Getting Back to Cairns

The next day ( I think it was Wednesday) we drove from Undara to Innisfail and then to Cairns.  Levi and I went to a Crocodile Park and because it was a small one we were able to wander around pretty much undisturbed for much of the morning.  The lady at the desk let us in cheaply because we were 'locals'.  I asked what that entailed because we were obviously not locals!  She said it was because we could actually pronounce Cairns properly and that was enough in her books!.

There were wallabies to pat and lots of other animals.  It was a Croc farm and I had a long talk to one of the handlers about their method of getting the eggs.  Now Croc Mums are pretty fierce and defend their nest well.  Croc Dads are just as happy to eat the babies, so they can't leave them in there, but he will defend his mate!  They said that two people distracted Dad with food while three of them sat on Mum and one other person quickly grabbed the eggs.  Now I am glad that I am not the OH&S officer at that farm!

 Because it was so quiet, we got all the time in the world with the animals.  Levi got to hold a snake, which you can see he was fairly nervous about.  Right after this photo and in the next (Which Blogger for some reason won't load), the snake dropped further around him and started to squeeze a little.  As Carpet Snakes are constrictors, it was a bit much at this point for both myself and Levi and the snake got given to the next person.  I think the snake was a little disappointed that the only morsel that it might have been able to tackle was taken from him!

I got to hold a baby Saltwater Crocodile.  The baby they gave me was way too strong and feisty for Levi and would have been free in about a microsecond and biting him a minute later.  They are incredibly powerful for their size!  Overall though it was a fantastic day.  Levi took the photo of me, which is why it looks as if it was taken about hip height.  It was! 

I was wearing Tie Dye in honour of a family back in Oregon.  I am sure the little boy barely remembers me.  But I remember him!  Here's wishing his family peace!