So our Australia trip has come to an end, with hundreds of memories and (literally) thousands of photos. We have met some amazing animals and been to some incredible places so I thought I would put together a list of all of the creatures we met across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
Australia is a truly unique country, a really lucky land. It is amazing that with very little knowledge we were able to find so much there in just a few months. It also makes you worry that without careful planning, the amazing diversity and quantity of animal life there will not survive continued pressure from humans. The saddest thing would be if Australia become like much of the developed world - deviod of wilderness and lacking large species of animal. Thankfully there are many Aussies that love their wild places and want them protected.
All of the photos here (except 2) are of wild animals that we met on bushwalks, on beaches, in parks and even by the side of the road. They are split up into some very broad taxonomic groups, and I have done my best to identify species where possible.
Mammals
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| Brushtailed possum |
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| Ringtailed possum |
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| Bart the wombat (not a wild wombat!) a southern hairynose wombat |
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| A wild common wombat in Tassie |
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| Wombats have square poo! |
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| An echidna in the Dandenong hills, Victoria |
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| Eventually found a wild platypus in Tassie |
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| He swam around for about half an hour around dusk |
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| Eastern grey kangaroo just out of Melbourne |
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| A whole gang of roos! |
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| Grey headed flying foxes in Victoria |
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| They fly to find food at sunset, just as the outdoor cinema starts |
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| There are loads of wallaby species, this is probably a Tasmanian Bennett's wallaby |
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| Also in Tasmania, so probably a Bennett's |
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| Victorian wallaby, so likely a swamp wallaby |
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| "Are there likely to be koalas round here? Oh. There's one!" |
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| This is also not a wild tassie devil. He's called Oscar. The Devils@Cradle sanctuary are part of the tasmanian devil conservation project, looking to protect devils against devil face tumor disease. |
Birds
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| Crested pigeon |
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| There are sulphur crested cockatoos all over Australia. I think they're ace. |
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| Believe it or not, actually a wild pair of king parrots at Lake Eildon, Victoria |
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| Australian magpie, aka the Ooglie Booglie Bird (it has a really distinctive call) |
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| Australian pied cormorant |
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| Black swan, not the Darren Aronofsky type |
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| Corella |
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| Currawong |
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| Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree... |
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| Some sort of egret |
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| Little penguin. Awwww... So cute! |
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| Masked lapwing |
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| Nankeen kestrel |
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| Rosella |
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| "Oh my god it's an ibis! Oh. They're as common as pigeons..." |
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| Galah. The best bird in Australia and possibly the world. |
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| You can see them in Bristol Zoo, or in just about any park in Australia |
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| Night heron |
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| A superb lyrebird, mid-display |
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| Wild budgie!! |
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| No idea what this is... |
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| Silver gulls, smaller than a herring gull but just as lairy |
Reptiles
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| Blue Mountain water skink - an endangered species |
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| Tasmanian skink, not sure of the species |
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| A house gecko in Queensland |
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| Australian Water dragon |
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| They're a common sight in Sydney |
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| There are lots of species of freshwater turtles, these ones were in Queensland |
Invertebrates
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| An 11 armed sea star - count the arms! |
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| Bull ants are not to be messed with! |
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| Jack jumper ants, a type of bull ant. These are fiesty critters and will wave their jaws at you in a menacing way. |
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| A false garden mantis, Pseudomantis albofimbrata |
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| An emporer gum moth caterpillar |
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| They're big!! |
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| No idea what this thing is! Answers on a postcard... |
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| Orge-faced spider |
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| The famous huntsman spider |
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| This redback lived right outside our front door |
Fungi
And finally...
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| You do have to be careful in some parts of Australia |
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| If the crocs and sharks don't get you, then the jellyfish might! |
And there are reminders
of the real danger of the bush most places you go - not the animals, but
the plants. Most species of eucalyptus are resistant to fire and some
even need it to spread their seeds. Some gum trees shed bark which
covers the forest in kindling and there is very little summer rain in
many states. Bush fires are a real danger in the summer months, and not
always restricted to rural locations. Bush fires can move faster than a car and destroy everthing in their path, but they are very much a natural part of Australia and a reminder that Westerners are only a very recent introduction to Australia.
Of course humans have been living in Australia in a sustainable way for thousands of years. By imposing our lifestlye on Australia, Europeans have mostly brought disease, turmoil and change for indigenous Australians. That is not to say that we should all live as people have lived in Australia for ten thousand years, but properly understanding the connection and respect that the indigenous peoples have with their land is something that would benefit the wildlife and the country as a whole.
