“I found the missing link between ape and man : it's us !” Konrad Lorenz

Friday 4 more, we drive early for breakfast a little later in the town of Gin Gin, before going to the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, which also has a free zoo. Mr. and I realize we usually never in zoos, not being for the animals are locked up for no reason. But three-week stay, Bear certainly will be no other opportunity to see Australian wildlife.

We first reassured that these gardens that have been 1869 are also involved in breeding programs of endangered species. Effectively, we meet among others headphones cassowary, two wombats and koala.

For a species conservation status, we must refer to the eleven categories ofUICN, the endangered species entering the unlisted where three categories are found : vulnerable, in danger, critically endangered.
So back to our sheep, uh our cassowary ! It is an endangered species, the fact remains that in 1500 in north Queensland, in captivity they can live up to sixty against forty free, a chance perhaps to help their reproduction. For the latter, the hairy-nosed wombat in North is critically endangered, the South is near threatened - apart from the red list – but I could not ask them what region they came ! As for the last, Koalas are a vulnerable species and the zoo participates among others in a research program on chlamydial infections, sexually transmitted disease with no known treatment to date that wreaks havoc with our friends eucalyptus eaters.

But I'm not sure that explains the different species of birds in a dome, reptiles in glass cages, much less the Kangaroos in the park knowing they swarm in Australia, ni même le pauvre crocodile here rentre jeweler in the pools ridicule.

In defense of the zoo, there are still two, Three other endangered species as vulnerable classified dingoes, les chimpanzés ou les macaques à queue de lion, tous deux classés en danger et donc tous les trois dans la liste rouge.
Un bébé chimpanzé vient de naître et cela n’a pas l’air d’être une mince affaire que d’augmenter leur population, trois zoos en Australie et Nouvelle-Zélande espèrent passer de cinquante et un à quatre-vingts… en vingt ans ! Leur nombre est passé de plus de trois millions dans trente-cinq pays il y a cinquante ans à… deux cent mille seulement ! 🙁 Les principales raisons ? La chasse et la déforestation (exploitation de l’huile de palme).
Pour les anglophones : article sur ABC news.

Après un tour au Vinnies – magasin d’occasions – du coin, we continue to swallow the kilometers, southern Queensland is quite built, it provided few opportunities for nature lovers like us. After a second night near the road on Yamba rest area, we will move away a little of the major axis on the third night for the small but very nice area of ​​Boulder Creek. I am also very surprised not to have taken pictures ! I might just enjoyed the place, crystal water winding between the rocks and the roots of tropical trees gave a set so perfect that it looked like a movie set. And when the sun has set, Heaven took the colors that reminded us evenings in the center of Australia : the orange-red to deep blue through indigo, before dressing a carpet of stars.

We spend our Sunday in the town of Airlie Beach, walking for a moment not our own time for a trip to Coral Beach seems to have lost its splendor since the last time contemplating the Whitsunday Islands from the viewpoint at Shute Harbor.

Airlie Beach is also one of the starting points known to go diving on the Great Barrier Reef, with snorkel or bottles. Activity is on the bucket list - a list of things to do before you die – Our Bear, we écumons information centers and those dives to inquire about prices. Three options emerged in : Illusions qui pour $165 takes you dive on the reefs of the islands (EDIT 2022 : cette entreprise a fermé en décembre 2021) ; Cruise Whitsundays that takes you and up to three hundred people on the outside barrier $259 and allows you to dive for $139 ; Explore that does the same thing leads you to the Bait Reef $390 but with a maximum of sixty. Prices are usually cheaper if you are a certified diver, if you dive unless accompanied to training on several days.
An experienced diver strongly advises us to wait to be in Cairns, with prices much more affordable and the journey shorter boat.

This is what we will do, with the possibility of returning to Airlie Beach on the return if the options are less favorable in Cairns. Always rolling northward, we stop a little more fitted than the last area, just before the town of Ayr…

A bear in Australia (suite),

 

So when we say a bear to drive left (yes, this one leads), Boy was he really drive on the left, if he plays squeezed in with the emergency lane.

Driver confirmed on US or French roads, ici il ne fait pas le fier, surtout quand on lui dit (après de longues distances quasi-sans circulation), de bien faire attention à prendre le rond-point vers la gauche et que pile-poil à ce moment là, une voiture arrive de la droite ! Probablement deux européennes qui se sont trompées de sens. On a bien ri.

 

Il faut dire que l’ours austral a une bonne truffe… Aussitôt la tente installée à Yamba, il s’est dirigé droit vers la baraque avec une pompe à bière (ça s’appelle un pub) au bord de la route, intrigué par ce comportement primaire et bestial, j’ai décidé de le suivre… à suivre… 😉