Looking out over the verandah onto my small acreage on the outskirts of Gympie, I am lucky to see three different types of macropods – the solitary swamp wallaby with its white tipped tail, a small red necked wallaby with a very cute joey poking it’s head out of the pouch, and from time to time, a family of eastern grey kangaroos.  They all move through the landscape here looking for green pick, fresh leaves and in the spring, a potential mate.

I also have a number of brushtail possums that regularly visit at night, looking for the fresh eucalyptus leaves that they love, and any fruit or flowers to munch on.  Add to that an amazing range of birds, from the tiniest fairy wrens to the enormous powerful owl, lizards sunbaking in the day and beautiful velvet geckoes feeding by the lights at night, accompanied by microbats flitting around the verandah, and gliders and frogs calling, and I feel blessed that I live where I live, and have an opportunity to preserve and protect the habitat of these special visitors to my property.

As an active member of ANARRA (Australian Native Animals Rescue and Rehabilitation Association), I regularly head out to rescue wildlife that has come to grief through vehicle strike, dog attack, disease, drought and starvation.  It is heartwarming to know that there are so many people that want to help our wildlife, and that call ANARRA when they come across a sick, injured or orphaned animal.