Koalas at last!

We arrived in Rockhampton about half past two in the afternoon. All we knew of the town is that it is known for great steaks--clearly this was enough reason for us to stop. The information center at the town's edge recommended that we visit the local zoo/botanical gardens before heading out to dinner. Without realizing what valuable information they had just imparted, we jumped in the van and headed straight there, aware that a much awaited experience was at hand. We pulled up to the zoo and followed a number of signs to the far side of the park and there it was, finally--a real, live koala. We had arrived in Rockhampton exactly at koala feeding time. We skipped the larger, more commercial Australia zoo in hopes of spotting a cuddly bear in the wild, but after days of disappointments, Rockhampton delivered free of charge.

We settled into the caravan park around dusk and then headed to our first meal out in Australia--aside from the occasional gelato, we had yet to dine out in OZ. The Ascot Grill, a keno bar slash steak joint, is run by an old local and one waitress and served as our introduction to Australian dining. After waiting a good bit for menus, we ordered steak, red wine, fries, and steamed veggies. The steak arrived rare on a stone grill, hence the name, heated to 400 degrees Celsius. Oded ordered a 400 gram Porterhouse and I ate his sides and a few bites of his steak just to see what all the fuss is about--no one can say I don't live dangerously. All in all, the outing was a success but it is not to say we weren't back to cooking our own food the next night.

To see photos of Rockhampton, please click me