Lots of Koalas, Some Roos, and a Platypus on Red Bull

September 21: So I ended up doing nothing at all yesterday. The only time I ventured outside at all was to call to place a delivery order for pizza which would serve as both my lunch and dinner. I went online and booked my hostel for Melbourne (I'm going back to Base) and my plane ticket. I took 2 naps throughout the day, but the cough and fever doesn't seem to want to let up. Today I got up enough energy to make my way to the Lone Pine Sanctuary. The weather was awful, that kind of misty rain that can't decide if it wants to rain or not, the kind that rains into your eyes. I, of course, was still feeling horribly, sweating a lot, so my hair stayed soaked the whole day in a combination of mist and sweat. I did see a lot of really great animals though, it actually made me feel like I might be in Australia (that is the issue with these big cities I have been visiting so far, they could be easily confused with any American big city I've been to. Don't get me wrong, they've been beautiful and enjoyable, but I don't think I will feel like I am really in Australia until I am standing in the middle of the desert in shorts- which it has been too cold to wear yet- and my boots and a hat, eyeing the expansive and overwhelming distance of deadly nothingness. That's the Australia I am looking forward to!) Anyway, the highlight of Lone Pine was, of course, the koalas. Everywhere you turn, there are 4 or 5 more trees filled with koalas cuddled in together, sleeping or eating. I only really saw one that seemed kind of lively, and he was a male and seemed to charge at me (as much as a koala can charge). The platypus was my favorite though. He was adorable. I didn't get a good picture because he was so energetic, but I got three good videos of him swimming around like crazy. There were also tons of kangaroos (it blew my mind that they were just standing and laying around me, occasionally hopping by like "What's up?"), a few wombats, lots of birds, some lizards, snakes, and crocs. When I really started feeling bad, I decided it was time to go. I didn't escape without doing the cliche Australian thing though- cuddling a koala. I caught my bus back to town and picked up stuff for dinner so I wouldn't have to leave again. I was kind of wishing that I had booked my room in Brisbane for one more day, just to give me one last day to sleep in a room by myself and maybe get over the cold, but what's done is done.

I've been thinking some more about this medicine stuff. I just don't understand not having any powerful over the counter medicine. Is it because they think it is bad for you? Well, they have been pushing those energy drinks every where I go like it is milk or something, and that stuff is some of the worse stuff you can put in your body. I don't know, maybe I'm just jaded, or so sick and ready for relief, but I don't understand why my cousins to the south push the booze, the pokies, and the energy drinks, but can't give me a nice cough syrup or nyquil??? ***COUGH, SNEEZE, BLEAK!***