Jeng TengContributed by Jtwonggg
Our trip to the south of Australia last December was probably my fourth or fifth time visiting the country, but something that made this trip way unique was being able to see koalas in their natural element! I’ve always seen koalas within close range at sanctuaries or at the zoo but never have I seen them in the wild – taking casual naps on top of thin branches.
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1. Get the locals to point you in the right direction
Wild koalas are more common than you think. Whenever you chance by a tourist information centre, ask them where you can spot some wild koalas, and they will be sure to point you in the right direction! Specifically, on this trip to Australia, we spotted wild koalas along the roads to Cape Otway, as well as in the Flinders Chase National Park at Kangaroo Island!
2. Keep your eyes up in the trees
I’ve hardly seen koalas even crawl or move more than an inch, so I was really surprised to know that they actually climb so high up in the trees. Honestly, we didn’t see many koalas that were awake, but when they were, they did look down to see us humans (lol). Also because they sit so high up in the trees, they’re probably way bigger than they looked from where I stood.
3. Look for little fur-balls between branches
Most of the trees that koalas feed on have rather thin branches, so spotting a ball of fur amongst the trees is pretty easy. However, because they are often quite far from the ground, they could require some eye power to notice! My family had a little competition to see who could spot the most koalas. How much do you want to cuddle those little koalas who are sleeping so snugly in the trees?!
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4. Try not to hyperventilate, and take many pictures!
Aren’t the koalas cute?! My goodness, I think I must have gasped and ‘AWW’-ed like ten thousand times from spotting all the koalas. How adorable do they look in their natural element!!! Of course, I did eventually calm my ass down, and also got many good shots of them. HOW CUTE. If your camera has decent zoom, you’ll be able to get a good picture!
