Meeting a Quokka

Technically, this moment happened in 2022 but since I had already posted my top 10 of the year before my trip to Australia, I had to let this one slip in. I met and pet a QUOKKA! Quokkas are indigenous to Western Australia and cannot be found in any other continent, not even at a zoo outside of Australia. Quokkas rose to social media fame in the 2010s when a man started taking selfies with Quokkas. For those of you new to Quokka’s, they have a permanent smiling face, just like ME! I once took an exam and the proctor told me I must have nailed it because I smiled the whole time, but it was just my resting smile face. 

My first sighting was at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, but the quokka was asleep inside of a little rock. Two days later, I arrived at Featherdale Wildlife Park, hopeful to see an awake quokka. When I arrived at the quokka section, I saw a little one hopping around. I squealed with excitement! I got so excited to pet this little quokka while snapping my own quokka selfies. I put some food in my hand and the quokka came up to me, put his hand in mine, and devoured my little treats.

To love quokkas from videos and photos is one thing but to have the opportunity to meet a quokka is another. Not only did I fulfill my dream to meet a quokka, I got to reflect on how lucky I am to be able to make some of my dreams come true. I am so grateful that I can read something in a travel magazine and say “I want to see that” and then go see that thing. Quokkas felt truly special since they are so hard to find. So if you go to Australia, I highly encourage you to get some quokka time in.