Wired for rescue

Our trips into Nightcap National Park allow us to see fit an healthy wildlife, just getting on with there lives. Unfortunately on a few occasions, I've had to either rescue (and hand them over to WIRES) or move wildlife that other people had run over and left. Animals I have rescued include: echidna, tawny frogmouth and pademelon. Other less fortunate animals were dead when I found them, so all I could do was drag them off the road and check their pouches.

I just spent the weekend on a WIRES wildlife rescue course, it seems that I have been doing the right thing, but now I also have the right equipment and a great support structure behind me. I just want to reiterate though, the best thing people can do is drive slow enough so that they can stop or avoid hitting wildlife in the first place. Last night whilst driving out to Minyon Falls, I avoided hitting a Bandicoot and a Bush Rat because I was driving at a responsible speed. Prevention is better that cure.

Natural Born Spotters

I find it really amusing why some people spot animals so naturally and others have to work at it. I can spot animals because I'm interested, and I practice it almost every day - but it is a learned skill. It never ceases to amaze me when people in a totally new environment, with night vision goggles (a new way of looking at the world) spot animals so naturally and easily. Almost every time I go out on a walk there is someone who just spots everything. Last night it was Chris, the night before it was Peter, but others stand out, Mum, Robin, Pauline from Ireland, Monica from Germany, to name but a few. It makes me wonder what is it they have so naturally that I have to work at.

Water, water everywhere

Well, it has been pretty dry down south in Victoria, but up here in Northern NSW, it's been a bit damp to say the least. A great benefit of wet weather is that everything is lush and green, and the waterfalls are gushing with water. When we went out last night, Minyon Falls were magnificent, especially under the stars. We must have seen about 20 Great Barred Frogs, not to mention the 8 pademelons munching on the fresh green grass at Rummery and the Crayfish were still there hanging on in the very fast flowing water. I wish there was a way we could send some of this water to our brothers and sisters in Victoria Tasmania and South Australia.

Sea change

Often on my walks I talk about how I used to live in London, Sydney etc. I really enjoyed myself, living the dream, working in the media, going to fab parties, eating out, shopping, travel, clubs etc. But there came a moment when I realised that I'd had enough and need a change - I needed to slow down, I needed less clutter in my consciousness.

So I sold my flat moved to Byron Bay and started my bush walking business. When I talk to people about it they say how brave I am for taking steps to making a better life for myself. I don't think I'm brave, I was unhappy and the only person who could change things was me. So I really wonder if given a clean slate how many people would leave the city for a slower less cluttered life. I have put a poll on my blog "If given the opportunity would you prefer to live: in the city, by a lake, in the mountains or by the sea." It would be great to know what you think.

Donate to Wildlife Victoria

Another horrible consequence of the fires in Victoria is the devastation of the wildlife in the area. It is estimated that millions of animals have been killed or injured. Wildlife Victoria look after sick and injured animals and need your help. I quite often have to deal with wildlife carers in NSW (WIRES, Friends of the Koala ) when I find injured wildlife on the road - I know how hard these volunteers work in normal circumstances, I can't begin to imagine the heartbreaking task that lies in front of them.

I am not underestimating the human suffering, just asking if you have some spare money please consider donating it to Wildlife Victoria .

Age of Aquarius

Byron Bay has been a buzz this week with the knowledge that on Friday the moon was in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligned with Mars. Well, according to the "Hair" lyrics from now on we are in the Age of Aquarius where peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars. Apparently from now on harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding, no more falsehoods or derisions, golden living dreams of visions, mystic crystal revelation and the mind's true liberation. I certainly hope all this is true.

I often get to gaze at the stars at Minyon Falls, far away from any man-made light, but unfortunately we have been experiencing torrential rain for the past 3 days and the cloudy skies have obstructed our celestial view. It would have been great to see - did anyone see it?

I hope we (don't) see a .....

Living in Byron Bay, I'm surrounded my new-age spirituality. One of my mates always says "be careful what you put out there". This became evident the other night when I took out a nice couple Lesley & Jez, from the Sunshine Coast. They really wanted to a wild Koala (we sometimes see them but not all the time). They had really enjoyed the experience thus far but on the way back in the bus, I spotted sometime in the middle of the road. It was a cute little Koala running down the road - it made their night.

This appears to work for things you don't want to see, so be careful what you wish for, this includes any or our reptilian natives. I took a nice English couple (Henry & Chris) on day walk the other day - one of them was really snake phobic. We saw a Green Tree Snake (non venomous) briefly on the track, (it just got out of our way) - this is the first and only time I have seen a snake on that track. I just want to add I rarely see snakes, when I do they just try to get out of the way.

Is that a lobster?

On our walks we usually see Pademelon, Possum, Bandicoot, Frogs and Bush Rats. We sometimes see Koala, Tawny Frogmouth, Owls etc. Imagine my surprise the other night when we were on the bridge looking into the creek, Emily from Detroit, USA, asked "Is that a lobster?", it wasn't a lobster but it was a huge freshwater crayfish - a pair of them actually. Wow, I have been taking these walks for almost a year and that is the first time anyone had noticed a Crayfish. I took another group out the next night and the Crayfish were still in the same spot.

Welcome

Welcome to the new Vision Walks blog. On this blog we will post interesting observations and relevant information that relate to our walks.