Guest guest37336 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Hi Folks. Several people have been mentioning the wildlife in Australia in a few threads and posts recently, so thought I would start this one off. One of the many, many reasons I find Australia fascinating is the uniqueness of it's wildlife, no matter how dangerous, strange etc, I love all aspects of the wildlife, yep, even the roaches, ants, snakes and spiders. I will very rarely kill anything, unless me or mine are in danger, (in which case it is normally my fault anyway.) I am to this day still amazed at the wildlife. When I am out in Australia you will still find me lifting stones, climbing trees, searching the ocean and rivers to see the unique wildlife. I'm like a big kid really when it comes to Australia's wildlife. A lot of people say that there is some deadly creature around every corner waiting to pounce on you, but in reality for the most part the wildlife keeps itself to itself, and really does take some finding. To date I have seen (in the wild) Death Adders, Taipan, Tiger Snakes, Sea Snakes, Tiger Sharks, Carpet Pythons, Box Jellyfish, Bull Sharks, Brown Snake and I was very, very lucky to see in the wild the Inland Taipan (Fierce Snake) which is allegedly the most deadly snake in the world. Took me five days to find one, but eventually was fortunate to find one. Lost count of the insects I have seen, thousands of species I would imagine. But I think to a certain degree the wildlife of Australia is often given a bad name, and for all intents and purposes 'feared' to some extent. When in reality they are an integral part of what makes up Australia. So come on, what are your views and experiences (good and bad) of the Australia wildlife. Cheers Tony.:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janine the party queen Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Up to date I have encountered; A funnel web spider in our storm drain in the yard. 2 brown snakes in the complex where we live. Red backs by the front door. A HUGE shark at Maroubra Beach just as i was about to go in the water !!!!!!! I have showered with the ugliest goanna at a campsite just outside of Coffs Harbour. While having a wee behind a tree, on the road from Wagga Wagga to Narrandera.i was shocked to find a wombat watching me. Swam with huge rays in Tweed Heads. Played with the dolphins off Wanda Beach ( NSW ) Shared a picnic with a couple of echidnas at Parkes.( famous for The Dish ) Spotted numerous possums. Have befriended a sulphur crested cockatoo.He (Fatso) will now feed from my hand and sit on my shoulder.He will also hop round the kitchen while I am filling his food bowl. We also have a rather large blue tongued lizard ( Lizzy ) who lives in the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest32776 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I also absolutely adore the wildlife here - it is wonderful and I do think the Aussie government has some good conservationist strategies. Many many crocodiles - in fact I have one about 15 metres from me now in Cairns Humpback whales migrating through the Whitsundays Pilot whales Seals (down near Perth somewhere) Minke whales Great White Sharks at Port Lincoln Marlin tailwalking at dawn Manta rays Lots of dolphins Many a sea snake thermo-regulating on the sea surface Turtles - green, leatherback and hawksbill Wallabies Sea eagles, wedge tail eagles brahminy kites, hawks, pelicans, curlews, kookaburras, black parrots, lorikeets .... Death adder, brown snakes, way too many huntsmen spiders, goannas, possoms etc reef sharks - never anything larger unfortunately Brolgas and camels in the Outback Endless reef fish and rays (snorkelling and diving) including many a pesky giant trevally on night dives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I have always loved wildlife, so being here is like being a kid in a sweet shop. I have seen eastern water dragons, a lace monitor/goanna, wallabies, kangaroos, rays, dolphins, cockatoos, kookaburras, crimson rosellas, king parrots, rainbow lorikeets (we have a pair that regularly come that we call Burt and Ernie), all sorts of other birds, scorpions, huntsmen, an echidna came in to the garden while I was gardening and came right up to me to give me a sniff. Haven't seen many spiders and no snakes so far though. Just one redback. I am hoping to get involved with a survey of wildlife in our local national park when my in laws go back to the UK. Should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Anyone seen the rarer snazzletoothed fanged bat and the snotgrobbling asspearing horned toad? I saw one spider and two cockroaches in my 2 months in Perth and Brisbane, i know they are there......... somewhere. We were close up with dolphins, sea lions, a little penguin swam at the side of us in the sea, there were families of kangaroos, believe it or not, actually.................... alive next to us on the golf course, loads of parrots and i love those iguanas, the wildlife was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazmook Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Top thread! I'm new to the country having been here for only 5 weeks or so, but have bought a couple of good books and some binoculars, and am trying to see as much as I can. So far my highlights are : dolphins 15 feet away in the shallows on Redcliffe beach. Some possums on me roof. Lots of beautiful birds. A giant hunstman. Water dragons. A giant eel. Turtles. Roos eating grass on the front lawn. Spectacular golden orb weaver spider at the kids school. Even the ants are interesting given the types and variation and the trails. Although I have to bug spray the 'roaches though (sorry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janine the party queen Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Dont get me started on cockroaches.I HATE THEM with a passion.I think of all the amazing wildlife here cockies are the one thing that makes my skin crawl. A quick one for you....Has anyone encountered any legless lizards ??!!!!!! My MIL, while we were camping in Nowra, staggered back from the bar one night claiming she had just come across one that was at least 4 ft long.Ha,ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 :wink: I encountered a legless lizard once..... Anyways, yes I hate cockroaches too. Found one in my oven glove once *shudders!*. We get the house sprayed and I haven't seen one in a year. It needs doing again next month and would definitely say it would be worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Top thread! I'm new to the country having been here for only 5 weeks or so, but have bought a couple of good books and some binoculars, and am trying to see as much as I can. So far my highlights are : dolphins 15 feet away in the shallows on Redcliffe beach. Some possums on me roof. Lots of beautiful birds. A giant hunstman. Water dragons. A giant eel. Turtles. Roos eating grass on the front lawn. Spectacular golden orb weaver spider at the kids school. Even the ants are interesting given the types and variation and the trails. Although I have to bug spray the 'roaches though (sorry) Just a friendly word of warning. Apparently theres some hidden rule here on PIO that limits people like yourself in what they can and can not say about Australia. It appears if you want to say anything positive about Australia you have to have lived there for at least 2 years, even though someone who lived there only 4 weeks was allowed to say it was the worst country in the world, everywhere in Australia even though they had only been in one place and they were moving back to the uk. You know what i think..................... stuff em, you post anything that you want.:laugh: COCKROACHES YEEEEEEEUK, Hate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Yes I have seen many legless lizards and I would be very keen to see one that was 4 feet long :laugh: We live near the bush and there are cockroaches EVERYWHERE, there are also loads of spiders in and around the house but unfortunately the spiders and the geckos can't keep the roaches under control :biggrin: Dont get me started on cockroaches.I HATE THEM with a passion.I think of all the amazing wildlife here cockies are the one thing that makes my skin crawl.A quick one for you....Has anyone encountered any legless lizards ??!!!!!! My MIL, while we were camping in Nowra, staggered back from the bar one night claiming she had just come across one that was at least 4 ft long.Ha,ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 No wonder you want to leave, i'd get out now. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Wildlife in Australia...trodden on about 13 poisonous snakes, trod on a 12 ft croc's tail, been bitten by 2 snakes, bitten by a small shark, stung and bitten by numerous ants of varying colours and sizes, worst being a bull ant. Been stung by a few small jellyfish, but by far the worst I have come across in my travels around this magnificent island is Aldo's avatars...:tongue: Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hi Folks. Several people have been mentioning the wildlife in Australia in a few threads and posts recently, so thought I would start this one off. One of the many, many reasons I find Australia fascinating is the uniqueness of it's wildlife, no matter how dangerous, strange etc, I love all aspects of the wildlife, yep, even the roaches, ants, snakes and spiders. I will very rarely kill anything, unless me or mine are in danger, (in which case it is normally my fault anyway.) I am to this day still amazed at the wildlife. When I am out in Australia you will still find me lifting stones, climbing trees, searching the ocean and rivers to see the unique wildlife. I'm like a big kid really when it comes to Australia's wildlife. A lot of people say that there is some deadly creature around every corner waiting to pounce on you, but in reality for the most part the wildlife keeps itself to itself, and really does take some finding. To date I have seen (in the wild) Death Adders, Taipan, Tiger Snakes, Sea Snakes, Tiger Sharks, Carpet Pythons, Box Jellyfish, Bull Sharks, Brown Snake and I was very, very lucky to see in the wild the Inland Taipan (Fierce Snake) which is allegedly the most deadly snake in the world. Took me five days to find one, but eventually was fortunate to find one. Lost count of the insects I have seen, thousands of species I would imagine. But I think to a certain degree the wildlife of Australia is often given a bad name, and for all intents and purposes 'feared' to some extent. When in reality they are an integral part of what makes up Australia. So come on, what are your views and experiences (good and bad) of the Australia wildlife. Cheers Tony.:wink: Tony , have you ever had a close encounter with the deadly one eyed snake......? :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Just a friendly word of warning. Apparently theres some hidden rule here on PIO that limits people like yourself in what they can and can not say about Australia. It appears if you want to say anything positive about Australia you have to have lived there for at least 2 years, even though someone who lived there only 4 weeks was allowed to say it was the worst country in the world, everywhere in Australia even though they had only been in one place and they were moving back to the uk. You know what i think..................... stuff em, you post anything that you want.:laugh: COCKROACHES YEEEEEEEUK, Hate them. Hey dope on a rope Hoff, i made the mother in law a good old Aussie burger on the barbie , put it on her plate and a cockroache walked right over it (the burger with the bread lid off it...!) she ws that hungry she ate it ...lol....no way would i have had it .......was funny as tho .........:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hey dope on a rope Hoff, i made the mother in law a good old Aussie burger on the barbie , put it on her plate and a cockroache walked right over it (the burger with the bread lid off it...!) she ws that hungry she ate it ...lol....no way would i have had it .......was funny as tho .........:laugh: Keep the names coming mate i love em. I hate Cockroaches asi have already said, but i especially hate the ones in Spain. Its not nice being on holiday in some swanky accommodation and a big brown shiny frealy antanaed looking cockroach rushes by................. Yearrrrggugh, hate em i do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Wildlife in Australia...trodden on about 13 poisonous snakes, trod on a 12 ft croc's tail, been bitten by 2 snakes, bitten by a small shark, stung and bitten by numerous ants of varying colours and sizes, worst being a bull ant. Been stung by a few small jellyfish, but by far the worst I have come across in my travels around this magnificent island is Aldo's avatars...:tongue: Cheers, Bobj. Bleeding hell Bob is your middle name - LUCKY - lol:laugh: Tell us about the snake bites, you obviously survived them, what type of snake were they and what did you do?:chatterbox: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Bleeding hell Bob is your middle name - LUCKY - lol:laugh: Tell us about the snake bites, you obviously survived them, what type of snake were they and what did you do?:chatterbox: No great dramas; the first time I was crossing a paddock while on a fishing trip, I walked across a brown snake's line of travel. I didn't see it early enough and it 'hit' my left leg just below my knee...:arghh: I packed the sh**s for 10 minutes, I can tell you. No puncture marks, though. Musta bin a bluff strike. Brown snakes are in the top three for most venomous snakes in the world. Second time, I found a python and upon picking it up, it bit me on the finger...I came to the conclusion that pythons have very, very sharp teeth...:yes: Had a close call with a tiger snake, once. Was fishing in NSW and standing on a narrow stretch of sandy bank about six inches from the water's edge when a tiger snake came out of the water and actually nudged my boot and slithered over my foot to get where it wanted to go. I reacted by jumping up and the snake whipped back to the safety of the water...:arghh: Tiger snakes are about the fourth most deadly snake. Guess what??? Was fishing again, this time in the Northern Territory for barramundi in the Keep River. I was walking along the bank, grass was about knee high I and decided to move quietly to a pandanus clump jutting out from the bank. I stepped on this 'log' and it reared up!!! Bugga, a 12 ft croc! Luckily I had stood on its tail. There was an almighty splash as the brute hit the water...My legs were going like a 100 metres sprinter. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Came across this bloke yesterday morning. He has built a huge nest, (about 8ft wide x 3ft high) and was testing the temperature of the decomposing vegetation with his beak. There may be up to 6 females involved in the laying of eggs, (up to 20) and then they take no further part in the process.The male adds or decreases the amount of vegetation to keep a constant temperature. Once the eggs hatch, the youngsters are left to fend for themselves. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stockies Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Ive come across 2 Brown snakes since living here, one at my childs school yard which i nearly trod on and one where we play cricket (just this weekend). One longer than average tree snake 2 weeks ago. Lots of dolphins most days when walking our dog on the beach some as close as 6 feet away !!! Kangaroos lots of them at my childrens school at Rothwell. And just this last week I have seen 9 mice , and thousands of ants and that is just in my house ........aaaaaaggggggghhhhhhh !!!!!!!! Claire. xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 A couple of pics. 1. A tern trying to down a pillie, a type of herring. 2 A great spotted bower-bird's play area. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 This was an encounter with wildlife. bear with it as Jake was on the other end of the camera...........the surprise (for me) is at the end. The big shovelly knocked a 400 bucks pair of glasses into the briny :rolleyes: [YOUTUBE]H_T6JbG17i0[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Fishing off the rocks, well, I'm allowed to and saw a white breasted sea eagle soaring over me. It landed some 100 metres away and I managed to get this pic at full zoom. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Fishing off the rocks, well, I'm allowed to and saw a white breasted sea eagle soaring over me. It landed some 100 metres away and I managed to get this pic at full zoom. Cheers, Bobj. Gorgeous pic, hope you shared your fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Fishing off the rocks, well, I'm allowed to and saw a white breasted sea eagle soaring over me. It landed some 100 metres away and I managed to get this pic at full zoom. Cheers, Bobj. Are you sure its not a seagull? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Are you sure its not a seagull? Didn't you make a statement once, saying that you have above average intelligence, Harpo??? Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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