'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 wildlife in Australia is stunning. Having lived in South Africa we are used to be able to drive a couple of miles to a nature reserve to see Rhino, Hippos, Zebras and Giraffes, but we rarely saw any wildlife outside of the nature reserves. We did have some interesting Rain spiders and Park Town Prawns and Geckos were common. Dual was similar but with Oryx and Camels in the desert and the odd Gecko in the house. Back now in the UK, it's been Spiders, Ants, Woodlice, Bees, Butterflies and Moths and fields of sheep and cows.
Many people have told us they wouldn't visit Australia because of the Spiders and Snakes and we've always been under the impression that to see them you needed to live in the outback, however we came across this beauty in the tree above the footpath walking in Manly just 35 minutes outside Sydney at a busy seaside resort.
A Diamond Python.
We also saw this one in Airlie up near the Great Barrier Reef, also on a coastal path in a busy seaside resort.
A Collared Whip Snake (mildly venomous)
Peter was starting to think that Kangaroos were a figment of our imagination and finally on his second trip to Australia he saw one and then several hundred more.
We saw a lot of Wallabies also which were really friendly.
The birds are stunning, such pretty colours and so friendly.
Rainbow Lorikeet.
The Pelicans are huge.
The cockatoos in volume are similar in numbers to the amount of pigeons we have in the UK.
Kookaburra visit.
There are random Turkeys walking on the beaches.
Herons just wandering around.
Galahs.
And Bin Chickens in the streets. Or the Australian Ibis.
The sea is crystal clear and we were fortunate enough to visit The Great Barrier Reef to go scuba diving and snorkelling.
We also saw an abundance of Whales and Dolphins from boat trips and out on coastal walks.
My favourites are the Koalas and Penguins that we visited in Philip Island near Melbourne.
Unfortunately it is rare to see Koalas outside of sanctuaries which aren't netted so the Koala can move around. Like the Penguins, the conservation fee you pay to visit them and The Great Barrier Reef also, helps to protect their habitat.
I spent 3 weeks in the UK in spring, every where I visited there were pets, farm animals and birds.
Living in Dubai, one doesn't see cows, horses and sheep in fields, although there are birds, other than a few doves, pigeons in the garden and the occasional parrot, one needs to go to Al Quada Lakes or to Ras Al Khor bird sanctuary to see swans, ducks and even flamingoes.
It was really weird to be able to make and eat a cheese or ham sandwich and take the lid off a yogurt without the cat and dog morphing into the room.
My Aunts cat kept a close eye on me when I drank my tea and my sisters 2 cats were keen to help me eat my dinner.
Dubai isn't very dog friendly and there are few places I can take Bob. I just hope Bob can move back to the UK with us one day and we can take him to the pub and into coffee shops after long walks.
There were woodland walks with my friend and her dogs.
And entertainment from Morgan who sat and stared a stick, no matter how small until it was thrown for them to fetch.
Dexter, my niece's dog treated me like a long lost friend.
I've not seen bees yet in Dubai, my friends had a bug house in their garden and I was fortunate to have spotted this bee in a field and not to have stepped on it.
I'll be back in the UK in 2 weeks time and look forward to visiting some summer shows and fairs in and around Monmouth, Malvern and Gloucester, so if you know of any or you're happy for me to join you for a dog walk or a visit to a farm, just give me a yell.
There are no photo's of birds in this post because the 2 men in the hide with their massive cameras were occupying the available space and made it quite clear they were not tolerating amateurs, with a camera and lens that could fit into an over sized coat pocket. However I worked my way onto to the bench and to the open window and sat for a few minutes, just to wind them up.
I'm really hoping that we can back to the UK with Bob while he can still enjoy life. We adopted him in South Africa and he now lives with us in Dubai. I'd love him to experience the freedom of woodland walks, something he never does in Dubai and in South Africa, they were infrequent due to personal safety and snakes etc.
This must be the noisiest door in the world, no wonder the twitchers/birders/photographers weren't happy with my arrival.
My question is what do you do if the bat comes home when you want to leave the hide?
We lived in the Forest of Dean for 8 years and I've never stopped off at The Nagshead Reserve, although I have visited most other places and I plan to spend more time in this area when I'm back in the summer. Maybe you could join me for a walk, picnic or coffee.
