🦅 As a bird lover, I was enthralled by the Birdsong of Eastern Australia. If you are like me, you may know the app Merlin Bird ID, which has helped me identify birds by song or photo. I have used this app all over Mexico, Pacific Islands, New Zealand and now Australia! Such fun! Listen to the below videos, you can hear my favorite; the Australian Magpie. We saw a lot of them, usually in pairs, and typically very friendly, even eating a peanut out of Scott’s hand, while we camped out in rural areas. Their inquisitive eyes and slight turn of the head makes you think how smart they are. The other favorite of ours of course, is the laughing Kookaburra. Not only do they laugh loudly like monkeys, they are friendly, silly and so curious! Remember the old camp song “laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra…”
Now, the most colorful, by far is the crimson Rosella Parrot, brilliant crimson red head and breast. We were very lucky to see two pair swoop down for a drink in the river. Such colors! The funniest looking was definitely the nocturnal Tawny Frogmouth. While visiting the tiny town of Tyalgum for a day, a local elderly man pointed out a sleeping pair in a roadside tree. Shaggy camouflaged faces blended right in with the tree bark. 🤣 And, of course there are the small, sweet, crested pigeons, with rainbow wing feathers, but they sound like a small owl.
We had the chance to explore some Australian National Rainforests. Yes!!! Australian rainforests.
We too never imagined Australia having a rainforest. All we knew were the Crocodile Dundee movies (we all grew up with) and something about a dingo getting the baby. Lol
Anyway, the Springbrook National Forest is about 3300 feet and at 28 degree latitude south. Weird really as it looks to be a mountainous forest like California but the underbrush is filled with palms and ferns. Very lush and typical of a forest at 28 degrees south I guess. 🤷
We were hiking after a huge rain so the waterfalls were running strong and we found time to take our showers. 🙂 Although it was rainy, the water and outside temperatures were about 80 degrees.
We then explored a bit west of the green lush coast, as we wanted to find some desert and Kangaroo’s. We didnt go north far enough to see Crocodile’s though, no need to camp near those rivers! Can you imagine the fear about going pee in the night?
Warning! Some material in the rest of this post may make you squirm. Dont watch the below video if you don’t like creepy crawling things. 🙂Kathy found a little friend at the end of the hike. Beware, it’s gross!
Australia has been nothing like we expected. Green and lush countryside welcomed us as we drove up the coast from Sydney to Brisbane.
We’ve seen, Koalas, Wallaby’s, Water dragons, Kookaburras, Huge Cockatoo’s, Green Parrots, Bush Turkeys, Lamington Spiny Crayfish and a whole host of wild Mushrooms. Hiked the spectacular Granite dome called the Pyramid.
After the final 3 weeks in a van, some great days and some hard days in the rain, we are flew back to New Zealand to finish up the cyclone season. Kalea has new bottom paint so we will splash her later this week.
Our World Adventure 