I knew that when I got to Australia, I wanted to get up close and personal with a koala.  And while, at the time, I thought of them as koala bears, after a quick consult with ChatGPT, I learned that’s a misnomer: koalas are not bears at all but rather are marsupials of the arboreal herbivorous variety (translation: they’re vegetarians and live in trees).  I’d already figured this out by the time our ship arrived in Brisbane, and my family set off for the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (though, as polite and charming as virtually every Aussie has proven to be, I doubt they’d have shamed me over it).

Back in 1867, cotton farmer Daniel Clarkson planted a Hoop Pine on his land on the banks of the Brisbane River, in Brisbane’s Fig Tree Pocket area.  Fast forward to 1927, and it was this ‘lone pine’ (used as a location marker for guests arriving via boat, who would moor their vessels at the ‘lone pine’) after which founder, Claude Reid—worried about the huge numbers of koalas falling to the fur trade—would name his sanctuary.

Starting with just two koalas, Jack & Jill, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary isn’t just the world's oldest such organization (for which it holds a Guinness World Records entry) but also houses the largest number of koalas in captivity.

Speaking of which, a highlight of my Australian sojourn, thus far, was being able to spend about six or seven minutes in a meet-and-greet with one of these adorable creatures—a five-year-old Northern Koala named Byron—and his handler.  I learned that despite sleeping between 20 and 23 hours each day and subsisting on a diet of eucalyptus (from which they obtain all their nutrition and hydration), koalas in captivity enjoy being handled by guests and become more stressed when there are no visitors to hold them.  To wit, during COVID, the koalas accustomed to interacting with humans showed a marked spike in their cortisol levels when there were no visitors around.

As much fun as it was to hang with Byron, there were a bunch of other marsupials, mammals, reptiles, and birds at Lone Pine that I wanted to see.  There was the Platypus, which, along with the four varieties of Echidna (Spiny Anteater), is the only mammal to lay eggs.  Housed in a nocturnal building with tanks to observe the platypuses both on land and underwater.  They are quick and cute and rather like little otters with ducks’ bills, bringing to mind the old joke about the platypus who goes into a bar, tosses a Chapstick to the bartender, and says, “Just put it on my bill.”

Next were a bunch of birds, including the Laughing Kookaburra, the Emu (the tallest Australian bird), owls, kites, falcons, parrots, eagles, the Southern Cassowary (the heaviest Australian bird with an incredibly colorful head and throat), and an array of cockatoos including the Sulfur-Crested, the Red-Tailed Black, and my favorite, the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo (aka the Pink Cockatoo) which was both colorful and quirky, making it fun to observe.  [See my photos of an Emu, a Southern Cassowary, and a Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the slide show.]

Following the birds in their aviaries, it was time to check out that other symbol of Australia, the kangaroo, as well as its fellow marsupials, the wallaby.  I was able to interact with and pet a very chillaxed Eastern Grey Kangaroo, after which I fed an extremely sweet Red-Necked Wallaby who came over and ate out of my hand.  There were some Red Kangaroos, as well, but they were all sleeping or sunbathing, so I just let them be.  [See photos of my kangaroo and wallaby interactions in the slide show.] 

As far as the reptilian occupants of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary are concerned, there was a lethargic Freshwater Crocodile (known colloquially as a “Freshie”) who reminded me of my love for well-made accessories, and a little Australian Water Dragon whom I captured sauntering through the grass.  [See both in the slide show.]

On my way to rendezvous with my family near the entrance, I knelt to tie my shoe, and when I looked up, I was face-to-face with a really cute dog being walked on a leash by one of the zookeepers, only to realize I was looking at an honest-to-goodness dingo, who was introduced to me as Jindy!  Now, I know this will come as a surprise to nobody who knows me, but the very first words to pop out of my mouth to the dingo were, “So, Jindy…  Eaten any babies lately?”  Now, at the very least, I expected a chuckle from the zookeeper, but she looked at me like I’d been speaking in tongues.  Oh well, you can’t pick your audience.  Meanwhile, Jindy was better behaved than my two miniature schnauzers at home.  You go, Jindy!  [Jindy and her handler also appear in the slide show.]

An experience I won’t forget, my family had a blast.  And if you ever find yourself in the Land Down Under, make your way to Brisbane (it’s in Queensland), and over to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  You're gonna love it!

Koalas, Kangaroos, Crocodiles, Dingoes, and More!
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Click HERE for info

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