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A Wild Night Out
Written by Jodie McEwen   
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 16:08
Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park
When you start a family, the wild nights out generally decrease to the point of extinction. Most of us are fairly happy to forego the all-night dancing on tables and partying till the wee small hours in favour of a good night’s sleep in our own bed. Recently though, Jayne and I discovered a way to recapture some of that untamed abandon and our families got to come along for the ride.

Our destination was the Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park at Calga just off the freeway to Sydney. After packing a bag with a spare pair of undies for everyone, a torch and our pillows, we loaded the cars with husbands and children and set off. In less time than it takes for children to ask for food and whine, ‘Are we there yet?’ we’d arrived.

Walkabout Park is 80 hectares of bushland that was established as a wildlife sanctuary nine years ago. The park is filled with native animals, some who have been rescued and can’t be returned to the wild because they have injuries. Many of the animals are free-range with a few enclosures to protect visitors from nasty surprises. We were there to experience a Wild Sleep Out, a first-hand experience of being in the bush with native animals.

We arrived at the campsite to find our tents were already erected and well-equipped with sleeping bags, a thoughtfully provided lantern and comfy camping mattresses. Our five kids were quick to re-establish their friendships and, before long, set-off as a little tribe up the track, leaving the parents behind. Along the way, the first squeals of delight were ear-piercingly shrill. Kangaroos, wallabies and what we would soon learn were called red-necked pademelons wander around the park at will. The tall emus with rather scraggly feathers proved a slight challenge to the bird-phobes in our group- Jayne and myself – but we mustered up all our reserves of maternal fortitude and soldiered on without showing the apprehension we felt at those pointy beaks and sharp claws.

As we sat in a circle, the wild-life show unfolded before us. Even the kids were quiet with anticipation. We saw frill-necked lizards, water dragons, blue tongue lizards and a cheeky echidna who was bent on escape. The brave fathers held a two metre python, as did our daughters. I brought myself to touch her scaly skin briefly, but passed on having her coil around my neck and torso.

There was just enough time to say hello to the koala with her gorgeous joey on her back before washing up for dinner. In such an iconic bush setting, what else could we have eaten but a barbecue? Hungrily, we made quick work of the steaks and sausages and even managed to get some salad into the children, who were much more interested in exploring their surroundings than eating a vegetable. “Eat your salad, and then you can pat the wallaby.” Never have mothers had to deal with more distracting diversions than Jayne and I had that night.

Before long though, it was time to retrieve the torches and head off on a nocturnal spotlighting walk. Lara and Indy linked their arms together like old friends and shared a torch. The way that kids just get together and are automatically close friends again is something that is beautiful to see. The three boys shared two torches, which was bound to end badly, but didn’t. There were the inevitable tears from the baby of the group, which was more due to being overtired than anything else, but he was soon placated with a cuddle and a, “Look! There’s a bat!”

The possums ran away from our inquisitive stares and the macropods seemed to get smaller each time we looked. There were big red kangaroos, Eastern grey kangaroos, smaller wallabies, cute pademelons and the smallest of the pack, a little bettong. We learned that mother flying foxes have teats under their arms, so their babies can wrap their arms around them and feed upside down, and that echidnas don’t have teats at all. Rather, their pouches secrete milk which the babies lap up. All very interesting stuff that led to lots of conversations about feeding babies.

Along the cliff top, rockpools had formed in the sandstone cliffs and long-necked turtles, disturbed by our rude torchlight, stuck their heads out of the water to say good evening and bid us on our way.

As our eyes adjusted, we stumbled back into the light and supper was served. We ate our fill of lamingtons and ice-creams and then it was campfire time. We all know campfires mean toasting marshmallows, and I had brought along a good supply. I didn’t need them though, as the rangers had plenty to share and even gave us pre-selected marshmallow sticks. It was a good thing they did, as it was too dark by that time to properly select a stick with the correct marshmallow stick properties.

Campfire flames have hypnotic qualities, and we all sat and watched the fire as we might stare at the telly if we were at home. It was quiet and still and it felt like we were a million miles away from our busy suburban lives. By the time the rangers told us some Dreamtime stories and we gorged on the toasty pink goo, the kids- previously slightly soporific- had ingested so much sugar they were no longer tired.

The brisk walk through the bush to the ablutions block calmed them though, and we could put them to bed safe in the knowledge that at least their teeth were clean, if nothing else. Nobody bothered to have a wash, although hot showers were available. Instead we tucked up, zippered into our tents and cosy in our sleeping bags to drift off knowing kangaroos would greet us when we rose.

Finn - always an early riser - set off on an early morning walk with his Daddy, and discovered some caves and a sort of waterfall. It’s more like a water trickle at the moment, but he enjoyed ‘discovering’ it. The rest of us slept on, aided by the fact that the morning was overcast. When we finally woke it was time for breakfast. Nice tea and plunger coffee satisfied the adults, and the kids were delighted to find Coco Pops included among the range of breakfast items.

There was time for one more ranger-led walk before we left. Many places don’t allow you to touch koalas, but we all had the opportunity to touch the mummy koala, though not her baby. We also got to touch a pure-bred white dingo. We were pre-warned that they are wild animals, but when Luke patted the dingo, it rolled over, entreating him to scratch its belly.

After such fun wildlife adventures it wasn’t easy to say goodbye. A quick trip to the souvenir shop became a lingering one as the kids showed one another little animal-inspired delights and trinkets. LChoosing a small treat each, all five kids were finally ready for farewells after making their purchase from the same ranger who had last night showed them the python – adding once more to the ‘just like family’ atmosphere which permeates the park and its staff.

The walk to the car park past the animals and our tents was wistful, and the kids said their goodbyes with the promise to catch up again soon. The dads – well rested – took to the driver’s seats and we headed back to Newcastle.

The Wild Sleep-Out was less Man vs Wild, more Wild With Style. And a completely unique experience in our region.

Find more information about the Wild Sleep Out and the Walkabout Wildlife Park here.
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