Birthday Holiday 2006 - Day 3
The last day of my birthday holiday. We had to check out by 10:00 am, so we woke up at about 8:00 am. You guessed it, we went for another dip in the jacuzzi. We didn’t stay in long because we were hungry for breakfast.
We checked out early and headed into the town center. Breakfast at Sail’s restaurant again, but this time we had our holiday favourite, bacon, eggs, toast, mushrooms, sausages and roasted tomatoes. The stuff heart attacks are made of.
After breakfast, we decided we had enough time for one more attraction in Margaret River before heading back to the “real” world. We went to the Eagle’s Heritage Raptor & Wildlife Center with the intention of attending the Free-flight display at 11:00 am.
We were about an hour early, plenty of time to walk around the park to see the raptors, eagles and other birds of prey. They were really incredible animals, beautiful and dangerous looking at the same time.
The Free-flight display was as much an educational talk as an awesome display of these birds. They are nature’s way of keeping the ecosystm free of sick and injured animals, but they are so misunderstood that they are hunted and killed instead of being protected. It’s sad to think that Western Australia is one of the few places in the world that doesn’t classify raptors and eagles as protected species.
After the introduction to the birds, for those in the audience who wanted to, they could head up and have the black kite sit on their hand. I was the first to volunteer. I was a little apprehensive, since the talons of these creatures could crush your hand if they wanted to, and yet, when they sit on your hand, they’re so gentle with their claws. They were also surprisingly light! I think the glove you had to wear was heavier than the bird itself. M also had his turn with the raptor on his hand. It was kind of cute, he was looking at the bird, and the bird was looking straight back.
We left for home after that. A 4 hour non-stop drive north back up to Perth.
More photos of our holiday can be found in the Birthday Holiday 2006 gallery.
Stumbled on your site completely by accident, looking for a “simple congee” recipe. Saw your bit about the birds, and couldn’t help but mention - if you’re ever in Ireland, check out the School of Falconry. My friend and I were just there, and while it’s a bit pricey, you can go for “hawk walks” there. Definitely worth the money
Comment by Julie — August 11, 2008 @ 6:51 pm