Wallabies are considered a pest round these parts and are oft made into Wallaby Pie, but not here at Gwen's safe haven. Many, if not all, of the 70 plus wallabies that call EnkleDooVery Korna home have been hand raised from wee babies (when they were tacked up in cotton sacks substituting as pouches on her kitchen wall).
Wallabies of all ages (one year to sixteen years of age) live in enclosures that she has built. Some live alone (like the elderly blind fellow) and some live with buddies (like the Bachelor Boys, the Shy Sheilas, and the Luckless Trifecta) in the dozen or so enclosures. The idea is, you take a leisurely wander through all the pens doling out treats and patting the wallabies as you go.
I think it is us who get the treat though, patting and chatting to these affable little creatures!
Back at the main office area Gwen treats us to a visit with her baby possum Stella and the Elf owl Bailey.
We also spend a good half hour touring the main level of the house that is chock full of family (and otherwise collected, amassed and hoarded) memorabilia. Each area is laid out in a certain way - the Trapper's House, the Fair Lady's parlor, the whiskey distilling area - with Gwen dramatically and entertainingly spinning tall tales of their imagined lives.
Gwen clearly marches to the beat of her own drum. Firecracker might be the word to describe her. She is eccentric and boisterous and completely captivating to be around. You hang on every word she says — really! She grew up on a mountain farm down alongside the Fiordlands, raising from a very young age, birds and any other creatures she could get her hands on. The fire was in her to help animals and she was hell bent on making it happen for her! So moving to Waimate area (the only area in all of New Zealand with wallabies in it) seemed the perfect setting to her. I get the sense that we get to see and hear about 10% only of the fantastical stuff that gets dreamt up in her head. She is like a human iceberg with 90% of the "content" hidden from view.
That 10% though - WOW.
P.S. This is me holding a bag-o-possum!
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