One of the absolute delights of bushwalking is when you happen to encounter an animal in it’s natural habitat. If you’re quiet, patient and a bit lucky, sometimes you can observe these creatures for quite some time, and it can be a really special experience. When you’re walking with kids, spotting wildlife can be a bit tricky – raucous kids shouting, running and jumping on everything isn’t the most conducive to spotting timid wildlife, and often they have such limited attention spans when you do see something. However, if you can teach the little ones to quiet down and be patient, you might even bring out your own little David Attenborough or Steve Backshall in the making.
I decided to write a few reflections of my own wildlife encounters after reading an update from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation about the success of their efforts to increase the population of the critically endangered phio (blue duck). I was super lucky to spot one of these in the wild many years ago. Seeing an animal in its natural environment creates a connection and affinity in a different way to observing animals zoos or conservation parks. For me, these encounters have often encouraged a keen interest in learning more about the animal and supporting conservation efforts, so that such encounters don’t become even rarer.
These are a few of my fond memories of wildlife encounters.
Phio (blue duck), Milford Track, New Zealand
I was on the second day of the Milford Track and decided to find a quiet spot by a stream to take a break. As I sat by the cool, peaceful water, I noticed something moving in the distance by some rapids. I knew the phio were found in fast flowing streams around the Fiordland region, and this bird definitely seemed to be a greyish blue colour. I was so thrilled. I sat, captivated just watching for a long time, feeling immense privilege to be there at that moment, glimpsing this rare and magnificent bird.
Flycatcher, Milford Track, New Zealand
Another lovely encounter on the Milford Track was with a sweet little grey flycatcher bird. I was walking solo on this trip, and unlike these days when I’m accompanied by above mentioned raucous children, the lack of chatter and noise of a larger group was conducive to more bird spotting. As I walked through the cool rainforest, a little grey flycatcher was flitting about the trees. I stopped and observed for a while. As I stood there, the little bird hopped across the ground, stopping right by my boot. We regarded one another, and then, with curiosity, the bird hopped even closer an gave a little tweak on the loose threads of my gaiters, perhaps considering it for potential nesting material. It may not have been the rarest or most colourful of birds, but this encounter was so special because of the connection, formed in a moment of stillness and patience such that the little bird must have perceived no threat. Reluctantly, eventually I began to walk on, and the dear little bird continued to flit along through the trees beside me for some time.
Tasmanian devil cub, Overland Track, Tasmania
To this day I still can’t quite believe my luck at spotting a nocturnal Tasmanian devil in the day time, on this popular track. We were on our last day of the hike, walking the final (optional) section from Echo Point to Cynthia Bay. The weather was overcast and drizzly, and the forest thick and green. I had dropped back from my friends momentarily, and I heard a sound nearby. I was so excited to see a small devil cub, it’s distinctive loping gait as it scampered away behind a log and off into the protection of the dense forest. It was truly one of those pinch me moments, particularly as the Tassie devil is probably my favourite animal.
Spotted tailed quoll, South Coast Track, Tasmania
My son loves quolls. He has a small plush toy ‘quolly’ from his first visit to a wildlife conservation park in Tasmania, which sometimes accompanies us on adventures. So when we started researching for the South Coast Track, reading a number of blogs and seeing photos indicating that it was not uncommon to spot quolls at some of the campsites, we were feeling pretty hopeful. The first couple of campsites we kept missing out – we’d hear other campers delightedly remarking that they had seen a quoll, but despite lurking around the forest and keeping our eyes peeled, we just didn’t spot them. Then finally, on our fourth morning as we packed up our camp at Osmiridian Beach, my son called me over to where a quoll was sitting on it’s hind legs sniffing the air for food. My only regret is that we didn’t stay still and just observe. Hoping to sneak closer to get a better view and perhaps a photo, the quoll obviously felt threatened and took off through the undergrowth.
Dingo, Larapinta Trail, Northern Territory
Another fleeting, pinch me, moment was on the Larapinta when I spotted the distinctive light tan coloured bushy tail of a dingo, slipping past not far from our campsite. Once again this happened as I was apart from the rest of the group, having ducked down to a waterhole to fill up containers. The dingo was quiet and quick as it slipped past. I stood in awe. Another night we heard dingoes howling, their cries echoing around the ochre cliffs.
Wedged Tailed Eagles, Warrumbungles, NSW (among many places)
Growing up in the New England region of New South Wales, it was quite common to see eagles soaring above the many spectacular gorges. I could happily watch these majestic creatures for many hours as they soar and dip on the air currents. One memorable recent encounter was on Mt Exmouth in the Warrumbungles, with my then 8 year old, as an eagle flew so close, directly overhead. It was as if a reward for our efforts as we clambered up to the summit. Beautiful, beautiful creatures!
Echidnas, Mulligans Flat, Canberra
There’s an awesome preditor free nature reserve in Canberra, where you are almost guaranteed to see echidnas at certain times of the year – particularly during Spring. It’s such a great place to take the kids and they can get up close and, if they are patient, can watch as the echidnas poke their pretty little faces out and sniff the air, cautiously regarding their audience. We’ve also spied many shingle back lizards here, as well as a few bettongs, which is pretty cool.
Snakes, pretty much anywhere in Australia
OK, so generally I don’t like encountering snakes when I’m out bush. However, it’s part of life in Australia, and from a distance, snakes can be pretty cool. Spotting the bulk of a carpet python is awesome, especially since they are non-venomous. We saw a beautiful specimen elegantly curled over a log when checking out the walks around Peak Hill Gold mine in Western NSW. We also spied a snake coiled up and glistening in the sunshine about a metre away from the lookout at St Columba Falls in Tasmania. That photo certainly stands out in our photo album (and elicited the ‘I hope you were careful’ from my mother, when she saw it). Regardless of whether they send shivers up your spine or fascinate you, snakes are part of the ecosystem and deserve respect just as much as the cute furry critters we encounter. (Still, one of the reasons I love NZ for a tramping destination is because there are no snakes to worry about.)
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope it stirred some fond memories of your own wildlife encounters. Sadly, many of these amazing creatures are becoming ever more threatened. There are a lot of fantastic groups doing their bit for conservation, and I’d encourage you to think about supporting them in whatever way you can. Whether it’s a donation, sponsoring an animal in a breeding program, volunteering or even just making mindful choices – for example, if you want to visit a wildlife park, choose one that has a conservation focus.
Safe travels!
