Rebel Wolf at Dreamworld and on Holiday
Inspired by Wolfy who's been keeping her journal updated for longer than I can remember, I decided I would return to keeping a actual, proper online journal instead of randomly posting bits of my life every second week into my DA journal. I was going to continue with my DeadJournal account but my computer is being really weird and not loading half the pages and so... I ambled over to check out LJ here. Anyway, on with the latest events of my life.
So, Brisbane was fun.
I always have enjoyed flying and James let me have the window seat, so I sat dreaming out the window and coming up with new designs for Coy and Dav's next litter between reading chapters of Plains of Passage. Aunt Linnie met us at the airport and it was quite good to see her again, although getting her and mum in the same room in dangerous - particularly with the addition of wine. Adults.
I still roll my eyes and proclaimed the term 'adults' like an insult, as if I'm actually not one myself. In honestly I don't feel like an adult, despite all the evidence that indicates I might be, like having lived in two different houses now without my parents, being in a relationship for over four years, travelling across the state with James for holidays... I think my teenage mentality is still ruling, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. I've always held on to the good things in life and been apt to go crazy with the least prompting, and I certainly don't think enjoying life is something negative. I've been mature enough to make my own decisions now for years, even if originally circumstance prevented me form following them, so I think I've got a decent enough balance going on.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon after arriving at Linnie's place I relaxed and enjoyed my holiday, hitting the lovely pool in the backyard and realizing I hadn't been swimming in months and needed to do so more often. We had stopped on the way form the airport at the Wholesale Candy factory and I had picked up several favourite varieties of lollies I was unable to find at home. I was wholly content. Linnie's youngest kid Aimee, about four, chatters endlessly and butts into everything (This is the forth child of the family and I think instead of gaining experience with each one Linnie had gotten more fed up, keeping this one quiet with bags of lollies and cheese sticks, which is now about all she eats) which made life interesting, but I was willing to put up with her... the next few days would be hectic!
Dreamworld was first on the list. Our of the four theme parts on the Gold Coast (Just an hour and a half away form Brisbane, where we were staying) Dreamworld is my favourite. Wild rides and a wonderful big cat habitat, Tiger Island - it's fantastic. While James queued for an hour for the Tower of Terror, I lounged comfortably against the railing by the moat separating the island from the pedestrians, watching the beautiful tigers there. I'd been twice before and had kept an eye on the website's updates to see how they were all doing. I can recognize most of the tigers there. One of the handlers was on my side, occasional announcing via the microphone in his hand the first of two daily presentations would be at 11:30. I asked him a question or two about Sita, the only female tiger on the island, and before I realized it was in a full-blown conversation about the tigers, learning some interesting things. For instance, unbelievably tigers can no longer be imported or exported into the country, which leaves us with the few options breeding wise. Sita was one of four cubs born to the park several years ago, and since she's related to the males already there, a young pair of tigers was located from a private park in NSW, one of whom, Kato, was to be mated with Sita. Unfortunately Kato's sister was a very sick tiger and had suffered respiratory failure most of her life, to the extend the manager of Tiger island was taking her home with him each night to hook her up to a ventilator. I can only imagine how much fun that would have been, even though she was only a few months old at the time. At ten months of age Kasha died from complications of her condition, leaving Kato to be raised at Tiger Island.
Now five, Kato has been introduced to Sita several times but unfortunately is rather intimidated by her, and there have been no successful matings so far. The handler told me only three of the nine staff were around when Sita and her three brothers were cubs and are all pretty much desperate for some cubs by now! Hopes are high for the most recent tiger Island additions, a pair of Sumatran tigers (the others are all Bengal) who have recently reached maturity. They aren't hand-raised tigers like the other inhabitants of tiger island and so aren't handled at all, but their babies, were any to be born, would be raised by people and appear on tiger island.
Still, it may not be all bad news Kato is a bit of a dud - the handler told me his mother also died from respiratory problems and so it's likely there's it's a genetic problem. Arrangements are being made to temporarily send Sita to the same place Kato was bred, where she will be mated to another of their tigers. Fingers crossed Tiger Island will be home to two sets of cubs before long!
Anyway, there was another upside to Dreamworld I didn't get to see a few years ago when we were there, not because the cougars weren't there at the time, but they weren't doing the program at the time. It was amazing. Right after James and I met to watch the second tiger presentation (They do two each day, using different tigers, so I got to see my girl Sita :) ) we stayed at Tiger Island where one of the handlers set up a purple velvet rope between several support poles. Thanks to the friendly handler form this morning James and I knew this was where the cougar show was going to take place. I'd never seen one close up, though I did get a glimpse of one at Canberra Zoo, I think, when we were down there.
James and I took up places right beside the rope - and in a few minute, the handler brought out Inca.
My first reaction was surprise. Inca is an eleven year old female and she was about Zeke's size. I hadn't realized how small cougars were! The surprise faded very quickly into a spellbound awe. Inca is without a doubt one of the most graceful, incredible animals I'd ever laid eyes on. The presentation was short, with a wonderful display of jumping as Inca leaped up to take a chicken piece suspended well above our heads, nailing the prize with an ease that promised she could have jumped three times the height effortlessly. After the demonstration most people drifted away, leaving a few people asking questions of the handler, including James and I. Inca sat and stared semi-curiously around at the few assembled people. For a second her eyes met mine, and I nearly sat down on the spot, feeling rather like I'd been silently shocked. I can't even really describe Inca's eyes - I suppose they were grey, but expression shaded them with more colour than a rainbow could have. Being appraised for that second by an animal like Inca is certainly a experience that will stay with me.
I had of course, being me, forgotten my camera, which has a decent zoom. Unable to stand not having any photos at all from my third Dreamworld trip I brought a disposable camera, snapping some tiger pics even though I know they won't turn out well, but I was an arm's length away form Inca and so the snaps of her should be alright. I should really get them developed, I'll go and drop them off tomorrow morning after I pay work a visit.
I was comforting when I stepped through the automatic doors at Aussie Pet Stores yesterday. A single week away and I felt as if I'd missed an eon. Life at Aussie has the qualities of a good sitcom; there's always something happening and although you may have only missed a few days, and there haven't been any major changes, you can feel all the small things you've missed that gives a slightly unfamiliar air.
One of the best things I discovered was the Kirsten was back! Smart, fun, already ready to laugh or be an idiot when the supervisors or Jan aren't looking, she's one of my favourite workmates. She'd been travelling around the country for the last month and until I saw her standing behind the registers, I didn't realize just how much I'd missed her.
Anyway, work is pretty much... work. Kaylene has at least gone on holiday herself until well after Christmas so I don't have to worry about selling those two kakarikis to her. Riley took four of the babies and they're going well now, HUGE, and so friendly and active! There's still two in their nest at the shop, and Jan's agreement to me was that Kaylene wouldn't be able to take them when she brought the parents, but he couldn't back out of the parents because the agreement had been made. *sigh* By me, nonetheless, before I discovered she already has a hundred or so birds, is giving her hand-raised birds to other people because she doesn't have time for them and is releasing her finches 'accidentally' into the wild. Being in charge of the birdroom is great, but it's also a lot of headache.
I'm actually going in again tomorrow for the Wednesday meeting, to catch up with things, but mainly because we pooled out money to buy Jan a zippo lighter we got engraved and we're giving it to him tomorrow for Christmas. The place is really running smoothly and it's because of him, but I wonder with his love of a challenge if he'll be here next Christmas. Now he's broken up with his partner there's less holding him here, and his heart remains down south. I'd miss him if he did leave - as a boss and as himself.
I've been trying to get this journal finished over the last two days now, and it's twenty past eleven already so I'm running the risk of reaching a third day :P I just got off the phone with Sarah, who sent me a text which I had no credit left to reply to! It was fantastic to hear from her and next time I'm down in Brisbane and the Gold Coast I have every intention of dragging her along as well.
Anyway, I'm going to head off now. Night to all, I'll get up a post before Christmas!
~Chris
DeviantArt: http://rebelwolfchris.deviantart.com/
Lupe Rp: http://prairiewolfgirl.proboards26.com/
Wajas: http://www.wajas.org/profile.php?id=9773
Aussie Pet Stores (the rather craptastic site of my work. Rest assured I had nothing to do with the site itself!) http://www.aussiepetstores.com.au/
Meet Dreamworld's Big Cats: http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/standard3.asp?name=TigersAtDreamworld
So, Brisbane was fun.
I always have enjoyed flying and James let me have the window seat, so I sat dreaming out the window and coming up with new designs for Coy and Dav's next litter between reading chapters of Plains of Passage. Aunt Linnie met us at the airport and it was quite good to see her again, although getting her and mum in the same room in dangerous - particularly with the addition of wine. Adults.
I still roll my eyes and proclaimed the term 'adults' like an insult, as if I'm actually not one myself. In honestly I don't feel like an adult, despite all the evidence that indicates I might be, like having lived in two different houses now without my parents, being in a relationship for over four years, travelling across the state with James for holidays... I think my teenage mentality is still ruling, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. I've always held on to the good things in life and been apt to go crazy with the least prompting, and I certainly don't think enjoying life is something negative. I've been mature enough to make my own decisions now for years, even if originally circumstance prevented me form following them, so I think I've got a decent enough balance going on.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon after arriving at Linnie's place I relaxed and enjoyed my holiday, hitting the lovely pool in the backyard and realizing I hadn't been swimming in months and needed to do so more often. We had stopped on the way form the airport at the Wholesale Candy factory and I had picked up several favourite varieties of lollies I was unable to find at home. I was wholly content. Linnie's youngest kid Aimee, about four, chatters endlessly and butts into everything (This is the forth child of the family and I think instead of gaining experience with each one Linnie had gotten more fed up, keeping this one quiet with bags of lollies and cheese sticks, which is now about all she eats) which made life interesting, but I was willing to put up with her... the next few days would be hectic!
Dreamworld was first on the list. Our of the four theme parts on the Gold Coast (Just an hour and a half away form Brisbane, where we were staying) Dreamworld is my favourite. Wild rides and a wonderful big cat habitat, Tiger Island - it's fantastic. While James queued for an hour for the Tower of Terror, I lounged comfortably against the railing by the moat separating the island from the pedestrians, watching the beautiful tigers there. I'd been twice before and had kept an eye on the website's updates to see how they were all doing. I can recognize most of the tigers there. One of the handlers was on my side, occasional announcing via the microphone in his hand the first of two daily presentations would be at 11:30. I asked him a question or two about Sita, the only female tiger on the island, and before I realized it was in a full-blown conversation about the tigers, learning some interesting things. For instance, unbelievably tigers can no longer be imported or exported into the country, which leaves us with the few options breeding wise. Sita was one of four cubs born to the park several years ago, and since she's related to the males already there, a young pair of tigers was located from a private park in NSW, one of whom, Kato, was to be mated with Sita. Unfortunately Kato's sister was a very sick tiger and had suffered respiratory failure most of her life, to the extend the manager of Tiger island was taking her home with him each night to hook her up to a ventilator. I can only imagine how much fun that would have been, even though she was only a few months old at the time. At ten months of age Kasha died from complications of her condition, leaving Kato to be raised at Tiger Island.
Now five, Kato has been introduced to Sita several times but unfortunately is rather intimidated by her, and there have been no successful matings so far. The handler told me only three of the nine staff were around when Sita and her three brothers were cubs and are all pretty much desperate for some cubs by now! Hopes are high for the most recent tiger Island additions, a pair of Sumatran tigers (the others are all Bengal) who have recently reached maturity. They aren't hand-raised tigers like the other inhabitants of tiger island and so aren't handled at all, but their babies, were any to be born, would be raised by people and appear on tiger island.
Still, it may not be all bad news Kato is a bit of a dud - the handler told me his mother also died from respiratory problems and so it's likely there's it's a genetic problem. Arrangements are being made to temporarily send Sita to the same place Kato was bred, where she will be mated to another of their tigers. Fingers crossed Tiger Island will be home to two sets of cubs before long!
Anyway, there was another upside to Dreamworld I didn't get to see a few years ago when we were there, not because the cougars weren't there at the time, but they weren't doing the program at the time. It was amazing. Right after James and I met to watch the second tiger presentation (They do two each day, using different tigers, so I got to see my girl Sita :) ) we stayed at Tiger Island where one of the handlers set up a purple velvet rope between several support poles. Thanks to the friendly handler form this morning James and I knew this was where the cougar show was going to take place. I'd never seen one close up, though I did get a glimpse of one at Canberra Zoo, I think, when we were down there.
James and I took up places right beside the rope - and in a few minute, the handler brought out Inca.
My first reaction was surprise. Inca is an eleven year old female and she was about Zeke's size. I hadn't realized how small cougars were! The surprise faded very quickly into a spellbound awe. Inca is without a doubt one of the most graceful, incredible animals I'd ever laid eyes on. The presentation was short, with a wonderful display of jumping as Inca leaped up to take a chicken piece suspended well above our heads, nailing the prize with an ease that promised she could have jumped three times the height effortlessly. After the demonstration most people drifted away, leaving a few people asking questions of the handler, including James and I. Inca sat and stared semi-curiously around at the few assembled people. For a second her eyes met mine, and I nearly sat down on the spot, feeling rather like I'd been silently shocked. I can't even really describe Inca's eyes - I suppose they were grey, but expression shaded them with more colour than a rainbow could have. Being appraised for that second by an animal like Inca is certainly a experience that will stay with me.
I had of course, being me, forgotten my camera, which has a decent zoom. Unable to stand not having any photos at all from my third Dreamworld trip I brought a disposable camera, snapping some tiger pics even though I know they won't turn out well, but I was an arm's length away form Inca and so the snaps of her should be alright. I should really get them developed, I'll go and drop them off tomorrow morning after I pay work a visit.
I was comforting when I stepped through the automatic doors at Aussie Pet Stores yesterday. A single week away and I felt as if I'd missed an eon. Life at Aussie has the qualities of a good sitcom; there's always something happening and although you may have only missed a few days, and there haven't been any major changes, you can feel all the small things you've missed that gives a slightly unfamiliar air.
One of the best things I discovered was the Kirsten was back! Smart, fun, already ready to laugh or be an idiot when the supervisors or Jan aren't looking, she's one of my favourite workmates. She'd been travelling around the country for the last month and until I saw her standing behind the registers, I didn't realize just how much I'd missed her.
Anyway, work is pretty much... work. Kaylene has at least gone on holiday herself until well after Christmas so I don't have to worry about selling those two kakarikis to her. Riley took four of the babies and they're going well now, HUGE, and so friendly and active! There's still two in their nest at the shop, and Jan's agreement to me was that Kaylene wouldn't be able to take them when she brought the parents, but he couldn't back out of the parents because the agreement had been made. *sigh* By me, nonetheless, before I discovered she already has a hundred or so birds, is giving her hand-raised birds to other people because she doesn't have time for them and is releasing her finches 'accidentally' into the wild. Being in charge of the birdroom is great, but it's also a lot of headache.
I'm actually going in again tomorrow for the Wednesday meeting, to catch up with things, but mainly because we pooled out money to buy Jan a zippo lighter we got engraved and we're giving it to him tomorrow for Christmas. The place is really running smoothly and it's because of him, but I wonder with his love of a challenge if he'll be here next Christmas. Now he's broken up with his partner there's less holding him here, and his heart remains down south. I'd miss him if he did leave - as a boss and as himself.
I've been trying to get this journal finished over the last two days now, and it's twenty past eleven already so I'm running the risk of reaching a third day :P I just got off the phone with Sarah, who sent me a text which I had no credit left to reply to! It was fantastic to hear from her and next time I'm down in Brisbane and the Gold Coast I have every intention of dragging her along as well.
Anyway, I'm going to head off now. Night to all, I'll get up a post before Christmas!
~Chris
DeviantArt: http://rebelwolfchris.deviantart.com/
Lupe Rp: http://prairiewolfgirl.proboards26.com/
Wajas: http://www.wajas.org/profile.php?id=9773
Aussie Pet Stores (the rather craptastic site of my work. Rest assured I had nothing to do with the site itself!) http://www.aussiepetstores.com.au/
Meet Dreamworld's Big Cats: http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/standard3.asp?name=TigersAtDreamworld