This time, I didn't have to meet my tour until 0900, but I did take an Uber over the location. Still, I didn't leave the hotel until about 0815, a few more moments before getting underway.
Our first stop was Healesville Sanctuary, part of Zoos Victoria and about an hour from Melbourne in the Yarra Valley.
Healesville specializes in native Australian animals and birds. It also specializes in breeding programs for certain endangered creatures. It is in a bushland environment, with paths that wander through different habitat areas.
I'm mostly going to tell this part of the day through photos, with an occasional comment thrown in here or there. You will see some informational signs along with certain groups of photos as well.
At the bird show in the arena. There were a lot of people there, so it was tough to get pictures ... but it's in my memory!
I took so many pictures at the Sanctuary - this has just been a selection. There are lots of birds there (I can't describe or recognize most of them), and I saw other animals. In some cases I have better pictures on other days or places. Stay tuned for pictures from a different animal sanctuary that I visit tomorrow.
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And then, we drove to the Puffing Billy Railway in the Dandenang Ranges. This is a narrow gauge (762mm or 30") preserved steam heritage railway, one of five narrow gauge lines of the (early 20th century) Victorian Railways. The goal now is to preserve and restore the line and its operation as closely as possible to the way it was in the first three decades of its existence, but with particular emphasis on the early 1920s.
The cars are open-sided carriages with wooden railings/ledges and open window areas. A couple of years ago the line resumed a former practice of allowing passengers to sit on the window ledges with their feet dangling outside as the train moved. Please forgive the three downloaded photos (the top three) which I couldn't reproduce on my own!
Another very full day!
Healesville Sanctuary looks like a fascinating experience!