Today The Pea and I got dirty!!!
Settle down people... I'm talking 'dirt road' dirty here!
It was absolutely glorious outside this morning, and as I had some stuff I needed to get down in my journal, I made the impulsive decision to force The Pea (our little green(ish) car) on yet another automotive hike.
Destination: Euroka Clearing... located in the Blue Mountains National Park at Glenbrook.
You see... Euroka Clearing has a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in residence and it's kinda nice to sit in amongst them (well...as close as they'll let me get anyway), with the Lorikeets and Cockatoos chirrupping in the trees and just scribble away.
The lower paddocks at Euroka (an Aboriginal word meaning 'sun and warmth') have become quite popular camping spots and being school holidays, alot of people were camped about... possibly to engage in a little Hansel and Gretel leave 'em in the woods activity with their own little Hansels and Gretels! It gets that way towards the end of the holidays for parents of particulary wild little ferals (I have two of those so I know!)
The Pea was clanking and groaning a little (I'd forgotten it was mostly pot-hole riddled dirt road to get in!) so rather than drive around to the upper paddock, I parked (read: shuddered to a halt) and took the little bridge...
plank bridge down over the creek
... over the creek... then took the log stairs...
Oi!! Who's idea was this again?
... and climbed to the upper paddock.
It was lovely! Not quite 9am and beautiful in the morning sunshine. However... not a furry grey kangaroo head to be seen!
Upper paddock and gum trees
What to do... what to do. Some other residents weren't very helpful when I enquired if they'd seen the roos this morning...
Maned Geese
... preferring instead to squawk geese-ese obscenities at me as I walked by!
So I glanced heavenward for inspiration, and the answer presented itself (almost on my shoe, but not quite!)... Follow the 'signs'!
Ah ha... Roo Poo!!
Phew! That Native Fauna Management I did at school was about to pay off again!!!
Just over a rise, in the shade of several eucalyptus trees...there they were...
Success!! (look out Steve Irwin)
... several females, a young male and a joey, about 8mths of age.
Gorgeous Eastern Grey Kangaroos
Before I had a chance to settle in for some serious doodling and jotting, a dozen or so of what turned out to be travellers from Canada and the US, crested the rise behind me.
They'd noticed me... wandering about in a seemingly haphazard fashion, staring keenly at the grass and thought, 'she looks like she knows where the roos are' or maybe, that I was behaving weirdly enough to warrant further investigation!! More likely the latter I'm sure.
Trailing along behind them was this little fellow...
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Their tour guide perhaps?!!
The group turned out to be great fun and were fascinated with the kangaroos... some of them settling in the grass with me. Which was all well and good. That is until I had to draw their attention to this...
That's a big lizard!!
... a Goanna, backing down the tree right next to where we were reclining in the long grass.
'Are those lizard things as tame as these kangaroos?' asked one. 'Do you think I could pick it up for a picture?' asked another.
Oooh dear listener, it was tempting to say 'yeah sure'... just so I'd have something to submit to 'Australia's Funniest Home Videos'... but I thought best not.
Once the goanna got onto the ground...
Uh oh... on the ground now!
I imparted the little fact that if a Goanna runs towards you, it's highly likely it will try to climb you 'tree-like' and drew special attention to those long curved claws.
Now I know that might've been a little mean because it did send them scurrying in all directions but hey.. it was true! And no where near as evil as sending one of them over for a 'pat' purely for video footage purposes.
The Goanna did start towards the group and they were glad for my little tip. Their Cockatoo tour guide wasn't going to offer much protection that's for sure!
It was absolutely glorious outside this morning, and as I had some stuff I needed to get down in my journal, I made the impulsive decision to force The Pea (our little green(ish) car) on yet another automotive hike.
Destination: Euroka Clearing... located in the Blue Mountains National Park at Glenbrook.
You see... Euroka Clearing has a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in residence and it's kinda nice to sit in amongst them (well...as close as they'll let me get anyway), with the Lorikeets and Cockatoos chirrupping in the trees and just scribble away.
The lower paddocks at Euroka (an Aboriginal word meaning 'sun and warmth') have become quite popular camping spots and being school holidays, alot of people were camped about... possibly to engage in a little Hansel and Gretel leave 'em in the woods activity with their own little Hansels and Gretels! It gets that way towards the end of the holidays for parents of particulary wild little ferals (I have two of those so I know!)
The Pea was clanking and groaning a little (I'd forgotten it was mostly pot-hole riddled dirt road to get in!) so rather than drive around to the upper paddock, I parked (read: shuddered to a halt) and took the little bridge...
plank bridge down over the creek
... over the creek... then took the log stairs...
Oi!! Who's idea was this again?
... and climbed to the upper paddock.
It was lovely! Not quite 9am and beautiful in the morning sunshine. However... not a furry grey kangaroo head to be seen!
Upper paddock and gum trees
What to do... what to do. Some other residents weren't very helpful when I enquired if they'd seen the roos this morning...
Maned Geese
... preferring instead to squawk geese-ese obscenities at me as I walked by!
So I glanced heavenward for inspiration, and the answer presented itself (almost on my shoe, but not quite!)... Follow the 'signs'!
Ah ha... Roo Poo!!
Phew! That Native Fauna Management I did at school was about to pay off again!!!
Just over a rise, in the shade of several eucalyptus trees...there they were...
Success!! (look out Steve Irwin)
... several females, a young male and a joey, about 8mths of age.
Gorgeous Eastern Grey Kangaroos
Before I had a chance to settle in for some serious doodling and jotting, a dozen or so of what turned out to be travellers from Canada and the US, crested the rise behind me.
They'd noticed me... wandering about in a seemingly haphazard fashion, staring keenly at the grass and thought, 'she looks like she knows where the roos are' or maybe, that I was behaving weirdly enough to warrant further investigation!! More likely the latter I'm sure.
Trailing along behind them was this little fellow...
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Their tour guide perhaps?!!
The group turned out to be great fun and were fascinated with the kangaroos... some of them settling in the grass with me. Which was all well and good. That is until I had to draw their attention to this...
That's a big lizard!!
... a Goanna, backing down the tree right next to where we were reclining in the long grass.
'Are those lizard things as tame as these kangaroos?' asked one. 'Do you think I could pick it up for a picture?' asked another.
Oooh dear listener, it was tempting to say 'yeah sure'... just so I'd have something to submit to 'Australia's Funniest Home Videos'... but I thought best not.
Once the goanna got onto the ground...
Uh oh... on the ground now!
I imparted the little fact that if a Goanna runs towards you, it's highly likely it will try to climb you 'tree-like' and drew special attention to those long curved claws.
Now I know that might've been a little mean because it did send them scurrying in all directions but hey.. it was true! And no where near as evil as sending one of them over for a 'pat' purely for video footage purposes.
The Goanna did start towards the group and they were glad for my little tip. Their Cockatoo tour guide wasn't going to offer much protection that's for sure!
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