On Saturday we went on a koala hunt. Not real koalas, but a batch of koala sculptures that were hiding in the Australian National Botanic Gardens. There were also some at the zoo, the ANU and Old Parliament House. Here are 5 of the 12 that we photographed. The koalas were painted by local artists and each one had a plaque with its name and some nature facts. The aim is to teach visitors how important koalas and the plants that live in the same habitat are to us. The names of these guys are Carramar, Buzzy, Bushby, Gum Blossom and Captain Koala.The last photo is of a couple of my favourite denizens that live in the gardens. They are Eastern Water Dragons. They are fairly tame and the only visitors who disturb them are noisy kids; when disturbed they race off the rocks and jump into the nearest pond or creek. You can spend hours strolling around the ANBG, but be aware that the plants are Australian natives and to the overseas visitor they can look drab, dry and uninteresting (except for the short periods when they are in flower) as they are adapted to our (mostly) harsh climates.
Labels: animals, Canberra
# posted by Bart Bear @ 12:13 pm
