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Published: December 22nd 2008
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Lemon Tree Passage
This is taken at Port Stephens,Tilligerry Peninsula. We were looking for Koala's DAY 43
20th December 2008
It blew gale in the night, I didn’t hear much of it, and Caroline said the wind was bouncing the trailer a little.
We had a usual morning routine, tea, brecki and the like, then went out in to Salamander Bay, to do some internet/blog update.
We had an appointment with Faye and Graydon, the couple who own the house in which we are doing the house sit, we just wanted to meet the owners, and just have an induction through the house and to make sure we know what time they want us.
They are very nice people, from Johannesburg originally and they have been over in Port Stephens, for a little while. The friends that were with them, Tim and Louise were onward bound to the UK from 28TH December as Tim was off to work at Foster Wheelers in Reading, on a 3 year secondment.
We left the Hubbard household and went back to our campsite a mooched about a while, then in the early evening we went out, on the boardwalk looking for Koala’s as this is a heavily populated area with Koala’s and early
Sunset from Lemon Tree Passage
Another Port Stephens Sunset. I missed the best bit as we were asked to join a game of cricket with some of the locals. Aussies are very friendly people, it would be rude to turn them down. evening is the right time to see this shy creature. Personally I think it would be easier to see a unicorn than a Koala in the wild but people have assured us if you look hard enough you will see them.
Whilst walking we came across a group of people that were playing cricket, and we were invited to join them which we did, just a friendly knock about, but when I went in to bat, I belted the ball, which was a tennis ball, and it hit their dog a Golden retriever
smack bang on its rump, it just got up looked at me and thought ” Idiot”.
We bowed gracefully out of the game as the dog was giving me the evil’s and we needed to get off and do our evening meal, we had managed to get some chilli powder and I intended to use it. After our evening meal, it was time teddies went to bed, so we hit the sack.
In the night I had to get out of the trailer tent and have a wee, it was around 1 am, and Caroline asked me if I would walk her up to
Koala Plea
The locals do take their wildlife seriously and quite rightly so. Their environment is so fragile and they are at great risk. the ladies loo’s, which I said I would, (Of Course) so I slipped my fleece on and in the darkness I could see something on the ground about 20ft away that I thought was a Koala, I asked Her Ladyship to pass me the head torch and as I gingerly approached this thing on the floor, I found It to be a possum.
Possums live in gum trees, their nests usually hidden away in the forks of branches. They become quite used to suburban life, and those Australians with corrugated iron roofs near gum trees will hear them thumping across the roof usually soon after dark and just before dawn. Or if you have a pergola you can watch the entire tribe wind their way across to feed on something through the night. They will try to nest in the ceiling if there is any gap or opening. Sometimes but not often, they get into a house by falling down a chimney. Don’t try to catch such a possum or you will have no ornaments left and you may be ornamented with large scratches. Rather open a clear way out and let it, with gentle persuasion, find the back
German Tourists
Well, we assume they are german, this mighty vehicle has german plates. If anything is capable of touring Australia then it has to be this vehicle. door.
Anyway, this fella was about as big as a tom cat and as I was bare footed I didn’t know what it would do if I approached, but as I bent down to stroke it, it just let me, a fabulous creature.
Ablutions done and back into bed.
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