quick post

Hey everyone

I am in Tasmania at the moment and the internet is very expensive here so I am not going to be able to do much posting until I get back to melbourne - I'll update everything then!

Vote on the poll - I want to see if anyone is actually reading this.

St Kilda Penguin parade 23rd Nov

On Fri 23rd Nov I went down to St Kilda to go on a guided tour of the little penguin colony at the end of the pier. I had been put in touch with one of Prue's friends Tiana who is doing a PHD on the penguins and has open nights to show people around the colony as the penguins come into shore at dusk. I decided to go down early to have a look around St Kilda before going to the tour. So here is another pictorial tour: First stop off the tram was into a small park which had this plaque.



I wonder if it should have read: 'We knocked down the first building in St Kilda to make way for this plaque'? On through the park past the war memorial (post to follow)



On past the luna fun fair (which was closed) to the beach crowded with sun seekers and swimmers:



Er - well it should have been crowded with sun seekers and swimmers this being effectively late spring/early summer but then I am here so of course it was freezing cold, windy and there was a storm on the way.

Another beach full of babes!

On to the pier to see where I had to meet everyone. By this stage a gale was blowing and it was hard to even walk down the pier. It reminded me of walking along any seafront in Ireland. I felt right at home!



Back past this clock tower



Then I ran out of things to see and went to the esplanade hotel for some beer and food (ok I was cold and hungry and thirsty!)



I had probably the worst meal I have had so far in Australia. I ordered a burger with everything and after 15 mins was given a piece of meat that looked as if it had been zapped by a laser cannon. The bap wasn't much better and was more carbon than bread. Not a good meal at all! The place looks good for live music etc but I wouldn't recommend eating there.

I still had nearly 2 hours to kill so went down to the main street with all its tacky shops (including some sex shops with dubious Santa costumes displayed) looking for a half decent bar. I eventually found one which was good enough and supped on some pots (that's half pints to you and me) while it began pouring down outside. Eventually it was 8pm and I headed back to the pier:

lovely weather for penguins!

I think I seen this scene in Ghostbusters

I got there in good time except that after 15 mins nobody had turned up. I texted Tiana only to get a reply saying they had cancelled due to the weather. Wimps! I told her this was Balmy weather in Ireland! The rain had ceased by this stage and the wind had died down as well so it turned out to be an excellent night to view penguins so I decided to do my own wee tour. There is a section of the breakwater which is not closed off to the public where you could see some of the penguins come to shore.

There is something quite magical about watching animals at night and these penguins with their comical walks and noisy chatter were fantastic to see. There was plenty of light from lamps to see them with the naked eye and you could in some instances get really close to them. My camera was not up to the job due to no flash photography being allowed but I put it on video mode which has slightly better night vision:

This one walked right past me (if you can see it in the bad light)





There is another video here but I have not been able to upload it yet - will do so in Melbourne

Featured animal - Little (or Fairy) Penguins:

Its the smallest penguin in the world and breeds around the coast of Australia and New Zealand. Here is some info from the boards around about the area.



At the start of the pier I also seen a notice about future work being done to enhance the pier and help protect the penguins. The next day I queried the developments with Tiana who replied that she was really excited about the enhancements as it would mean they would be protected from people. Apparently all sorts of dubious people such as druggies and drunks go to the end of the pier to lark about after dark (thanks for the warning Tiana!) Penguins have been disturbed and even in some case deliberately killed by some of these assholes.

That probably explains why these people were also there when I arrived:
police divers

When I asked what they were doing one policeman told me that they were looking for evidence of a crime - a weapon which had been thrown into the water.

As I said earlier - I felt right at home :)

BEERS I HAVE DRANK:
Castlemaine XXXX Gold. Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near this beer but it did say Gold on the tap so I assumed it must have been different from the normal crap. It wasn't.

PEOPLE I HAVE MET/SEEN:
Or rather heard. On the tram down to St Kilda there was a women talking on a mobile phone who was possibly the loudest talker I have ever heard. Shouting would be more like it. The funny thing was that at the end of her (far too long) conversation she said to the person at the other end of phone. 'People say I talk very loud on the phone' Your bloody right ya do dear - my ears are still throbbing!

ANIMALS I HAVE SEEN
Rakali: Water Rat with webbed feet: As well as the penguins I was also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one at the pier.

GLOSSARY UPDATE:
C:
Cactus: Aussi Expression: Buggered, Dead. eg "this bloody washing machine is cactus"

Fame! I want to live forever etc etc

Getaway Presenter Catriona Rowntree

Getaway at the Grampians 20th-22nd Nov

After my days conservation work on Fri 14th Prue had a big surprise for me. She was inviting me to take part in the filming of their Grampian holiday for Getaway. Apparently its one of the most watched programs on Australian TV! Me a TV star - how could I refuse (free room and board as well!)

So on Tue 20th Myself, Prue and another volunteer Sheena headed back up to the Grampians to do more mammal trapping - this time while being filmed. After picking up the rest of the CVA crew at Balarat (Jane, Phil and Sarah) we arrived back at the hostel.

We met up with Ranger Mike and headed out to set up 2 sets of traps. The film crew would not be meeting us until the following day as they were staying in some luxury accommodation rather than the hostel.

Early Wed morning (we were allowed to lie in until 6am this time) we got up, had our breakfast and headed out to meet the film crew. Then it was on to the first lot of traps.

Before we checked the traps the crew did some filming of Catriona getting her gear on and doing serialising her boots. Then off we went to check the traps. Unfortunately all the first set of traps were empty so we had no luck at all.

Sylvia giving trap talk

Before checking the next set of traps the film crew had to do some car shots. For one of the shots they placed a camera on the front of Mikes 4x4 and then filmed him and Catriona chatting while driving along. Having been in the car when Mike is driving I realised just what a risky thing this was for the camera! Another shot they wanted was of the Park Rangers and the Conservation Volunteers Vehicles driving down a dirt track. They had to do the shot twice as there was too much dust in the first one. So it was take two and Action! I resisted the urge to wave at the camera on the way past.

Preparing the camera

Cleaning the cars window

The second set of traps was a lot better. Mike had picked it because on previous occasions they had caught lots of swamp rats and a snake. Sure enough we got loads of 'Swampies'.

The getaway crew filmed the processing of a swampy, an antichinus and a skink. I was not at the filming of the antichinus or skink but I heard that upon seeing the 'Critters' (that's what the park rangers call all the animals) both Sheena and Catriona shrieked and nearly jumped out of their skins. Its all on film too.

My first acting involved walking through the thicket to get to one of the traps. So myself and Phil had to go into the bush for about 50 feet and then walk back past the camera. I nearly fell in my attempt to make it look nonchalant. Then when they set up the equipment Catriona went and impromptly asked me a question while they were filming. I wasn't even prepared for it! I can't remember exactly what she asked but I know that in my answer I said it was great to see the 'Wee Critters'. After that all I could think was 'I Can't believe I just said Wee critters! - You eejit Raymond!. She also asked me about my Carbon offset as I was on around the world trip. I'm sure I balls the whole thing up and it will end up on the cutting room floor.

Swampy

Peek a boo!

After the trapping it was on to Lunch at Mackenzie Falls where they did more filming of us looking at one of the falls and had Catriona do more talking. Then it was back to the Hostel.

filming at the falls

They producer wanted to get footage of the accommodation at the hostel and then film us relaxing after a hard days trapping in front of an open fire with wine and cheese. It was all very sophisticated. Prue got to have her hands being filmed pouring out the wine. Then it was more questions from Catriona directed at Sheena, Phil and Myself. My question was about the people you get to work with on these trips. Again I am sure I cocked it up but I muddled through anyway. After the filming was complete the film crew rushed off and left us to make our dinner.

The next day we had to check the traps one more time. The first set that had produced nothing the previous day was still as barren except that on my line of traps we caught a Heath mouse. This was one of the species we were hoping to catch (the other being a Bandicoot). So the film crew came over and filmed Mike processing it before Catriona got to let the critter go. I didn't get to see much of this filming as I was busy taking the traps back to the cars.

The second set of traps only produced another selection of swampies - no bandicoots or snakes. I couldn't find one of the traps on my line and by the time I got back to the cars the film crew had packed up and gone having gotten all the footage they needed. So I never got to be in the group photo with Catriona. I was going to take a photo of her too - getting DM's autograph!

After they had gone we had to go back to the Park Rangers office and clean all the traps before heading back to the hostel for lunch, to pack and to head home.

I think everybody had a great time. The film crew were all friendly and Catriona turned out to be a really nice woman - eager to chat and seemed to be genuinely interested in what we had to say. We all talked about our moments of fame. Prue's hand shot. (She was saying she should become a hand model). Sheena's screaming and my 'Wee Critter'

Hopefully Conservation Volunteers will get some good publicity when they get round to showing it next year. As for me. I will be back home in Ireland by that time so I should be well away from Australia before I have to squirm at my accent!

Here is the getaway website. Look up the Montague Island Video which is another Conservation Volunteer Holiday which Getaway did a piece on.

Getaway web site


Things I have Learnt:

Apparently the pub next door to the hostel is frequented by another famous Aussi Chopper Read!

Let's hope I don't have to move him into my 'People I have met' category!

Where ya from?

Since I have been banned from google ads I can no longer see if anyone is actually looking at this blog so I am going to use the poll to see if there is anyone out there - please vote if you can.

Botanic Gardens Tour 17th Nov

My first real walk around melbourne was mostly around the Botanic Gardens. Here is a pictorial document of that walk.

Once off the tram at Swanson street I headed down to Federation square past this - probably the tackiest Christmas tree I have ever seen - what were you thinking Melbourne!



On to federation square where I met Brent, who I had met in Perth and who was in Melbourne for a couple of days before heading back to Perth. We had some tea and coffee and discussed Tasmania - my next port of call.

Communication problems (AKA nobody bloody understands me):
Waiter at cafe: 'What would you like sir?'
Me: 'Can I have a cup of tea and a brownie please (pointing at brownie on menu)
10 minutes later the waiter brings back a tea and a PERONI beer!
Does everybody think the Irish have to drink alcohol all the time! I nearly sent it back but decided what the hell!

After saying goodbye to Brent it was on across the Jarra river past this big tower thing.




Then it was on down the embankment.

On the other side of the river I spotted this sculpture:



That's the sort of thing that could give young kids nightmares!

A quick look back at the melbourne skyline:





And a quick pic of a black swan.



Then it was into the botanic gardens to walk about taking pics as I went. They were very nice gardens but you could see that most of the lakes were very low with water - just as well I am here with my storm front!



Lake (state the obvious!)

Ferns

Cacti

Some other plants

its a flower

Another flower

After the botanic gardens I crossed the river and went past Melbourne Cricket ground:



Through the pedestrian walkway and over several roads into Fitzroy gardens to the Conservatory.






I passed the naked tart with the dogs:




and headed into the building which turned out to be awash with flowers - very nice:

conservatory

can you guess what it is?

After that it was back up to my tram passing by this building which I think might be the City museum?



hard to tell!

lastly I passed by the Parliament buildings and just missed my tram. Luckily there was a hotel next to the tram stop so I went in and had a wecome beer.

Parliament

City Tram

Shameful past

Sunday 16th Nov: I got up at some point, scratched my arse, made some food to eat and basically festered for the whole day.

Late at night somebody put on a pirated dvd and a crowd of us sat down to watch it. The DVD was called 'Fifty Dead men Walking' and was all about the Northern Ireland troubles - all I needed!

It was actually a very good film.

While watching one scene in the movie one of the Germans asked me if they really did that sort of thing back then in Belfast.

I had to admit that, yes, back in the bad old days, people did actually do that shameful thing. The scene in question was not of a knee capping (which was earlier in the film!) but of people line dancing in a bar!

Yes people it's true. Its a part of Irish history few people want to talk about. It only happened for a while but it was horrible. Night clubs and bars resounded to the music of 'cotton eyed joe' and 'acky breaky heart'. I myself have to confess to doing a couple of 'Lines'. Look! I was on holiday and it was peer pressure. I am ashamed I did it but I can't turn back the clock!

I believe that even now there are still places in Ireland (mostly out west) were they still do line dancing. Its mostly underground now but you can easily tell the sort of people who indulge in it - they have a crazy look to them. The cowboy boots and 10 gallon hats are also a bit of a giveaway.

Dark days indeed. I wonder if anyone has actually found out who the f"ck Alice is?

Spanish Festival 15th Nov

Lisa Jeff Ray and Dave figuring out what pub to go to

Every year Melbourne has a street festival in what passes for their Spanish quarter. As it was only 20 mins walk away from the hostel a group of us went up to take a look.

The festival was really a large food and drink market with stalls on both sides of the street. At the very end of the street a large stage had been set up for bands and dancers to perform on.

We went up to it in mid afternoon just as things were starting to get going. After some walking around and a an expensive chicken kebab (very Spanish!) we decided it was time for alcohol (about time too I thought!) We ducked into one of the Spanish bars along the street to have some sangria. Very nice it was too although I would not like to drink too much of it - too sweet. The bar we went to had a large hall area and stage with more dancers. A man and woman were doing some sort of salsa while a lot of people at the front of the floor were trying to copy them. I have to say the woman was very talented in a lot of ways but as I only had my small camera I was not able to take a picture of her talents.

After pulling ourselves away from the hall we went back outside, strolled around a bit more and then went to another bar - this time only for beer.

I could have kept going like that all day - into a bar for some beer, out to the stalls for some food but I don't think my budget could have taken it so it was just as well that most of the other backpackers I was with had already arranged to go see a play that night,

That meant that I could go back to the hostel to join the other backpackers on the poor mans balcony bar.

Poor mans pub

3 of the long term Irish guys were heading to Tasmania the following day to work so tonight was supposed to be a big going away party. Unfortunately it did not turn out that way. For one thing it was impossible to get anybodys ass in gear from their comfortable balcony position. For another thing one off them did not want to come out at all as he wanted to 'rest'. Seeing as he had just scored with one of girl backpackers I think rest was the last thing he wanted to do on his final night.

Eventually we managed to get a group of people together and headed out up to Brunswick street and beyond to where the Spanish festival was on. By the time we got there the festival was over for the night but there were some nightclubs open to try out. We ended up in a place called the 'Laundry' which had possibly the worst DJ I had ever heard. This guy was mixing 12" records from all sorts of different genres and producing awful noise in the process. We all endured it simply because we could not think of anywhere else to go

Finally we left the place and some of us went on up the street to a tab bar to wait out the rest of the night. At 4.30am the Irish rugby team were playing the New Zealand rugby team in a "friendly" test match. In the end only 4 of us managed to see the game - the rest having gone home or been refused entry for various reasons.

I wish I had have been refused entry myself as the game turned out to be a complete embarrassment with a final score of 22-3 to the All blacks. Why did I bother!

At just before 7am I crawled into my bed.

Mikey and Fergus enduring the game

Conservation Day - 14th Nov

After my luxury holiday in the 'Gramps' (Aussi's shorten everything!) It was time to get get to the nitty gritty of conservation work so I booked on another day project with the Melbourne office. I was supposed to be doing work down at some creek but because there was a major thunder storm the previous night half the people did not turn up for volunteering (Unlike actual work volunteers have the luxury of waking up in the morning, looking out the window and going 'Nah, can't be arsed today'. )

So instead of two teams going out they only had enough for one so I was placed on the one that was going out to do work at a primary school (AAAAAGHHHHH!)

Other than one Japanese Girl and a student the rest of the 'volunteers' were actually high school kids doing their community service. In Australia every school kid has to do 20 hours community service as part of their last year and Conservation is one of the things that they can do. This means that Conservation groups can get extra help but can also mean they have to deal with wee shitheads running around making asses of themselves. Luckily the ones we got were not like that. Also, luckily, the other primary school kids were not helping. I was having bad images from my South Africa school days resurfacing!

Our tasks were quite simple - rebuild a pond for frogs and create two small vegetable patches using cut up sleepers as a border. The only problem was that we were given a saw to cut up the sleepers that would have had trouble cutting through butter. Eventually using a group effort we managed to get the sleepers cut and placed in the ground. Of course the patches just happened to be getting placed over the remnants of a tree which meant hacking away roots using pickaxes (There is a certain primeval joy in swinging a pick axe - until the head flys off and chops off somebody's head).

After the vegetable patch it was on to the pond. Actually the schools lads having gotten bored with creating the vegetable patches had already started doing the pond. By the time I got round to helping they had almost completed it so I just supervised . Once they had finished scooping out a hole it was in with the pond liner, on with the rocks and in with the water. We were finished both tasks by 2pm - mostly because we skipped lunch to continue working. We had however had a good tea break earlier were we allowed into the staff room and because it was one of the teachers birthdays there was loads of cakes and biscuits to scrounge!

After being dropped back to the Melbourne office I walked into town and sussed out a pub to have a couple of well earned pints. Then it was back to the hostel to continue what I had started!

The Crew

The Pond

Not shown - Child drowning in pond later in afternoon.

Quick post

Just a quick update post as I don't have time at the moment to do a proper one:

14th Nov - Did another days conservation work - post to follow
15th Nov - Went to Spanish festival up the road followed by drinking (surprise surprise) - post to follow
16th Nov - Missing - scratched arse at some, other than that nothing
17th Nov (today) did walk in Melbourne - post to follow
18th Nov (tomorrow) Going back to Grampians to do more trappings and I am going to be on the TV!

Aussi Ad

Just to show you how Aussi's think here is an ad I seen that they have down here - for down there!

Aussi ad

Lists update 16th Nov

Things I have lost/broke:
I lost another pair of sunglasses while doing the trapping - but they were found again the next day!
I left my mains cord for my new hairclippers back in Sydney but luckily one of my other leads fits it!
I have lost my small torch and compass so I had better not get lost at night in the bush!

Beers I have drunk (I need to update this properly - too many!)

Hunters Wheat beer
Hunters Pale ale
Bock Dark Ale
Old Speckled Hen - Melbourne (Yes I know I have drunk it before but not on these travels!)
Abbot Ale - Melbourne (see old speckled hen!)
Tetley Bitter - Melbourne (see old speckled hen!)
Melbourne Bitter
Cascade (all types - will name them later)
Boags (all types - will name them later)
Coopers (all types - will name them later)
Abbots Invalid Stout (great beer!)

Animals I have seen (I have to have seen them in the wild before I add it to the list - zoos do not count!)

Mammals:
Eastern Grey Kangaroo 9th Nov Grampians
Swamp Wallaby 9th Nov Grampians
Echidna 12th Nov Grampians
Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby (12th Nov being released in the distance!) Grampians
Heath Mouse 9th Nov (in trap) Grampians
Agile Antechinus 9th Nov (in trap) Grampians
Yellow footed Antichinus 12th Nov (in trap) Grampians

Reptiles:
Red bellied Black Snake 9th Nov (in trap) Grampians
Brown Snake 11th Nov at hostel. Grampians

Birds: (thanks to Prue and Robert for some of the identifications)
Emu 10th Nov Grampians
Scrub Wren 11th Nov Grampians
Created Pigeon 12th Nov Grampians
Golden Whistler 11th Nov Grampians
Grey Fantail 11th Nov Grampians
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo 11th Nov Grampians
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo 11th Nov Grampians
Gang Gang Cockatoo 10th Nov Grampians
Crimson Rosella 10th Nov Grampians
Sacred Kingfisher? 11th Nov Grampians
Welcome Swallow 10th Nov Grampians
Superb Fairy Wren 10th Nov Grampians
New Holland Honeyeater 10th Nov Grampians
Eastern Spinebill 11th Nov Grampians
Indian Myna 29th Oct Sydney
Australian White Ibis 29th Oct Sydney
Straw-necked Ibis 11th Nov Grampians

I have probably missed some which might be added later!

Prue Simmons - Unsung Hero

Prue was the CVA team leader for my mammal trapping holiday. She has only been working for CVA for the last 4 months having spent the last two years in Japan but has been involved in conservation all over Australia. As well as her full time job with CVA she also works weekends at Werribee Open Range Zoo and also has a Radio show devoted to eco tourism. She is also involved with the Field Naturalist Club of Victoria

She is definitely one of those people who really enjoys nature and has lots of fantastic stories of past conservation exploits.

I could go on and on praising her but that would just embarrass her.

So instead I will embarrass her with this video from her time in Japan which I found on Youtube!

Prue

Grampians - 9th Nov - 12th Nov

The Trapper family!

My first proper conservation Holiday in Oz was a 'Naturewise' trip organised by the Conservation volunteers, Australia. It was a 4 day all inclusive trip in Grampians National Park to trap and survey mammals. The Park has an ongoing fox baiting (that's poisoning to you and me) programme to try and keep the numbers down and they survey mammals in baited and unbaited areas to see what effect the programme is having.

I met our team leader Prue at 9am at the Melbourne office along with another volunteer Anita. We then had to drive for 3 hours up to the park to meet the rest of the volunteers at the YHA hostel in Hall's Gap were we would be staying. The hostel looked great - it was touted as an eco hostel complete with total recycling facilities and was very spic and span. I would say it was the cleanest hostel I had seen on this trip so far.

Two of the remaining volunteers, Kim and Barb, were already waiting at the hostel for us. Another group of volunteers had already been trapping for the previous 3 days and the remaining volunteers, Robert and Sue, were staying on from this group. They arrived soon after us with bad news - they had not managed to trap any mammals - just a couple of stumpys.

After lunch we went and met Mike the park ranger, who was in charge of the project, for a briefing on what we would be doing. For about the fifth time that day I introduced myself as 'Ray' and each time all I got was confused looks from the other person. 'Is that Roy? Rich? sorry I didn't get that' 'Its Ray!' 'OH you mean Raaay! ' as they pronounced it with their Australian twang which made it sound like they were speaking through their nose.

After the briefing we were dropped off in the centre of Hall's Gap so we could get essentials for the the coming night (you should all know by now what I am talking about when I say essentials - it's brewed, comes in bottles and is cold - yep - Iced tea!). That night we had a massive meal of moussaka (of sorts as the recipe was really for a pasta type sauce rather than real moussaka) and pasta with apple crumble to follow - and yours truly had to make the apple crumble! The food on this holiday reminded me of my National Trust holiday were you spent most of your time either preparing to eat, eating, cleaning up after eating before preparing for the next meal. Every now and then you did some work - in between eating.

Because we all had to get up at 5am (YES 5am!!!) the next morning (in order to be able to have breakfast and get to the rangers depot for 6am ) everyone went to bed early. The next day I got up exhausted having not managed to get any sleep and hastily grabbed some breakfast before everyone headed to the ranger station to transfer to the Parks Utes one driven by Mike and one by another ranger Sylvia. Then it was out to check the traps. The reason for getting up so early was quite simple. Any animal caught in the trap would be subjected to the lethal warmth of the Aussi sun if left too long so we had to make sure we got to the traps first.

We split up into groups and checked two lines of traps having first put on Gaiters to protect our lower legs from thorns and snakes. Me and my partner Sue soon found a trap with a stumpy in it and called Mike to come and process it. Each animal has to be weighted and sexed (if possible - stumpys are pretty impossible to sex) before being marked so that it can be identified if its re caught in another trap. For stumpy lizards the marking consisted of dabbing the top of its head with a white marker pen. So after the trapping programme we had a lot of lizards running around looking like they should be in a bollywood musical. Nobody else seemed to catch anything in their traps until Mike called out on the radio to say they had caught a Heath mouse.

We all ran over to see it. I am sure most of you are thinking 'its only a bloody mouse' but we were all dead excited to have finally caught something worthwhile. Again it had to be sexed which meant looking at its knacker region (it was a male btw) and then it had to be marked so that it could be identified if recaptured. For the mammals instead of a mark on the head they had the indignity of getting some hair cut off their backside. After weighing the mouse it was released back into the thicket.

Heath mouse


One cut and blow dry coming up!

On that first day we managed to get several stumpys, 1 heath mouse and an Antechinus which is a shrew like marsupial. Mike was able to show us its pouch in its back (it was female). There was also one unwelcome visitor caught in the traps on the first day - a red bellied black snake which is highly venomous. The Rangers waited until all the other traps had been checked before releasing the snake - from a very safe distance. The wee bastard had to be coaxed out of the trap before it finally slithered away.

Antechinus

Unwelcome Red bellied black snake

The good thing about getting up so early was that we were finished by 12 which meant that after we transferred back from the Utes to the CVA minibus we could go somewhere in the Grampians to have lunch. We drove to a place called Mackenzie falls for lunch then went for a walk to the falls for some photos. After that we went to a couple of picturesque viewing places on the way back to Hall's Gap. Tea on the second day was a Barby (it is Australia after all!) which consisted off burnt chicken - done by me on the BBQ before one of the other volunteers Robert took charge of it, loads of sausages, burgers, corn on the cob, potato wedges and enough tossed salad to feed a small army. Half the sausages and burgers end up being kept for lunch the next day.

Day 2 of checking the traps was not nearly as fruitful as day 1 I think we only got 1 heath mouse if that. In the afternoon after lunch and helping the rangers put together brochures for a major event happening the next day (see below) we went for a small walk beside a wooded creek. In 2006 the Grampians Park had a major forest fire which burnt away over 40% of the park. It was amazing to see how quickly the trees recovered but it was still a major blow to the park and we could still see the difference between burnt and unburnt areas on our walk. Tea that night consisted of Shepard's pie made from the moussaka leftovers from the first night and chicken burritos. Again there was just too much to eat and half the chicken and salad had to be packed up for lunch the next day. Before we started to eat the owner of the hostel rushed in and pointed out a brown snake making its way to the chicken house. I just managed to spot it before it disappeared into undergrowth. As with the red-bellied the brown snake is extremely venomous.

After dinner some of us went outside to see if we could spot any bats in the approaching twilight (avoiding the brown snake!) I thought the nightlife of Africa was loud until Australia. There were all sorts of bird and insect sounds especially Kookaburras. I always laugh now when I see an old tarzan film with a soundtrack of kookaburras in the jungle - its like a tiger in Africa!

The checking of the traps on day 3 had to be done ASAP. This was because we had been invited to see the event we had been folding brochures for the previous day. One of the major reasons for all the fox baiting that had been going on in the last 3 years was to pave the way for the reintroduction of Brush tailed rock wallabies back into the Grampians mountains. These small roos used to be common in Victoria but now only consisted of 1 remnant population away to the east of the state. This day was a culmination of years of preparation with the release of the first 10 wallabies. We got to the camp site where all the bigwigs made speeches to the all the guests of honour before being transferred by bus to the actual release site. Because we were only lowly plebes we had to wait for the second bus load to be taken to the site.

Reintroduction website - I am lazy enough to let it talk about featured animal!

News article

The release site of Morra Morra creek was set in a large gorge in the mountains. We got there just in time to see them release the last wallaby. Because they wanted to reduce the stress to the animals only a select group of film crews and dignitaries got to see the release close up. The rest of us had to be content with viewing it from the top of the cliffs. Still we did just about see the critter jump off into the bush (if you had binoculars!) and it was a great feeling to be part of the experience.

After the release it was back to hostel to pack up (and eat more!) before heading back to Melbourne.

We got back to the CVA hostel at about 8pm. I have to say really enjoyed the whole experience. It was great to get some 'hands on' volunteering where you could actually see the animals you were trying to help. The disappointing thing was the lack of animals in the traps which did not bode well. In both baited and unbaited areas the number of animals we caught were down on previous years. Of course foxes are not the only problem in the area - 2 feral cats were seen by us while we were travelling around checking the traps and as any cat owner knows they will anything and everything they get their paws on. Luckily a rock wallaby is too big for a cat.


Glossary Update:

G:
Gaiter: Noun, (For the non hiking people) Its a piece of fabric strapped to the bottom half of your legs to keep them from getting mucked up when hiking. In Australia they use them to avoid thorn snags or even worse snake bites. Not to be confused with Garters which would be very stupid thing to wear when avoiding snakes or Gaters which would certainly help avoid snakes but would probably bite your leg off.

Gramps: Aussi slang: Short for Grampians. As is usual Aussis will always try to shorten a word and give it an endearing slant to it.


Things that I have Learnt:

There is a bat in Australia (whose name escapes me) which was discovered to be in fact two species of bat but the only way to distinguish the species was to check the size of the bats penis. One of them has a penis larger than the other. Naturally the Aussis have nicknamed the two species big dick and little dick!

The Antechinus male has such a fierce mating season that they all die afterwards leaving just the females to reproduce the next generation.


People I have met/seen: (new category)

I forgot to mention before that the English Girl Jen I met in Perth had the unlucky distinction of having been on the flight from Singapore to Perth which decided to try and fly by itself. She was lucky in that she had her seat belt fastened but seen other people literally fly up into the parcel shelf. She says she seen someone whose head had actually gone through the shelf! Not a nice experience!

I seen a girl walking a ferret on a lead in the middle of Sydney - very weird.

There is a guy called Ciaran living in the hostel in Melbourne who had a 'bit part' in the film Angela's Ashes. When he told us we looked it up on Youtube and sure enough there he is as a teenager. Here is the link:

He is the one who shouts 'Langer'!

Angelas Ashes

AND FINALLY!

One animal we did manage to trap was of course the fiercest one known to man:



After he was released DM managed to catch and subdue an Emu for riding.



My attempt at making films - Dm riding an emu (don't ask) I was supposed to say Riding through the glen NOT running as in "Robin hood" - again don't ask!