It has not been an unusually hot summer, whilst we have had the occasional daytime temperature exceeding 41°, certainly there have not been runs of several days as we did last year. My Saturday morning summer routine is to join the hundreds of cyclists as they pant and push their way up the old Norton Summit Road. This week on the way down we came across this remarkable sight. A young male koala sitting in the middle of the road
You don’t by any chance have a water bottle?
I reckon there is water in that blue plastic bottle
It did not even attempt to run away but was obviously severely dehydrated and indeed managed to consume several drinks bottles from the cyclists as they came down and stopped. I suspect the poor thing was sick in some way. I wondered whether koalas could suffer from diabetes? Anyway after consuming at least 10 or 12 L of water it waddled back into the hills and climbed the nearest gumtree! I have never seen this before and it almost appeared that the Koala knew exactly where the water was and would reach up for the drink containers on the bike.
Yes definitely water! Is it an energy drink? Does it have a eucalyptus flavour?
Come on don’t tease me, GIVE me that water bottle!
One of the cyclists phoned the animal rescue unit as we were all of the opinion that it was not well! Eventually we all cycled back down and I headed off to the Norwood swimming pool to cool down before of course heading off to the mandatory coffee on the Parade.
This is the OLDEST community swimming pool in South Australia, It is 55 yards long, not 50 metres. It celebrated its 50th anniversary about 5 years ago. The water is pristine.
Within the next three weeks I’m heading off to a couple of medical conferences the first in Budapest, “Controversies in Neurology”. Then I shall journey to the northern part of England and Scotland and the Lakes district’s where my cousin lives with his wife and spend a week with them. He has organised a bicycle for me! Then I will head down to London for another conference on epilepsy before returning home.
I have already planned a month off in September, I will head to Istanbul for a week then I am rather excited about the possibility of a swimming trek for eight days between the various Greek islands before heading down to the southern part of Italy and the town of LECCE about which I have become rather fascinated. and yes you have read correctly it will be a swimming trek and to confirm this a photo of the various swims around the Greek isles appears below. The yellow lines mark each individual swimming trek of about three or 4 km and we do TWO each day.
as Dorothy said in the wizard of Oz.. “Follow the yellow swim lines”…
And as for Lecce, I was knew I had to visit when I watched a great Italian Movie as in this link
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2691793920/tt1405810?ref_=ttmd_md_pv#
This is a great fishing village on the southern coast of Italy and Near Lecce.
So.. any of my readers are keen to join me? Start your swim training and cycling today!
graham3693 
Very clever koala who has obviously done this before. Sounds like you have a wonderful holiday/s planned. Keep up your wonderfully entertaining blog – a second career is looming!
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Brilliant photos! I wonder if the koala knows that there’s a plentiful supply of water whizzing past and that cyclists will stop and offer a drink? It certainly looks tame enough to have done it before! Enjoy the Lakes District, some great cycling to be had up there and the weather is improving now Spring is upon us.
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The number of koalas that seek out water is a new phenomenon. Stories and pictures if them drinking from a hose or sitting in a tub of water abound . I was taught at school decades ago that the koala obtained it’s water from him leaves and did not need to drink! 😄
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I was always taught that at school too, they just sit in trees and eat eucalyptus leaves all day! But I had heard the odd report of thirsty koalas by the roadside over the past year or two. Interesting.
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