Day 7

Our view from the plane flying out of Melbourne into Cairns Australia.

It was an early morning for our class on day 7, as we boarded a 4 hour flight to Cairns. Everyone was very excited for the warmer weather and our adventure to the Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. We started with a great lunch full of fun food to try such as kangaroo sausage!

Our main dish for lunch at the Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, kangaroo, chicken, fish and steak!

Fellow student Brittany Harazin holds Yogi the Koala at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.

Hagrid the crocodile posing for a quick photo op before chowing down on chicken bits.

After lunch a few students were able to get their pictures taken with a koala before the main event. The Croc Attack Show was a highlight for the whole group, and we learned so much. We learned that the farm that raises the crocodiles has over 3,000 salt water crocodiles. However, they are able to live in fresh water as well, and the average size of an adult is 4-5 meters long, which is 13 to 16 feet!  The industry is very costly for the farmer and the consumer, products are very expensive, but it is more expensive to feed them. Their main diet is chicken, and they are very intelligent knowing exactly when feeding time is.

Next up was a guided boat tour to see the animals in a more natural habitat. Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew all 27 crocodiles by name such as, Boris and Ted. Ted is the second largest captive crocodile in Australia, and maybe even the world. It was a wonderful time and we learned so much about these amazing prehistoric creatures.

Our whole class after the Aboriginal performance, it was a great night out.

Dinner was another event entirely, as we visited the award winning Tjapukai Cultural Centre. Pronounced (JAPU-GUY), it is the Aboriginal word for ‘People of the Rainforest.’ We got a taste of their food and music, joining in by singing and dancing, even getting our faces painted.  The music was very memorable, as we listened to live performance of a didgeridoo (Aboriginal flute).

e didgeridoo being played for evening entertainment.

Our group stepped out of our comfort zone, and tried brand new foods such as kangaroo, crocodile, calamari and emu appetizers. Needless to say, it was very memorable for us all, we are excited for more adventures in our newest location.

Kristen and Beckie