Australia Zoo

Yesterday was our trip to Australia Zoo. Unfortunately, due to traffic, we didn't get there until 11am, but there was stil plenty that we managed to do.

We saw the Tiger show which was just awesome, followed by the bird show ("Matt," I said "Look! A black cockatoo - just like the one that was my primary school 'mascot'". "I don't think it's a cockatoo" says Matt. "Look at our Black cockatoo" said the announcer . . . ) Last was the croc demonstration (no Steve Irwin) which was pretty awesome.

Then we went and saw the kangaroos, and I fed quite a few of them (I haven't done that since pre school). There was one who held on to your hand when you fed it, and I was also bitten when two of them tried to feed from one hand . . .

Then it was lunch at a table in front of a sleeping koala, then Matt's brother's fiance got a photo with a koala to take home to Japan. Then the koala display, some shopping, and the wombat . .

Who had a baby in the pouch. And the baby poked its head out! It was amazing.

Then the dingoes, cassowaries, camels, Birds of Prey, the rainforest aviary and red kangaroos.

And then it was the end of the day *g*

We all had a great time, even when the koala demo mostly covered things that most Australians probably know. Matt's brother took some brilliant photos which I hope I get a copy of *g*

Soccer Follow Up

So, sadly, we're out of the World Cup, along with Ghana - the other 'underdog' team. My feeling, from what I've seen (and I didn't watch the whole thing) is that it wasn't a penalty and the ref called it poorly. Well, there's nothing new there.

I've been reading a couple of articles from different parts of the world, and I found a few interesting ones:

Australia's dream was just to arrive at a cup, and there is something grotesque about men striving for 95 minutes only to have their ambitions betrayed by a referee's error. from an article in The Hindu

Two highly debateable and decisive refereeing calls in the last sixteen matches and both going against the underdogs. It's little wonder they leave the World Cup wondering if the referee didn't have another shirt on underneath his own. from the Bankok Post

In a more innocent time the Socceroos would have accepted their fate without so much as a whimper, unwilling to upset the power-base of world soccer.
But the Australians no longer feel they are second-class citizens, occasional guests forced to accept house rules. from the Herald Sun

Instead, the final stages of the World Cup have become a private club with non-members rarely allowed through the door. An article about the fairly uninteresting final eight

So the final eight: Germany (Europe), Argentina (South America), Italy (Europe), Ukraine (Europe), Brazil (South America), France (Europe), England (Europe), Portugal (Europe)

Who are we supposed to go for now?