World Kangaroo Day - 24 October 2023

 Hi everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well. 

I learnt yesterday that it is World Kangaroo Day on Tuesday 24 October 2023. The first World Kangaroo Day was held in 2020. 

I know my overseas visitors enjoy seeing my kangaroo pics, especially when I randomly say I come across them when we are out bushwalking. 

Here is one we interrupted having his lunch at Carnarvon Gorge when we visited Queensland on the eastern side of Australia recently - so this would be the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)

This was a male - they are big - you wouldn't want to mess with one. They can be up to 1.5 metres (five foot) tall and weigh about 60kg (132 pounds). Lucky for us these kangaroos near the picnic area at Carnarvon Gorge are quite used to people - but you don't want to approach them - they are wild kangaroos and could be very dangerous if provoked.  

The one below here is the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) They are the largest living marsupial. An adult male stands over 1.8m tall (5 ft 10 in) and can weigh up to 90kg (198 lb). Red kangaroos live throughout most of central mainland Australia, in areas with low rainfall, prefering open plains, grasslands and deserts. 

This one we saw in a wildlife park near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, having a snooze in the shade. 

Here are some quick facts about kangaroos -

• Kangaroos are the largest Marsupials on Earth.- Kangaroos belong to the mammal family  Macropodidae (meaning ‘big feet’).
• There are about 60 species of kangaroos and wallabies
• A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
• Kangaroos' enlarged hind feet, powerful hind legs and strong tail help them hop up to 8 metres (26 foot) in one jump   These adaptations allow some species of kangaroo, such as red and grey kangaroos, reach speeds of over 48 km per hour (30 miles ph).

• Kangaroos can suspend pregnancy - called emrouonic diapause - until the pouch Is vacant. Females can have up to 3 joeys at different stages of development at any one time. If a joey is lost, they can bring forward the next joey into the pouch without mating again. 
• A kangaroos long feet and tail prevent them from walking backwards
• They use their powerful tails as a fifth leg - if you cllick on this link you can see how kangaroos stand up on their tail when they are fighting - you might have heard of boxing kangaroos - echidnawalkabout.com.au/how-kangaroos-fight/
• They sometimes drown their enemies.
• It is believed that the name kangaroo comes from the Guugu Yimidhirr indigenous people sharing the word "gangurru" with Camptain James Cook when he landed in eastern Australia in 1770.

Below is a black footed (or black flanked) rock wallaby we saw during a Yardie Creek cruise in the Cape Range National Park in Western Australia.  This is a small and extremely agile marsupial that darts among rocky outcrops and caves in central and Western Australia.

And below is the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) that we see when we are bushwalking over here in the south of Western Australia. In the top two photos you can see joeys (the baby) looking out of the pouch.

The pic bottom right hand side is kangaroos we can see in paddocks not far from where we live - a great place to take overseas visitors to see kangaroos - they are wild living and come down to the paddocks from the bush to graze. You can see more on my blog post here - Paperbark cathedral - Leschenault Estuary

Another place to see them locally is at the Bunbury wildlife park where you can meet kangaroos close up. 

And some red kangaroos in the Western Australian Pilbara region

This photo taken by my husband we believe is the pretty-faced wallaby - also known as the whiptail wallaby ( Notamacropus parryi) We saw this one at Karumba up near the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland. Wallabies are much smaller than kangaroos, more suited to living in scrublands. Males weigh from 14 to 26 kg (31 to 57 lb) and stand at a height from 70 to 93 cm (28 to 37 in)

To read more interesting facts about kangaroos - click on the links below....

Goeco.org-10-kangaroo-facts-you-didnt-know/

Treehugger.com/kangaroo-facts

And learn more about World Kangaroo Day here -  - www.worldkangarooday.org/about

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed my post about kangaroos.  We certainly have some unusual animals in Australia. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

With so much blood-shed and heart-break happening in this troubled world. I hope you and your families stay safe. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

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Summer colour in the south west Western Australian bush - Manea Park

 I have always said that there is always something flowering in the Western Australian bush. And it is true even in summer.

Those of you who follow my blog will know that I am a wildflower hunter, and I feel incredibly lucky to live in Western Australia. 

There are more than 12,000 species of wildflowers in Western Australia, making it the world’s largest collection.....60% of Western Australian wildflowers are found nowhere else on Earth. 

This is Jarrah - Eucalyptus marginata - flowering spring and summer 

We have been making regular visits to Manea Park near where we live over the winter and spring months. I've shared pics of orchids with you from time to time during my Covid Photo a day project. 

There has been an orchid we have been waiting to see come into flower over the last couple of months. And last week we were rewarded. 

When we first saw these leaves in the middle of the year they looked so much like eucalypt leaves we didn't know they were orchids, but the wonderful people at the Wildflower Society of Western Australia on Facebook helped me with identification. 

These are Slipper orchids or Western tongue orchid - Cryptostylis ovata - a summer flowering orchid endemic to Western Australia's south west. They grow in colonies and four to fifteen flowers form on each stem, though not all plants will flower each year. 

But I have gotten slightly ahead of myself. We had hardly started along the path into Manea Park when we spied a young kangaroo sitting on the edge of the path. He was unconcerned about us. I think he was last year's joey as sitting just off the path was his mother with this year's joey sticking his head and legs out of her pouch. So cute! These reserves of bush in our cities are so important for the preservation of wildlife and flora. They are good for our well-being too! 

There was not a lot flowering, as it is summer here, but there are still flowers to be seen. I know why I don't frequent this bush block in summer - it was hot! - and probably why there were flowers I hadn't seen before. 

Below here you can see clockwise from top left - Spider smokebush - Conospermum teretifolium, Snotty gobble - Persoonia saccata, Jarrah - Eucalyptus marginata, and one of the pea family 

And here is one of the Fringe Lilys - Thysanotus multiflorus

We had never seen this one before. Yellow starflower - Calytrix angulata. Rather gorgeous don't you think. 

And the Spearwood - Kunzea glabrescens. Evidently it's long straight branches were useful to the indigenous people for making spears. 

And this is the Candlestick Banksia  - Banksia attenuata, also known as slender banksia or biara to the Noongar people. It reminds me so much of giant Christmas candles this time of year. This tree commonly reaches 10 metres tall and the flowers 25cms long. 

You can see it at the different stages of flowering here. I love how the new leaves unfurl - as in the first two photos. The bottom right photo is the hard banksia nut. 

There are many forms of banksia - I have blogged about some of them here - 

Celebration of the Australian banksia. 

The bees love them

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you and yours are well and that you have enjoyed my post today. Take care and stay safe. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.  

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons 
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
Thankful Thursday 
Der-Natur-Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit
 Month end link up @ Live love craft me

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How to speak like an Aussie on Australia Day

26th January is Australia Day when we celebrate what is great about our country. We have been suffering lately with bushfires and droughts, but the Aussie spirit, mateship, and helping each other, will always come through. 

So I thought for a little light-hearted fun today - How to speak Australian - abbreviate everything. 

 A couple of years ago I shared this brilliant YouTube video on my blog - How Australian Are You? from Josh Hawkins and Rhys Keir. You can see it here How to Speak Australian

 Here is the list, and I've added a couple of my own....

Australia - Straya

Breckie

Hello - gidday
Football - footy
Biscuit - bicky
Chocolate - choccy
Chocolate biscuit - choccy bicky 
McDonalds - maccas
ACDC - Acadaca
Devastated - dvo 
Definitely - defo!
Aggressive - agro
Afternoon - arvo
This afternoon - s'arvo
 Breakfast - breckie
Tomorrow - tomorra 
Garbage man - garbo
Postman - postie
Taxi driver - cabbie
Musician - muso

Sunnies

Service station - servo
Bottle shop - bottle-o
Registration - rego  
Pregnant - preggas 
Swimming costume - cozzie
Mosquito - mozzie
Tracksuit - trackie
Tracksuit pants - trackie dacks
 Underpants - undies
Sweater - jumper  
Running shoes - joggers
Monday - Mundee; Tuesday - Tuesdee; and so on....
Birthday - birthdee

Chook

Vegetarian - veggo
Lipstick - lippy
Sunglasses - sunnies
Eraser - rubber  
Elevator - lift
Present - prezzie
Christmas - Chrissy
Christmas present - Chrissy prezzie
St Vincent de Paul - Vinnies
Salvation Army - Salvos 
Smoke break (or morning tea break) - smoko
Cup of tea - cuppa
Avocado - avo
Have an avocado -  havanavo
Spaghetti bolognaise - spag-bog or spag-bol
Potato - spud
Chewing gum - chewy
Sandwich - sammo

What could be more Australian - making Anzac bickies

Toasted sandwich - toastie
BBQ - barbie
Sausage - snag
Chicken - chook  
Ketchup - tomato sauce 
French fries - chips 
Mentholated spirits - metho 
Turpentine - turps
Fellow - fella or bloke
Husband - hubbie
Give me - gimmie
Trying to - tryna
Going to - gunna  
Thank you - thanks 
Cigarette - ciggie 
Tin can of beer - tinnie
Ambulance - ambo
Fireman - firey
Policeman - cop or coppa

Tasmania, that island at the bottom of Australia

Bricklayer - brickie
Tradesman - tradie
Rubbish man - garbo 
Toilet - dunny
Umbrella - brolly
Sick day from work - sickie
Kangaroo - roo
Champagne - champers
Cabernet Sauvignon - cab-sav 
Bundaberg Rum - Bundie
Relatives - relos
Expensive - exxy
Brisbane - Brizzy
Tasmania - Tassie
Derelict - dero
Kindergarten - kindy
Big city - big smoke 
Cockatoo - cockie
Television - tellie 
 How are you? - how-ya-goin?
See you later - see-ya 
It will be ok - she'll be right  
good job - good-on-ya
 Put another sausage on the BBQ - chuck another snag on the barbie

There's lots more I am sure. Do you Aussies have some more you can add to the list?
Of course we change names too - like - Tom - Thommo, Shane - Shaneo 

And if you are not confused already - there are also differences between America and Australian words - as demonstrated by Christi (an American) and Mark Brown (an Australian) - Australian versus American words - on YouTube

And a few of our unique Aussie animals - clockwise from top left - Thorny Devil, Koala, Numbat, Dingo, Quokka,  Echidna, Bilby, Kangaroo, and in the centre the Emu

Australia Day is the anniversary of raising the British flag in Sydney Cove on the 26 January 1788 after the arrival of the eleven ships of the First Fleet. 

Whatever you are doing today in Australia or overseas, enjoy your day without forgetting those who came before us, the wrongs of the past, the sacrifices, the mateship, the great moments in our history and the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are all part of what makes us truly Australian. 

 Just found this about 1950s Australia.....

 Someone suggested yesterday that today should be renamed Rum Rebellion Day.
 So I investigated to learn more.... 

Governor William Bligh

Evidently 26 January is also significant as the date marking the only military overthrow of government authority in Australia....
known as the Rum Rebellion, on 26 January 1808, the soldiers of the New South Wales Corps marched with fixed bayonets through the streets of Sydney under the command of Major George Johnston to Government House where they arrested Governor William Bligh. from : Australian National Maritime Museum 

Captain William Bligh was the fourth and last naval officer to be appointed Governor of the New South Wales penal colony....When Bligh arrived the colony was in a poor state. Floods, the lack of supply ships and a reduction in convict labour had severely diminished the self-sufficiency of the colony .....as part of Bligh's reforms, Bligh ordered the destruction of illicit stills and prohibited the bartering of spirits for grain, labour, food or any other goods, especially rum, these orders aroused immediate and heated revolt. From My Place for Teachers

 Interesting! Rum Rebellion Day!

For those wondering about the latest bushfire news from Australia - here is the latest news - 9 News-bushfire updates. Bushfires are still raging, and more bodies are being recovered from burnt out properties.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the families of the American firefighters who lost their lives in an aircraft crash this past week. They were part of a huge outpouring of help that has come to Australia from all over the world. That they lost their lives helping us is tragic. 

Regeneration after the bushfires

  Thank you for visiting today. You might also like - 
Celebrating Australia Day and Waltzing Matilda
How Australian Are You?
Australia Day - Cooee!

Thank you so much for stopping by. If you are Australian, what are you doing today to celebrate Australia Day? Perhaps you would like to tell us in your comments. 
I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

   
All Seasons
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit

 
 Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.