I can admit that I spend a great portion of my time trying to figure out what is worthy of my time. It’s a ridiculous notion, but I think it stems from my fascination with the idea of legacy and why OR IF it matters. What a fragile and dangerous thing to ponder, legacy.  How it can instill the goodness of bravery while developing a habit of self-centeredness. How it can excite our imagination while distracting from the eternal. It’s a loaded idea that I’m still trying to figure out.
What I know for sure is that creating a legacy that encourages others is a worthy pursuit.
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Kristen and I were both the perfect age and personality to be massively impacted by Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter. I didn’t realize just how much, however, until we actually showed up to the Australia Zoo, the facility that Steve’s parents started and that the Irwin family still runs today. I am not an expert on zoos or the treatment of animals in captivity or on conservation but I do know that the zoo is heavy with the joyful and passionate legacy of Steve Irwin.
  And THAT is a very encouraging thing. 

Normally, zoos are fairly hard to photograph because of intrusive enclosures. Plus, most of time we haven’t even wanted to shoot photos because it seems kind of depressing. The Australia Zoo is different and this entry proves it. Explanation: this is going to be a photo heavy post.
Dingo:

Cassowary:

Otter:

Creepy bird that stared into our souls:

Burmese python:

Let’s be honest though, the animals that Kris and I really wanted to see were the kangaroos and the koalas. I know, I know, stereotypical. But dude. Kangaroos...that wanted us to pet them...

We hung out for so long that they accepted us as one of their own. 

I totally get that there are kangaroos everywhere in Australia and that they are considered a nuisance by many, but it was honestly a pretty incredible moment to see Kristen lounging with napping roos. If she wouldn’t have tried to crawl in one of their pouches like a sleeping bag we probably could have stayed there all day...

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we stumbled upon this:

We were walking away literally saying, “Well, we’re never going to get better shots of koalas than that” when we looked back to see this:

I just can’t even...

Like I said before, Kristen and I have a special affinity for Steve Irwin. The legacy that he left for the two of us personally was one that not only encouraged a love for animals but also that challenged us to live passionately for the things we care about. We were both reminded of that as we walked into The Crocoseum and I can admit a few tears were choked back as they talked about Steve’s life. Plus there were crocs. 

And this random Spurs fan:

All in all, the Australia Zoo was a surprisingly amazing experience. 
I mean, Kristen got to pet a koala:

I got to wrestle these beauts:

We learned how Aussies teach their kids about the birds and the bees...
...er, the roos and the roos: 

We got to watch this koala eat a eucalyptus leaf for 10 minutes:

And we learned that the coolest part of the zoo is its attached animal hospital, which cares for around 10,000 injured and sick animals a year:

Next up: We head up to Noosa and the Ural gets a spa day.