Like this Green Rosella, endemic to Tasmania

Many people, on coming to Australia from elsewhere, are disappointed. They expect to see kangaroos every day and are surprised to find it’s not so easy, even when you actively go looking. At least, not wild ones. Part of the reason for this is that most Australian marsupials are nocturnal.

Green Rosellas in the leaves…

We tripped over wombats, had to stop for echidnas trundling across the road, stepped around wallabies in parking lots, said good morning to Tasmanian Pademelons outside our door in the snow, and even saw the magnificent Forester Kangaroo, which is now uncommon in Tasmania.

And one that did pose nicely

And of course, there were birds too. We had obliging endemics like the parrots above, in the historical site of Pt Arthur.

Lapwing stalks away from the camera

 Or the Masked Lapwings, who appear to loathe having their photos taken, yet were all over the place.
In fact you had to be careful not to tread on their eggs, or their fluffy young.
 
There were Ubiquitous “robins” – actually flycatchers – on every fencepost it seemed at times: pink ones and brown ones and flame ones and scarlet ones.

Currowongs fixed us with greedy eyes every time we stopped for a picnic. You know, the ones that make you feel guilty about not feeding the highly unsuitable junk food.

Pademelons

Wombat mum and offspring, Cradle Mtn

Black Currawong

Scarlet Robin, Freycinet

Bennett’s Wallaby in the parking lot

Echidna

…Bennett’s with young

Sperm whale remains on the beach in Mt William Nat.Pk

There was even a sperm whale…

I do apologise for the quality of the photos: I have only a tiny digital pocket camera.

This field was actually dotted with eating-machines – six wombats.