Zoo!

So excited we finally made it to the zoo!  We've been to two other zoos here in Australia, both while we were in Brisbane.  Unfortunately, the memories of both are tainted by the presence of a tagalong that detracted from the Family-ness of the experience.  This was our first trip to one as just the three of us since LA, and it's really important to us since visiting zoos together has always been a important bonding thing for Dylan and I.  Getting to go as a family of three helps put some bad memories behind us.

All photos taken with my iPhone, because I had put a new battery and new memory card into the real camera before leaving but then the battery died after taking one picture of waiting for the ferry.  Lame.

To get to Taronga Zoo, we had to ride the ferry from Darling Harbor, then the Sky Tram gondola from the wharf to the zoo entrance at the top of the headlands.  That was pretty cool.  Then the walk through the zoo brought us back down to the wharf.  Brilliant layout!

On the Sky Tram

They had a variety of animatronic dinosaurs around the zoo, as part of a "save endangered animals" campaign.  A pretty clever tie-in, I guess.

This one had exposed mechanics and a control joystick to experiment with.  Yay!

Of course, since Aus has the most venomous and poisonous and craziest-deadliest reptiles on the planet, it shouldn't be surprising they have a pretty extensive collection of those things in the zoo. The exhibits were nice, too.  Easy to see most things, even the best view I've ever had of a Komodo Dragon.

Black-headed python and bearded dragons checking each other out.

Gecko!

Kangaroos, of course.  And although they had an area where the kangaroos were welcome to come up to us, we weren't allowed off the path to go to them as we had in Brisbane, so no petting this time :(  They were all hiding.

Red Kangaroo, just chillin'

Smiles!  Watching the baby Asian elephant eat.

They had several seals/sea lions too, enough to have a Seal Show in an auditorium and every thing.  So much fun to watch trainers interact with them.  The trainer of the California Sea Lion was quite proud of getting his sea lion to bark, loudly, then follow it up with, "See, you can tell he's a California Sea Lion by the American accent."   I didn't think Kaylee would be impressed by the show at all, but it turns out that having a crowd of people around her laughing and clapping got her interested.  She stayed content through the whole thing.  Yay, Baby Girl!

This is an Australian Pelican.  I've seen flocks of American Pelicans, and been impressed with their size.  They're NOTHING compared to this guy.  The picture does not do him justice.  That eye alone is almost 2 inches in diameter.  And when he flaps his wings - it's ridiculous!

The zoo's layout makes for some great views of the harbor and city skyline.  On the right, a little bit obscured by the tree, you'll see the Sydney Opera House.

All in All, a WONDERFUL day.