International Students

Two weeks ago, on Friday, June 20th, we went on an excursion to the Funky Farm. Eleven international students, accompanied by Ms. Cui and Mr. Liu, got to go. We met at school and departed in the MCC school bus at 9:30 a.m. After a short journey, we arrived at the farm at 10:00 a.m., where we were warmly welcomed by our tour guide and began our adventure right away.

We were able to see a variety of native Australian animals, and some of them we even had the chance to pet. Right at the start, we were allowed to have a Galah — a white bird with a pink neck — on our arms. Following that, we sat together in a circle while our guide introduced us to more animals. First, he let two wombats, Wade and Boo, come through a small door. While they were happily eating, we gently stroked their fur. Afterwards, they returned to their enclosure, and the guide brought out a Dingo for us to meet. He was incredibly calm and as sweet as any other dog. The final animal we met in the circle was a sugar glider. Sitting comfortably in the guide’s hand while eating sweet corn, it was carried around so everyone could have a closer look.

Next, we walked to the volary where we observed Cockatoos, Kookaburras, a Tawny

Frogmouth, and a few other species. I found it especially fascinating how the Tawny

Frogmouth blended into its surroundings, looking almost like a branch. Next to the bird

enclosure was the Koala area, where we had the chance to observe three Koalas up close.

As we entered, we saw them peacefully sleeping in the branches, with eucalyptus leaves around them. We then followed our guide to another section of the farm, where we met Tyrone the Emu.

His feathers felt surprisingly soft and we even posed for a group photo with him. Nearby, a

large grassy area was filled with numerous Wallabies and a few Kangaroos. Once inside, our guide gave each of us food, and we fed the animals straight from our hands. For many of us, this was the highlight of the visit — an unforgettable and nice experience.

Before moving on to the reptiles, our guide showed us a Cassowary. Although it is a

flightless bird like the Emu, our guide explained that according to the Guinness World Records, it is the second-heaviest and considered the most dangerous bird in the world.

Because of that, we watched it from a safe distance without entering its enclosure.

Finally, we visited the reptile section, where we had the opportunity to touch and hold

creatures like a Lace Monitor and a Bearded Dragon. Some of us even draped a Python

around our necks, which I thought was amazing. Unfortunately that was the last part of our tour, and soon after, we began our journey back. Before returning to school, we stopped for lunch at McDonald’s and arrived just in time for the end of the third period.

Overall, it was a fantastic day. We learned a lot and made memories. It is great to know

more about Australia’s incredible native animals and had the rare chance to see them up close.