Eating habits of the platypus – Part 1

“Let’s put some shrimps on the barbie”, a typical Australian may say. Well for a platypus they also enjoy shellfish in their diet. They can be found in lakes, streams and rivers of eastern Australia.

Did you know? A platypus can eat half their body weight everyday, even more. They must eat large quantities of food in order to survive.

The platypus eats at unusual times it feeds in the early hours of the morning and in the late afternoon into dusk. It is a very unsociable animal which is known for being quite shy; it likes to keep himself to himself. It spends roughly two hours in the water eating its body weight in food and then it will return to a burrow that it has made. The burrows are normally located near the feeding areas along river banks or streams.

The diet of the platypus is consists of a wide variety like humans they don’t like to eat the same thing day in day out however for the platypus they eat whatever they can find first. It’s all about the survival of the fittest! Their diet consists of insect larvae, snails, yabbies, worms, tadpoles and other fauna and shellfish.

They have a distinct way of finding food which enables them to never go hungry. They are adapted to their environment by their duck-billed bill. The bill is sensitive and can detect prey in the mud at the bottom of rivers and around boulders. This is very useful to the platypus because it is able to seek prey that other animals in the rivers are not able to find. It gives the platypus an advantage over the other animals in the river. They are also able to stay under water for approximately five minutes which allows them time to find their food. However sometimes the platypus will just float along the surface of the water ready for prey to swim near and be snapped up quickly. If the platypus stays in the water for too long their fur becomes heavy and waterlogged and can cause them to drown.

An adult platypus generally does not have teeth and so has a very unusual way of eating food. They use the horny plates in their mouth to crush the food. When the bill seeks the food it snaps it up quickly before other animals get it first. It then stores the food in its cheek pouches ready to by crushed and eaten. For younger platypuses it is different. Unlike adults they have molar teeth which they use to chew their food however as they grow older their teeth are replaced my horny ridges in their mouth.

This Australian animal belongs to family called Ornithorhynchiade, which is quite a hard word to say. I hope you have enjoyed reading this article as much as I have enjoyed researching it.

Sources:

http://www.aussie-info.com/ide ntity/fauna/platypus.php

http://teachit.acreekps.vic.ed u.au/animals/platypus.htm

Not The Whitsundays, Australia, Part 2

The lush setting was quite a contrast to some of the red dirt sites where we stayed in the Australian Outback. In the background are big, tree covered hills, part of the Conway National Park, which surrounds the area. You come upon views of the Coral Sea and islands around almost every corner. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds, from lorikeets and cockatoos, to curlews and kookaburras, even the odd bush turkey. There are plenty of bushwalking trails in the National Park ranging in length and difficulty.

Shute Harbour is just that, a harbour for the island cruises, including a vehicle ferry. There is a secure multi-story car park to leave your car while you’re away, or you can catch a bus from your park. There is, however, an excellent lookout, just above the harbour, and easily accessible by road. This is provided by the Lions, and has parking for big rigs, while you take your photos of the Whitsunday Passage.

Airlie Beach does not have much of a beach, as such. Visitors always ask, “where are the White Sandy Beaches?”. Unfortunately, the answer is only on the Islands. The mainland beaches are all coarse yellow sand, or mud. Shingley Beach, doesn’t have shingle either – more mud, or, to be kind, coarse grey sand. This is probably due to the well set out extensive marina in the bay there, no doubt a worthwhile alternative.

Another marina is being developed around the headland, and certainly it will look great when completed, but we felt sorry for the people in the resort hotels and apartments who had paid for their ocean view.

What Airlie does have, is a beautiful long lagoon. This extends along the ocean front, and has its own beach, shallows, and water up to two metres deep. It has stinger free water, (a hazard in the tropics) with permanent lifeguards, places to sunbathe, showers, shady areas and barbecues. And it is free. A boardwalk extends around the shoreline for most of Airlie, and provides places to stop and admire the views.

A typical resort village, Airlie caters for everyone from backpackers to the spare-no-expense holidaymaker. There are many restaurants with almost every kind of cuisine. Nine eating places in one short street and double that in the surrounding area. Shopping centres in the area have the usual big supermarkets and discount chain stores you will be familiar with, plus many of the specialty shops. There is a booming night life, hotels, bars and clubs provide everything you could wish for.

If you don’t have your own get-around vehicle, you can rent anything from a car to a push-bike, including four wheel drives, scooters and mokes. We have our own transport, and found it essential for what we wanted to do.

Great Barrier Reef Vacation At South Long Island Nature Lodge In The Whitsundays

For the top Great Barrier Reef vacation you will find the South Long Island Nature Lodge in the Whitsundays comes top of the list . It is an adult only very secluded island retreat accessible only by helicopter, catering for a maximum of ten guests.

This is the place for a luxury Australia vacation with fine dining, premium Australian wines, incredibly personalised service in a totally unspoilt part of Australia.

The Whitsundays consist of 74 islands of which 8 are inhabited lying midway along the Queensland coast, bordered by the Great Barrier Reef and cradled by the Coral Sea

South Long Island Nature Lodge has an all inclusive tariff except for wine and beers includes private helicopter tours, and private catamaran yacht cruises to explore the coral gardens, deserted beaches and the unique wild life in this part of the Whitsundays.

South Long Island Nature Lodge has just ten superb waterfront bungalows overlooking the private beach of Paradise Bay and is a perfect escape for a top Great Barrier Reef vacation, as this is the most secluded and unspoilt location in the Whitsundays. The bungalows are right on the waterfront, surrounded by tropical rainforest with spectacular views of Paradise Bay.

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Possibly the most spectacular time you will have at the Lodge is when you are taken by helicopter out to The outer Great Barrier Reef, and there really is nothing to beat a view of the reef from the air, stretched out below you. It will also take you to Whitehaven beach possibly one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Fine dining is a necessity for a vacation to be truly successful and this luxury Australian Vacation to South Long Island Nature Lodge will give you fine dining every night, with fresh local produce, and some of the best seafood you will get anywhere. The chef will basically cook whatever your dietary requirements and food fads are, it is that personal a service.

Food is eaten dinner part style , under a thousand star sky overlooking the beach. This enables you to meet and get to know people you’d never normally chat to, and have some scintillating conversations.

The South Long Island Nature Lodge really is paradise for the stressed executive and partner, with never more than ten guests, no televisions, no young children, no mobile phones, and no day visitors to disturb you. It’s like your own private island, with your own chef, and boat skipper at your beck and call, and a hostess to ensure your every whim is met. All of which makes for a perfect Australia Luxury Vacation.

For more information on Australia Holiday Hideaways go to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Oceania%26%2339%3Bs-Hidden-Hotels/Australia/

Animal facts: Red fox

The red fox now know as the “fox” is the largest of the fox species weighting between 7 and 16 pounds. (Red) Foxes inhabit the United States, Europe, Africa, Canada, Asia and Australia. While subspecies of the (red) fox inhibit many other countries.

The fox is (as its name suggest) a reddish color, it eyes are a goldish yellow color; it has a bushy white tipped tail and a pointy face. It is actually a very cute animal resembling features of both a dog and a cat. Even with its short little legs it can run up to 50 mph.

HABITAT

The fox will live anywhere it feels safe whether in the mountains, prairies, grasslands, deserts, forests and any place that has a plentiful supply of food and shelter.

DIET

The fox’s is diet is primarily carnivorous such as; rabbits, mice, rats, insects birds, fish, and any smaller animal it will also eat fruit and vegetation if “meat” is not available. It stalks its prey then pounces on it sometimes having to depend on its good hearing to locate the prey in the bushes or tall grass. It will only eat a small amount at a time and spreads the leftovers through out its eight to ten mile territory.

Foxes hunt alone and will not share their food unless they are forced to by another animal. Usually causing the fox to leave the meal behind and find another.

The fox hunts during the day and sleeps at night except in areas that are highly populated by humans. As humans pose a threat to the fox it stays out of site during the day.

MATING

Depending on the geographical location foxes mate between December and April usually when the weather is warmer in the region.

Foxes are monogamous animals and the male fox will stay with the female fox until the cubs (kits) are born brining her food and helping prepare the “maternity dens ” (they build two incase one is invaded) four to six weeks after the cubs are born he will leave and return when it is time to mate again.

A litter of four to twelve cubs (or kits) are born after a gestation period of eight weeks. They are born blind and weight as little as a half a pound. They emerge from the den at about a month old. They will leave their mother between six and eight months of age.

PREDATORS

The fox has many predators any wild carnivorous animal that is larger than the fox is considered a predator. Humans hunt foxes for sport and farmers kill them for being a nuisance and trying their chickens and other small livestock.

The average lifespan of the fox is only two to four years. Many of them contact rabies and die or have to be put down.

Sources

www.nationalgeographic.com

www.redfox.org

www.wildlife.com/redfox

Things to do in spring in Sydney, Australia

Sydney is a wonderful city to visit at any time of the year, but spring is a particularly good time because it is warm but not too hot, and spring is Sydney’s driest season. Since Sydney is in the Southern Hemisphere, spring is in September to the end of November.

Sydney harbour is arguably the most beautiful harbour in the world, and the cheapest way to see much of it is to take a ferry ride from Circular Quay to Manly. Manly is a fascinating beachside suburb to explore, with a number of beautiful scenic walks, a good beach, and a great aquarium to visit, but the ferry ride itself is a big attraction.

If you have the time and money, another great way to see the harbour is to take one of the many dinner, lunch or cocktail cruises. These are usually boarded from Circular Quay and are run by operators such as Captain Cook Cruises. Special cruises are also available that combine a cruise, dinner and a concert at the Opera House, and there are also overnight cruises that fully explore the harbour.

From Circular Quay a walk to the west will take you to the Harbour Bridge (and if you’re game you can even climb up it on one of two guided tours) and the nearby historical ‘Rocks’ area. This has many interesting buildings, museums and places to eat, and is the area where white settlement in Australia began. The entire district is really an outdoor museum with many attractions (including the Rocks Pub Tour).

To the east of Circular Quay is the Opera House, which is of course the most famous building in Sydney. It is getting old now, but is still a fantastic building to visit, and the architecture is still amazing. The view of the harbour is wonderful from the Opera House, and of course while you’re there make sure you get a ticket for a play, opera or concert. There are several Opera House tours, which are fascinating, but some are over-priced, especially the backstage tour.

The Royal Botanic gardens are an easy stroll from the Opera House, and spring is definitely the best time to visit here as all the blooms are out. There are guided walks and a trackless train, or just wander around and have a look yourself. Mrs Macquarie’s chair is the best place to take photos of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and it’s free to visit.

After the botanic gardens, stroll back into town and take the monorail to Darling Harbour, which has numerous restaurants, and which also has one of the best aquariums in the world. There is often free outdoor entertainment there too. It’s a great place to hang out, especially in the mild spring weather.

Another great thing to do in Sydney in spring is to travel by train down to Cronulla in the south, across the bridge to North Sydney and beyond in the north, and to the Blue Mountains in the West. The Blue Mountains are particularly worth a visit, and preferably a stay of a day or two as there is so much to see and do.

A word of warning: Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world because of the high UV levels, and even in spring you need to do what the Aussies do, which is ’slip, slop, slap’ – slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. As the cancer council says, no sun tan is worth dying for.

Australia: More than kangaroos and great beaches – Part 8

In Australia many people look forward to retirement because its the time when they can finally get out there and explore their country. Australia is a vast continent with a relatively small population (20 million) so there are large expanses of undeveloped space. I mean SPACE in big capital letters so the best way to see Australia is in a 4WD with a tent and lots of free time. Hence the army of wrinkles and grey hairdo’s making its way around the country. Given the fact that even its residents are unlikely to see everything its has to offer, most visitors only scratch the surface. And, I suppose if you’re going to see anything it may as well be a kangaroo and some great beaches (and I don’t include Bondi).

There is enough to see and do in Australia to justify several visits but if its a once in a lifetime trip make sure you see Sydney, the Red Centre (Uluru) and the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney is a contender for the most beautiful city in the world and Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef are iconic Aussie wonders that you won’t find anywhere else. Life in Australia is all about the great outdoors so forget ’sight-seeing’ and get out there and experience it – have a BBQ on the beach, try surfing lessons, see Sydney from the top of the Harbour Bridge, go camping in the outback. You could even try cattle mustering or sheep shearing. And, if you’re visiting the Great Barrier Reef it’s definitely time to get wet – don’t insult this 1000-mile majestic treasure with a short trip in a glass-bottomed boat!

In addition to its amazingly diverse geography (vast red deserts, dazzling reef systems and lush tropical rainforest to name a few), the other alluring aspect to Australia is Aboriginal culture. Australia’s largely bland white Anglo culture is not much of a selling point unless you’ve never eaten a dodgy meat pie before. But the rich sounds and imagery of Aboriginal culture are enthralling and totally connected to this ancient landscape. The problem is, in reality Aboriginal culture seems difficult to access as a tourist and I’ve always felt slightly short-changed when it comes to finding out about them. There are plenty of Aboriginal art galleries (run by white people) and a few cultural centres such as Tjapukai in Cairns but outside of these the opportunities seem limited. In the cities you probably won’t see any Aborigines and in places like Alice Springs you could find yourself startled by their rowdiness outside the local pub at 10.00 in the morning! I presume this limited ability to experience the world of Australia’s Aboriginal people is due to them living in remote areas. Quite possibly it might also be because they don’t want white fellas poking their noses in to their business! Of course, that would be fair enough.

Restaurant reviews: Argentinian Bar & Grill in Adelaide, South Australia

My brother and I went to the Argentinian Bar & Grill on Saturday night. We had tickets to the Hilltop Hoods and Adelaide Symphony Ochestra concert which started at 8pm, so we thought we should have a bite to eat before.

The Argentinian Bar & Grill is located at 46 Port Road, Hindmarsh, just two steps away from the Adelaide Entertainemnt Centre. It’s about a ten minute drive from Adelaide CBD.

The building is unassuming, in fact it’s rather plain.

We were ushered in at about 5.20pm and seated at the bar. Service was very good. The bar was very modern and clean. They do serve bar meals (fish and chips, wedges etc) but it isn’t a very large area and it filled up very quickly.

We were shown to our table a bit after 5.30pm. We were near the entrance to the restaurant, which was fully booked for the night. I think it was a bit squishy in terms of how many people they squeezed in.

We started off with a peperonata and oven toasted bread. This was really good, I love capsicums! The peperonata was a mix of red and green capsicums, zucchini, basil and garlic. The bread was hot and tasty, with just enough crunch.

For our mains, we both had the lamb chops. They came with a lovely sauce, parprika baby potatoes and baby carrots. We also ordered steamed vegetables as a side dish. The main was divine, the meat was cooked just right and the sauce was delicious.

For dessert, we ordered Churros and Creme Catalana. Churros was a dougnut-type pastry sprinkled with cinnamon, and served with melted chocolate. The Creme Catalana was a creme brulee with rosemary scented angel hair toffee. Both were excellent (though I did favour the Churros) but by this time my brother and I were very full so we didn’t finish either.

Between the two of is, we also shared a piccolo bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne.

Service throughout our meal was attentive and courteous. The waiting staff at this restaurant are very professional. The maitre’d did say he was glad we came in early as he was expecting it to be manic later in the night. By the time we left at 7.30pm, both the bar and restaurant had filled up.

It cost us AUD140 for drinks, champagne, starter, main and dessert.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone but not for a rushed meal. It’s a beautiful experience so set aside at least two hours to fully enjoy yourselves!

Great places to shop

Sometimes a girl or a guy just gets that urge to shop. If that sounds like you, why incorporate this passion into your holiday plans and head for a destination that will allow you to shop to your heart’s content. Our high streets may all look like clones of each other, packed with the major chains but internationally a handful of destinations really stand out.

Dubai quickly becoming a major center for luxury shopping in the Middle East, people flock to Dubai to take advantage of the great prices for designer goods. If you are looking for somewhere to break up a flight to the Far East, Australia or New Zealand, consider laying down at Dubai for a few hours and stocking up on Mulberry purses and the like. Dubai is also a good place to buy gold jewelry and you can combine this with a spot of sightseeing by heading for the gold souks in the Old Town.

Hong Kong OK, so many of the goods here are fake and I shouldn’t be recommending that but there are many people who are happy to buy designer copies. If that’s you then Hong Kong will offer everything you could wish for. Better still is to have some clothes tailor made while you are in Hong Kong. This is a great way to purchase good quality men’s and women’s suits. Turn up, get measured, choose the style, the color and the fabric and arrange a time to go back to collect your finished outfit. This will free you up for a spot of sightseeing so the other half won’t complain about shopping all day every day.

New York the shopping destination of choice for many Brits. It’s a relatively short flight, the fares are pretty cheap and the favorable exchange rate ensures you get a lot for your money. You can’t miss old favourites like Bloomingdales and Macy’s but thrifty shoppers should head for Century 21 where you can bag some great bargains. I always buy my jeans here.

Paris Parisians consider themselves the most stylish people in the world and there are some great places to buy clothes in Paris but I’m really thinking of antique shopping for Paris. There are some wonderful flea markets selling decorative objects and antiquarian books and prints as well as tiny back street dealers whose doors open up a treasure trove of exciting little gems.

Barcelona there are many great food markets but La Boqueria in Barcelona must surely rate as the best. It’s a foodie’s paradise with all kinds of delicious delicacies on offer. Admittedly some of them need to be eaten fresh and aren’t suitable for taking home but

Essential facts about Australia – Part 1

After more than four degrees from state universities, and having reached the age that most of us wishful flower children never thought we would see, 60, and I dare you to laugh, I have concluded that we can only write from experience, really.

Now, what experience do I have with the continent of Australia. Australia is more than just a large, rather large, actually, island, actually. It is a continent and merits the peculiar honor of being studied as a separate land mass that developed its own peculiar humans and its own species of animals. Nowhere else do we find kangaroos, standing up on their hind legs, like humans or pygmy bears eating eucalyptus leaves. That is about all I know about Australia taken from common sources available to everybody who can read and cares to. But I am priviledged to have known Australians, from Australia, raised in Australia and visiting, like me, another country. We met in that other country and shared our vacation together as fellow travelers.

Australians have a delightful speech pattern and vocalization. It really must be heard to understand, but if one can recall hearing Gordon Brown of England, an octave or two higher, with a bunch of walnuts in their shell in his mouth, one gets the sound. My friends the Australians were physically fit to a fault without the muscle man look of female weight lifters seen in America. it showed that Australia must be a very healthy place to live. Their skin was without blemish and really perfect without that sometimes seen padding of fat that underlies most such healthy humans seen in America. They were generous to a fault with their time and their attention and their treating me to lunch and trips to other points of interest in that other country. Therefore, I can conclude that Australians are very well off and have never been made to feel the pinch of need or want and they can share because others have shared with them and that is how they are conditioned to live in Australia.

My friends, the Australians, were not nosy or overly anxious for addresses or telephone numbers. They were on vacation as we and they enjoyed the natives of the other country as much as we, but they did not need to be cloying or overly anxious in acquiring life long contacts.

That point is what I would like to close with. Life long contacts are not essential for Australians visiting other countries. Unlike Europeans and Americans, Australians are perfectly happy to be who they are and are not anxious to be intruded upon by nonAustralians.

Beautiful Busselton

When thinking of Western Australia images of hot desert landscapes sweltering under a ferocious sun come to mind. But 200 kilometres south of Perth is the the Busselton/Margaret River region, where inland forests, elaborate coastline and fertile farmlands belie this desert stereotype. The town of Busselton lies on the shores of Geographe Bay, whose thirty kilometres of sweeping white beaches are celebrated in travel books the world over. An award winning force in the tourism industry, Busselton is the perfect place to visit on your campervan holiday because of the wealth of nearby attractions waiting to be discovered by you!

As one of Western Australia’s earliest settlements, tourists have been visiting Busselton for decades now. Being a seaside town, much of its pull factor lies in the picture perfect beaches near the town. The water is startlingly blue in this part of the world, and the temperate climate of warm summers and mild winters makes it suited to a coastal holiday most of the year round. The waters of Geographe Bay have a diverse Array of tropical and sub tropical species of marine life, boosted by the Leeuwin current that flows in during the autumn and winter. Scuba diving and snorkelling are a common recreational pursuit, one where you can expect to be blown away by amazing colours and all the oddities of the underwater world!

One of Busselton’s main features is the Busselton Jetty, a heritage listed wooden jetty that extends two kilometres out from shore into the waters of the bay and is the oldest wooden structure in the southern hemisphere. It is recognised as being one of the top ten dive jetties in the world, and more than 300 individual marine species have made their home around the large wooden structure. The best thing about the jetty is you are able to get up close and personal with the marine life without actually getting wet! You can do this via the Underwater Observatory located at the end of the jetty. The dome shaped structure with immense glass windows is not unlike a fishbowl, except that the people are on the inside! Dolphins and seals are regularly viewed swimming, feeding and playing around the Observatory, as of course are colourful coral and multitudes of tropical fish. There is a small train that takes visitors over the jetty and out to the Observatory.

Busselton is seen as the northern gateway to the Margaret River Region, an area renowned for its forests, farmlands and attractive vineyards. One of the premier wine producing districts in Australia, you should allocate at least one day where you hop into your motorhome and tour the various cellar doors in the district. Many vineyards have a restaurant on site, so complement your wine tasting with a fine meal, and take home a couple of bottles of the regions finest! The fertile soils also mean there is an abundance of fresh produce, so you can buy anything from cheeses to olive oil, beer, jams and chocolates. Perfect for stocking up your picnic baskets.

If you have visited in the spring time you are likely to see the colourful fields of wildflowers that have come to characterise the south west of Australia. People flock into Busselton to see the bright pinks and red of the boronia flowers and the multi coloured kangaroo paws that drape the landscape. The Ludlow Tuart Forest, seven kilometres out from Busselton, is a popular place to view the flowers, and is also home to the only stand of tuart forest growing naturally in the world. The trees here are estimated to be over 300 years old, and there are many designated walking trails that take you through the peaceful forest.

Being such an old and established town, Busselton is steeped in heritage that is evident in a number of buildings and structures in and near the town. The Cape Naturaliste lighthouse was built in 1904 on a headland overlooking Geographe Bay, and is an easily recognisable feature of the region. Its perfect for those sunset kodak moments, and can be seen on thousands of postcards. In the town itself is St. Mary’s Church, the oldest stone church in Western Australia, and nearby lies the states first butter factory.

With such a wide range of attractions on offer, Busselton promises to make any campervan holiday here an exciting and full time. The variety of accommodation options in the town is complemented by the range of venues for eating out or having a fun and social drink. Outdoor activities such as cycling, canoeing and fishing are extremely popular here as well, so whatever kind of holiday you are looking for Busselton will have it covered!

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