There are a few valid expectations when one travels to Australia and those are absolutely legitimate. For me, there were too many. But that is understandable as I am a demanding girl and I plan of taking pictures in front of iconic landmarks ( Harbor Bridge, 12 Apostles, etc) beforehand. However if there was something which I really wanted, it was seeing kangaroos and koalas in the wild. I mean of course we planned to see them in the zoo. But come on, you are in the land of marsupials. Wouldn't you dream of catching them in the wild? Thankfully, both these wishes of mine were fulfilled during our Great Ocean Road trip.
The Great Ocean Road is untouched nature. There are dense forests all the way along with the mighty Southern Ocean. The forests are protected...there are a number of national parks like blah blah.
It goes without saying that those jungles have all the animals that the Southern hemisphere is known for..all the creatures important from evolutionary point of view. So if you are a local or have plenty of time as aan explorer then you can venture out in those national parks or even pitch a tent ( if too adventurous) Only remember to follow the guidelines of the wildlife protection department like not setting camp fires et al. However this is not the only way. If you are lucky enough, you can catch those wild animals crossing the road or drinking water from the creeks. However you don't really have to rely on luck here as there is a particular jungle which is full of koalas. You just need to have sharp eyesight to spot them camouflaged against the eucalyptus trees.
The place is Kennett River, around 10 minutes from Apollo Bay and 200 kms from Melbourne. There is a narrow road uphill that detours from the GOR and goes inside the thick eucalyptus jungle. My advice is to park the car at the beginning and explore the area on foot. I mean you can't expect to spot these lazy marsupials from inside the car.
We were very lucky as we spotted few as soon as we stepped out. The koalas are unimaginably lazy and they sleep all the time. The first one which we spotted was perched up high on the tree, deep asleep. God knows how they don't fall down! The second was was pretty close and it was awake! It was munching on leaves continuously and we caught him yawning too! Koalas look absolutely adorable but mind you, the moment it opens its mouth, it looks pretty gruesome!
Since we gawked at the second one for quite a while, we were fully satisfied and hence didn't go further in the jungle. On the way back, we spotted a few more perched high up on the trees, dozing off course!
Few advices:
- Park your car in the beginning itself and explore the area on foot.
- Be vigilant but very quiet as they are intimidated by noise. A pair of binoculars would be handy.
- Don't lose hope if you can't spot one. Dive deeper into the jungle. The roads are pretty good. If your observation skills are sharp, you are bound to spot them. There are so many!
