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Jirrahlinga
Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary
Barwon Heads
By
Richard Moore
Bellarine
Peninsula Touring Map
 Australia
has some wonderful and very different native animals and it isn't
often you get up close to them.
Mind
you, I did have a large kangaroo bound over the bonnet of my car
once in an early morning scare for both of us - and I've been too
close to quite a number of snakes for my liking, but the best chance
to see the critters is usally in a zoo or sanctuary.
Down
at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula out of Geelong there
is a great little place where you can see Australia's special wildlife
at very close range.
It
is the Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary and it is a two-hectare
sanctuary in Taits Rd.
Jirrahlinga is a home for injured wild animals and was born amid
the scorched remains of Victoria after the terrible Ash Wednesday
back in 1983.
Those
fires raged across Victoria and South Australia and killed 75 people.
Countless animals were also killed and many more were left badly
burnt.
 Tehree
Gordon won acclaim for her work helping the animals back to health
but the sanctuary is also about letting the animals bring joy to
disabled people, or "the frail and the elderly".
We
really enjoyed our visit to Jirrahlinga and families definitely
will.
It
is a simple, easy
to get around place that lets you observe the animals as they go
about their days.
There
are wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, tortoises, snakes, rosellas,
kookaburras, lizards, emus, a very fine looking hawk and the stars
of the show - koalas.
These
creatures are the epitome of cuddly, although you can't touch them
because the sanctuary is concerned about humans passing on diseases
to the koalas.
We
were lucky enough to get within touching distance of one and the
serenity koalas have is pretty amazing.
Jirrahlinga is worth the stop.
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