When climbing Noosa Hill to Sunshine Beach
we first pass through the park picnic area
where it is not uncommon to meet a goanna
This one, an inquisitive fellow
cruising under the picnic table
heading for a group of munching visitors
tinted a light yellowish green in parts
on his young body
just a small to medium sized specimen
not at all like the enormous fellow
that crept out from under my bed one time
At the top of the hill I look down
over north facing Laguna Bay
round the bend and face south
to see the village of Sunshine Beach
which is a suburb of Noosa Heads
and further the next small towns
strung along the coast
Coming down the hill we meet another goanna
on the path who scurries into the undergrowth
and pretends not to be there
He is a bigger fellow
older and greyer
A wild tropical storm yesterday
whipped the leaves from the trees
and carpeted the path in patches
creating a soft cushioned walk
with silent footfalls
which may have been why we spotted
the Splendid Blue Wrens
a group of three tiny wrens
flitted and preened in jerky movements
making it impossible to capture a good shot
On our return
after a shared roast turkey, cranberry sauce, rocket and tomato sambo
with carrot, celery apple and ginger juice
we hear a thump
and spot something between the trees
a small red necked wallaby
we've seen him once before in the same spot
amazed that wallabies live in this park
so close to towns
we've never seen another in the National Park
in over 34 years
Australian Wild Iris ~ Dietes Irioides
It has been a good Sunday wildlife walk
and the rain yesterday has overnight
turned the forest green
