“
So, Grace, how's school?" I asked myself.
Dad nodded, eyes on the baby koala now struggling in the guest's arms.
"Oh, it's fine," I continued, and Dad made a mumbling noise of agreement. I added, "Nothing special, aside from the load of pandas they brought in, and the teachers abandoning us to cannibalistic savages-" I paused to see if I'd caught his attention yet, then pressed on. "The whole building caught fire, then I failed drama, and then sex, sex, sex."
Dad's eyes abruptly focused, and he turned to me and frowned. "What did you say they were teaching you in school?
”
”
Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1))
“
Does koala bear poop smell like cough drops?
”
”
Tom Robbins (Jitterbug Perfume)
“
I am sentimental,’ she said. ‘I could dissect a koala but not its baby. I like the words damozel, eglantine, elegant. I love when you kiss my elongated white hand.
”
”
Vladimir Nabokov (Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle)
“
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it.
”
”
Steve Irwin
“
Pooh hater,' I muttered under my breath.
'Winnie-the-Pooh was not a koala--why am I even arguing about this with you?
”
”
Rob Thurman (Blackout (Cal Leandros, #6))
“
Especially with four insanely angry, sword-carrying pirates bearing down on you, followed closely by an alien with a genetic malfunction that posed like Elvis Presley and looked slightly like a cross between a koala and a cuddly dog.
”
”
Ridley Pearson (Disney in Shadow (Kingdom Keepers, #3))
“
These people invented emojis, for god’s sake! They were texting and they thought, Yeah, this is great, but it’d be really dope to be able to send a small image of a koala bear too.*
”
”
Aziz Ansari (Modern Romance: An Investigation)
“
They say koala bears have tiny brains and eat grass. I say to be good at golf you must go full koala bear, and forget about all the greens you've chewed up and focus only on this hole and this swing.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Dik, kamu tahu gak istilah Mama untuk orang yang sudah pernah merasakan patah hati?'
'Apa, Ma?'
Nyokap menatap mata gue, lalu bilang, 'Dewasa.
”
”
Raditya Dika (Koala Kumal)
“
I had no clue; you can achieve all that, with one hug. But hey, I am Kay Kay! The first super hero koala bear and I give the best hugs!
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
I used to think there were two kinds of Crayola artists: Ones who color inside the lines and ones who don’t stay within the rigid boundaries set by thick black perimeters that make up a cuddly koala. But it seems that inside and outside the lines is just the main basis for comparison. You also have those who color lightly inside and fill each space according to the chosen and appropriate shade. Then you have those who scribble and slap any color anywhere. And sometimes these people have purple turkeys and shit that drives me absofreakinglutely crazy because, seriously
”
”
Amber L. Johnson (Puddle Jumping (Puddle Jumping, #1))
“
I golf like a Jackson Pollock painting. I splatter my shots all over the place—and then I act like I just produced a masterpiece.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
She'd fallen asleep on him like the little koala she was becoming with him.
”
”
RuNyx (The Reaper (Dark Verse #2))
“
He has a golf swing like a Bukowski line. It's slightly rough, but it's got a shape that knifes through time.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
A cigarette is just rolled up leaves, which makes it a smokable salad burrito. That makes the golfer John Daly a health advocate.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I shimmy so much before teeing off, people are probably thinking, "Are you going to golf—or dance?” Well, why not both?
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
The more I considered it, the more I realized how much I have in common with these koalas. We’re both immunocompromised, lightly diseased, exhausted, and full of toxins. I’m totally a koala.
”
”
Jenny Lawson (Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things)
“
I once played golf. That day I caught five new ducks to add to my farm collection.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
John Daly is from Arkansas, but now lives in Florida. I'm from Florida, but now I live in Arkansas. I am the inverse John Daly, and I think my golf game proves it.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Golf is probably a CIA psyop. Think about it. Golf is the only thing that tames the wild FloridaMan. It turns even the hilariously hostile into the docile.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I have told Mrs. Jones that I was pretty sure that stars were just like super heroes and that if she really wanted to become one, she just needed to be herself.
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
Zebras are piano horses. I think about that when I’m swinging a golf club, and it brings a musical cowboy element to my game that another player might not be able to buy in a vending machine.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
You have to have balls to golf. That’s why The Securities and Exchange Commission doesn’t play.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
The moon is a golf ball in the sky. My motto is this: If you can’t hit a hole in one, fake it in a film studio.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
People watch my unique style of play, and they want to know my top three golf influences. That's easy. John Daly, practicing daily, and an orange and white cat surrounded by yellow ducklings.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Every time that an animal eats a plant or another animal, the conversion of food biomass into the consumer’s biomass involves an efficiency of much less than 100 percent: typically around 10 percent. That is, it takes around 10,000 pounds of corn to grow a 1,000-pound cow. If instead you want to grow 1,000 pounds of carnivore, you have to feed it 10,000 pounds of herbivore grown on 100,000 pounds of corn. Even among herbivores and omnivores, many species, like koalas, are too finicky in their plant preferences to recommend themselves as farm animals. As a result of this fundamental inefficiency, no mammalian carnivore has ever been domesticated for food.
”
”
Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies)
“
I watched the cheese melt in the microwave—along with the surrounding plastic. I forgot to take it out of its package before use, just like my golf game.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I love how golf courses have water hazards. But the ponds feel empty without ducks. I'd like to start a business renting my ducks out to country clubs.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I have a golf swing like a Rosary dangling off a car's rearview mirror. I hope watching me play makes you realize Catholicism isn't for you.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
When I golf, I use just enough strokes to create a masterpiece, like I'm a painter. The score I post up would look great on a museum wall.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
They say those who can't do, teach. That's why today I'm pleased to announce I'm giving golfing lessons.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I golf like a Jackson Pollock painting, but that's balanced out by the fact that I paint like Jack Nicklaus golfs. My record is finishing in 63 strokes.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Many people have accused me of having a Coach Face. I may not be able to get you to improve your golf game, but I sure will have fun verbally abusing you while you play.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I told the joke, but someone else got the high five. That’s like me drinking a cup of coffee and a guy in a coma waking up. Go back to bed, buddy, your golfing days are over.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
You know, if rabid koalas went around giving hugs. I gurgled a laugh at the ridiculous ways my mind kept me from going into shock or freezing up.
”
”
Meghan Ciana Doidge (Maps, Artifacts, and Other Arcane Magic (The Dowser, #5))
“
Even I realized that money was to politicians what the eucalyptus tree is to koala bears: food, water, shelter, and something to crap on.
”
”
P.J. O'Rourke
“
I hate it when people tell me how I am doing. Why are you here I aasked. Nice to see you too he smiled. I brought you something. He handed me the small stuffed koala. I thought it might keep you company. Thanks I said embarrassed. I can't wait to introduce him to all my other stuffed animals at home.
”
”
Obert Skye (Choke (Pillage, #2))
“
Do you know who profits most in a gold rush? Mining suppliers—merchants. Today that includes marketers, because they're selling an idea or lifestyle. It's why golf's richest men aren't the pro players.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Bryson DeChambeau uses science in the true sense of the word to improve his golf game. He experiments and analyzes data to get better, and this separates golf fans, because those who think that's not cool use all of their brain capacity just breathing, like amoebas, but dumber.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I can golf in 17 different languages. I don’t speak any of them, but that’s balanced out by your inability to listen and understand.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Do you think,” she says, the words emerging thickly, “we might have used up all our conversation last night?”
“Not possible,” says Oliver, and the way he says it, his mouth turned up in a smile, his voice full of warmth, unwinds the knot in Hadley’s stomach. “We haven’t even gotten to the really important stuff yet.”
“Like what?” she asks, trying to arrange her face in a way that disguises the relief she feels. “Like what’s so great about Dickens?”
“Not at all,” he says. “More like the plight of koalas. Or the fact that Venice is sinking.” He pauses, waiting for this to register, and when Hadley says nothing, he slaps his knee for emphasis. “Sinking! The whole city! Can you believe it?”
She frowns in mock seriousness. “That does sound pretty important.”
“It is,” Oliver insists. “And don’t even get me started on the size of our carbon footprint after this trip. Or the difference between crocodiles and alligators. Or the longest recorded flight of a chicken.”
“Please tell me you don’t actually know that.”
“Thirteen seconds,” he says, leaning forward to look past her and out the window. “This is a total disaster. We’re nearly to Heathrow and we haven’t even properly discussed flying chickens.
”
”
Jennifer E. Smith (The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight)
“
Emergency? Knighthawk sent. I’m just bored.
I blinked, holding my phone and rereading that text.
Bored? I sent. You’re literally spying on the entire world, Knighthawk. You can read anyone’s mail, listen to anyone’s phone calls.
First, it’s not the whole world, he wrote. Only large chunks of North and Central America. Second, do you have any idea how mind-numbingly DULL most people are?
I started a reply, but a flurry of messages came at me, interrupting what I was going to say.
Oh! Knighthawk wrote. Look at this pretty flower!
Hey. I want to know if you like me, but I can’t say that, so here’s an awkward flirtation instead.
Where are you?
I’m here.
Where?
Here.
There?
No, here.
Oh.
Look at my kid.
Look at my dog.
Look at me.
Look at me holding my kid and dog.
Hey, everyone. I took a huge koala this morning.
Barf. The world is ruled by deific beings who can do stuff like melt buildings into puddles of acid, and all people can think of to do with their phones is take pictures of their pets and try to figure out how to get laid.
”
”
Brandon Sanderson (Calamity (Reckoners, #3))
“
I played a round of golf, but I didn't get an eagle. No, that symbol of American FREEDOM flew away faster than I could say Francis Scott Key.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I got a new golf bag. I keep it full of sad harmonica tunes that I hand out like Halloween candy to all the rainy-eyed players.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I'll bet playing classical music to plants would make them grow taller. When my ducks listen to Mozart, they become more cultured and have done things like taken up golf.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Some men are dedicated to golf like I'm addicted to cheese. We have real problems, but somehow only the alcoholics get to claim a disease.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
People ask me if I like golfing, and I look at them and reply, "Does The Pope wipe his ass with tuna fish sandwiches?" That response is NOT sponsored by Subway.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Was there anything cuter than an Australian accent? A baby koala, maybe.
”
”
Lauren Conrad (The Fame Game (Fame Game, #1))
“
I'd fight a bear for you, you know? Not a grizzly, or brown bear … or a koala … But like a Care Bear? I'd fight one of those sonsabitches for you. ;)
”
”
M.C. Decker (Unwritten (Unspoken, #1))
“
Sorry,” she mumbled as she crashed into his back and clung to his shoulders like a Sophie-koala.
”
”
Shannon Messenger (Stellarlune (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #9))
“
Golf is the only sport where you can't tell how good a player might be by glancing at their physical form. I've seen some real slobs shoot scores so low the number is almost their age.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
They suggested that if you really want to hold a koala but can't, just get a furry pillowcase and fill it with lightly used cat litter. Or tie a bunch of sedated raccoons together. Or maybe hold a dead koala.
”
”
Jenny Lawson (Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things)
“
I want to tell him that when we were in the camps waiting for a boat we spoke about what we imagined Australia would be like. Kangaroos, koalas, wide open spaces. Then, when we arrived, we were locked up and the images we had shrank smaller and smaller until Australia became tiny patches of sky beyond the barbed wire.
”
”
Randa Abdel-Fattah (When Michael Met Mina)
“
I was allowed exclusive access to Project Looking Glass' future-viewing telescope, and there's good news and bad news. The good is the game of golf manages to live on after you starve to death, and the bad is you'll never get to realize just how meaningless you are to the sport.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Golfers flexing on other golfers for having Androids will never not be inadvertently hilarious. iPhones are also owned by Janitors, the job that's at the bottom of the perceived status pile, and I'd rather golf with a man who spends his time cleaning than a dirty pseudo snob.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
There's a thought process that says if you don't use every club in your golf bag every round, you're doing your game a disservice. Bryson DeChambeau could use every club in a golf bag from the 1800s and still make you look like a beginner.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I love cola-flavored soda—especially if it's authentically brown colored and manufactured by the government. It reminds me that Soviet Russia never produced any great golfers, and that is the only mistake made by the game over the centuries.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Everything had happened so fast, I was not sure I had really understood all of the events. My owner Mala said I was not supposed to understand, since I was just a toy. And her mom, Mrs. Jones, said I was not the sharpest pencil in the box! What ever that meant…
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
I use Fiction to face Reality And write sweet Stories to avoid the bitter ones.
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
Keep it weird. They'll get it later.
”
”
Kid Koala
“
I play golf like a machine. That machine is a tractor.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
I created an Excel spreadsheet full of golf terms like eagle and birdie. I’m surprised one under isn’t called duck, because isn’t that what you do when you go under, duck?
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Hidden Valley is a golf course in Springfield. Hidden Valley is also the name of a brand of ranch dressing, and that’s more suited to my game.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
My golf swing is like a James Cagney smile. It curves with sincerity, but it's also slightly sinister.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
Liam says Niall looks like a koala 42.)
”
”
Jessica Stewart (Niall Horan: 125 Facts You Need To Know!)
“
Hey, Dennis. What did the koalas say when their keepers shaved them?” Dennis awaited my response with baited dog breath. “Eucalyptus. Get it? You-Calipped-us!
”
”
Kira Jane Buxton (Hollow Kingdom (Hollow Kingdom #1))
“
Evil little bastard. They can give you a nasty scratch. The koalas, I mean, not your kids!
”
”
Adrian McKinty (The Island)
“
If one more person tells me how big this country is, I’m going to go kick a koala.
”
”
Elle Lothlorien (Alice in Wonderland)
“
I hear they’re all infected with chlamydia, which just goes to show that you really can’t tell who’s got the clam. I mean, look at a picture of a koala…tell me you’re not shocked.
”
”
Elle Lothlorien (Alice in Wonderland)
“
Don’t be such a dumbass, Gabe. Koalas don’t travel in herds. They move in heaps. Much like emus move in ripples, and kangaroos travel in photo-ops.
”
”
Elle Lothlorien (Alice in Wonderland)
“
The first explosion happens right as Cal opens the door with his sister clinging to his long leg like a baby koala. Same, Maddie, same.
”
”
Lisina Coney (The Brightest Light of Sunshine (The Brightest Light, #1))
“
Inflation hurts us all. Today I'm seeing inflation at the grocery store, the leisure sector, and even on my golf scorecard. Yes, The Central Bank is to blame for my horrendous game.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
In fact koalas spend so little time thinking, their brains actually appear to have shrunk over the last few centuries; the koala is the only known animal whose brain only fills half of its skull.
”
”
Stuart Gibbs (Poached)
“
I followed in Walker’s shadow to the door. I wanted nothing more than to climb up on his body like a baby koala and bask in the safety of his arms all day. I didn’t even care if that made me a sissy.
”
”
Grace McGinty (Newly Undead in Dark River (Dark River Days, #1))
“
In any other fabric of space-time, my brother would have picked up Dee’s venereal disease-infested koala punt and run it straight down the line of vulgarity, all the way to the touchdown of tastelessness.
”
”
Elle Lothlorien (Alice in Wonderland)
“
Girl, how small is your brain?” I heard a familiar voice coming from behind. That was Wonder Woman.
“Sorry, was I thinking out loud?” I apologized.
“No, but I am Wonder Woman! I can read minds, you know”, she answered with pride.
I have to admit, I was really impressed, I did not know my minds could write.
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
Mrs. Jones had always distanced herself from me and I figured that note had the answer: Mrs. Jones was a secret agent! And I was not planning to share that information with anybody. After all, that was the definition of a secret. Even I knew that!
”
”
Talia (Kay Kay, My Super Hero Koala Bear! (Kay Kay, #1))
“
Fun fact: You may hug koalas in the Australian state of New South Wales, but not in Queensland. So…if you didn’t hug your koala nice and tight before you got here to Sydney, you’re going to be shit out of luck until we go back to Surfer’s Paradise.
”
”
Elle Lothlorien (Alice in Wonderland)
“
The world will constantly try to tell you that it's possible to divide every single human quality or skill or characteristic into those that are "male" and those that are "female." But I don't know. I might win a fight against your mother. It wouldn't exactly be "gorilla vs. bear," you know? More "gorilla vs. koala.
But she would destroy me in a footrace, no matter the distance. And she's way funnier than I am. And she gets people. She's someone everyone trusts. I can easily think of a hundred people who would follow her blindly into war. I can barely get people to follow me on Twitter.
In terms of brains, though, it's harder to measure for sure. I mean, on the one hand she's definitely smarter than I am, everyone knows that. But on the other hand: I got her to marry me. So I still feel like I have one up on her.
”
”
Fredrik Backman
“
I watch people play golf in silence. Even after they hit I remain quiet, because my commentary won't help the ball roll into the hole, but it will saturate the air with unwanted pressure. Spoken words are like direct energy weapons, and I don't deploy them at an unarmed target.
”
”
Jarod Kintz (To be good at golf you must go full koala bear)
“
It is tempting to look upon England as a sort of musical Australia, an island culture inhabited by, and sustaining, its own insular fauna – musical kangaroos, koalas, and platypuses. That, however, would be very much to exaggerate England's musical isolation or independence. It is also a considerable exaggeration to view the English preference for thirds as something altogether alien or opposed to continental practice, as if only in remote geographical corners (and behind closed doors, among consenting adults) could harmonies unsanctioned by Pythagoras or the Musica enchiriadis be furtively enjoyed.
”
”
Richard Taruskin (Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century)
“
I was trying to take the easy way out by running away from everything. No matter the pain, I will keep living. So when I die, I'll feel I did the best I could.
”
”
Koala
“
Separation anxiety was the very first label Joy heard applied to her oldest child, the first of many labels she’d hear over the years, but Joy had felt no sense of foreboding when she heard that first one. She’d felt foolish pride: my child can’t bear to be separated from me! That’s how much she loves me. Amy used to cling to her like a koala, her face pressed against Joy’s collarbone.
”
”
Liane Moriarty (Apples Never Fall)
“
I braced myself for something wise and useful. Dink, like most Bubbas, could be quite insightful and kind when you least expected it.
“Always remember one thing in this life,” he said, pausing to stare at the koala’s big brown glass eyes. I knew he woulda shot it if we were really in the wild.
“What is it, Dink? What should I remember? I could really use some perspective here.”
“Always remember . . . you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the mornin’.
”
”
Celia Rivenbark (You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning)
“
Field biologists studying large and charismatic animals wanted to know if their own species had genetic problems. I listened carefully to stories of koalas in Australia, giant pandas in China, black-footed ferrets in the Midwest, elephants, rhinos, and leopards in Africa, and orangutans in Asia--all threatened or endangered species attended by packs of worried field biologists. If cheetahs paid a price for their brush with extinction, did these species suffer the same?
”
”
Stephen J. O'Brien (Tears of the Cheetah: The Genetic Secrets of Our Animal Ancestors)
“
As I write this, I am still waiting for Steve to walk through the door. His sarong still hangs on the bed. His toothbrush is in the bathroom.
Reality is sinking in more and more. Bindi and I have a lot of heart-to-heart talks. These seem to help her, just like when she was younger and lost a special koala named Wilson. Wilson died of renal failure and is buried in our backyard. I felt thankful that over the years, I had set the foundation of faith with Bindi.
“As hard as it is to understand, there was a reason for all of this,” I told her. “One day it will be clear.”
Robert is like a pitiful puppy, and he still waits patiently for his daddy to come home from heaven. I hadn’t been prepared for how devastated Robert would be. Some nights he sits in the bathtub and cries. “I want my daddy,” he says, over and over. It absolutely tears my heart out.
”
”
Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
“
We’d purchased conservation land over a period of many years, and we were attempting to restore the native bush. We began planting eucalypts not long after we bought the property. First we planted dozens, then hundreds, and finally thousands. Steve worked into the night planting trees. If the rain didn’t come immediately, he would dutifully water each and every seedling. We had high hopes that one day the land would offer refuge to everything from koalas to phascogales.
“It will take a lifetime to establish these trees,” he said. “But one day they will be big, they will have hollows, and there will be a place where animals can live again.” Even in its raw, cattle-ravaged state, the land was heaven. The rufous bettongs were out in force every night, and the white-winged choughs flew down to keep an eye on us whenever we worked.
We had pieced together land parcels for a total of six hundred and fifty acres. This was the property Lyn and Bob were taking over in 1999.
”
”
Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
“
The first human footprint on a sandy Australian beach was immediately washed away by the waves. Yet when the invaders advanced inland, they left behind a different footprint, one that would never be expunged. As they pushed on, they encountered a strange universe of unknown creatures that included a 200-kilogram, two-metre kangaroo, and a marsupial lion, as massive as a modern tiger, that was the continent’s largest predator. Koalas far too big to be cuddly and cute rustled in the trees and flightless birds twice the size of ostriches sprinted on the plains. Dragon-like lizards and snakes five metres long slithered through the undergrowth. The giant diprotodon, a two-and-a-half-ton wombat, roamed the forests. Except for the birds and reptiles, all these animals were marsupials – like kangaroos, they gave birth to tiny, helpless, fetus-like young which they then nurtured with milk in abdominal pouches. Marsupial mammals were almost unknown in Africa and Asia, but in Australia they reigned supreme. Within a few thousand years, virtually all of these giants vanished. Of the twenty-four Australian animal species weighing fifty kilograms or more, twenty-three became extinct.2 A large number of smaller species also disappeared. Food chains throughout the entire Australian ecosystem were broken and rearranged. It was the most important transformation of the Australian ecosystem for millions of years. Was it all the fault of Homo sapiens? Guilty
”
”
Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind)
“
The first human footprint on a sandy Australian beach was immediately washed away by the waves. Yet when the invaders advanced inland, they left behind a different footprint, one that would never be expunged. As they pushed on, they encountered a strange universe of unknown creatures that included a 200-kilogram, two-metre kangaroo, and a marsupial lion, as massive as a modern tiger, that was the continent’s largest predator. Koalas far too big to be cuddly and cute rustled in the trees and flightless birds twice the size of ostriches sprinted on the plains. Dragon-like lizards and snakes five metres long slithered through the undergrowth. The giant diprotodon, a two-and-a-half-ton wombat, roamed the forests. Except for the birds and reptiles, all these animals were marsupials – like kangaroos, they gave birth to tiny, helpless, fetus-like young which they then nurtured with milk in abdominal pouches. Marsupial mammals were almost unknown in Africa and Asia, but in Australia they reigned supreme. Within a few thousand years, virtually all of these giants vanished. Of the twenty-four Australian animal species weighing fifty kilograms or more, twenty-three became extinct.2 A large number of smaller species also disappeared. Food chains throughout the entire Australian ecosystem were broken and rearranged. It was the most important transformation of the Australian ecosystem for millions of years. Was it all the fault of Homo sapiens?
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Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind)
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Every once in a while goannas sauntered right through camp. As I chopped vegetables that first night, a big lacey showed up.
“Grab it,” Steve said to me. I dropped what I was doing and picked up the lizard. John and his crew went into action. I told the camera everything I knew about lace monitors.
“Lace monitors are excellent tree climbers,” I said. “They can grow up to seven feet long, but this guy looks to be between four and five feet.” I spoke about the lizard’s predatory nature and diet. Meanwhile, the star of the show flicked his forked tongue in and out. After we got some footage, I put the huge lizard down, and Steve leaned his head into the camera frame to have a last word.
“And they’ve also got teeth like a tiger shark, mate,” he said with relish. “They can tear you to ribbons!”
“Thanks a lot,” I said, laughing, after John stopped filming. “You should have told me that before I picked the bloody thing up!”
It was a brave new world that I found myself in. At night I would hear the sounds of the fruit bats as they came into the trees. Also in the mix were the strange, far-off grunts of the koalas as they sang out their mating calls. Herds of wild pigs passed right behind the tent. Venturing outside in the middle of the night with my dunny roll to go use a bush was a daunting experience.
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Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
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It was a brave new world that I found myself in. At night I would hear the sounds of the fruit bats as they came into the trees. Also in the mix were the strange, far-off grunts of the koalas as they sang out their mating calls. Herds of wild pigs passed right behind the tent. Venturing outside in the middle of the night with my dunny roll to go use a bush was a daunting experience.
Steve was a natural in front of the camera. John had to give him only one important piece of advice.
“Stevo,” John instructed, “there are three people in this documentary. There’s you, Terri, and the camera. Treat the camera just like another person.”
Steve’s energy and enthusiasm took over. He completely relaxed, and he managed to just be himself--which was true of his entire career.
This wasn’t just a film trip, it was also our honeymoon. Steve would sometimes escape the camera crew and take us up a tributary to be alone. We watched the fireflies come out. I’d never seen fireflies in Oregon. The magical little insects glowed everywhere, in the bushes and in the air. The darker it got, the brighter their blue lights burned on and off.
I had arrived in a fairyland.
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Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
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There was plenty of wildlife to film: water pythons, venomous snakes, numerous beautiful birds, koalas, possums, and all kinds of lizards. But the big croc remained elusive.
Finally we found him. But something was wrong. As we approached, he failed to submerge. We were horrified to discover that the poachers had beaten us--and shot him. It was likely that he had been killed some time ago. Crocs often take a long while to die. They have the astonishing ability to shut off blood supply to an injured part of their body. The big croc had shut down and gone to the bottom of the river, at last, to succumb to his wound. He was huge, some fifteen feet long, fat and in good shape.
Steve was beside himself; he felt as if the croc’s death was a personal failure. We filmed the croc and talked about what had happened. But eventually, Steve simply had to walk away. When I went to him, there were tears in his eyes. Steve had a genuine love for crocodiles and appreciated each individual animal. This croc could have been fifty years old, with mates, a family, and a history as king of this river. His death wasn’t abstract to Steve. It was personal, as though he had lost a friend, and it fueled his anger toward the poacher who had killed such a magnificent animal.
Steve knew there was another croc in the area that was also in potential danger. “Maybe if we save that one,” Steve said, with resolve, “we can salvage something out of this trip.”
He didn’t give up. That night we cruised Cattle Creek again to film the trap sites. It seemed that wherever we went, Steve had an uncanny ability as a wildlife magnet.
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Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
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We toured the park, seeing parrots, wombats, and tiger snakes. “Koalas and primates,” Dick said. “We’ll get some koalas and primates and then we’ll be set.”
I thought back to how many times Steve and I had said something similar. “Just one more species and then our zoo will be done.” I was coming to realize that Australia Zoo would never be done. There were too many species in the world that needed our help.
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Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
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Suddenly he had a premonition. He turned to me. “Something’s going to happen,” he said.
Just ahead of us, a koala ran through a paddock over open ground. Steve immediately jumped out of the truck.
“Get John and catch up!” Steve yelled.
I scrambled into the driver’s seat, bouncing like hell over the muddy track, rounding up John and the crew to come film Steve’s encounter with the koala.
“How did you know something was going to happen?” I asked Steve, once we’d filmed the koala and gotten it safely to a nearby tree. “How did you sense it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, mate, it’s the strangest thing.” Were Steve’s bush instincts simply more finely honed than anyone else’s? I didn’t think it was that simple. He seemed to be able to tune into some sixth sense with wildlife. After years in the bush, he had refined his gift into an uncanny ability.
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Terri Irwin (Steve & Me)
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Why aren’t koalas actual bears? The don’t meet the koalafications.
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Various (100 Best Jokes: Family Edition)
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Don’t hurt Yogi!” yelled the German father, who still didn’t know who I was supposed to be. Now that he was outnumbered, Astros Cap wasn’t so tough anymore. He raised his hands, signaling the others to back down. “Hold on,” he said meekly. “This is all just a big misunderstanding. There’s no need to get nasty.” “Yes there is!” I yelled. “He stole my wallet!” The mob grew even angrier. “You mugged an innocent koala?” a grandmother shouted at Astros Cap.
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Stuart Gibbs (Poached)
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The same wind that crept around the massive feet of the dinosaurs now swirls around the toes of baby koalas.
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Kathi Appelt (Once Upon a Camel)
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Xavier and Catalina sat in the VIP box, waving down at us enthusiastically and I waved back before giving Darius my full attention.
The entire right side of his face was covered in mud, not to mention the rest of him and his torn jersey fell open to reveal the firm cut of his abs and that perfect V which dipped beneath his waistband.
“You’re killing it out there,” I told him truthfully, flashing a sweet smile which instantly had him narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
We hadn’t exactly talked much since the whole three way thing and I was really curious about how he was feeling about that. But I was even more curious as to how he was going to react when he realised I’d been playing with the sack of treasure I stole from him oh so long ago. There were plenty of times when I’d thought about the little stash we’d hidden out in the woods and wondered why he hadn’t asked for it back and there was only one reason that made any sense – he assumed I didn’t have it anymore. I didn’t know if he thought I’d sold it or destroyed it, but I was about to remind him that I still had it and see how nice he was when his temper flared. I was pretty sure there was a guide book or two out there about not poking a Dragon, but I guessed I was just too stupid to care.
“Thanks. Are you looking for me to make some cheesy statement like I’m thinking of you every time I tackle someone?” he teased and I laughed, tossing my hair. He frowned at me and I had to admit that might have been overkill, but whatever.
“Nice to know I’m on your mind every time you have someone pinned beneath you in the mud,” I purred.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Mildred rising to her feet in the stands with a face like an angry Koala which had been hit by a car. I didn’t have long before she came over here to stake her claim on her Dragon, but I didn’t need much time.
“I think I’ve made my desire to pin you beneath me pretty clear,” Darius replied in a low voice which had my toes curling, but I wasn’t here to flirt, I was here to poke a Dragon.
“Good luck for the second half,” I said in a sweet voice, reaching out touch his bicep, making sure that the gold rings pressed against his skin.
Darius looked down the moment he felt his magic stir in response to the gold and his eyes widened in surprise which was quickly followed by a flash of fury as he recognised the jewellery from his stash which I’d stolen.
I whirled away from him with a dark laugh before he could do any more than suck in an angry breath and I jogged out to join my squad just as they started up a chant.
V – E – G – A!
She’ll wipe the floor with you today!
Veeeeega! Veeeeega!
I fell into the moves of the chant, clapping my hands as some of the others rustled pom-poms and Darcy offered me an appreciative smile from the side of the pitch. We had little chants like that for all of the team members, but we often forgot to call out for the Heirs.
The music suddenly dropped and 7 Rings by Ariana Grande burst from speakers around the stadium as we moved into a full routine filled with dance moves and tricks. The song choice turned out to be perfect for taunting a gold obsessed Dragon as well as performing a badass routine to and I couldn’t help but smirk like a psychopath throughout.
Darius stood glaring at me from the side of the pitch even when Seth tried to drag him into the locker rooms and my heart thundered at the pure fury in his eyes.
Remind me again why I thought poking the Dragon was a good idea because he looks ready to shit a brick!
I turned my eyes from him, grinning out at the crowd as I moved between my girls, running forward as I performed a set of hand springs which ended in me throwing a huge blast of multicoloured petals up into the air so that they fell over the crowd.
(Tory)
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Caroline Peckham (Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy, #5))
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Oh, really?” I nuzzle his nose. “My collection of marsupials didn’t scare you off?” “No way, girl, you meet all my koalafications.” My mouth falls open. “He’s hot, has a big dick, and uses marsupial puns? I’ve hit the fucking jackpot.” “Guess that means I’m koala-fied to be your boyfriend.
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Hailey Dickert (Return Policy (Crystal Bay University #1))
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Diesel laughs when I try to run away, wrapping his legs around me until I have a psychotic human koala draped around me, keeping me still.
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K.A. Knight (Den of Vipers)