stefian

Hi
We decided to go and have lunch at Mt Tamborine yesturday. On the way back home admiring the beautiful views we decided to nip and look at one of the waterfalls. Time was getting on so we rushed down along the rain forest track. noises from every direction (mainly bush turkeys). Kids ready to pounce on anything that moved. That was until I announced "there's a snake" without really realising what I had just said. we all froze, 2 ft to the side of us on a banking was a 5ft snake, looking at us. We all rushed past hearts pounding. My hubby(0-60 in 2 seconds) and youngest son practically at the car. while we stuck around to take photo's. We were so exited.

What other Animals have you come face to face with?

Steph
It never happened til you tell your friends!!

tonyk38

I love snakes. It's a good reason for going to Aus in my book! Do you know what species of snake it was or can you give a description?

I had lots of great wildlife encounters in Aus, too numerous to recount here.
Here's a few though.......

Golden Bowerbird (stunning) displaying at its bower (Mt Hypipamee Nat. Park.)

Laughing Kookaburra coming into someone's garden and allowing you to stroke it! (Cairns)

Setting up camp at Lamington Nat. Pk. whilst a female Red-legged Pademelon (a type of wallaby) with tiny joey in pouch stood watching from a few metres away.

I didn't see many snakes in Aus Just one Green Tree Snake (harmless), a Collared Whip Snake, an Eastern Tiger snake (deadly) and an enormous and very dead King Brown. The drought on the East coast was probably to blame, and many snakes would have hid away in times of food shortage. My loss....

By the Way, if you like big reptiles, head for Lamington Nat. Pk. which as you probably know is just to the south of Mt Tambourine. Lots of Big Skinks along the footpaths, mainly two foot long Land Mullets and Cunningham's Skinks. Very approachable too!

Bix

Hi Steph,

Once had the fright of my life when I got home late whilst courting the misses several years ago.....but never forgot it

It was all but pitch black other than starlight.

Turned the corner of the house and this thing reared onto it's hind legs.......about 5 foot tall.......evil eyes, mouth salivating and bone chilling shreeks.

I apologised for startling the mother-in-law next morning though

mlbonner

Snakes, rats, mice, spiders we get them all here. Until 6 months ago we had scrub next to us so they used to just hop over/under the fence looking for food. Now they're developing the land so we're back to just spiders
Saw my first Tree Frog last night though, which probably excited me more than any of the above, because it was something I could pick up

G'Day

I've seen a Lyre Bird (Mt Donna Buong), a Possum (eats my lemon tree), Kangaroos ( ) and a Platypus in Warburton.

Paul&Ann-Marie

WELL !!!!!

since our arrival 17th august ( i keep sayinmg that lol ) we have seen the following:

Angel moth, one huge mother of a moth, quite why they're called angel is beyond me , though i did take a photo lol.

Stink bug, totallt harmless ( i'm told ) but when you corner them they cover you in a pong for ages that smells ghastly ( HOW POSH WAS THAT FOR A COMMON BOTTOM DWELLER LIKE ME ? ) OOPS, caps lock was on, sorry.

Gecko's, have been told these are great because they don't come near you but eat all the spoiders, therfor they are my friend and if they could quieten down a little would be more welcome than our own kids in pour house.
We actually had one in the eaves of the verandah but it unfortunately electrocuted itself two nights ago in the mossie killer thingy hanging by the back door.............

Sun lizards, several, including one in callums wardrobe, he has since been sleeping with his siuster the soft little sod.

Lizards are great, if you corner them and prod them with a stick ( apparently ) their tail drops off and keeps wriggling, this is to distract birds whilst they make a quick getaway...........Fascinating i thought.

A Huntsman, big hairy bugger that was felled by a pretty nifty kick even david carradine would have been proud of, only later did i discover that these are also our friend because they eat other spiders and then got drunk with remorse.

Cane toads, one of which was hooked for six into next doors spa pool one drunken evening whilst playing cane toad cricket in our yard with the OTHER neighbours, i look back at this event with great remorse and guilt, i can hardly look them in the eye, but, as all i've ever said is " Hi, y'all right ? " to them i find i can still sleep at night ( except for when the gecko's start again lol)

Crickets and locusts, only one of each.Actually, the cricket was quite amusing because it was on the gate of our verandah so i got a long stick ( all man i am lol) , coaxed it onto said stick and then proceeded to launch it skyward with the words " fly, be free " it was only after saying these words i discovered that they can't actually fly, the kids watched in horror as it soared about 15 feet into the air and came crashing back down into the garden. Rushing down the steps ( with stick still in hand ) i again coaxed it onto the lumber ( now feeling guilty of any harm i might have caused ) and thought i would remove it from the garden, the kids were playing out there and i didn't want it to get stood on.So i took it over to the fence and attempted to persuade it to climb onto the top of the fence out of harms way.To my dismay, it proceeded to do a triple sowko with pike over the fence and has never been seen since

there's another i want to mention but am franticallt thinking of anything else.......................................

AHAA!!!! lol,

Possums,
Whilst staying at the backpackers place,sat out on the balcony one evening we spotted a possum, crawling along one of the power lines crossing the roaqd towards us.I called the kids to come and have a look, they did, we watched amused for a little while until the dopey sod decided to wrap it's tail around one line and swing to the next.One rather bright flash later the possum was toast and plummeting to the floor.

I really do believe i have mentally scarred our kids for life with the things they have witnessed already due to that great adversary........DAD

Finally we come to today's little discovery ( actually, i wasn't my diwcovery but our nieghbours, the one's that still talk to us that is ). A little baby brown snake, in next doors garden, how lovely, their dog had attacked it, got bitten and has felt rather queasy today, they are keeping an eye on her overnight.Next door got home and took dead baby snake to the vets or the doctors ( wherever you would take a baby snake ) and they confirmed it to be a baby brown, so, he brought it round ( both pieces ) in a jar to show us and warn us. I thought that was a really nice thing of him to do.

However, my first thought after he left was " OK, dead baby, where's momma ? "...................................... :scared:

So i sit here, pissed, yet again,writing our little discoveries. Please don't let any of these put you off, anyone that knows me also knows i have a real fear of spiders and creepy crawlies but this is awesome, there's some fascinating wildlife here, the parrots that fly past and then sit in our tree, owls, wallabies etc etc. this is an amazing place and it seems each day is a new adventure.

forgive my spelling, as i quickly scan over what i have written i notice one or two ( lol ) mistakes but really cannot be bothered to correct them, for it is dark outside, another bottle beckons and whatever it is that feeds on my legs outside is in for a treat.
Catch ya'll later.

Paul

moneypenny20

Paul

That was hysterical. Keep up the good work, - telling the stories, not cane toad cricket!

It's obviously not safe round your way

Cheeky

Hi Bix!!!!

Sorry to butt in........... but this made me LOL!!!

Very funny!!!!!

Cheeky

Pollyana

Cane Toad cricket - well-known Aussie sport!! Hit them harder Paul!