Australia – Aragog’s children

Dad and I were both out if sorts today, he forgot his telescope and I lost my sunglasses! Everything seemed such an effort and we were disorganised from the outset. We have both been worrying that we may fall out on this trip as we are very alike. We can easily lock horns and if it was going to happen, it would be today.

We drove to Tinaroo lake, it’s not a real lake but the flooded area where the river was dammed. It’s a big area of fresh water. We got a couple of bird types that I have never seen before even though their families can be seen in Europe, a Darter and a Straw Necked Ibis. We drove into the holiday resort and saw our first parrots, sulfur crested cockatoo and a rainbow lorikeet. I’m not sure if these birds were around us all along or whether we’ve just got our “eyes in” because we are seeing them everywhere now!

We drove around the Lake along an unsealed road and looked at the dam.

Away from the lake and traveling on through arable land and we stopped to check out some circling raptors over a field full of Straw Necked Ibis ( I’ll be seeing these in my sleep I think). Anyway looking up at a electricity pole I saw this…..look away if you don’t like spiders (talking to you Anne).

The Golden Orb Spiders (Nephila ?)

About 10cm long (including legs) Possibly edible if your peckish! See the link below. About 60 in a very extensive web.

The tasty spider

We left Aragog’s children and we went back to Hasty’s Swamp hide where we saw our first laughing Kookaburra of this trip and again afterwards they were everywhere although we only heard one laughing, in the woods around Heberton (a small mining town.

Our last night in Yungaburra and he went down to the pub as usual.

On most of our jaunts down to the pub we’ve been accompanied by bush stone curlew. This funny bird stands about 18 inches high and is feared by the aborigines as it takes the souls of the dead. I think because it makes a screaming type noise, mostly at night. We thought it very funny, running towards us then running away. The picture is not mine but a freebie.

So the end of our time in Yungaburra and we haven’t fallen out……….yet!