Kangaroos in Coober Pedy

We did not plan to stay in Coober Pedy long. Before we got there I even did not know that the place exists. I had no idea what we can do in a tiny town in a middle of a desert and would not mind to move on as soon as possible. A sand storm and a thunder storm (what a combination!) changed our mind. Our stop in Coober Pedy lasted 3 days, and it was not boring!

The most remarkable experience I had in Josephine's gallery - and the most unexpected one!

In one of the numerous touristic places we found a leaflet about feeding times for baby kangaroos in Josephine's Gallery. Twice a day - at 12 and 5pm - the gallery opens its doors for animal lovers...

This is Josephine herself with some of her babies. What began as an act of compassion (years ago Josephine and Terry, her husband, picked a baby kangaroo which they found in a pouch of a dead mother on the road) became a mission. Their backyard is transformed into a play ground for baby kangaroos which are brought to them from all over the place. Their home is transformed into a kangaroo kinder garden.

All babies went through a sad story of loosing their mother due to a road accident or hunting (Aboriginal people shoot them for dinner just as they did hundreds of years ago). Some of the babies have really tragic stories to tell, if they could. Some had being hunted by eagles and were eaten alive - piece by piece, some were attacked by the dogs...

Now, in the fenced backyard, surrounded by other kangaroos to

play with, fed and looked after by these 2 wonderful people, the little kangaroos become babies again: they skip,

they fight, they play, they beg for treats and seek attention, they demand their milk bottle "right now" and

prefer to avoid their "mom Josephine's" attempt to groom them - just like little children.

The babies are so soft, so fluffy... Their eyes are so big and beautiful.

Where else it is possible to hug, to pet, to feed a kangaroo in an intimate environment, face to face? Where else it is possible to handle a tiny bundle like this one?

It is definitely one of the most attractive places I visited in Australia in 15 years of my life here. The gallery is on the main street which is Hutchinson street 131-133

Their phone os +61 8 86725931 and they are looking for some helping hands in exchange for accommodation.

It is a link to a video about my visit to Josephine's Gallery in Coober Pedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iFwGWSUtTY

Tex and Bundy, the motocyclists

While travelling across Australia we stopped overnight in Tathra Beach Tourist Park not far from Bega, south of Sydney. It is a good camp site with a few exits right on a big and very good beach (mostly empty, which is a bonus).

However, the best event of that overnight stay was a meeting with Tex and Bundy.
First, our attention was drawn to а huge number of motorcycles in the park.

As we found out a Suzuki Club celebrated anniversary of some model of a Suzuki motorbike.
Then our attention was drawn to a bike covered with multiple paw prints and with a portrait of a dog on the front. Later we spotted the owner of the bike, or to be more accurate - 2 owners: a gentlemen in a proper motorcyclist's leather attire and a blue healer in the same type of outfit. They looked nearly like twins in their leather jackets, goggles and bandanas.

Then we learnt from them about a story of Bundy the dog, who rides motorbikes since the age of 3 months and loves it as much as her friend Tex.





We also learnt that Bundy and Tex are restless charity workers and that Bundy is well known not only in Australia, but around the world.

I can only add that it was a privilege to make acquaintances with such exceptional characters. But being an ordinary person myself I would not want my dog Simba to acquire the same ambitions. She was deeply interested in a motorbike riding dog, and showed some inclinations to try the same. After that meeting I gave Simba a lecture about all dangers of riding bikes - motor or not - and now I have to hope that she listened.

After all, boldness and reklessness as well as thriving for stardom are very attractive.

This is Tex' and Bundy's record:

Simba's travelling adventures

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