Wild BNE

Julian Rocks Wary in the Water, Surprised in the Rainforest! Wildlife spotting turned a little extreme for me this month! I spent the past weekend in Byron Bay, two hours south of Brisbane in the neighbouring state of New South Wales. The plan was to take my 16-year old niece on her very first snorkelling trip there, with a professional dive company that runs trips out to Julian Rocks. The plan unravelled fairly quickly, with a faulty outboard motor on our boat delaying our group by an hour or so. By the time we had crossed the two-and-a-half kilometre stretch of sea to the island, the previously calm conditions had deteriorated into big swells and a strong current. I was reluctant to get into the dark, swirling depths below, and was equally wary of the waves breaking on the rocky island edge. Amazingly, the tour guide instructed my two teenage companions to get in first, and they were caught in the current almost instantly. My sister and I dismissed all prospects of snorkelling

I have taken quite fondly to 'spot-lighting' recently. Whether it's in a local park or even just down the back of my garden, I have made time over the past few weeks to flick the torch on and see what nocturnal animals I am sharing my neighbourhood with. The opportunity to make a star-lit visit somewhere less suburban has appealed to me however, so last night I headed to Samford Conservation Park with my adventurous friend Leah. After a hearty and nourishing meal at the Samford Valley Hotel, we braved the darkness and headed into the forest, starting with a deserted picnic area named 'Lomandra'.