Let me just start off by saying that I owe my wife big time. Australia is a country that I have been infatuated with for a long time, and my wife gave me an opportunity to go there. She won a trip there, and was able to take a guest, so obviously she chose me.
Yes, yes, I know- ‘won’ a trip there? She did. It was a contest sponsored by Virgin Australia Airlines, Delta Airlines, and the Australian Tourism Commission. There were 52 prizes- each was a week-long, most-expenses-paid trip to various locations around the country. The contest was geography-based, and you had to guess the location of the prize trip and pin it on a computer map. If the pin you placed was within ten miles of the actual location, you were entered into the contest for that particular week’s trip. You could enter all 52 contests if you wanted, so we each entered all of them. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to Australian geography, and we got each trivia question correct and were entered into each drawing. My wife’s name was selected for the trip during the week of January 25 through Feb 1, which was to go to Sydney and be able to celebrate Australia Day there with the Sydneysiders.
We were able to put together enough money to go up to Far North Queensland and explore Cairns and the surrounding area for a few days after our stay in Sydney. We were in Australia for a total of 11 days, and that was nowhere near enough for me!
I am forever grateful to David (Moloch) and Van (VanAR) for their help in identifying some of the lizards that I found while there. I saw a lot fewer herps than I would have liked to, but I guess that is expected going somewhere completely new for the first time, having limited transportation and not being able to meet up with any locals. BUT, I saw plenty that amazed me, and this already has me planning for a chance to go back.
The pictures are in roughly chronological order. I will do three parts, Sydney, Cairns and a separate post for Taronga Zoo.
Any IDs or ID corrections are welcome!
Our flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles left Friday afternoon, and we arrived in Sydney at 7am on Sunday morning. Due to the time zones, we skipped over Saturday completely. After clearing Customs and getting our baggage, we hopped on a train to get to our hotel. It took a little bit to get used to our new surroundings, being on the bottom of the world and all:
1Opera House and Bridge by B Boone, on Flickr
2Sydney Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
Okay, okay! Here are the real pics:
First light over the Pacific Ocean. We still had two hours or so before getting to land.
3Sunrise over the Pacific by B Boone, on Flickr
First view of Australia:
4First View by B Boone, on Flickr
Our hotel was on the edge of the Central Business District, and about 2 blocks from the train station that we popped out of. However, it took us a little while to figure out how to find the hotel because the directions we were given were not very clear- and it didn’t help that there was a street name change!
5Sofitel Wentworth Sydney by B Boone, on Flickr
6Sofitel Wentworth by B Boone, on Flickr
After changing clothes, we wandered around the city for the rest of the day. The Royal Botanic Gardens were another two blocks from our hotel, and I walked through them each morning after that. We took a slow loop through, and took in all the sights. Since it was only about 9am now, we walked among the trees listening to the lorikeets and cockatoos chattering and screaming. This one dropped pieces of figs on my wife as we walked under:
7Trichoglossus moluccanus by B Boone, on Flickr
The ground underneath was littered with figs, both whole and chewed up, and discarded seed/feces piles.
8Figs by B Boone, on Flickr
9Chewed Up by B Boone, on Flickr
10And Spit Out.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
11Eucalyptus bark by B Boone, on Flickr
12big ol rock by B Boone, on Flickr
13Eucalyptus trunk by B Boone, on Flickr
14Eucalyptus close by B Boone, on Flickr
15Eucalyptus Trunk by B Boone, on Flickr
16Eucalyptus flowers by B Boone, on Flickr
There were birds everywhere!
Masked Lapwing and Australian Ibis
17Masked Lapwing and Ibis by B Boone, on Flickr
Australian Magpie
19Cracticus tibicen by B Boone, on Flickr
18Waterlilies by B Boone, on Flickr
Because it was summer, the day was hot and sunny, and just spectacular. It was 96 (35C).
We found a huge limestone outcrop with a natural shelf worn out underneath it. Someone chiseled out a series of steps up to the shelf, and we sat down to enjoy the shade and the views of Sydney Harbour.
I thought we looked pretty decent for having just taken a 21 hour flight!
20overhang by B Boone, on Flickr
More views of the city:
21Looking Up by B Boone, on Flickr
22St Mary's Cathedral by B Boone, on Flickr
23Great Southern Hotel by B Boone, on Flickr
24Cool Bricks by B Boone, on Flickr
This building was really interesting. It looked like something from Jurrassic Park: old, abandoned, overgrown with vines and plants. But we found out that it was less than 2 years old and had been designed that way. How cool!
25Are Those Plants by B Boone, on Flickr
We hopped on a bus and rode by Bondi Beach, one of the most famous (surfing) beaches in the world. This particular day, there were over 5000 people enjoying the sand and sun.
26Bondi Beach by B Boone, on Flickr
That is pretty much the extent of the beach, perhaps a half mile of sand. The number of people there was mind-boggling to someone who is used to basically having the beach to himself anywhere he goes on the Georgia coast!
We made our way back towards downtown and our hotel, when we found a festival going on. SydneyFest was coming to a close that night, so we joined in the celebration and had dinner and listened to the bands that were playing in Hyde Park.
27Beetrelish Burger Chicken Burger by B Boone, on Flickr
These seed pods were on the ground around us as we ate dinner. I believe they are seed pods from the Lace Kurrajong, Brachychiton discolor.
28Brachychiton discolor seed pods by B Boone, on Flickr
We went to bed that night after checking the weather for the next day. Turns out, the forecast took an extreme downturn. Highs would be in the 60’s (~17C), and it was supposed to rain.
Well, it did. For the next three days straight. More rain than Sydney has seen in a while. In those three days, we got almost 6 inches. We woke up the next morning and it had already clouded over and was starting to rain. But it was Australia Day, and it didn’t matter!
29Australia Day Early AM by B Boone, on Flickr
30Australia Day Early AM by B Boone, on Flickr
We chose to celebrate by walking around the city and participating in whatever festivities we ran across. We walked over to Darling Harbour to the Wildlife Sydney Zoo and the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and spent a good portion of the middle of the day there.
31Macropod Walkthrough by B Boone, on Flickr
32Wallaby by B Boone, on Flickr
33Kangaroo by B Boone, on Flickr
34kangaroo close by B Boone, on Flickr
35Wombat and Rock Wallaby by B Boone, on Flickr
36YF Rock Wallaby by B Boone, on Flickr
37Boyd's Forest Dragon by B Boone, on Flickr
There are at least eight lizards of four different species in this picture.
38Lizard Enclosure by B Boone, on Flickr
39Ridgetails by B Boone, on Flickr
40Shingle by B Boone, on Flickr
41Stimsons by B Boone, on Flickr
42Inland by B Boone, on Flickr
43Koala Female by B Boone, on Flickr
44Koala Bloke by B Boone, on Flickr
45Rex the Saltie by B Boone, on Flickr
We stepped outside during a break for lunch. Still raining.
46View of Darling Harbour from Lunch by B Boone, on Flickr
The Aquarium has a pair of dugongs on display- there are only five in captivity in the world. These were really neat to watch.
47Dugong Breath by B Boone, on Flickr
48Surfacing by B Boone, on Flickr
49Dugong by B Boone, on Flickr
They graze constantly, and have a dedicated keeper staff of three people who do nothing but feed them every 10-15 minutes all day long. The staff stood in an open window kitchen area and you could talk with them while they prepared trays of greens. The dugongs go through about 260 pounds of lettuce a day, EACH!
50 260 POUNDS by B Boone, on Flickr
51Platypus swimming by B Boone, on Flickr
52Sawfish by B Boone, on Flickr
It was still cloudy when we walked back to our hotel, but at least it had stopped raining for the moment.
53Opera House by B Boone, on Flickr
Besides being able to go to Sydney, the actual portion of the trip that we won was an evening cruise on some historic tall ships through Sydney and Darling Harbours, ending in a front row seat to the fireworks display over the water that night. This was all in celebration of Australia Day, which is when the First Fleet arrived in New South Wales in 1788, essentially beginning the establishment of the country.
Even though it poured on us for a good portion of the night, this evening was definitely a highlight of our trip.
54Ghost Ship by B Boone, on Flickr
55Soren Larsen by B Boone, on Flickr
There were two ships that sailed out together for this dinner cruise and fireworks watching. Ours was the Southern Swan and the other was the Soren Larsen. As we floated along, we became aware that the Soren Larsen was edging closer and closer to our ship. Suddenly, they began hurling water balloons at us.
56Pulling Up Alongside by B Boone, on Flickr
57Water Balloon Fight by B Boone, on Flickr
58Water Ballon Fight by B Boone, on Flickr
Our guides pulled out coolers filled with water balloons as well, and we began throwing them back too. It was just hilarious. Everyone was already so wet they didn’t care if the balloons hit them or not.
59Yes Please by B Boone, on Flickr
We made it into Darling Harbour and made a couple of slow laps around the marina. There were thousands of people lining the edges and the docks, standing on top of balconies, roofs and any other flat surfaces that would support weight.
60Big Screen by B Boone, on Flickr
61Darling Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
This floating bust of a cockatoo shot flames and fireworks out of its crest.
62Flaming Cockatoo by B Boone, on Flickr
We were literally parked underneath from where they were shooting off the fireworks.
63Aus Day Fireworks by B Boone, on Flickr
64Aus Day Fireworks by B Boone, on Flickr
The best part of the evening was sitting on the boat. The other 40 people or so were all Aussies, many had come from other parts of the country though, just to be in Sydney for Australia Day. Drinks were flowing, and the fellow doing some live music wasn’t too bad at all. When he began playing “Land Down Under” by Men at Work, the boat went wild. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was singing this song at the top of their lungs (screaming?). It was absolutely pouring rain at this point, so hard that we couldn’t see 15 feet from the boat, but no one cared. The crew brought around trays of Pavlova, which is a unique meringue and passionfruit-based dessert pastry. The drinking and singing continued. We didn’t get back to the hotel until midnight.
Still raining the next day, so we walked around town some more and spent some time at the NSW Public Library, the Opera House and some other places.
65Opera House Kitchen by B Boone, on Flickr
66Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae by B Boone, on Flickr
67Stairway Circular Quay by B Boone, on Flickr
68Japanese dinner by B Boone, on Flickr
The day after that was still wet, but the rain was just showers and only intermittent. We spent a good portion of the day wandering through the Royal Botanic Garden.
St. Andrew’s Cross Spider, female and male
69Argiope aetherea female by B Boone, on Flickr
70Argiope aetherea male by B Boone, on Flickr
71Cassia fistula by B Boone, on Flickr
Little Pied Cormorant
72Phalacrocorax melanoleucos by B Boone, on Flickr
Greater Cormorant
73Phalacrocorax sulcirostris by B Boone, on Flickr
Dusky Moorhen, male and females
74Gallinula tenebrosa drake by B Boone, on Flickr
75Gallinula tenebrosa hen by B Boone, on Flickr
76Gallinula tenebrosa hen by B Boone, on Flickr
77Eucalyptus flowers by B Boone, on Flickr
78Asplenium australasicum.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
Australian Magpie
79Cracticus tibicen.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
Laughing Kookaburra
80Dacelo novaeguineae.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
81Amorphophallus paeoniifolius.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
82My Own Private Jungle by B Boone, on Flickr
83Everything Is Still Wet by B Boone, on Flickr
84Nymphaea.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
85Do You Call It A Fiddlehead.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
86Tree Fernery.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
Noisy Minerbird
87Manorina melanocephala.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
88Golden Bamboo.JPG by B Boone, on Flickr
89Black Bamboo by B Boone, on Flickr
90Lotus Pond by B Boone, on Flickr
Masked Lapwing
91Vanellus miles by B Boone, on Flickr
92Tapeinochilos ananassae by B Boone, on Flickr
Golden Silk Spider
93Nephila edulis by B Boone, on Flickr
Since the gardens butted up to the Opera House, to get out of the rain for a bit we made a pass underneath the walkway there and happened across some staff from Taronga Zoo. They had a display up with a few of their outreach animals for people to meet and touch. We were able to see up close and even touch an echidna and a shingleback skink. I was beyond elated. We also had some good conversations I will detail more in the post about Taronga Zoo, part 3.
94Echidna by B Boone, on Flickr
95Aus Walking Stick by B Boone, on Flickr
Anemone Stinkhorn
96Aseroe rubra by B Boone, on Flickr
97Aseroe rubra by B Boone, on Flickr
Wood Duck
98Chenonetta jubata by B Boone, on Flickr
99Gigantic Bromeliad by B Boone, on Flickr
Australian Raven
100Corvus coronoides by B Boone, on Flickr
101RBG art by B Boone, on Flickr
102Tree Ferns and Eucalypt by B Boone, on Flickr
103Plumeria by B Boone, on Flickr
104Plumeria by B Boone, on Flickr
105Sofitel Wentworth by B Boone, on Flickr
106Happy Hour Indeed by B Boone, on Flickr
That evening, as we walked around the open area at Circular Quay, I saw some street art that was just fascinating. It was a sculpture that extended for most of a block, and it was a continuous fountain. The best part though, was that it contained sculpture of snakes and other reptiles, and enigmatic native fauna. I have never seen public sculpture or street art involving snakes before!
107Longnecks by B Boone, on Flickr
108Platypus by B Boone, on Flickr
109Snakes by B Boone, on Flickr
The weather perked up again, and was hot and sunny once more, and for the remainder of our trip. We booked a day trip to the Blue Mountains since we did not have a car to get there ourselves. The trip made a couple of stops: Featherdale Wildlife Park, King’s Tableland, Echo Point, Jamison Gorge and the town of Leura.
From Featherdale Wildlife Park:
110YF Rock wallaby by B Boone, on Flickr
111Boing by B Boone, on Flickr
112Emydura macquarii by B Boone, on Flickr
113Tiliqua nigrolutea by B Boone, on Flickr
114Varanus varius by B Boone, on Flickr
115varanus varius by B Boone, on Flickr
Wild Yellow-Bellied Water-Skinks basking in a spot of sunlight
116Eulamprus heatwolei by B Boone, on Flickr
King’s Tableland/Lincoln’s Rock Overlook:
117BnL Overlook by B Boone, on Flickr
118Dizzying by B Boone, on Flickr
119Lincoln's Rock Overlook by B Boone, on Flickr
120Lincoln's Rock Overlook by B Boone, on Flickr
121Petrophile pulchella by B Boone, on Flickr
122Petrophile pulchella by B Boone, on Flickr
123What I Do by B Boone, on Flickr
Echo Point and Jamison Gorge:
124Jamison Gorge by B Boone, on Flickr
125Jamison Gorge by B Boone, on Flickr
126Fern Gully by B Boone, on Flickr
127At The Bottom by B Boone, on Flickr
128Three Sisters by B Boone, on Flickr
I’m not sure if these are Brush Wattlebirds or Red Wattlebirds:
129Anthochaera carunculata by B Boone, on Flickr
130Anthochaera carunculata by B Boone, on Flickr
131Cliffs by B Boone, on Flickr
132Tres Eucalyptus by B Boone, on Flickr
133Jamison Gorge by B Boone, on Flickr
134Is This Even Real by B Boone, on Flickr
Three Sisters rock formation:
135Three Sisters by B Boone, on Flickr
136Three Sisters by B Boone, on Flickr
More Yellow-Bellied Water-Skinks:
137Eulamprus heatwolei by B Boone, on Flickr
138Eulamprus heatwolei by B Boone, on Flickr
139This Also Is What I Do by B Boone, on Flickr
Would have liked to have been able to explore this area a little more, but alas, we were with that day trip and had to stick to a schedule.
140Open Woodland by B Boone, on Flickr
141Banksia serrulata by B Boone, on Flickr
Eastern Water Skinks at the ferry pick-up near the Olympics site:
142Eulamprus quoyii by B Boone, on Flickr
143Eulamprus quoyii by B Boone, on Flickr
144Harbour Bridge by B Boone, on Flickr
145North Side Looking South by B Boone, on Flickr
146Opera House by B Boone, on Flickr
147Leia by B Boone, on Flickr
148Berkeley by B Boone, on Flickr
149Twilight by B Boone, on Flickr
150Sea Wall by B Boone, on Flickr
The next morning I got up early and went for one of my walks through the Botanic Gardens down to the edge of the Harbour. There was an Australian Darter lounging on Mrs. Macquarrie’s Chair (a pile of naturally stacked boulders right in the splash zone of the waves):
151Anhinga novaehollandiae by B Boone, on Flickr
152Cacatua galerita by B Boone, on Flickr
Grass Skink
153Lampropholis delicata by B Boone, on Flickr
154Lampropholis delicata by B Boone, on Flickr
155Banksia serrulata cone by B Boone, on Flickr
Bar-Sided Forest Skink
156Eulamprus tenuis by B Boone, on Flickr
This was the day that we spent at Taronga Zoo. More on that in Part 3.
We stopped by Luna Park on the way back to the hotel that afternoon. In order to get back to where the ferry had picked us up that morning, we had to complete the circuit, and one of the stops was this Coney Island-like amusement park which is right across the bay from the Opera House and Circular Quay. So we figured, what the heck!
157Pool Windows by B Boone, on Flickr
158Luna Park by B Boone, on Flickr
159All To Ourselves by B Boone, on Flickr
160Coney Island by B Boone, on Flickr
161Luna Park by B Boone, on Flickr
162Ferris Wheel by B Boone, on Flickr
163Harbour Bridge by B Boone, on Flickr
A lot of the architecture was made out of the local sandstone. This wall that edged a sidewalk next to the water was showing some pretty significant erosion from wave action and constant spray.
164Sandstone erosion by B Boone, on Flickr
For our last full day in Sydney, we booked another day trip, but this time northward toward Newcastle: Port Stephens and Birubi Beach.
Pied Currawong
165Strepera graculina by B Boone, on Flickr
On the way up, we stopped at the Australian Reptile Park and got to wander through there.
166Waterfall by B Boone, on Flickr
167Cute Little Rock Wallaby by B Boone, on Flickr
168Is It Dead by B Boone, on Flickr
169Big Eucalyptus by B Boone, on Flickr
170Way Up High by B Boone, on Flickr
171Warming Up by B Boone, on Flickr
172Having A Feed by B Boone, on Flickr
173Sitting In The Sunshine by B Boone, on Flickr
174Big Fella by B Boone, on Flickr
I ran into the world record size Thorny Devil there:
175Record Size Moloch by B Boone, on Flickr
From there, we traveled to Birubi Beach to do some sandboarding. There are MASSIVE sand dunes here, and from the top of them, you can see for miles.
176View From Up Top by B Boone, on Flickr
Sandboarding was a blast. I have never been snowboarding, but I would imagine that it is a lot like that. Due to rules, we had to remain seated on the boards –no standing up- but you went plenty fast even in the seated position.
177Sandboarding by B Boone, on Flickr
178How It Is Done by B Boone, on Flickr
Birubi Beach:
179Rocks by B Boone, on Flickr
180Dunes by B Boone, on Flickr
181Are You Freaking Kidding by B Boone, on Flickr
182Birubi Beach by B Boone, on Flickr
183Wow by B Boone, on Flickr
184Pretty by B Boone, on Flickr
While shaking the sand out of my clothes at the bathrooms, I overheard a young boy telling a bunch of his friends about a redback on the steps up to the parking lot. I watched where they were pointing, and then watched them run off to their parents. I walked over, and sure enough, there was a full grown, well-marked redback spider (Latrodectus hasseltii, a cousin to the black widow, L. mactans) sheltering in its messy web in the shade of one of the steps. I was impressed! A, because the boy knew what it was, and B, because they left it alone. Had this same situation played out in the US, the spider would have been crushed underneath someone’s shoe because it ‘could’ hurt someone.
From there we loaded back onto the shuttle and went to Port Stephens for a boat ride out to the mouth of Nelson Bay and the entrance of the Tasman Sea.
The water was bewilderingly clear and turquoise.
185Look At The Water by B Boone, on Flickr
186Bright Blue by B Boone, on Flickr
187Rockwork by B Boone, on Flickr
188Nelson Head Lighthouse Point, Port Stephens by B Boone, on Flickr
189Mount Tomaree, Port Stephens1 by B Boone, on Flickr
190Mt Tomaree, Port Stephens by B Boone, on Flickr
The wave action at the mouth of the bay was incredible. The swells were 8-10 feet, and there were dolphins playing all around. My wife did not enjoy the pitching of the boat as much as I did though!
191Tasman Sea Entrance by B Boone, on Flickr
192Volcanic Rock columns at Yacaaba Headland, Port Stephens by B Boone, on Flickr
Australian Pelican. These things are freaking gigantic!
193Pelecanus conspicillatus by B Boone, on Flickr
Massive termite nest on shore that I spotted from the boat.
194 Massive Termite Nest by B Boone, on Flickr
After the boat ride, we had to load back up and head back down to Sydney. We stopped at a truck stop along the way for snacks and a bathroom break. I darted into the woods and had a quick look around. Unfortunately, aside from a flicker of movement in the leaflitter (never could find the culprit) I did not see anything. Again, I wished that I had more time to explore here.
195Open Woodland by B Boone, on Flickr
196Open Woodland by B Boone, on Flickr
197Open Woodland1 by B Boone, on Flickr
198Open Woodland2 by B Boone, on Flickr
199Eucalypt Up Close by B Boone, on Flickr
200Eucalypt Up Close by B Boone, on Flickr
201White Bark by B Boone, on Flickr
Once we got back into the city, the driver asked what we had planned that evening. We told him we didn’t really have anything in mind, except getting some dinner. He suggested that we go to Darling Harbour and watch the fireworks. We told him we saw them on Monday during Australia Day, and had enjoyed them very much. No, no, he said, they shoot fireworks off over Darling Harbour every Saturday night in the summer. He offered to drop us off there, so we wouldn’t have to walk over from the hotel. We took him up on the offer. We found a restaurant that had some takeaway pizzas, so we got some and went and picked seats on the side of the marina, legs dangling over the water.
Evening fell, and true to the shuttle driver’s word, crowds started gathering all around us. Promptly at 9pm, the fireworks show started. So we were able to start and finish our time in Sydney with fireworks.
202Saturday Night in Darling Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
203Saturday Night in Darling Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
204Saturday Night in Darling Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
What an amazing city!
The next morning, we could relax and take our time checking out of the hotel. Our flight up to Cairns wasn’t until 2:30pm, so we had plenty of time to wander just a little bit more.
If you are still with me, thank you. I hope you have enjoyed it. Part 2, Cairns, will be coming soon.
--Berkeley
Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
Moderator: Scott Waters
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
How I miss Australia! . I use to live in Canberra just 2 hours away from Sydney.
At the tarronga zoo, I must know - did they still have the Corroboree Frog breeding program? There was a public viewing window. They are, or were, endangered according to the Tidbinbilla nature reserve display.
Sadly I never got to visit the reptile park, but I did plenty of herping on my own - mostly lizards though. Looks like you had a nice trip so far!
At the tarronga zoo, I must know - did they still have the Corroboree Frog breeding program? There was a public viewing window. They are, or were, endangered according to the Tidbinbilla nature reserve display.
Sadly I never got to visit the reptile park, but I did plenty of herping on my own - mostly lizards though. Looks like you had a nice trip so far!
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
I learned to swim in that pool next to Luna Park. Chlorinated salt water....yuch!
Enjoyed the first part, looking forward to the QLD installment.
Enjoyed the first part, looking forward to the QLD installment.
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- Posts: 341
- Joined: September 8th, 2011, 6:12 pm
- Location: Oxford, MS
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
Fantastic post! I'm here in Newcastle now doing some research on Pseudophryne, and I'll be here for another 2 months. I'm trying to figure out what to do/where to go in my free time. I stopped through Sydney on my way to Canberra and was impressed with the city for the day that I was there. I visited the Taronga Zoo to see the Corroboree Breeding program (actually got a behind-the-scenes tour and got to shoot some of the frogs!). I was told to visit the botanic gardens, but that'll have to be for another day.
I'm going to Cairns in the beginning of August so I eagerly await that post. I figure the brunt of my herping will be there since it's on the cool side now.
I'm going to Cairns in the beginning of August so I eagerly await that post. I figure the brunt of my herping will be there since it's on the cool side now.
- Berkeley Boone
- Posts: 878
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
Thanks guys, I am glad you enjoyed part 1. It is great getting to relive it all!
Yes, the Corroborree frog breeding program is still going strong over at Taronga. James can correct me if needed, but they had about 400 adult frogs (half or so on display in that public window) and innumerable froglets being raised up. It seems to be chugging along, and if I remember correctly, they had a release of some frogs not long ago. I would love to see some of your shots of the frogs, James! That would be incredible.
And yes, I highly recommend the Botanic Gardens! It was really quite well done.
Chris, chlorinated salt water does not sound fun at all.... I'm sorry!
--Berkeley
Yes, the Corroborree frog breeding program is still going strong over at Taronga. James can correct me if needed, but they had about 400 adult frogs (half or so on display in that public window) and innumerable froglets being raised up. It seems to be chugging along, and if I remember correctly, they had a release of some frogs not long ago. I would love to see some of your shots of the frogs, James! That would be incredible.
And yes, I highly recommend the Botanic Gardens! It was really quite well done.
Chris, chlorinated salt water does not sound fun at all.... I'm sorry!
--Berkeley
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- Posts: 341
- Joined: September 8th, 2011, 6:12 pm
- Location: Oxford, MS
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
JPBerkeley Boone wrote:Yes, the Corroborree frog breeding program is still going strong over at Taronga. James can correct me if needed, but they had about 400 adult frogs (half or so on display in that public window) and innumerable froglets being raised up. It seems to be chugging along, and if I remember correctly, they had a release of some frogs not long ago. I would love to see some of your shots of the frogs, James! That would be incredible.
Yea, I think that's about right in that they had around 400 frogs. The head keeper there said they're producing about 1000 eggs a year (I guess an individual will lay 20-30 eggs in a clutch). Sounds like they are really approaching it from all angles. They released a bunch of Northern Corroborees rather recently, but the keeper said that they've just been doing egg releases for the Southern Corroborees recently. Right now, they're dealing with sympatric Crinia signifera, which can harbor chytrid with no ill effects. So they're trying to do reintroductions in areas where Corroborees can survive, but Crinia cannot, which is no easy task.
At some point, I'll make a big post detailing my research, which will of course, be filled with photos (not sure how many herp photos there will be since it's cold here).
- Berkeley Boone
- Posts: 878
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
Dangit! Sorry about that JP. After our correspondences, I should have remembered that. I apologize. I just had it in my head it was 'James'.MonarchzMan wrote:JP
I'm looking forward to seeing your post about your research. Bring on the photos, herp or not!
--Berkeley
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- Posts: 341
- Joined: September 8th, 2011, 6:12 pm
- Location: Oxford, MS
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
No worries! You're not the first to mix it up. You at least had the first letter correct. Given the number of photos I'm taking, I'll probably have to make it a series of posts. I would really like to get herps in them, though!
- BillMcGighan
- Posts: 2362
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:23 am
- Location: Unicoi, TN
Re: Trip to Australia, Part 1 Sydney
Great start.
Looking forward to more.
Looking forward to more.