Feeding the dolphins at Tangalooma wild dolphin resort

As the 300-pound crocodile raced towards the trainer, so did our hearts. But the trainer was quicker. Just as the reptile lunged at him, he jumped back, releasing the meat from his hands. The croc snapped it up mid-air. Then, as over 4,000 people applauded, the beast was lured back into its moat by repeated thumping on the water’s surface. The croc rushed into it to reclaim his territory.

Crocs rule at the Australia Zoo. Set across a sprawling 70 acres of natural Australian bushland, the zoo is home to the crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and holds 10 wildlife shows daily. Twelve noon was Crock ’ Clock at the zoo ? an hour-long show on salt water crocodiles, that’s both exciting and equally informative. In fact, once in Australia, you can’t be far from wildlife.

Dreamworld tiger island

Our weeklong trip to Queensland, the Sunshine State of Australia, was more of a roller coaster, very much like the exhilarating rides at Dream World, the amusement park on the Gold Coast. The adventure took off from Day One as we departed Brisbane for Tangalooma Wild Dolphin resort, a 75-minute ride on a catamaran from the capital city. “Tangalooma” in the Aboriginal language means a place where fish gather. The resort is set on Moreton Island, off the Pacific. Incidentally, the resort had 1.8 lakh Indian visitors last year. And it’s not difficult to figure out why.

As we sat munching salmon steak at a beach restaurant at the resort, platters full of rajma, palak paneer, kofta, dahi and stacks of roti arrived from the kitchen ? with compliments of the Indian chef! The afternoon was well spent at a desert safari. A bumpy bus ride through uneven sand tracks with names like the ‘Valley of Death’ brought us to the heart of the Tangalooma desert. Eighty percent of the island comprises sand and is a national park.

Sand tobogganing

Then it was time for a bit of sand tobogganing ? a favourite pastime in the desert. Take a masonite sheet and wax the smooth side well. Then trudge up a sand hill. Actually, not a good idea if you’ve had a lunch as heavy as I did. So I watched as the others marched up the hill and lying flat on their sheets, came hurtling down the slope. A couple of beginners got stuck midway in the dune because of “faulty technique”, but were luckier the second time around. And some were adventurous enough to trudge back up for a third time!

There’s plenty to do at Tangalooma. Water babies are welcome to snorkel in the shallow waters off the island, which boast of 16 shipwrecks. Or kayak leisurely, studying the yellow-backed fish moving about busily in the crystal waters under the boat. Manoeuvring All Terrain Quad motor bikes through the sandy tree-lined hills and bushland can be another memorable experience. Riding to the topmost hill of the resort, we watched the most spectacular sunset on Moreton Bay.

One of the 16 wrecks oFF moreton island

As dusk descended, it was time to feed the wild dolphins. As the dolphins start approaching the beach around 6pm, hoards of tourists gathered on the lit jetty, cameras in hand. Others, including our group queued up on the beach to await their turn at feeding the mammals.

The rules here are strict: Roll up your trousers and take off any hand jewellery or rings, which might scratch the animals. Wash your hands in a bucket of disinfectant nearby. Pick the fattest fish from a pile in another bucket and wade over to the trainer, who takes you by hand towards the dolphins.

The ‘Crocs rule’ show at Australia zoo

My trainer, Samantha introduced me to the mother and daughter pair of Shadow and Tangles. Taking the fish delicately from my hand, Shadow acknowledged me by gently nudging my leg. Having fed two fish to Shadow and one to Tangles, my turn was over. I waded back, aware for the first time that the temperature had plunged below 10 degrees (June being the height of winter in Australia), the sand chilling and the wind biting. But, all that didn’t matter ? this had been an experience of a lifetime!

Climbing the iconic Story Bridge was no mean achievement either. For starters, there was an intimidating breath analyser test to be cleared. Soon, we were climbing the 80-metre tall bridge across Brisbane River, clutching the steel rope that bound us to a bridge rail and listening to a commentary on the Bridge’s history. At the top there was an uninterrupted 360? view of the brightly-lit city and its surrounding Glasshouse Mountains. We finished the climb in two-and-a-half hours, thoroughly exhilarated and with the wind in our face.

The Claw

The Catch a Crab tour on the River Tweed two days later was equally enjoyable. A cup of steaming morning tea and cookies on the boat, and we were ready for work. From catching bait for the fish to baiting your own line, it was an on-the-hands job. As we approached the crab traps laid on the riverbed the night before, hoards of pelicans surrounded our boat. The pelican feeding went on for a while, but it was clear that no amount of fish could satisfy the greedy birds. It was then time to pull in the traps and each of us caught two full-sized mud crabs! These landed up freshly cooked on the lunch table later.

Feasting on succulent crabs wasn’t our only reward for all that hard work. It also won us a pass to famed amusement park ? Dreamworld. Nothing really compares to the thrill of The Claw and the Tower of Terror here. On The Claw, you swing nine stories high, spin a crazy 360? and reach zero gravity as you perch close to the edge. Those fancying an “intense 120-m free fall” can go up the Giant Drop touted as the “fastest vertical thrill rise in the world”. From its 120-m height, you have a breathtaking view of the Gold Coast, before you come plunging down, the seat beneath you plunging faster than you are!

But it was the tiger show put up by three majestic Royal Bengal Tigers at Dreamworld’s Tiger Island that won our vote. From climbing trees to synchronised jumping for their food and arching up on their hind legs while being fed milk ? the tigers clearly won the day.

Animal lovers at Dreamworld can also cuddle a Koala (if you’re lucky to find one awake, since they sleep nearly 22 hours a day), hold a python, pat a baby alligator (rendered harm less by a rubber band around its snout) and even watch a bushman shear sheep.

Other than its sun-kissed beaches, direct factory outlets and harbour shopping experiences, the Gold Coast is also famous for Q1, the world’s tallest residential building. From the 80th floor observation deck, the view of the Pacific Ocean on two sides of the building was breathtaking.

“Beautiful one day, perfect the next” ? with 12 hours of sunshine and at a cool 15?, Queensland was at its best when we visited in June. And all I can say, after catching my breath ? What a rush, mate!

The trip was courtesy Singapore Airlines in association with Queensland Tourism.

Photographs of the Crocs Rule show, Dreamworld Tiger Island and The Claw by the author