A Stroll in Sydney--with Bats!

Last week when I was in Sydney, Australia, I took my usual long walk/hike in the Botanical Gardens . It's close to my hotel and right downtown on the harbor. I just love this place.

I started out walking toward the opera house. Look at the immensity of the building and the texture of the "shells":

Here's a view of Sydney you usually don't see. Looks tropical, doesn't it? And so modern. Lovely. This is a view from a path in the gardens:

Look at the trees in the gardens! They're HUGE. This one's bigger than my entire back yard:

I developed a fascination with the bark of the various trees. It's like a fingerprint; each trunk is unique. Here are a few shots:

Along the way I came upon a flock of cockatiels grazing! At home I see these only in cages. They were adorable:

Once of the most fascinating creatures in the park (other than the muscled male Aussie joggers, that is) are the resident fruit bats. Look at them all! They fill the trees! The first time I saw them I couldn't believe it. One of these days, if I won't get trapped inside the gates, I'd love to be there at dusk when they take flight:

They really ARE cute, like little foxes with wings:

I zoomed in and discovered something I hadn't realized--They don't really hold on with their feet/claws. That's probably just for reassurance. They have these little hooks on the "elbow" of their wings. Is that cool or what?

I hope you enjoyed going on the nature walk through the botanical gardens with me. Happy Halloween!

PS--I thought you might enjoy this video of my Academy roommate's daughter, now a cadet herself, jumping out of a plane!