Fur and flukes near Brisbane

On a September trip to Australia, we went on two tours from Tangalooma Island Resort (Box 1102, Eagle Farm, QLD 4009, Australia; phone +61 7 3637 2118, fax 3268 6299, www.tangalooma.com), on Moreton Island off of Brisbane.

I wish I would have planned for additional days to relax in this peaceful place. The resort had many restaurants plus kids’ programs and many activities for adults, such as sand tobogganing, ATV tours, beach cricket, bird-watching tours, surf skiing, jet ski tours, parasailing, helicopter rides, a dugong cruise, snorkeling the wrecks, scuba diving and much more.

We signed up for the whale-watching day cruise on a fast catamaran (AU$98 [near US$70] adult or AU$60 child 3-14) and night dolphin feeding (AU$50 adult, AU$28 child). For more than three hours we were entertained by pods of female whales and their babies playing and the occasional male approaching to investigate the boat. We saw a hammerhead shark and turtles near the snorkeling/diving area.

In the early evening we were able to feed some wild dolphins that came to shore; there were approximately 10 adults and two newborns. The Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Research Center provides these wild dolphins with only 10% of their daily food intake so they will continue feeding in their natural habitat.

The next day, we visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket, QLD 4069; phone +61 7 3378 1366, fax 3878 1770, www.koala.net — AU$28 adult, AU$19 child 3-13). This is a perfect place to go with children. There were many photo opportunities with koalas and also a very close encounter with birds of prey. You can feed kangaroos and wallabies here as well.

You should plan on arriving prior to 10 a.m. to participate in the many activities. A restaurant on the premises is available for food and drinks.

LILLIE ECHEVARRIA

Livermore, CA

The March 11 oil spill (May ’09, pg. 22) remained outside of Moreton Bay, and the resort reports it is operating normally.