Wildlife in Australia - 2025

'Oh I couldn't go to Australia with all the snakes and the spiders'

I'm sure they're there somewhere, but I've only seen two snakes. A diamond python sunbathing in a tree over a walk way in Manly, just outside Sydney and a mildly venomous collared whipped snake in Cairns. I saw them on my last visit in 2023.

This visit other than a trip to Tasmania, we didn't venture outside of Sydney and the local coastal area. It also poured with rain for most of the visit and spring was late this year so we didn't see as much wildlife as we've done previously.

I did however take a trip to the Aquarium and the Wildlife Park in Darling Harbour as I wanted to see the Koala's.

I love how obliging this wallaby was lining up under his sign so I didn't miss him. Sadly several of his friends/family had been hit by cars in the neighbourhood in Tasmania.

These Ibis are known in Australia as Bin Chickens as they scavenge through the rubbish.

The magpies are a real pain the end of winter start of spring. We watched this one attack 4 people in the park, chasing one woman, pecking at joggers hats and swooping down on a bloke who was reading a book. We did issue verbal warnings. 

There are signs warning you about their behaviour.

Rainbow Lorikeets.

Parrots.

Cockatoo.

Beach Turkey. An absolute nuisance, but protected.

Cormorant.

Heron.

Dolphines. We saw a whale breeching but I didn't get a photo.

Black Crab.

Water Dragon.

We saw loads of Galah's, bright pink birds, but I failed to get any photos and the same with the Kookaburra's although I did get recording of their laughing at 5am every morning.

The good bits of July 2025

Things that made me happy:

Twice my neighbour has brought the cat home in disgrace after she's rescued it from tearing another cat to shreds or getting beaten up herself.

I got soaked through to my underwear on the walk up the hills. I had packed a rain coat. I sat in the coffee shop and left a wet mark on the seat and got home to discover the back of my legs were splattered with sheep and cow poo.

Grandson declared he didn't like me anymore as I was going home. Our two other grandchildren were visiting them on Sunday and our grandson wanted us to bring them over with us. Our grandson loves to take photos with our phone. 

My student bought me a lovely gift and arranged a little leaving party for me. I had coffee out with her and her mum last week.

No Surgery for the gall bladder for the time being, managed by diet and I can self refer.

I've got a new job lined up for September.

Double Rainbow.

Our hedgehog is back.

Places we visited:

We were watching ELO on the TV on the Saturday night and I searched for tickets for the Sunday performance. Sunday night we were in Birmingham hearing Jeff Lynne singing live.

I went camping at Lydney and in Monmouth to see our grandchildren and my friends.

We had a day out in Gloucester with pour DIL and grandchildren.

Three leaving do's to attend for work. Peter came to two of them. I went to the third without him, that one was my leaving do.

I met a friend at the National Trust at Snowshill.

I climbed the Malvern Hills.

I went with work to visit Cadbury World and The Black Country Museum.

Peter and I met with a friend at the Welland Steam Show.

Things we did at home:

Reading - 

5 books read at home this month.

Gardening - More radish, 1-2 figs are ripening each week. We've had a glut of tomatoes and cucumbers. I have 8 sunflowers in the garden and several pumpkins developing.

Word of the Week - Cat

Pushkins our expat cat, from South Africa. She moved in with us in 2012, 13 years ago, the vet said she was about 3 years old at the time.

We moved to Dubai the end of 2014 and she relocated to the UK with us in 2020. She's 16 now.

She's also not a she, but a he. We found out a year after our move to Dubai, we've had her details changed on her microchip and vet records, but she'll always be a she to us and she still wear her pink studded collar.

This morning we had a trip to the vets and I had to change pronouns. The vet gets quite upset with me as saying 'she' would make a huge difference if he was to get lost, in helping us find him. FFS microchip and records up to date. The vets in Dubai found it funny and called her, she. 

Anyway at 16 she is still very active, clearing the fence, starting and finishing fights with the neighbours cats. She's overweight (again a vet issue) she's always weighed 5 kg. She needs a tooth extracted as it's broken (again a vet issue) the tooth has always been broken and she needs blood tests and scans to check she doesn't have a, b & c (again a vet issue) she's a cat, aged 16.

We spend a lot of time with the cat, she's either on our laps, or under our feet or shouting at us for food. We think she misses Bob the dog still (it's been 18 months since he died) she's much more needy (could be old age) she's forgetful (can't find her food) and we don't think she can hear as well and recently she's got herself locked in a cupboard and in our shed, but I think that's more of a Peter problem for not checking than it was hers.

This week I got the paints out to make a card for my son's dog who is recovering from surgery. I found myself explaining to the vet (and to you now) that the card was for my 3 year old grandsons benefit and I only told the vet so they weren't alarmed if they found anything red on the cats paws.

After the vets we went for a coffee while Peter did a food shop as it was too hot to leave her in the car.

And the rest of the day we spent at home for cuddles, after feeling sorry for herself after her jabs.

She's disappeared out now for the evening, prowling her territory, she'll be back soon scratching at the living room door. Failing that, I'll find her under the neighbours hedge where she'll make me go and drag her out, purring her head off.

She'll be up early waiting for her food, then she'll take herself over the road to the neighbours where she likes to perform her morning duties. She'll return home for her food, that we'll have to take her to her bowl to eat 2-3 times before she realises her food is there and she stops asking us for it, then she'll sit out on the front door step in the sunshine, making us step over her as we come and go and she'll watch the world go by. On a school day she entertains the kids and the parents on the school run and stares out any dogs as they are walked past.

At 2pm she'll start asking for her tea, for cuddles, for attention until one of us gives in around 4pm, usually when I come home from work.

Bob the dog - 14th February 2010 - 29th September 2023

Bob came to live with us in South Africa in 2013, moving to Dubai in 2015 and onto the UK in 2020.

We've had 10 glorious years with Bob, so many adventures and memories and we'll never forget Bob who bought us so much joy.

Bob was taken poorly in July this year, a trip to the vets for an anti sickness jab to make him comfortable, but we really thought we'd be saying goodbye to him back then. He recovered and was back to walks and running off lead, but he had slowed a little.

Mid August his was back at the vets with the neighbour as we were in Australia, another jab to keep him comfortable until we got home. Again he rallied round, but his walks were shorter and he didn't run when he was off lead.

Then the difficult decision had to be made when he was ill again the end of September.

Goodbye Bob, you'll never be forgotten.

Meeting Bob for the first time.

Putting a bit of weight on

Lasy days by the pool

1st beach trip to St Lucia

Camping trips

Crocodile and hippo watching

Flights to Dubai

Out in the desert

Soft play

Dog parks

Last walk in Dubai

1st walk in the UK

Up the Malvern Hills

Old man

My heart is broken