IN THE LAND OF OZ

Ex-pat Canadians now back home share their remarkable travels ‘down under’

- Helene Clarke

My husband Tim and I have recently returned to Canada after living in Christchurch, New Zealand, for three years. While there, it was easy to hop across the Ditch, or Pond—as the locals on both sides of the Tasman Sea say—and visit Australia. We loved returning to Oz, since we both had spent a lot of time there in our younger years.

When travelling, we like to focus on the wildlife and natural wonders of the area and David Fleay Wildlife Park didn’t disappoint. That’s where we caught a glimpse of the cutest baby koala by patiently outlasting the other visitors.

The time diˆerence between New Zea land and Queensland, Australia, meant that we were waking up before 5 a.m. every morning. While spending a few days out in the country, our early rising provided opportunities to photograph a lot of colourful birds, as well as the resident mob of kangaroos, in the golden hour. One morning, a little joey even sneaked a peek out of Mom’s pouch, and one afternoon we came upon two big boomers (male kangaroos) having a boxing match. Their short arms flailed around, sometimes connecting before they rocked back on their tails to engage their powerful hind legs.