Drexel University Athletics
Dragons Down Under: Kangaroos and Crocs and Dragons, Oh My
8/23/2018 10:22:00 AM | Men's Basketball
PHOTO GALLERY
CAIRNS, Australia – If anyone wondered if Cairns would be a fun stop on the trip, they got their answer this morning. This beach town in Australia is something to remember. Thursday morning was filled with events and sites that the entire traveling party will remember for the rest of their lives.
The day started off with a quick breakfast and then a 45-minute drive to Hartley's Crocodile Adventure. On the way, we finally got our wish and got to see a kangaroo in the wild. We passed a bunch of them on the road, making a quiet bus turn into an excited room in no time. Hartley's was fascinating from the start. It was more than just your average walking zoo. As soon as you walked in the door, there was a koala habitat, where three koala bears were just feet away. Later in the day, a good number of the party got their photos taken with a live koala. Within 10 minutes of being in the place, Drexel basketball players got a rare opportunity to feed kangaroos and wallabies in their habitat. It was exhilarating for the members of the team (and yes, for the coaches, administrators and staff as well). But feeding a kangaroo was just the start of the day. Australia is known for its deadly snakes and I think we saw almost every one of them. The guys saw a taipan, a cobra, a death adder and one of the biggest pythons you will ever see. A certain head coaches wife even had her photo taken with one of these snakes.
The next part of the day at Hartley's involved crocodiles. The park had more than 20 crocodiles living there and the team got to learn all about them. This educational experience also came with some excitement. The crocodile feeding was pretty impressive to watch. The crocs massive jaws snapped as the feeder dropped chicken into the water. The salt water crocs on the boat ride around the park proved to be a great spot for photos. Our tour guide, Marty, brought the crocs over to the side of the boat and they leaped up into the air when he fed them. It was a fascinating afternoon to say the least.
On the way back to the hotel, the bus pulled over to a beach in Palm Cove. The guys got a chance to take in some magnificent views and dip their feet into the Coral Sea. The visit to the beach was the capper of a great afternoon in the northern suburbs of Cairns.
The Dragons didn't have a whole lot of time to get ready for the Cairns Taipans, the evening's opponent on the court. They grabbed pregame meal and a few hours later were in a small, sold out gym that was loud and excited to see the local team from the NBL take on Drexel. The Taipans play in the top league in the nation. They have players such as former Maryland standout Melo Trimble, Nathan Jawai, the Shaq of the Outback as the locals say and a former NBA player, and Alex Loughton, a CAA Player of the Year during his days at Old Dominion.
The Taipans jumped out to an early lead, but Drexel fought back and played with intensity that would have made the fans at the DAC proud. Alihan Demir had another solid game for Drexel as did Zach Walton. Everyone played in the game as the Dragons fell to the Taipans, 92-76.
Tomorrow should be another outstanding experience as the team will get up early and visit the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, it will be the last day in this fantastic city before heading on to Sydney for the final few days of the trip.
CAIRNS, Australia – If anyone wondered if Cairns would be a fun stop on the trip, they got their answer this morning. This beach town in Australia is something to remember. Thursday morning was filled with events and sites that the entire traveling party will remember for the rest of their lives.
The day started off with a quick breakfast and then a 45-minute drive to Hartley's Crocodile Adventure. On the way, we finally got our wish and got to see a kangaroo in the wild. We passed a bunch of them on the road, making a quiet bus turn into an excited room in no time. Hartley's was fascinating from the start. It was more than just your average walking zoo. As soon as you walked in the door, there was a koala habitat, where three koala bears were just feet away. Later in the day, a good number of the party got their photos taken with a live koala. Within 10 minutes of being in the place, Drexel basketball players got a rare opportunity to feed kangaroos and wallabies in their habitat. It was exhilarating for the members of the team (and yes, for the coaches, administrators and staff as well). But feeding a kangaroo was just the start of the day. Australia is known for its deadly snakes and I think we saw almost every one of them. The guys saw a taipan, a cobra, a death adder and one of the biggest pythons you will ever see. A certain head coaches wife even had her photo taken with one of these snakes.
The next part of the day at Hartley's involved crocodiles. The park had more than 20 crocodiles living there and the team got to learn all about them. This educational experience also came with some excitement. The crocodile feeding was pretty impressive to watch. The crocs massive jaws snapped as the feeder dropped chicken into the water. The salt water crocs on the boat ride around the park proved to be a great spot for photos. Our tour guide, Marty, brought the crocs over to the side of the boat and they leaped up into the air when he fed them. It was a fascinating afternoon to say the least.
On the way back to the hotel, the bus pulled over to a beach in Palm Cove. The guys got a chance to take in some magnificent views and dip their feet into the Coral Sea. The visit to the beach was the capper of a great afternoon in the northern suburbs of Cairns.
The Dragons didn't have a whole lot of time to get ready for the Cairns Taipans, the evening's opponent on the court. They grabbed pregame meal and a few hours later were in a small, sold out gym that was loud and excited to see the local team from the NBL take on Drexel. The Taipans play in the top league in the nation. They have players such as former Maryland standout Melo Trimble, Nathan Jawai, the Shaq of the Outback as the locals say and a former NBA player, and Alex Loughton, a CAA Player of the Year during his days at Old Dominion.
The Taipans jumped out to an early lead, but Drexel fought back and played with intensity that would have made the fans at the DAC proud. Alihan Demir had another solid game for Drexel as did Zach Walton. Everyone played in the game as the Dragons fell to the Taipans, 92-76.
Tomorrow should be another outstanding experience as the team will get up early and visit the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, it will be the last day in this fantastic city before heading on to Sydney for the final few days of the trip.
Players Mentioned
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