A Rainy Walk

Boots pulled up high

coats buttoned tight

we set off down the road

while rain fell in light showers

and gutter rivers flowed

Balancing, arms stretched out  w i d e

we walked along the bank

toes skimming puddle edges

deep water at our flank

"Watch out!" I cried

"Go slowly now!

We can't fall in the river!"

The unseen heads of crocodiles

a danger where they loiter

We tip toe past

and tip toe on

further down the bank

watching ripples forming

as tiny pebbles sank

I stop just there and take his hand

unsure of seas ahead

knowing that those sneaky crocs

could leap just where we tread

We tip toe past

and tip toe on

his hand held tight in mine

as long as we're together

I'm sure we'll be just fine

We tip toe past

and tip toe on

'til quietly we stop

crouching near the puddle

peering through each drop

watching very carefully

staring at that spot

that spot just on the surface

where bubbles seemed to pop

And suddenly it leapt right up

and launched out of the puddle!

teeth gnashing fast

in snapping jaws

towards our screaming huddle!

I grabbed his hand

held extra tight

and ran on down the bank

away from crocodile danger

away from - then it yanked!

His boot stuck in the puddle

his socked foot wet and cold

the croc had knocked his shoe off!

I squeezed him, feeling bold

"Don't worry - I'll go get it!

I'm not scared of that croc!

And if he tries to eat me,

I'll throw this great big rock!"

And so I tip toed back now

to get that little boot

and once I'd fished it out

we left that fearsome brute!

The Night Sky

We visited the Perth Observatory one night.

And it was unforgettable.

When the night is dark

and the lights turned off

and you stand very quietly

(not even a cough)

You can see the stars

way up in the sky

and watch them sparkle

with your naked eye

Mars glows orange-

almost red

rising over tree tops

moving ahead

Shivering, we watch it

glowing so bright

Where is it going

on this cold dark night?

The telescopes housed

in white domed rooms

can see even further

with their powerful zoom

The moon up close

is rugged in parts

mountain ranges

a jagged path

Dark maria seas

lay flat and smooth

(but there’s no water-

and that’s the truth!)

And in between

from here to there

are craters deep

where no repair

From impacts fierce

as asteroids hit

as burning comets

and meteorite bits

Find a lunar target

so quiet and still

no winds to blow

and erase the spill

Of lunar dust

and solid debris

that’s left all scattered

in the story we see.

For more information on the Perth Observatory and the night sky tours they offer, click here.

The Dugong

On our recent trip to the Ningaloo, 

we were fortunate enough to see a dugong - 

the first we'd ever seen in the wild.

swish, swish, chomp

swish, swish, chomp

the gentle dugong

grazed slowly on the grass

fronds waving in the sea

water clear as glass

swish, swish, chomp

swish, swish, chomp

bristled snout aquiver

surrounded by this lunch

roughened lips are ready

to grasp and crunch and munch

swish, swish, chomp

swish, swish, chomp

six long minutes pass

tummy full of greens

the timid herbivore

sticks snout above to breathe

woooosh

Is that a… ?

shhhhhhh!

safe back underwater

grass plentiful to chew

this quiet dugong

finds a home in the Ningaloo

swish, swish, chomp

swish, swish, chomp

Road Trip (Part 2)

We have recently returned from a road trip.

We drove from Perth to Exmouth and back in eight days.

Northern WA is a beautiful and amazing place - 

teeming with wildlife (both on land and in the ocean)

and picturesque landscapes, it's a trip we will always remember!

At Coral Bay

up with the sun

we came across a roo

and in her pouch, 

nose sticking out

a joey – peek-a-boo!

We walked along

the wall of sand

right up to Skeleton Bay

Shallow crystal waters

where reef sharks love to play

Back down again

bay’s southern end

brimming with fish of colours

Large emperor fish

swam up to greet

while wading in the shallows

Fins and snorkels donned by all

we weaved among the coral

‘til afternoon crept warmly in

and it was time to travel

Further north we drove along

land flat with heated red

Splashing through the floodways

rich brown muddy beds

And finally we reached it

twelve hundred k’s away

This little place called Exmouth

in far north WA

Sun beating through the dust

wild emus roaming free

The Ningaloo’s famous whale sharks-

that’s what we came to see!

PS. Swimming with the whale sharks in the Ningaloo was an awesome experience! 

A separate poem about the whale shark can be found here.

Road Trip (Part 1)

We have recently returned from a road trip.

We drove from Perth to Exmouth and back in eight days.

Northern WA is a beautiful and amazing place - 

teeming with wildlife (both on land and in the ocean)

and picturesque landscapes, it's a trip we will always remember!

Let’s drive up North

land vast and wide

and see what we can find-

Road flat and straight

one lane each way

no twists or turns to wind

Tiny towns few and far

stone churches built like castles

Northampton greets large bearded men

on bikes – grinning like rascals

Miles stretch out

scrub flat and dry

goats play in rich red dirt

Billabong with ice-block sticks –

a welcome cold dessert

Carnarvon greets us late that day

banana big and yellow

A walk ‘long One Mile Jetty

the evening clear and mellow

We rise again

and face the north

unsure what we will see

Rains further up have closed the roads

now covered with debris

A brand new plan

with detour trips

finds us at Quobba Point

Blowholes firing upwards - 

nothing to disappoint!

Cooling off with snorkels in

rainbows of fish surround

Sparkling schools

dance past our masks

eyes wide at what we’d found!

We stayed a while

in paradise

‘til north beckoned once more

then made our way to Coral Bay - 

tropical fish galore!