Pouches, parrots, square poop weird wonderful Australian wildlife

Melbourne
Contemporary, Neoclassical and Gothic all coexist in Melbourne as do the multiple ethnic groups from recent arrivals to generations of immigrants and a few aboriginal peoples.
Federation Square is where everything happens - music, food, people, art, theater. 
The Yarra River divides the city into north and south the walkways are decorated with murals and sculptures. It is a vibrant city that is growing faster than any other city in Australia.
Coastal Road to Canberra - First stop Wilson's Prom
On the road the scenery looks familiar but a big eucalyptus tree makes it definitely Aussie. The speckled birds in the bush were  Common Starlings - one of many introduced pests in Australia.

Fish and Chips here we come - our first stop on the road and it was good.
Into Wilson's Promontory where the fire damage was most visible a fire that got out of control - but gum trees are fairly resilient and they were shooting up among the dead branches. Fires scars were everywhere we went.
Beautiful native flowers - a type of bottle brush.
 Another type of bottle brush. The birds love them.

A wombat was seen grazing next to the road at Wilson's - very dangerous as we saw lots of road kill. Interesting facts wombats have square poop and their pouch is backward.
A lovely Galah or a Rose-breasted Cockatoo feeding at the camp ground.
A wary wallaby on the path along the Lilly Pilly Gully trail.
We always seem to have rain on our holidays - so a storm followed us, as usual.
A Yellow-crested Cockatoo on the top of a dead tree expanded his crest as the storm approached.
Tarra Bulga National Park
Tarra Bulga - famous for giant Ash trees and tree ferns. 
From top down and
  bottom up.
The drive was lovely on a back road... through the forests and along a stream.
On a different road to the coast and not far away from the beautiful rainforest was a coal fired power plant.
Lakes Entrance
At the foot bridge leading to Lake's Entrance was the Australian Black Swan. A symbol of Western Australia - it is found on the state flag, one of the oldest in Australia.
The famous 90 mile beach of Gippsland is at Lake's Entrance
A Silver-backed gull at the entry point to the Lakes.
 Wattle Bird in the Honeyeater family of birds feeds on bottle brush trees.

A Wattle Bird chick below - they seem to put their nests at eye level - doesn't seem to be a good survival strategy.
 Pied-oyster catcher at Tyson lake.
 Australian White Ibis at sunset feeding on low-tide fodder.
Shore birds and waders - above Little Stint and below Red-capped plover and below that a White-faced Heron.
Good night to the Black Swans
Time to depart 

 Off to Gipsy Point
Kookaburra on the line and preening Crested Tern - a series of cleaning photos
All done ready to fly. Just a short distance away was an Immature White-bellied Sea Eagle 
 King Parrot, female, having breakfast at Gipsy point.
Lewin's Honeyeater finds some insects
Masked Lapwings walk around everywhere 
Contemplative Roo - Gang of three
 Maybe a curious look?
Potato Point
Australian Pelicans on small Potato Point estuary 
Mature White-bellied Sea Eagles soaring at Potato Point Rotary Park
 Yellow-tailed Cockatoo - so large it looks like an eagle when flying.
 Rainbow Lorikeets love the bottle brush trees too.
Barrabooka to Canberra
A fantail flycatcher has a quick bath in Barrabooka.
Wow! I saw an Echidna in the Canberra botanical gardens - I really wanted to see a monotreme and we missed seeing a platypus a bonus was an echidna.
A White-throated Tree Creeper hunting for spiders
Some gorgeous flowers in the Canberra botanic gardens, a Gravillia maybe.
Lewin's honey eater in the Botanical Gardens Canberra
Red-browed Finch
An Eastern Spinebill
A Caladenia spider orchid not sure which one - looks like a tiny jumping jack.
Out of Canberra - on to Shepparton
A submarine in the middle of the farm area - Holbrook Hotel below.
Hume dam on the Murray-Darling
Back to Melbourne - a day of culture
National Gallery

On to Federation Square and it was Shepparton day with all the cows
And the artist that paints the cows.
Lastly ..... one big caution.




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