On my last day in Australia, I did indeed leave Canberra behind for a jaunt down to the Tidbinbilla National Park in search of marsupials in the wild.
On the way there, I made a brief stop outside the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex …
where NASA is listening for signs of life in outer space, using these big radio dishes:
At Tidbinbilla, I saw these …
… and these …
Unfortunately, koalas was nowhere to be found in “the wild,” though I did see one of the critters …
It was great to be out and about in the bush, even if it was somewhat domesticated bush. One of these days, I’ll be back in search of a more rugged experience.
At the airport, I resisted the temptation to buy these …
I did, however, buy some of these odd-looking items …
What are those, you ask. They’re little scent pots made from the very absorbent cones of the Banksia Grandis, which is found in Southwest Western Australia. A few drops of eucalyptus inside, I’m told, and your room will smell like a forest.