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rabbitcruiser · 4 years

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Bronx Zoo, New York City (No. 41)

Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), also known as the Huon tree-kangaroo is a tree-kangaroo native to the Huon Peninsula of northeastern New Guinea island, within the nation of Papua New Guinea.

Under the IUCN classification, Matschie's tree-kangaroo is an Endangered species.

The scientific name honours German biologist Paul Matschie.

With a body and head length of 20 to 32 inches (51–81 cm), Matschie's tree-kangaroo are much smaller than Australia's well-known red kangaroo. An adult male weighs between 20 and 25 lb (9–11 kg). An adult female weighs between 15 and 20 lb (7–9 kg)

There is no particular season in which they breed. Gestation lasts 44 days and joeys of captive bred individuals leave the pouch after 11 months. The average life span of the Matschie's tree-kangaroo in the wild is unknown, but is at least 14 years. The life span of the kangaroo in a zoo is about 20 years.

The most distinctive trait of all tree-kangaroos is the hair whorl they possess. It is a patch of hair that goes out in many directions and its location ranges from up near the shoulders all the way down to the tail. The Matschie's tree-kangaroo is golden on its ventral side, lower parts of its limbs, ear edges, belly, and tail, and the rest of its body is a chestnut brown colour, except for usually having a dark stripe down its back. Their faces are typically an array of yellow and white colours. The Matschies’ are similar in colour and size to Dendrolagus dorianus, the Doria's tree-kangaroo. Matschies’ ears are small and bear-like looking and they do not have a good sense of hearing because of it. They have curved claws on their forelimbs and soft pads on their hind limbs that aid in their climbing ability, and they have some independent movement of their digits as well as good dexterity due to their forelimbs being able to bend a great deal. The 4th and 5th digit of their feet are enlarged, the 1st digit is absent, and the 2nd and 3rd digits are syndactylous (two digits that look like one fused together). Scientists have discovered that the Matschie's are able to walk bipedally and there's a lot of rotation in their limbs for climbing. Out of all of the Dendrolagus species, the Matschie's tree-kangaroo is the best vertical climber and has more strength in its muscles than any others. Their tails help to offset their balance while moving swiftly through the trees since their tails are about the same length as their head and body size. Sexual dimorphism is very low, with males and females being of about equal sizes. The upper and lower jaws of the Matschie's tree-kangaroos are different too in addition to them being different in body size. The upper jaw has three incisors, one canine, one premolar, and four molars, while the lower jaw has one very sharp incisor, no canines and low crowned molars.

Source: Wikipedia

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sowecanrememberourtrips · 5 years

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Tasmania 2019

One Week in Tasmania. March 17-24.

Tasmania is 100x the area size of Singapore, yet its population is only 500,000. If you want nature, National Parks, lakes and farms, coastal drives and forest walks, this is the place.

It is also home to animals such as Tasmania devils, quolls, wallabies, pademelons and kangaroos.

We squeezed a 7-day itinerary into 6 days. Kinda round the island in 2,000km. Do-able but a little tight on Day 1.

Took the red-eyed flight, and arrived in Melbourne to transit to Hobart. Our Quantas arrived in Hobart at 2pm. Jetstar may get you 4 more hours - precious as most shops and eateries in the woods close at 5pm!

Either flight, I would recommend staying one afternoon and night at Hobart, to rest up before driving west.

We rented a car from Apex car rental. Small local Aussie company, friendly and flexible service which allowed us to return the GPS when we learned that iPhone Google Maps can be plugged into the car system. Their office and carpark is 1 min away from airport departure hall. We called for their van transport upon collecting bags, and by the time we reached pick up point, the van arrived. We picked a Hyundai sedan, $41 a day. Functional, but if you have budget, go for a heavier car as traveling speed can go up to 120km/h.

Download map.me app. And then download map of Tasmania. This wonder offline map will save you when data GPS fails you in the forest.

Day 1 (Hobart to Strahan, total 5 hrs drive)

Upon collecting car at 2pm, we made our way from East to West. No time for proper lunch!

Buy the Multi-Parks Pass for $60. Useful and good as it covers two adults, one car, and all National Parks! We bought ours from ticketing counter at Russel Falls.

1 hr 15 min to reach Russel Falls, within Mt Field National Park. Do the walk up to Russel Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Tall Trees (Eucalyptus) trek. Takes about 3 hours return.

(If you start off in the morning, you may want to drive on 1.5 hours more to a recommended next stop for lunch. The Wall in the Wilderness Cafe)

From Mt Field National Park, it’s 3hr 45 min to Strahan. Tiring drive as night was falling. Wild animals come out more at night, and there are no street lamps, so drive with extra care.

Make stops for coffee or dinner - which we did not! Or rather, we tried to. We stopped at Queenstown, a supposed big town an hour before Strahan, but all shops were closed by 6. We met a nice lady named Joy at the Paragon Theatre who cooked up some carbonara for us and allowed us to dine in this old-school theatre screening hall - deeply appreciated at 10pm!

Salt Box Hideaways is more Airbnb than hotel. Self-picked the keys from a locked box. Apartment was hipster lovely! Morning surprise view of a lake as we raised the curtains!

Day 2 (Strahan to Cradle Mt, total 2.5 hrs drive)

Strahan is a sleepy, scenic town by Gordon River. A great place for breakfast is The Coffee Shack & Morsels, opposite Gordon River Cruise. Great avocado toast. Cruise is damn expensive, don’t bother. 42 Degrees is a restaurant on a higher ground - but not opened for lunch. Check online.

A 20 min drive brings us to Henry Dunes. A peculiar area of fine white sand on top of a hill - gentle climb up sandy slopes.

1 hour more brought us to Montezuma Falls’ start-off point. To see the Falls - highest in Tasmania - is a 3 hours return trek thru rainforest. We just trekked a bit in and out of the rainforest. Looking back, this is not a recommended spot.

Another 1 hr 30 min to Discovery Parks Cabin and Camping site. Buy food (raw or cooked) along the way and top up petrol. Discovery Parks is an accommodation facility WITHIN Cradle Mountain, which is important and cool. We got the Family Cabin (good for 4 pax) as the hip cabins were sold out. Camp site has no food. Bring your own to cook in communal kitchen. Toilets are communal too but they provide towels. But super near Cradle Mt National Park Visitor Centre, which is useful for the next day.

5 min drive away is Devils@Cradle. They organize Tasmanian Devils feeding at 5:30pm and /or 8:30pm. Check online.

Day 3 (Cradle Mt - Launceston, total 2.5 hrs drive)

One of the highlights is the World Heritage listed Cradle Mountain National Park. Very organized shuttle buses that bring you in, very Jurassic Park feels. Park your car at Visitor Centre for free, grab a coffee (opens 8:30am) and then take the shuttle (every 20 min from 8am). Remember the Multi-Parks Pass? Gets you free shuttle bus tickets. Show at counter to redeem. Bus service is a loop service with 5 stops.

We took the 9:30am bus to Dove Lake. A lake formed by glaciation some 10,000 years ago. Absolutely stunning scenery and tranquillity. Walk around the lake takes about 3 hours, many photo points. Including a boat shed.

We then took the shuttle bus back to our car and drove to Peppers Lodge/ Cradle Mountain Lodge Tavern for lunch. Good portions!

To come back for:

Some other 20 min to 1 hour walks, there is one apparently beautiful walk just next to Peppers Lodge. Or, the famous Overland Walk, that takes 6 days. Can fly into Launceston and drive 2.5 hrs here.

We went to Devils@Cradle, a sanctuary for breeding the endangered Devils, in time for a 1pm Keepers Tour. Very informative and you get to see Devils and Quolls.

From here, it’s a 2.5 hours drive to Launceston. Can stop by Sheffield (town of murals) or Christmas Hills Raspberry Farms for tea break.

Launceston is the second largest city of Tasmania. We stayed at Mercure, which is along Brisbane Street, their city centre where you could walk to cafes, eateries and shops. Ate at Pachinko, an Asian fusion place.

Day 4 (Launceston to the East, total 4 hrs drive)

A very short drive (5 min) from city centre of Launceston will bring you to Cataract Gorge. A pretty and easy park to walk around after breakfast (pancakes and French toast!) at Basin Cafe located right at the park. Spend about 2 hours here, including breakfast.

On the way to the East (2.5 hours to Bay of Fires), we stopped by Ledgerwood. To see the 9 unique war memorial carvings on cedar trees.

We also stopped here for lunch and ice cream at a simple Ledgerwood Kitchen.

If you like cheese, the next pee or coffee stop could be Pyengana Dairy Company. We stopped instead at a roadside kiosk for coffee with a mountain view, and a little stretch-leg shopping at The Shop in The Bush.

Bay of Fires is a secluded pristine white beach with rocks with orange marks, formed by lichens. After some photos, we drove down and visited a few other fine beaches, towards St Helens. Took us 1.5 hours to arrive at Bicheno. Bicheno town centre has a few eateries, we had fish and chips dinner at Beachfront Bistro.

We stayed in Diamond Island Resort and Penguin Parade in Bicheno. Owned by Koreans, the resort is on a good piece of property. It is linked to an island via a thin stretch of sandy beach, fairly unique as you can see waves crashing in from both sides. When tide is low, you can walk to the island. And on summer nights, you get to see peri-penguins coming onto resort property. We were lucky to spot one as soon as we stepped onto the viewing deck! Room is villa style with two floors - kitchen and sofa on the ground floor, and beds for 4 on the second floor. Maintenance could be better lah.

Day 5 (Great Eastern Drive, total 4 hrs drive)

East Coast Natureworld at Bicheno, a wildlife sanctuary 5 min from our resort is a must! Greatest animal experience feeding kangeroos, and meeting wombats, white peacocks, black swans and more Devils. There is a cafe that opens at 9am with waffles and coffee.

1 hour drive brings us to Freycinet National Park (Multi-Park Pass, again), and we had lunch at Robertson’s at Freycinet Lodge. High-end accommodation for my 70th birthday? Haha.

5 min drive upwards from Freycinet Lodge is the car park to start walking trek up Wineglass Bay Lookout. 1.5 hours return hike. Moderate to tough. Read and heard many said lookout point is enough. Don’t need to go to the beach, which is another 1.5 hours return. Super popular attraction, ie crowded with tourists wanting that postcard shot.

Freycinet to Hobart is a 3 hours drive. You may break it up with coffee breaks at Swansea (1 hour), Orford (45 min) and Hobart (1+ hour). We stopped by Kate’s Berry Farm for good pancakes, and awesome boysenberry (cross between rasp and black) ice cream!

Arrive at Hobart before 6pm to see the HarbourFront. We ate an assortment of seafood at Fish Frenzy, right by the water.

Day 6 (Hobart)

Our Airbnb was on the right street - Elizabeth St - that brings you down to the HarbourFront. But it was a 30 min walk one day!

We went to Battery Point to have breakfast at Jackman and McRoss, many friends recommended. And then a short walk to Salamanca Weekend Market (ONLY on Saturdays 8am to 3pm, so plan your itinerary well). Hop on the hippest ferry MR1 or MR2, the Mona Roma, to MONA - Museum of Old and New Art. $22 for two ways ferry, each ride 20’min. Book your return timing as soon as you reach museum. We took the 1:15pm ferry to, and 5pm ferry back.

Museum entry was $28. Worth it as it’s one of a kind. Eccentric!

We skipped Port Arthur, Richmond Village and Mt Wellington cos not very interested. If you have one more day in Hobart, you could try those. Or Huon Valley for a walk above treetops on the Tahune Airwalk.

Accounts:

Air Tickets - about $900 during March holidays.

Car - about $250

Accommodation

Salt Box Hideaway S$210

Discovery parks S$120

Mercure S$144

Beach Villa S$210

Hobart AirBnb S$156 x 2 = S$312

Daily expenses - about $800 for a week.

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jontycrane · 5 years

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Port Moresby Nature Park

Understandably one of the most popular places in Port Moresby, the Nature Park is the best (or at least the easiest and cheapest by some margin) way to see the incredible native animals of Papua New Guinea up close.

The first enclosure was a converted WW2 structure relocated from downtown Port Moresby. It was home to some of the most colourful birds in the park, such as the Eclectus Parrot,…

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scenicflightbooker · 5 years

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The Lake Hillier-Middle Island Scenic Flight

You may have heard of Australia’s Pink Lakes, and you have probably seen pictures of a beautiful pink lake and most likely this was Lake Hillier, on Middle Island, in the Recherche Archipelago near Esperance, Western Australia. Being on an Island 150 kilometres away from the nearest major town makes access to see this natural wonder of the world difficult. There is only one regular service to see Lake Hillier, and this is the Lake Hillier-Middle Island Scenic Flight departing several times a day from Esperance Airport which can be booked with Scenic Flight Booker.

This Scenic Flight is fast becoming a “must-do” attraction in Western Australia with people from across the globe travelling to Esperance to see the phenomenon. What surprises many who take this flight though is just how much else there is to see on this 1 hour and 40 minute flight. Many travel agents and tourists alike have told me after taking this flight that they came to see Lake Hillier, which is magnificent, but it really is just the icing on the cake of a breathtaking flight.

After meeting the pilot and receiving the safety briefing at the Esperance Airport Terminal, we were escorted to the aeroplane and strapped in ready for our flight. The aircraft was perfect for the task, with a high wing, each passenger gets a seat next to a huge, bubble-window, giving panoramic views.

After taking off, there is a short transit across rolling fields of farmland towards the town of Esperance. The first thing that gets pointed out to us is “Pink Lake” also known as Spencer Lake, which up until about 10 years ago was also a pink colour, but has since turned a milky white. Many tourists are disappointed as they mistake this lake for Lake Hillier, not realising they have to take a flight to see the pink lake in all the pictures.

A quaint seaside town bordered along the waterfront Esplanade by towering Norfolk Pine trees, Esperance was named after a French ship of the same name which, commanded by Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec, sheltered from a storm in the area in 1792. While the area was explored by British navigator Matthew Flinders who named many of the islands and bays including Thistle Cove and Lucky Bay, and numerous whalers, sealers and pirates operated in the area, the site of Esperance was not settled until the 1860s when the Dempster brothers were granted 304,000 acres of land in the area and established the beginnings of the town.

The flight gives a great view of the town, the remnants of the slowly collapsing 80+ year old jetty and the modern-day Esperance Port. After getting a good look at Esperance, the plane sets out over the bay towards Cape Le Grand National Park. On the way we pass over Woody Island, one of the 105 islands and over 1200 “obstacles to shipping” of the Recherche Archipelago. Woody Island is the home of Woody Island Eco Tours and accommodation which is served by a ferry from Esperance.

Reaching the far side of the bay and the start of the Cape Le Grand National Park, the first thing you notice is the giant monolith of Mount Le Grand (345m tall) and oddly shaped Frenchman Peak (262m tall and named after the hat French troops of the 1800s wore). Continuing around the coastline, your first glimpse of the whitest beaches in Australia will take your breath away!! First Hellfire Bay, and then the large horseshoe shape of Lucky Bay showcase turquoise water so clear that you can see all the way through to the reefs below and any sea life lurking beneath the waves. The water makes way for the Geoscience Australia Certified “Whitest Sand in Australia” beach of Lucky Bay, a beach popular with tourists for its friendly Kangaroos combined with beautiful vistas.

After some great photo opportunities over the bay, the flight continues along completely deserted beaches to what is my favourite spot in the area; Victoria Harbour, Wharton Beach and Duke of Orleans Bay. If you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, these beaches are definitely worth a visit despite the 80-odd km drive to get here!! At this point I think it is worth mentioning, that particularly on a nice day, you will spend the entire flight looking down thinking “wow that looks like a great place to go swimming or fishing.” And I can confirm, every one of those beaches along the flight route is great!! If you don’t have an off-road vehicle, don’t worry, Esperance Eco Discovery Tours do an excellent off-road beach tour in their custom 4x4 vehicle. Check out combo deals at www.scenicflightbooker.com/esperance to see options to package this with your Scenic Flight.

After some great views of the Duke of Orleans Bay area, the aircraft heads for Middle Island. It is about a 15 minute transit across the water from here where you will often see ocean life, numerous reefs, and islands and you marvel at just how the early explorers ever navigated through the 1200 “hazards to nautical navigation”

And then, growing ever larger in the front window, there it is….Middle Island!! Initially hidden by the 185 metre tall Flinders Peak, Lake Hillier slowly reveals itself as we fly closer and the surreal bubble-gum pink colour of the lake becomes apparent. Considered to be due to the presence of the organism Dunaliella Salina, the water stays this pink colour all year round. With the green trees, white sand, and turquoise waters of the Southern Ocean only metres away, it is truly something to behold.

The aircraft does several laps of Middle Island, giving the passengers on both sides great views of Lake Hillier. As we fly around, the pilot points out various features and regales everyone on board with some history of the island, including John Flinders time here and Black Jack Anderson, Australia’s only known pirate who was based on Middle Island in the 1800s.

After filling our camera memory cards with once in a lifetime photos, we say goodbye to Lake Hillier and fly past Cape Arid, following the vast deserted beaches of Yokinup Bay. If you are lucky enough to be taking this flight between June and October, this is where you will be almost guaranteed to see pods of Southern Right Whales as they migrate along the coast to the warmer breeding grounds of the Kimberley in the far north of Western Australia. The crystal clear water is perfect for whale-watching from the aeroplane, and the whales can clearly be seen kicking up sand on the sea floor with their tails as they frolic in the bay. Before the flight heads for home, we are treated to more beautiful coastline, beaches, bays and sparkling water along the way.

If you are looking to take this flight, I cannot recommend it highly enough. However don’t leave it until your last day in Esperance!! The weather along the south coast of Western Australia can be very changeable, so book your flight in for the first day you can in Esperance, that way if the weather is not so good, you can reschedule. I know many people who have left the flight until the morning they leave, and then missed out as that day was not suitable for flying!! The added bonus of going on your first day is that you get to see all the amazing beaches and get ideas of beaches to visit while in the Esperance region. You can book this flight and see Esperance package tour and accommodation deals online at https://scenicflightbooker.com/esperance

Scenic Flight Booker holds $10 million liability insurance and guarantees that all tours sold by Scenic Flight Booker have been audited to meet all relevant legislative and additional insurance requirements.

#Lake Hillier-Middle Island Scenic Flight #Lake Hillier #Lucky Bay #Hellfire Bay #Frenchman Peak #Scenic Flight #Middle Island #Esperance #Western Australia

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