It’s been a while since you heard from me but we have been busy! Things are moving along now and we are working on control of tiger pear and thistles………a never ending chore but very rewarding once you see that progress happening.

We have spotted quite a few barking geckos  and got a photo of this young one.They grow up to about 15cm from the snout – tail tip.

We have the materials for our large flight aviary now delivered and Larry is starting on that this week.The truck that did the delivery managed to get bogged about 1k away from the property and that was a days work for Larry and one of neighbours helping the truck driver jack up the truck and digging out around the wheels! Such is life out here sometimes.

Ther are quite a few snakes around at the moment. They are are stocking up on some food getting ready to go into hibernation for the winter months.We see mainly death adders and eastern browns.Larry moved a large adder out of our house paddock the other day and we got a good photo of him.Our dog Misty found him and she very wisely quickly stepped back !We spotted a brown snake going into the chicken pen but he emerged and headed off down the hillside much to our relief as they don’t like feeling that you have them hemmed in and that’s when they are likely to strike.

It seems like 5 minutes! It’s very easy to sit on the veranda and just look out over the river and hillside watching the birds and marsupials for hours.We watched a pair of eagles hunting the other day ,a great sight.At the moment the condidtions are favrourable and food is plentiful so alll the wildlife is really healthy.The recent rain drove the river up a good 30 ft which was sight I haven’t witnessed before.It happens very quickly.The force of nature is very powerful and it was something to see our small river turn into a raging torrent taking trees along with it and anything else in it’s path.We were unable to use our road, or goat track as I call it for about 4 days, but had plenty of supplies here.It’s so good not see wombats  with mange so we are hoping the favourable condidtions will continue with  steady rain rather than the eratic we have just had.We felt very sorry for all the people that got flooded  and hope they don’t have a repeat anytime soon.It must be devasting and so difficult to recover from.The frogs of course have loved all the rain and there are lots around which is good sign.

We are starting to get organised and work will begin on the large bird avairy hopefully next month.

It seems like 5 mins but we have been here for 12 days today.There is so much to be done it almost feels overwhelming but just to sit on the verandah and listen to the birds with no other sounds is a glorious feeling.That’s not to say that it’s always tranquill.Last night we had a storm which I found quite scary.Larry opened his eyes when I poked him in the ribs then snored all the way through it! The thunder is so loud when your just one house surrounded by wilderness.I guess I will get used to it.The lightning lights up the whole house.The dog “Misty”finds it scary and she  goes into the walk-in wardrobe as it’s the smallest space she can lie down in.She is 14yrs old.The  19yr old cat “Feather”took it in stride .It was a big move for her.This is not a place I would really have a cat but when you have had a cat for 19yrs she is part of the family so anything other than bringing her would be unthinkable .She loves the big house and is quite happy just to come out on the verandah with us when we are out there.We have to be very careful a s the goanas here are about 3 feet long and puss doesn’t know about them and could get crunched or she could sniff a snake close up and personal !! Not a nice way to go after making it to 19 which in human yrs is 181.The rescued cockatiels from Sydney Fu,Man and Chu think they are in bird heaven now in a large avairy flying  with lots of other birds around them.A couple of days ago I saw my first  Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby which is now a threatened species.It’s incredible as once you see one you can’t mistake it with any other.The colour is gorgeous and the tail magnificent .They have a majestic way of moving.Larry has seen some and has told me but seeing one made me realise how special they are. Larry  took the image ,not great but didn’t want to scare her/him away.All that purple stuff which looks very nice is called “Paterson’s Curse” in layman’s terms.Another job that needs to be done.We will try to get rid of as much as we can as it stops the native grasses from growing.

Everything is green so the grazing animals are looking really healthy.The wombats are coming out at night as they should and we are not seeing mange ones out during the day at the moment but they are around .I saw a fox a couple of days ago on my early morning walk.They really are beautiful creatures but not good for our native speices to have around. In their natural enviroment I hope they are cared for.

There is a lot of organising to be done so I better get on with it .

In 1998 I  purchashed the land now offically gazetted as “Peach Tree Flats” Wildlife Refuge .It will hereafter be  refered to as “Wombat Creek” Wildlife Refuge as we (Larry & I ) like to call it that due to the no of wombats that now graze there protected from human harm.A wildlife refuge is a peice of land ,in our case 80acres, which is set aside  to protect and conserve our wonderful Australian  wildlife.The NSW Governor then declares the land as a Wildlife Refuge, under the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974, by proclamation in the Government Gazette. We did this some years ago.Larry and I  have been rescuing and caring for native animals in Sydney for about 15yrs.We have cared for possums,birds of prey and all others ,reptiles and generally whatever needed the care.We have finally made the move to live at Wombat Creek on a permanent basis after building a caretakers residence and installing a solar plant.We are very interested in the protection of the wombat population in the valley and hope to establish a facility that enables us to treat adults suffering from mange. If left untreated the result is a painful death for the poor old wombat. The disease is spread by the feral fox population and the parasite is able to take hold when conditions are unfavourable for the wombats, particularly in times of drought. We also care for birds such as cockatiels that we have been called on to rescue but found they are breed birds that have escaped or been let loose and can’t live in the wilds with natural flocks.