KOALA BROTHERS

Sammy the echidna is the shopkeeper at the General Store in the Town. He is rather dry and laconic with a slightly nasal voice in keeping with his long snout. He has a rattly, blue, three-wheeled truck which he uses to make his daily deliveries.

Sammy likes to broaden his horizons and often sends away for information on a new hobby or past-time. Sammy is the only character who habitually uses the Australian greeting “G’day!” whenever he appears with the groceries from his store.

Alice the platypus lives in the Town. She is a gentle soul who is goodhearted, kind and thoughtful. She can be some what vague and absent-minded.

She rides a bright green scooter very carefully making all correct hand signals even though she is in the middle of the Outback where you seldom see another vehicle. She wears a bright red leather jacket and matching helmet whenever she’s out on her scooter.

Archie the crocodile lives in a little house by the Waterhole. He’s good-humoured, sporty, sociable type who enjoys jogging and all other leisure pursuits. His big personality means that he is the life and soul of any party.

Archie has a penchant for acting – the epitome of amateur dramatics – and he plays the ukulele. But underneath his bluff exterior there lurks someone who is not as completely sure of himself as his demeanour suggests.

George the postman runs the local Post Office in the Town. He is rather slow at making his delivers, by virtue of being a turtle, and he always appears a little out of breath as he has to travel long distances in the Outback to deliver the mail. He is very professional and takes pride in doing his job well, although he occasionally gets a bit flustered if hurried. George has a habit of checking through the mail painstakingly slowly, whilst reading through the addressees, saying, “Let me have a little look-see”.

Frank is the eldest and the thinker of the two brothers. He is active, busy and practical. He is a bit serious and doesn’t often show his emotions. Frank likes to be seen a capable and dignified, so he is a bit vulnerable when things don’t go his way.

Frank acts as pilot when the two brothers go out on daily patrol. He’s always in charge of the ‘take-off-routine’ and is usually the one who comes up with the perfect idea to solve his problem. He has a distinctive ‘hands on hips’ pose.

Buster is a gentle soul who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is innocent, open, instinctive and affectionate. He has a distinctive ‘shrug’ that sums up his calm, easygoing nature. He has a tendency to express his overwhelming affection for others with a direct and generous hug round the shoulders.

Buster sits in the back of the plane with his telescope and acts as ‘look-out’ when the two brothers go out on their daily patrol.

Mitzi is a feisty little possum who lives in an extension at the side of the Koala Brothers’ Homestead. She is a little powerhouse of energy, fast talking and confident, who is always ‘on her way’ somewhere.

Whereas Ned admires the Koala Brothers and wants to be ‘in’ with them, Mitzi is much more independent.

Mitzi often calls out “Cooo-eee” whenever she makes an entrance. She speaks her mind and has a habit of stating the obvious when the others are not sure what to do next.

Ned the little wombat lives in a caravan in the yard of the Koala Brothers’ Homestead. He is the youngest of all our characters in the Outback. Ned admires the Koala Brothers (particularly Frank), and regards himself as an important member of the Koala Brothers’ team. Ned always opens the gate and guides the plane out of the Homestead and will often salute Frank when given an instruction. He is often seen hitching up his trousers which are always working their way down! He loves to hopscotch and often has ambitions to ‘be someone’ like a fireman, policeman or sea captain.

Josie the little kangaroo helps out at the General Store and mans the petrol pump in Town whenever Sammy (the shopkeeper) is out on his errands. She is very shy, quiet and sweet natured. She is a little self-conscious and a bit ungainly because of her big jumping feet!

Working at the store means that she often has to overcome her shyness and engage in conversation with the customers. Despite her shyness, Josie has hidden talents which often come to the fore.

Penny the little penguin is a back-packer who appears in various episodes as a visitor to the Outback. Penny is very sweet and appears to be an innocent abroad but she is actually very capable.

Penny does not speak but ‘squeaks’ so is an almost pure physical expression of her emotions and feelings. When she’s happy, she jumps up and down and claps her flippers; when she’s sad, she droops her head.