Kangaroo Conservation Center: Hop to America's Aussie Adventure.
Published: Mar 27, 2009
Drop the Southern drawl and practice your "G'day mate." Forget about the squirrels you normally see and keep an eye out for a brush-tailed bettong, instead. Just 90 minutes north of Atlanta you'll find the Kangaroo Conservation Center — a bit of Australia in Georgia.
Nestled in the foothills of North Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Appalachian Trail begins, the conservation center is filled with species so unexpected that you might think you've crossed continents. You haven't. Those really are kangaroos and wallabies you're seeing.
Welcome to America's Aussie Adventure.
The Atlanta-area was chosen by center founders for its relatively mild climate and world-renowned airport, which helps with the transportation needs of the animals. The center boasts the largest number of kangaroos anywhere outside of Australia.
After a quick swing through the Aussie Outpost gift shop to pick up your entry wristband, it's off to the Outback.
There are nine marked stations at the center: the giftshop, the Australia Station, the Billabong Encounter, Wings DownUnder, the Butterfly Garden, Boomerang Landing, the Wallaby Station, the historic well and windmill and finally, a 250-year-old white oak. Each station presents different information and experiences, so each is worht a visit.
At Wings DownUnder, visitors can see several blue-winged kookaburras. The center is one of only two institutions in North America to exhibit the species and one of the only institutions in the world have have successfully mated the birds in captivity.
The Billabong Encounter actually allows visitors to enter the wildlife habitat and walk among native Australian and Asian plants, reptiles and birds, such as the blue-crowned pigeon and the crested wood partridge, as well as the brush-tailed bettong (a tiny rat-sized kangaroo).
But it's the main attraction that entices visitors: the kangaroos and wallabies.
Somehow, the center has managed to turn its 87-acres into a vast range filled with different kangaroo and wallaby species. Segregated into several fenced in portions of the center, the kangaroos (some of which have baby "joeys" in their pouches) roam freely.
The only signs that they are not actually in the wild are the hay-filled barns that provide shelter on chilly days. And while it's not advertised, if a kangaroo happens to bounce up to a nearby fence as you take a hike on the Aussie Walkabout trail, you can feel free to pet them.
Posted schedules will help you make the most of your visit. An "Aussie Adventure" ticket will allow you to plan your own self-guided hikes and animal viewings around the fully narrated KangaRanger truck ride through the park (behind fencing), the Boomerang Exhibition and the Wild Australia animal show. During the show, you'll get an up-close look at the animals and hear about their diets and reproductive habits.
Pack a lunch to eat in the butterfly garden or enjoy snacks from the gift shop. And don't forget to take a walk through "Fern Valley," which also has a bamboo maze to run through. It's best to call ahead when planning a visit, since the center's schedule varies and is often changed. Plan to spend at least half a day in order to get the full experience.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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