Be careful what you post in a blog. Recently, I mentioned my kangaroo misadventure and promised to elaborate. Seems people read Five Things You Don't Know About Me and expect me to keep my word. Good thing I was clear that I'd keep my seasickness adventures to myself. Anyway…

After a humbling experience in the Australian air, I decided to stick to terra firma and head to a beach that didn't double as a landing strip. Located a few pot-hole ridden miles down a dirt track too crude to rank as a road on the maps, Pebbley Beach posed no dangers beyond hungry roos and persistent parrots.

Kangaroos may have small brains, but they're smart enough to understand we humans are a pretty soft touch when it comes to anything cuddly. A palm full of kibble can coax a herd of marsupials to hop from the forest for a free meal.

And I'm not talking about tossing the food a few feet away and watching the wildlife approach by timid inches. These animals bound right up to you and eat straight from your hand.

The first time I fed a kangaroo, it was at a zoo and the animals had been raised with humans since they were old enough to leave their mother's pouch. Visit a few of these and you begin to think that all kangaroos are tame.

So when a one-armed Mamma kangaroo approached me - with a joey peeking from her pouch - I thought nothing of blocking off the competition to let her to munch uninterrupted. She was gentle, almost grateful, as she licked the kibble from my fingers. And I admit, I felt pretty good about protecting this defenseless animal and her baby.

In fact, I felt so good about my altruism that when a 7 foot dominant male came hopping up and pushed the disabled flyer (female kangaroo) out of the way, I decided to teach him some manners. I turned my back on him and continued to feed the vulnerable mother. Big mistake. Next thing I knew, the buck slapped me and brought my kibble-filled hand to his mouth - holding me firmly with his taloned paws.

And I thought only birds had a pecking order.

Charmian Christie,
Outdoor Adventure Expert