"Rainbow Jungle is regarded as Australia's most beautiful parrot habitat. Described as one of the wonders of Western Australia, this is a unique complex with a genuine touch of magic." So reads the promotional pamphlet. I initially suspected, in my cynical way, that this may well have been nothing more than hyperbole, but a number of folk who had visited this local landmark assured us that this was a Kalbarri experience not to be missed.
The truth demands the admission from your scribe that whilst Liz was very keen to walk the pathways of this aviary on steroids, I was resigned to 'go along for the ride'. Again, as has been my experience in the past, she was right and I was wrong. What an incredible place. The brochure presents an accurate description.
The Rainbow Jungle complex, including an outdoor picture theatre (closed for the winter unfortunately) is located about 5 kms south of Kalbarri on Red Bluff Road. As I expected (still somewhat cynical to this point) entry was through the expansive souvenir and bird requisites shop where I had to concede the range of wooden signs on offer did attract my attention in that, at last, I had discovered some which exhibited a modicum of wit. They kept me amused whilst the Treasurer opened her purse to shell out the very reasonable admission fee. I'm almost shamefaced in my admission that I later bought one of the signs.
Once through the honey trap of the formal entrance, the interior presented two distinctly different aspects. One section is take up with rows of cages and most informative signs, whilst beyond that, the complex opens out into an enormous enclosed aviary where all its feathered inhabitants are able to flit and frolic, 'as free as birds'. (sorry, a bit obvious I know).
Large palm trees and other sub-tropical plantings provide shade and a softening of the otherwise potentially sterile rows of cages.
They line the many paved walkways along which we strolled between the various sections of 'the jungle'.
Placid ponds,
adorned in many places with freshly opened water lilies, are dotted throughout
as are quiet, secluded nooks and crannies where, when all things avian become a bit too much, a refreshing cuppa or a lunchtime snack is on offer.
So let's get on with a selected tour with the parrots. One of the first signs which greeted us brought us a real taste of home.
And later, in a different section, there they were, a male and female scouting around in the floor litter for a tit bit.
The Rainbow Jungle is much more than a display house. Its owners are, and have been for many years, engaged in a significant breeding programme focusing in particular on highly endangered species. Signs such as this are to be found everywhere and I was delighted by the frank and informal language used. How often do you read descriptors like 'deep trouble' on formal signs? This completely unpretentious approach and total honesty in relation to the results of their efforts (as we shall see later) certainly appealed to me.
And here they are....survivors. These are far from the most visually imposing of the inhabitants of Rainbow Jungle, and I suspect may well have gone relatively unnoticed but for the informative plaque which provided a proper perspective as to their significance and plight in the wild.
Endangered is not a description which could be applied to these Gang-Gangs, although they are disappearing in some parts of the country. This close relative of the common galah is universally known as the cockatoo with a permanent 'bad hair day'.
Just beyond the breeding cages of a range of Australian parrots things took a decidedly exotic turn....the first of several species of South American macaws. To describe these as striking is an understatement. What an imperious pose these Green Winged macaws struck. To provide some perspective, these magnificent specimens are over a metre long from top to tail tip.
Their Scarlet cousins presented an equally impressive sight
but I'm afraid the Blue and Gold macaws were slightly more difficult to capture photographically which is a shame because they certainly did not lack anything when it came to grandeur.
A stroll through the open aviary section is an exercise in observation. Birds of all sizes and descriptions can be found hiding in the shrubbery or whizzing, with a cheeky disdain for our presence, right past our ears. Whilst this tiny Gouldian Finch may lack the size of the macaws, it remains highly competitive in the colour stakes.
And colour is the name of the game at Rainbow Jungle. Colours of all hues, some startlingly bright, like this King parrot
and others somewhat more muted such as these Princess parrots.
"Look at me, look at me". The male Superb parrot made sure we took his best side whilst his mate sat next to him with what I fancied was a somewhat resigned attitude. "He's such a show off...I do all the work raising the kids and all he does is sit around posing like flash Harry".
My sharp eyes even spotted a bird of a much more exotic nature peering out from behind one of the Rainbow Jungle waterfalls
as we made our way past the Cockatoo section where we found that the female Red-tailed was quite on for a chat whilst her less sociable mate sat perched in the corner.
The Cockatoo breeding programme here at Rainbow Jungle includes the Red-tailed, the White-tailed (pictured) and the Yellow-tailed species, all of which are proving to be willing and productive participants.
I mentioned earlier that the owners of Rainbow Jungle are disarmingly frank in their public admissions of failure, and as this sign clearly spells out, the successes achieved with the Cockatoos and other species have not been repeated with the exotic Sun Conure.
How often would one find such an open statement of failure on full display to the visiting public. I thought this gave the entire enterprise a patina of compete credibility, a comment I was happy to share with the owners as we left.
And what a shame (and a clearly expensive one at that).....the Sun Conure is an arrestingly colourful bird.
But let's leave Rainbow Jungle on a high with a couple which are amongst my favourites of the parrot world...the stocky shouldered Electus parrot, a species where the colour differences between the female
and the male could not be more stark. No chance of confusing these two at a cocktail party! (another apology needed?)
We did visit the observation tower before leaving Rainbow Jungle, but I'll save those scenes for our next trip along the coastal cliffs.
"Uh, huh, you can't leave yet.....what about the sign you bought? Too ashamed to admit to having been sucked in by a bit of kitsch?"
Well, the van's home....it needed something. I know, it really is kitsch, but there are times when you just have to lower the standards a level or two. Let's face it, Liz has a job, we are growing a parsley pot and we are homeless.....'trailer trash' at last!
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