Katie77
Brokeback Got Me Good
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I Swear, Brokeback got me good
Re: Katie77....just an aussie sheila
« Reply #134 on: Today at 07:28:01 am »
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Crikey what a day yesterday was......
We were up at 5am...still dark outside, left an hour later to make the drive to Brisbane, which ended up a 3 hour trip, to the airport, to pick up our 10 yr old grandson Dylan.....we all ready had 6yr old grandson Jai, with us...
Made the usual stops at Mcdonalds for breakfast on the way, and even though i am still on my diet, I couldnt resist a bacon and egg m'cmuffin....Picked up Dylan, and he hadnt had breakfast yet, so first KFC we saw, fixed that problem up.
We were heading up the Bruce Highway towards Australia Zoo, about an hour from the airport.( even though, after 10 minutes, the kids were all ready saying "When are we gonna get there???)..
The Zoo is situated in the hinterlands about half hour from the Coast (we call it the Sunshine Coast)...was probably once a sleepy little village, when Steve's dad opened up his little reptile park there years ago, but not now....Roads have been expanded to cope with the traffic to the zoo, and when we got to the turn in to the zoo, there were thousands of cars.
First think as we drove in car park, were the flowers, the memorial signs and floral tributes on the old entrance....although, I had seen this many times on the t.v., to see it "live" made me fall apart....i unashamedly let the tears flow, as we drove past and made our way to the main car park.
Greeted by a camel, at the entrance, we walked thru the beautiful gardens into a wonderland of peaceful gardens and animal homes, first the koals, then aligators, then tasmanian devils, then dingos, then crocodiles, following a path that made us feel like we had stepped into someone's dream.....and we knew it was, it was Steve's dream.....We knew this was gonna be good, but we didnt expect it to be this good, the surroundings and animal enclosures would put any other zoo to shame, the cleaniliness of the place was unprecedented and the atmosphere was amazing.....
We moved in to the Crososeum, to wait for the crocodile show at 11.30...first show was a snake exhibition, not only was it educational, but as Steve would have it, there were also some comedy things in it too......then the bird show....these beautiful birds flying around us, from one side of the crocoseum to the other, landing near us, so we got what you might call "a birds eye view"....Then the "Crikey" call out competition....wow, did that echo thru the arena when everyone called out "Crikey"....and then the crocodiles....wow, never been so close, and now I have been, can see the beauty and the wonderment of these wonderful, albeit, dangerous, animals.
Of course there was the souvenir shop....laden with dols, tee shirts, key rings, you name it, they had it...and we spent a fortune there.
After the day was done, and we had seen everything, the kids had played on everything they could, was time to get going, we still had another hour and half drive home....
Bob went with the kids to get the car, and I went alone to the floral memorial....I walked along reading the messages, and thinking of Steve, and what a great bloke he was, and how I wished he could still be there to enjoy this wonderful place....I signed the condolence book, and read some of the loving messages that were in them, took a few more photos, then bid farewell to this happy wonderous place.
If there was ever a monument to this great man, then this place is the ultimate.
I took lots of pics, and I will send some thru each day.....the first ones today, are of the memorial tributes, later on I will send you some of the animals.
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I have copied this from my own blog, to share with you on this thread too....