Tallowwood forest
30 September 2017 The dark green teeth of the prickly rasp ferns wave upwards in the warm northerly breeze, up from the dry crunchy litter of curled eucalypt leaves, and the twigs that spring and snap when you walk. A … Continued
Playing with watercolour pencils
Watercolour pencils are great for nature journaling, since they combine the accuracy of a pencil with the vibrant colour and flexibility of watercolour pigment. But I’ve found them tricky to use because the colour of the pencil applied dry to … Continued
Happily evaporating in the mangroves
The mangrove kingfisher looked thin – its feathers were flattened against its body. It sort of drooped on the branch. Tail down, beak open, wings held away from the body. And see the wobbly end of its beak? That’s not … Continued
A sublime scarp in a country of coal
The Blackdown Tablelands lie between Rockhampton and Emerald, in central Queensland. We stopped there on the way up to Bimblebox Nature Refuge last month, and this is what I wrote. The coal trains wind their way across the land like … Continued
Animals need trees
Many people consider themselves animal-lovers. Every day, strangers in the street exclaim at how gorgeous my two dogs are, and ask for a pat. Cat videos easily go viral on social media. Baby farm animals in petting pens are often … Continued