A Winter Haven wildlife artist has spent millions of his own money to create a place celebrating nature.
- Link: Outback Oasis
- Includes butterfly garden, pond with rare fish
- Venue is used for private events like weddings
It's called Outback Oasis and includes about 10 acres off of Country Club Road.
Paul Schulz started the place with a pond, a waterfall and some rare palm trees. After a trip to Australia to paint wildlife, however, he decided he wanted to add kangaroos.
He got a pair from a breeder in Texas and raised them starting when they were babies. Their names are Oz and Joey.
"The truth is, if people had access to kangaroos, everybody would want one," said Schulz.
Joey and Oz are very gentle creatures. Schulz feeds them granola bar treats by hand.
Outback Oasis also includes a butterfly garden, with many varieties of butterflies. There are a couple of very large turtles and a pond filled with rare fish.
Outback Oasis is mostly used as a venue for private events like weddings and birthdays, but it also has events open to the public, including "Butterfly Saturdays."
Schulz thinks of Outback Oasis as a smaller version of a Winter Haven classic. "And this is a mini Cypress Gardens of sorts," he said.
Schulz hopes to continue to expand and that children will be inspired by Outback Oasis.
"And the animals that I care about, their only hope is in the future," he said. "That there is a new group of people that come up and care."