Tracking the Flora and Fauna

Days 39 to 41   

Sunday 19^th to Monday 21^st May

I have decided to devote this particular blog to the flora and fauna we have encountered during our recent travels. Over the last four days we have visited both Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Parks so of course you can expect to see some pretty spectacular views. (Paul is always worried that I am going to run out of film!). I will include them in my next blog.

I won’t bore you with too many pictures of wild flowers, Paul turns white every time I say “stop the car, I just saw some wild flowers!” I have included one for Dad. Even Paul recognized that this one wasn’t a gum tree or a pine tree. I think it’s a silky grevillia, I’m sure someone who reads this will know if I’m right.

Okay now I have got the Flora covered ( one picture out of many) I will spend the rest of this blog discussing the Fauna!

The most unbelievable part is that most of these creatures have been photographed in our camp sites. Obviously the diets of these indigenous creatures are supplemented by the many tourists who move through their environment and can’t resist them

The first day we arrived in Katherine in time for lunch, so I made us both a healthy salad sandwich. I handed one to Paul and when I turned around the top piece of my bread was missing from my sandwich.

These beautiful blue-eyed honey eaters, (misnomer they should be called red handed bread thieves) were tucking into it. The mature birds have blue patches around their eyes and the young have lime green Patches.

I’ve also included this cute little lizard we met at the Kathering Gorge interpretive centre.

Another “Character” we encountered in Katherine was this grasshopper (I think it is one of the locust varieties), seen here posing with Paul’s hand.

Unfortunately a few Seconds after posing for this photo he leapt to his death. A kingfisher obviously had his eye on him the same time we did and swooped down as the grasshopper gracefully leapt into space. The last we saw of him was a few legs hanging out of the kingfisher’s beak  as he headed back to his tree.

My final brush with nature is this beautiful “Wallaby who jumped into our camp at Wangi Falls to show off her baby. She also enjoyed a lettuce salad with us before moving on to the next camp site for her main course. Foraging is very easy during the tourist season!