Selwyn Times: July 05, 2016

26
Tuesday July 5 2016
Travel
SELWYN TIMES
Falling for a girl named Tinkerbell
• By Barry Clarke
DON’T TELL the wife but I’ve
fallen for a girl called Tinkerbell.
She’s 26, has a smile and eyes
I’ll never forget, has beautiful
sleek lines, and amazing skin.
And, I have to admit I got close
up and personal with Tinkerbell
at Tangalooma Resort on
Moreton Island, about an hour’s
ferry trip from Brisbane during a
weekend away from home.
All sound a bit fishy?
You’re right.
Tinkerbell is of course a wild
dolphin, and a magnificent one
at that. But then they all are.
She’s part of a pod of wild
dolphins that come to the island
around the same time every
night to be fed by the tourists.
It’s a fantastic experience.
Qantas now has three return
flights from Christchurch-Brisbane
a week. If you’re going to
Brisbane don’t just think only of
the traditional nearby must-visit
spots of the Gold Coast or Sunshine
Coast. Because Moreton
Island is a gem.
There is the day trip option
on the ferry and while heading
across you’re likely to see pods of
dolphins.
The ferry returns after dolphin
feeding time by the main jetty on
the island.
If you’re staying overnight or
for a few days the accommodation
is very good, and affordable.
The food is what you’d expect
– great. Fire and Stone restaurant
(Chinese) is a must.
There’s scuba diving around a
shipwreck, quad biking, sand hill
tobogganing (not for the fainthearted)
in what is known as the
desert, sailing, and fishing.
If you want something more
leisurely there’s plenty of good
walking, and beachside cafes to
sit and sup on a coffee or something
stronger.
But more on those dolphins.
They have been arriving at
Tangalooma for decades, which
is one of the few places in the
world that you can wade out and
hand-feed dolphins.
There are fairly strict guidelines
to keep them safe – you
must wash your hands before
wading out, and you are not allowed
to touch them in case they
catch an infection. If you have a
cold or the flu you are told not to
go near them.
The dolphins first came to
prominence in the late 1970s
when the current owners of the
resort, the Osbornes, would visit
the island.
Lights had just been installed
on the jetty, which attracted bait
fish which the dolphins were
feeding on.
The Osbornes bought the
resort in 1980 and they began to
identify and name the dolphins
that came in at different times
after sunset.
They named the most regular
Eric. But when Eric arrived with
a calf one year, they renamed her
Beauty, who is the lineage of the
pod that arrives today, including
Tinkerbell, who now has her own
offspring.
During the 1980s, tourists
would throw fish to Beauty.
Initially, she rejected the fish, but
slowly she started to accept the
offerings.
She would raise her eyes above
MAGNIFICENT: Tinkerbell
and her newborn calf
Calypso. Above right – The
Tangalooma Resort. Left –
Brisbane at night.
the water and look for tourists.
The Osbornes became concerned
about the quality of the
fish being fed to Beauty, so they
would leave a bucket of fresh fish
on the jetty each night for the
tourists to feed Beauty.
In late 1990 Beauty arrived
with a new baby and she was
named Tinkerbell.
Just over a year later the
Osbornes tried hand-feeding
Beauty. It worked; she showed
no signs of stress and the rest is
history.
Tangalooma installed a new
jetty and grandstand and now
has a Dolphin Education Centre
staffed by marine biologists.
Brisbane itself is now a very
busy city of just over two million
people, and a lot different to the
place I last visited several years
ago.
The Brisbane river is flanked
by great bars and cafes, there’s
a fabulous bike tour (Brisbane
By Bicycle) and fantastic night
kayak tours on the river.
You have to be reasonably
fit for the 90min kayak but it’s
•Qantas operates
three weekly return
Christchurch-Brisbane
flights, and an extra
return flight during
school holidays.
For times, fares go to
www.qantas.com
•Tangalooma resort is a
must see.
For ferry departure times,
accomodation costs at
the resort and what to do
go www.tangalooma.com
•For kayaking on the
Brisbane River go to
www.riverlife.com.au
•For a cycle tour of
Brisbane go to www.
brisbanebybicycle.com.
au
worth the challenge. The skyline
at night is fantastic, and if you’re
taking part on a Friday or Saturday
there’s prawns and/or a
barbecue at the end of it.
And Tinkerbell? Yes, I’ll probably
return one day to see her
again.
And, this time I’ll take the
wife.
•Clarke visited Brisbane and
Tangalooma courtesy of
Qantas and the Christchurch
Airport Company.
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