As Deb and my hopes for a holiday along the Great Ocean Walk in Victoria fade as surely as our dreams of a 2020 Camino, we trial walks closer to home. This weekend we walked through Mulligans’ Flat on the northern fringe of Canberra. The reserve is a wildlife sanctuary, fenced against predators. Species not seen for decades in the area thrive in the safe zone.
Eastern Quolls released into the sanctuary in 2016 breed, safe from cats and foxes. Last week Canberra wildlife photographer David Rees videoed an Eastern Quoll in the tussocks. I harboured hopes of seeing one, too, but the quolls slept in their log lairs through the afternoon away from prying eyes.
We just missed the echidnas that had dug through the termite mounds scattered through the eucalypt stands. Towards the end, as the sun waned, kangaroos and wallabies grazed along the flats unconcerned by passing humans.
When the weather warms up we want to take an evening tour when the birds and animals are more active. Perhaps we’ll spot a quoll.
Contemplative Camino 