all together now...

...awwwww, what a cutie.

Nearly midnight and we are back from our Night Zoo adventure which was such fun and action packed.
A good old Aussie bbq to start off the evening (with pavlova for pudding!) then armed with torches a tour of the night zoo inhabitants followed by billy tea and damper and a bush dance.
Young, enthusiastic guides introduced us to a range of nocturnal animals but of course the (cuddly) highlight was the koala.
I wasn't aware they were nocturnal but as they sleep 21 hours a day (makes teenagers look positively sprightly!) apparently their three waking hours may coincide with night.

A photo opportunity with the koala is a highlight for many and interestingly Queensland is one..if not the only... place where such can happen courtesy of a koala cuddle code of practice!

The Cairns Tropical Zoo is part of ARAZPAQ (Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria Queensland) and there are Codes of Practice including one stating a koala can be cuddled for a maximum of 30 minutes within a period of days.