Catching up - no birds!

Yes, its been a while between posts! Almost the end of November ... and we have just returned from an extended trip around Tasmania. So I have some catching up to do.

I thought I would begin the catch up with a "no birds" post 😉. A feature of our trip, both in Tasmania and the mainland on our return drive, was the sightings of some key native fauna other than birds. Each a treat because we are not used to seeing some of them on a regular basis, or even hardly at all.

So here are a few pics to highlight and share these unexpected delights as our trip unfolded.

First up is the platypus - who would think you could (almost) hear yourself think you were sick of seeing platypus (just kidding!!). Our first day in Tasmania we had several hours to fill before our accommodation was ready and decided to check out the Tasmanian Arboretum in the hills just outside Devonport. What a wonderful job the volunteers do with this attraction!

We hoped we might see one. Well, on such a beautiful, still sunny day we saw six across several ponds. The first photo was the pick of many on this morning. The second photo was at the equally impressive Emu Valley Rhododendrom Gardens just outside Burnie on our final day. The weather was equally impressive and the three platypus we sighted were even more photogenic - even blew me a bubble!! There was one other location (Mole Creek Hotel) where we were also blessed with multiple sightings but these are the pick of my photos.

What a treat to finally have so many opportunities to enjoy these unique creatures in their wild habitat!

Next up was a grazing wombat, content and unafraid beside a walking track on our way back down from Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain. I've seen these guys in the wild only once before down around Canberra and for my wife it was a first and exciting sighting.

When we arrived at our accommodation on the east coast, a wonderful B&B 5km off the main road on a wildlife reserve, were immediately immersed in the "reserve" nature of the property. While taking our bags into our space we were met by an echidna making its way along the garden path 😁. When putting our bags in our room, out the window were grazing wallabies, several of them with joeys. Quite the welcome (and that is not to downplay our gracious hosts!).

Our last couple of nights we were hosted in Rocky Cape National Park at a B&B run by a retired zoologist - fascinating lady, great host. She had all sorts of interesting tales about the wildlife on her property and took me on a very interesting tour around it explaining much about its history and native occupants. Her garden was a riot of colours & scents from spring flowers, shrubs and veggies so plenty of small birds as well. However, she kept telling us about the small mammals and lo and behold, one of them, and antechinus (entirely new to us) turned up on her front verandah one afternoon - this one I managed to catch having a word with us too. Check out the link and you find out they are more randy than rabbits!!

The property was largely self sufficient and I have to share these pictures of a new calf (Edie) and her mum one afternoon when we went to visit them in their paddock. The milk (daily) is pasteurised in house and was delicious! From that also came home-made yogurt which I am told was also delicious. Like all babies - cute ... then, of course they learn from adults and grow up!

Sadly, there was loads of road kill involving all kinds of animals (and birds) both in Tasmania and back on the mainland. Mostly kangaroos and wallabies. We were fortunate to see many wallabies in Tassie along our walks and then back on the mainland I share the following one from the magnificent Winton Wetlands. Our return journey on the mainland took us to Benalla and on checking into the Motel a brochure caught my attention and I headed out before dinner just to "see it". No idea of its significance and certainly not how vast it was! I spent a couple of hours driving around various tracks in the limited time I had  - what a treat and I hope one day I shall return for a much more extensive exploration. Treasures we are ignorant of! Here is a family of kangaroos that appeared perplexed to have their afternoon drink interrupted as I came round a bend - I love their curiosity at the interloper and was even mroe grateful to have captured that explression. So this is my tribute to all those kangaroos and wallabies (dead and alive) we saw and a reminder of how they should be in their environment.

And finally, at several points during the mainland return leg we sighted emus - the second half of our national emblem. Again, not very common for us on the coast these days. This photo shows "siamese twins" grazing in the Puckapunyal Army Base grounds.

And yes, the emu is a bird, I know. So let it be a reminder to me to get on with the catch up ...