Gallery

The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is just what its name suggests: brown, and with a light, slim body perfect for life in the trees of woodlands and rainforests. You will need to head into the wooded areas of Goondicum late at night to catch a glimpse of these silent hunters. If you do happen to see one, be mindful of if it starts to form loops with its body – a threatening display telling you to back off!

One of the more bizarre-looking species of Australian flora, the bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestris) is instantly recognisable for its distinctive shape, like a chianti bottle. This trunk can grow to having a diameter of 4m and is ideal for storing water – a giant water bottle if you will! This also makes the bottle tree very resistant to drought and it is able to survive in a variety of soils and temperatures – the sort of toughness needed for living in the Australian outback!

This young little squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) was a mere 22g when she was rescued by the landowners of Goondicum Station, and was at 30g by the time this picture was taken during her rehabilitation. Adult squirrel gliders can reach up to 300g in weight, and are aptly named: they are distinguishable by their thick bushy tails. At night, you may be lucky to see them jump huge distances between the trees, using their built-in “glider” between their arms and legs to sail from branch to branch.

The koala and kangaroo compete for the spot of most famous Aussie animal. Native only to the Great Southern Land, koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are easily recognisable for their teddy-like appearance (but don’t make the mistake of calling them a bear!) and are almost always found exclusively in the eucalypt forests of Australia, the leaves of which make up their entire diet. Apart from us and our close primate relatives, koalas are the only animal to have fingerprints, which are unique to each koala! This Koala was rehabilitated at Goondicum and released.

Both genders of the eastern stony creek frog (Litoria jungguy/wilcoxii) are often a brown or reddish brown, but the males can be recognised by a bright yellow colouration, and will be much smaller than the females. As their name suggests, they are usually found down in creeks where there a plenty of stones, as they will attach their eggs to the rock surface underwater.

Goondicum is home to one of the rarest species of cockatoo in Australia: the Glossy Black (Calyptorhynchus lathami). These guys are very fussy eaters; they are mostly found in the branches of she-oaks because the seeds of these trees are the only food they will eat! On top of that, they even have preferred trees, and will go to their favourite one rather than other nearby she-oaks.

Was it really a trip to the outback if you don’t see at least one of these guys? Perhaps Australia’s most famous and recognisable animal, kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupial. They are most active in the early and late hours in the day when it’s not so hot. Eastern greys (Macropus giganteus) are the species you are most likely to see at Goondicum, often bounding across the paddocks in big groups, called mobs or troops.

Don’t just look in the fields for the iconic macropods of Australia. They can be found in even the most precarious places, like on 100ft high cliffs! The little rock wallabies are extremely acrobatic and agile, able to effortlessly bound up and down the vertical cliffs of Goondicum’s gorges, using their light bodies and extremely long tails for balance. Head down to the gorges at sunrise or in the early evening to try and catch a glimpse. But search hard – in order to stay safe from predators, the rock wallabies are excellent at camouflage!

While the koala or kangaroo would be Australia’s most iconic mammals, the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is one of the country’s most recognisable birds. It also has an equally recognisable sound: a distinct, loud, laugh-like call from which it derived its name. The kookaburra is from the kingfisher family and are able to hunt most animals that are smaller than they are.

The name given to apostlebirds (Struthidea cinerea) is a play-on stemming from the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, as these sociable birds are often found in groups of around 12. They belong to the family of birds called “mud-nesters,” so look in the undergrowth at Goondicum and you may see them all foraging together. In true Apostle fashion they also live harmoniously as a community, helping to build nests and care for the young ones.

Come to Goondicum after rain and you are almost guaranteed to see some of our beautiful green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea). Listen carefully at night and you may hear their strange barking calls as they talk to each other and attract mates. These peaceful amphibians can be found in the creeks of Goondicum and in the trees nearby. However, make sure you also keep toilet lids closed, or you may happen upon a little green surprise in there! Photo by Mike Donovan – Reptiles in Focus.

Australia has hundreds of species of dragonfly. These swift insects first evolved on Earth around 300 million years ago, and they look almost exactly the same today as they did back then! You’re most likely to see them down near the creeks and rivers of Goondicum, where they will be hunting other insects.

Post-rain weather is perfect for searching for frogs. The bumpy rocket frog (Litoria inermis) is especially abundant after wet weather. These frogs are aptly named: they have a very bumpy looking back, and their sharp, aerodynamic snout and long legs mean they can shoot forward, just like a little rocket! Photo by Mike Donovan – Reptiles in Focus.

They share the same distinctive rocket-shape, but unlike their close bumpy-backed cousin, broad-palmed rocket frogs, or simply broad-palmed frogs (Litoria latopalmata) have very smooth skin. You may also hear them calling; listen for a distinctive “quacking” sound. This isn’t a duck; it’s the male frog calling out! Photo by Mike Donovan – Reptiles in Focus.

Australia has more than 200 species of cicada. These infamously noisy insects are the loudest in the world, especially when they get together in big groups to create a cacophony that is loud enough to ward off most predators, even humans! The young version of a cicada is called a nymph, which live underground until they reach adulthood and emerge, which is what you will see (or hear rather) plenty of at Goondicum. Photo by Mike Donovan – Reptiles in Focus.

The wedge tail eagle (Aquila audax) is the largest bird of prey in Australia and one of the apex predators at Goondicum. These magnificent raptors can be seen soaring to great heights, made easy by their powerful wings that are more than 2m from tip to tip, where they have a full view across the property and can use their keen eyes to spot wallabies, possums, other birds – basically anything that they can carry away is fair game!

Of all the adorable and fluffy species of glider in Australia, the great glider (Petauroides volans) is the biggest. You are most likely to see these arboreal marsupials in the eucalyptus trees at Goondicum, as the eucalyptus leaves are their only food source, but you’ll need to stay out late! Like all gliders, the greater gliders are nocturnal, but even if you search for them at night, don’t rely on hearing them coming! Greater gliders have no known calls or noises, so you’ll need to look carefully!

The echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is just one of two very weird mammals in the world – a monotreme: a mammal that lays eggs! The short-beaked echidna can be found in nearly all parts of Australia, and can live for up to 50 years! If you see an anthill or termite mound at Goondicum, look sharp: you may be lucky enough to see an echidna waddling nearby, ready to use their strong snout to dig in!

Many people don’t like scorpions, but if you see one at Goondicum, don’t worry. Unlike many Australian creepy-crawlies, these tiny under dwellers aren’t dangerous to people. They’re actually very shy, and you will need to head out at night to peek under logs and rocks to find them. But don’t use a regular torch; take a special UV blacklight torch for a very cool and mysterious surprise!

One of the newest and very exciting discoveries at Goondicum, made by UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. This here is a wishbone spider (from the Anamidae family), who looks very similar to the infamous funnel web, but with very different venom. Wishbone spiders are also distinguishable by their interesting Y-shaped burrows, very different from the distinctive “funnel-shaped” webs at the entrance to their relatives’ burrows.

A brand-new species of wishbone spider – until now, undiscovered by science! Thanks to the efforts of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, this creepy critter will soon be named and added to the repertoire of Australian arthropod fauna. Not only that, but this new species is also presenting a new type of venom that can be studied and applied to the ground-breaking research in insecticides and medicine! CRATER is excited to welcome scientists and academics to CRATER to help with this revolutionary work.

Finches are lively, playful, and sociable little birds that are perfect for birdwatchers spending time at Goondicum. Their bright colours and patterns also make them a charismatic and beloved bird all over the world. Despite preferring to live in friendly groups, they are quiet and shy, so your best bet to find them is to head to the grassy paddocks and fields at Goondicum where they will be snacking on the grass seeds.

Easily identifiable by his rich, bright colouring, the male regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) is a striking resident of the forested parts of Goondicum. During breeding season, he can be seen building a bower – a little house constructed with twigs, leaves, and anything he can find – to impress females, which are a more mottled brown colour.

Purple swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio) are a splash of colour around the wetlands of Goondicum. Perfectly suited to life near water, not only are the swamphens strong flyers, but they are also powerful swimmers too! They live in small communities on the banks of waterways where everyone, even the juveniles, are helping to care for the eggs and chicks.