OLD FRIENDS: Veteran Healesville Sanctuary guides Fred Parry and Ruth Menzies with an old friend Alby the albino Kookaburra.By KATH GANNAWAY
A REUNION of Healesville Sanctuary guides on 9 October will celebrate 20 years of ‘guiding’.
For Fred Parry and Ruth Menzies, who were in the first group of guides, tales of the ‘yellow brick road’, wombats who could swim after all, and an albino kookaburra who has been at the sanctuary for as long as they have, will feature in their conversation as they catch up with old friends.
Both Fred and Ruth have seen extraordinary changes in the sanctuary over the years but Ruth rates the most impressive as the construction of the new pathway system not long after she started guiding.
“It was such a wonderful thing we nicknamed it The Yellow Brick Road. Before that you were always getting lost,” she said.
Fred is still amused by a vision of wombats swimming their way to freedom across the moat in their new exhibit some years ago.
He had seen wombats swimming on his own property so was not surprised to hear they had made their escape within half an hour.
Michel Millane who is organising the reunion said 30 guide groups had graduated since 1985 and while many were retired people guiding also appealed to young people.
“Basically, the job of the guides is to enhance the visitor experience but there are a lot of other areas where guides help out as well,” she said.
Invitations have been sent to current guides, but Michel is keen to hear from former guides who would like to attend.
Any photographs or other memorabilia would also be of interest.
Michel can be contacted at Healesville Sanctuary on 5957 2812.
