As with most such trips I have done in Australia, the Aquarium was bursting with school groups, furthering the notion of educational experience had in such an environment. Boarding the glass bottom boat was no different as I found myself sharing it with a group of excitable school girls and their teacher. The boat journey was amazing and everything I had hoped for with even a black tipped reef shark coming to the surface to show its fin protruding through the water. The staff member that took the group out was also very informative and obviously passionate about his job which added significantly to the experience. Very luckily, instead of the 10minute time slot in the boat we had purchased, with no other people waiting, he spent closer to 20minutes moving the boat over and across the tank and even let us feed some of the over excitable fish.
Leaving the aquarium I made my way to the building next door and into Sydney’s Wildlife World. Here I was greeted by all the creatures I had been terrified off during my camp visits; red back spiders, funnel web spiders and a large collection of snakes, insects and creepy crawlies. It was an amazing collection but a little spin tingling as you enter dark corridors and walk past red lit tanks filled with these deadly creatures. I was, however, given the rare experience of having a stick insect crawl up my hand. This is something that I thought I would enjoy as I am not of a squeamish nature, but as it clung its little claws into my skin I realised I had been previously mistaken and that this was not enjoyable at all.
Moving through Wildlife World, I was soon faced with their latest addition, a 4.5m fresh water crocodile. What a magnificent creature to witness, in all its glory, in a glass sided tank and from the viewing platform above. Whilst standing at the platform above, staring at this massive creature, I was given the unusual surprise of having a lorikeet landing on my head and preening me; incredible.
After spending my whole day exploring this place and all the creatures it had to offer it soon became time for something to eat and so I began my walk once again back from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. On my way I spotted a small Indian Restaurant and, feeling like a change, I nipped in for a delicious curry. Sitting there working my way through some paperwork and letting my dinner settle, I was given another surprise of the day when the manager came over with a dessert which she handed me telling me it was on the house. How nice is that?!
Once I finished my free dessert (the best type there is) I paid the waitress and made my way back onto the, now dark, streets to complete my journey back to Circular Quay. Boarding the train, I settled myself once again for the journey back to the suburb and to my friend’s house where I joined the female, the male out for the evening, in watching what can only be described as girly television.
