Kan see 'roo

This weekend marks the year anniversary of my first wild 'roo sighting.  I remember the event clear as day.  We were cruising down the Southern Expressway, when in my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of a kangaroo's ears bouncing above the barrier wall.  No wait, that was the ponytail of the runner with a serious spring in her step.  Oh, I remember...it was further down the road.  On the hillside in the distance, there it was hunched over--enjoying some nibblies.  No, that was a granite boulder in a field.  Ahhh, now I know.  It was that crazed blob bouncing from one side of the road to the other--unable to escape because of the high chain link fence.  That was it!!  Between my shrieking, "It's a roo, it's a roo!!," and the animal flying all over the road, it's a miracle Mark didn't wreck the car.  It was such an emotional moment that I almost pissed myself.
Since then, there have been hundreds if not thousands of 'roo views.  Mark calls me the kangaroo detector, and I can spot even the best camouflaged animal.  However, when Mom came for a visit I was very stressed that perhaps my new found ability would falter, and that I wouldn't be able to share a wild experience with her.
As I planned our "let's show Mum Australia" itinerary, I remembered that at one of the Expat in Adelaide meetings I was talking to Brett, who told me that if you wanted to be sure to see a 'roo to head down to Deep Creek Conservation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula.  I decided to take a gamble, and take his word for it.  It turns out that Brett is not a lying man.  When we arrived at Deep Creek Conservation Park, an hour and a half south of Adelaide, we were treated to mobs of Western Grey Kangaroos.
There were plenty of these normally nocturnal animals lounging around or having a mid-morning snack.   The Western Grey Kangaroo, whose fur color ranges from grey to brown, loves the lifestyle of Southern living, and can be found in the scrublands and forests of Southern Australia.

At DCCP we saw fliers with their joeys.  We  observed some of the little joeys use their powerful hind legs to quickly hop and dive back into their mother's pouch when we came near.  Many of the moms would just rise on their hind legs, using their strong tails as support, and observe us.  There were also some boomers around.  At over 4 feet in height some of the bigger guys were almost taller than my mom, and I am glad that none of them tried to engage her in a boxing match.

As we left the Conservation Park, I was pleased that I was able to share the joy of seeing a Kangaroo in the wild with my mother.  I felt that it was the perfect Mother's Day gift.