Having looked at the emu, one of the stars of the Australian coat of arms in our previous post, it would be rude not to look at the other half of the emblem, the kangaroo.
Roos are also the national animal of Australia.
And here’s a gallery of greys to help make your day.
(Of course, we shouldn’t forget that kangaroos are also the inspiration for this site, kangaeroo, the thinking kangaroo.
Emus are huge, flightless birds endemic to Australia.
They’re also featured on the country’s coat of arms, together with the kangaroo, with both creatures selected because they are physically incapable of taking a step backward, meaning they can only advance.
Emus are one of Australia’s myriad glorious birds and trail only the ostrich as the world’s largest birds. They’re also capable of running up to 50 km/h!
The link with dinosaurs also becomes pretty obvious just by looking at these creatures.
Emus are also known to have controlled the late British comedian Rod Hull.
Koshigaya, located some 30 kilometers from downtown Tokyo, and Campbelltown, which is situated about 50 kilometers from Sydney’s central business district, were almost made for each other, even if only serving as satellite cities for their respective countries’ largest cities.
Koshigaya and Campbelltown are sister cities and it’s hard to see a better example of the custom than the relationship between the Japanese bed town and its Aussie sibling.
Koshigaya is also home to a picturesque corner of Australia, complete with wallabies, emus and some lovely wild birds, including rainbow lorikeets, superb parrots, Major Mitchell’s cockatoos, tawny frogmouths and kookaburras.
The Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds in Koshigaya could arguably be one of the Kanto Plains areas best-kept secrets.
Though only a small-scale park, the attraction is overall an excellent one as it gives a reasonably close view of some delightfully colorful (mostly) Australian birds in a fairly authentic aviary, the largest of its type in Japan.
Surrounding the aviary are plenty of gum trees, adding to the Down Under-flavor of the Saitama Prefecture city.
Koshigaya and Saitama became sister cities in 1984, one of the earliest formal relationships between local governments in Australia and Japan.
The Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds opened in 1995 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the sister-city relationship.
Campbelltown reciprocates with its Koshigaya Park, containing Japanese gardens.
Details of the Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds in Koshigaya are as follows:
Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds(Japanese link)
272-1 Daikichi, Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, 343-0008
Open: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays, new year season holidays
Entrance fees: Adults 100 yen, children (primary and middle-school students) 30 yen
Related information on Koshigaya-Campbelltown ties
Campbelltown-Koshigaya Sister Cities Association
Campbelltown City Council page on sister city relations
Campbelltown-Koshigaya Sister Cities Association student delegates arrive to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their relationship
Campbelltown-Koshigaya friendship is 30 years young
クリスマス・ソングと言えば恐らくまずこの「クリスマスの12日間」を思い浮かぶ人が多いだろう。
それで、珍しいがオージー版もあるんだ。
曲の流れやメロディが伝統的な曲と同じだが、「梨の木のヤマウズラ」などじゃなくてもらう物がコアラなどオーストラリア独特なものだ。
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AUSSIE STYLE
On the 12th day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
12 parrots prattling,
11 numbats nagging,
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree
An Aussie Chrissie （オーストラリア独特な英語によって物語れている物語）
Strine Dictionary
Zoo for Sale: Kangaroos at the Pardarna Wildlife Park on Kangaroo Island
コアラ、カンガルーやエミューなどが人間に対してあまり危険視されていないが、下記のビデオで見えるように、危ない場合もある。
コアラは、一日中寝ているという印象を持っている方が多いだろう。（実際に合っているが）年間を通してコアラもさまざまな行動を行っている。Australian Geographic誌がこのビデオにあるコアラ群れを未着取材し面白いドキュメンタリーを制作された。
普段あまり動かないコアラの活発な姿で驚ければ、この映像がなおさら怖い！今年4月、オーストラリア北部になんとヘビを食べられるクモがいった！糸で捕まったより、ヘビが偶然に糸に上の枝から落ちてクモが素早く動いて捕まって、糸で拘束して食べちゃった！
Australian wild camels
Turning a Pest into Profit