch.

This crocodile could use a good dentist

If you don’t like crocodiles, you can visit snakes

There are lots of colourful lizards at the Sydney Wildlife Zoo

These frogs are very shiny and vibrant

The frogs were so still, it took me a minute to see them. They looked like glass frogs.

Finally, a koala!

Koala look even more cuddly and adorable in real life than I imagined.

They are very fussy about their diet, eating only eucalyptus leaves.

The koala is the worldwide symbol of Australia.

A koala named Sam receives water from Country Fire Authority volunteer fire fighter Dave Tree after being rescued from the Victorian bushfires in the area of Mirboo North, about 120km (75 miles) southeast of Melbourne, in this February 8, 2009 file photo. Sam, who won the hearts of the world when video footage of her rescue from Australia’s deadly bushfires six months ago hit the internet, died on August 6, 2009 after losing a second battle for survival. REUTERS/Courtesy of the Department of Sustainability and Environment/Mark Pardew/Files

This wild koala and firefighter became famous after this photo went viral.

I spy with my little eye …

I paid an extra $10.00 to enter the koala enclosure. It was well worth it. I could get very close to the koalas. I wanted to hold this sweet baby koala but you cannot touch or hold the koalas.

A selfie with a koala is a great souvenir of Australia

Koalas sleep about 20 hours a day. This one woke up at the perfect time for a selfie.

All in all, I am happy with my trip to see the koalas at the Sydney Wildlife Zoo.