Straddie's stunning natural environment is home to a diverse array of wildlife. We spend time everyday searching the waves for dolphins, exploring rockpools for crabs and gazing skyward to catch a glimpse of the Brahminy Kite as it soars overhead searching for food in the sea.
Occasionally too, we are delighted by rarer encounters. Spotted on the grass just outside the doors of our holiday abode, and heralded by the urgent and very excited cries of our young boy, was this large goanna.
Such amazing markings and large claws!
We watched with fascination as it lazily trundled around, one heavy foot after the other; tail moving slowly from side to side and long tongue flicking out over the sand. Its scaly skin was the colour of a burnt tree stump and its intricate markings reminded me of tiny bursts of lichen on old, dry bush logs. Such an ancient-looking specimen!
This unhurried goanna wasn't fazed by our prolonged attention, only moving on after being swooped repeatedly by a laughing kookaburra. As one of the locals later explained, this is because goannas climb trees to feast on their eggs. The kookaburra was obviously engaged in a preemptive strike!
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