After we settled into our accommodation at O'Reilly's, our first appointment was the glow worm tour. We went out with a guide to observe creatures of the night which included bandicoots (marsupial version of the rabbit), pademelons (small kangaroo type animals) and possums none of which we could photograph. This crayfish was the only animal on photography duty last evening:
Apparently crayfish leave their river at night and forage for food on land. Sadly, the platypus family were in hiding and fortunately, John captured this pademelon today.
We travelled on to the glowworm grotto, where thousands of glowworms presented a light show..sadly, this too was impossible to photograph, so we just have to remember it. These glowworms are Nat larvae and much smaller than the glowworms we are used to in Europe which you can certainly photograph as I have done in Thézan with an iPhone.
We returned to the warmth and a very good meal in the restaurant. At O'Reilly's we are wearing all the clothes that we brought with us in order to be warm when we land in London in late November.
This morning we were out on the bird tour at 6:45 - it was about 8 C. We had a guide, Chris, who was accompanied by a local turkey. Naturally, the wildlife can tell the time and so were ready and waiting. Here is Chris with a Regent's bower bird
and below is a satin bower bird's bower, full off blue bottles tops to attract a female bower birds.
Parrots are everywhere
After that, it was time for breakfast and a hot shower to warm up.
We were back out again by 1pm the see a birds of prey show, featuring a barn owl, a barking owl, a falcon, an eagle and a 'agpie'M, though not the sort of magpie that we know in Europe but black and white and within the crow (Corvus) family.
Our next event was a walk into the forest as far as the antarctic beech trees, which are said to be 2000 years old. En route we were shown various interesting things such as trap-door spiders, whip birds and stinger trees.
So now we are back in the warm and have this view from the window of our room as the day ends and the pademelons come out to graze.
Pat and John on tour