We saw this goanna while we were exploring Lake Windermere. Goanna's are large monitor lizards, this one was a metre or more long. Apparently there are 25 different varieties of them in Australia.
Is that a Coolibah tree beside the abandoned house? Every Australian knows about Coolibah trees because the bush ballad Waltzing Matilda is nigh on our unoffical national anthem but most of us live nowhere near the inland where they grow. Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, Under the shade of a Coolibah tree, And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me, And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.
When I was about 9 - maybe 1957 or so - my grandfather shot 3 goannas out of the Apple Tree (yep, THAT apple tree) above the chook pen - they had been stealing eggs.
ReplyDeleteUs three kids dragged the dead goannas up to the main road and lined them up in full view of passing motorists. We waited for a day or so until the carcasses bloated up and then giggled our heads off as cars screached to a halt thinking they had seen crocodiles.
screeched ... blush ...
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