Jelly Roll’s Dream Trip to Australia
Jelly Roll recently had one of the most memorable experiences of his life during his first-ever visit to Australia, where he headlined the Strummerville Festival in Queensland on October 25.
For the Nashville-born artist, the trip marked far more than just a career milestone. After years of being unable to travel internationally due to past legal issues, stepping onto Australian soil was a deeply emotional and triumphant moment.
Meeting Australia’s Most Adorable Residents
While in Australia, Jelly Roll took full advantage of his free time to meet some of the country’s most beloved wildlife. In a fan-shared video, the “Save Me” singer is seen gleefully interacting with several native animals — including a koala, a wombat, and a baby quokka.
A quokka, often called “the world’s happiest animal,” is a small marsupial native to Western Australia, famous for its constant smiling expression. Jelly Roll’s reaction was pure joy as he held one for the first time, exclaiming:
“Dude, this is crazy, oh my God. I am fixing to faint. This might be the greatest day of my whole life.”
Naming His New Furry Friend “Loretta”
During the encounter, handlers gave Jelly Roll the chance to name the quokka. Naturally, he FaceTimed his wife, Bunnie XO, for input.
Bunnie suggested he give the animal “something country,” and soon the pair settled on “Loretta,” in honor of the legendary Loretta Lynn.
“I love Loretta. Loretta, it is. The infamous Loretta Lynn!” Jelly Roll declared proudly.
To complete the moment, he played Lynn’s 1970s classic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” for the newly named quokka — a sweet, funny, and uniquely “Jelly Roll” gesture.
A New Mission: Helping Quokkas
As an avid animal lover who, along with Bunnie, has rescued numerous farm animals, Jelly Roll immediately started thinking about ways to support Australian wildlife.
“This could be a new thing, dude,” he said. “We could start rescuing quokkas. We’ll start sponsoring them. What do they cost? I’ll buy Loretta right now. She’s like a little mouse. This just keeps getting cooler.”
His excitement for the experience reflected not only his sense of wonder but also his ongoing commitment to compassion and giving back — a value he’s demonstrated through both his music and philanthropy.
The Story Behind Jelly Roll’s Quokka Tattoo
Interestingly, this wasn’t Jelly Roll’s first connection to quokkas. He already has a tattoo of one on his arm — a souvenir from what he described as a wild night with friends in Florida.
“I got a quokka,” he told GQ. “Me and like 10 people got drunk on a beach in Miami and Fort Lauderdale once.”
But the tattoo, he explained, carries genuine meaning.
“I wanna remind people in life, this is the happiest animal on the planet,” Jelly Roll said. “When life starts throwing me curveballs, I look down at my little quokka and I go, ‘Be a quokka. Be a quokka. That’s my quokka.’”
A Joyful, Full-Circle Moment
For Jelly Roll, this Australian adventure was more than just another tour stop — it was a full-circle experience. From wearing a quokka tattoo as a symbol of positivity to finally holding one in his arms, the moment captured the spirit of his personal transformation: a man once defined by struggle, now living with gratitude, humility, and joy.
And judging by his reaction, meeting “Loretta the Quokka” just might go down as one of the happiest moments of his life.