7 January 2014 Sue Young

Katie Koala sequential discovery puzzle

Limited Edition Released 4th January 2014 Sold Out 7th January 2014.  Set of 65.
Original Price: AU$$1360.00  (AU$1236.36 ex Australian Tax)
In September 2019  one of these puzzles resold at Haubrich Auctions for Euro 6930 (at the current exchange rate that’s about AU$11150.00)

In June 2023  one of these puzzles resold at Puzzle Paradise auction for USD 9550 (at the current exchange rate that’s about AU$14550.00)

There is much more going on inside this Koala’s head than a real Koala even after she’s been eating lots of gum leaves. Not just a single puzzle. This is a collection of a number of puzzles, all complex in their own right. The big puzzle for Brian was how to fit all the puzzling experiences into one Koala so that it didn’t turn out the size of a small motor car?

The ultimate goal is to find the 20th Anniversary token.

Along the way you’ll have to find and assemble Katie Koala’s joey named Verne; technically you’re getting two tough Koala puzzles not just one. To find the joey you’ll have to navigate literally a maze of locks that interact with each other.

The final door is actually held shut with 4 separate locks so there will be no fluke to open it. Once you do open it you’ll be rewarded not only with the token, but you’ll also get to see a lot of the inner mechanisms that Brian has deliberately left exposed. We would love to show you some of the brass work inside so you can understand where all the time’s been spent preparing this puzzle but that would give away waaaaaaay too many clues! so you’ll just have to wait until you discover it all for yourself.

In the past Brian has left ideas out of puzzles to keep the cost down. This being his 20th Anniversary he wanted to go all out, and everything he planned just seemed to work well, so he kept going….. It’s unlikely that he’ll ever make anything this elaborate again in a single puzzle.

Do you have the ‘koalafications’ to tackle this one?

The puzzle was designed by Brian Young. Special thanks to Junichi for their fabulous collaboration on the design for the joey.

Woods used: Koala – Papua New Guinean Teak (Vitex) with ear trim from Silver Ash and nose, hands & feet from Papua New Guinean Ebony. Her joey is made from Sycamore wood.

The puzzle also includes lots of brass and magnets used to make many tools that you will discover as you progress.

Size: Height 233mm Width 150mm at the ears Depth 125mm

Tags 20th anniversary, brian young