Geckos

Broad-tailed Gecko - Great camouflage

The other weekend we found something up in the Blue Mountains that you don't see every day around Sydney. We were alerted to their presence by a loud squawking coming from behind a wall-hanging fountain. Upon further inspection, the noise was remarkably coming from three geckos who were sheltering there. Although I've seen loads of snakes, monitors, skinks and dragons this far south, I don't remember finding any geckos previously.

Greater camouflage but with a stumpy regenerated tail

These are the Broad-tailed Gecko (Phyllurus platurus) which is a species very much localised to sandstone areas around Sydney apparently. My reptile book also informs me that geckos do indeed have a voice, although they may be rarely heard, and they also have large unblinking eyes which require licking to keep clean.

Large unblinking eyes

Most geckos will also drop their tails when threatened and the lighter coloured one here has obviously done that as it's showing off the classic smooth and stumpy second tail. These guys hang about in crevices throughout the day and emerge at night to eat things. Unless of course they're disturbed by someone spraying termite poison about the place.

Actually this is the right way up

Earthquake

Over in Christchurch they're still getting about half a dozen after-shocks each day after the place was destroyed in February by the third of the three recent earthquakes.

The evening before we flew back to Sydney we finally experienced one. It was a magnitude 4.3 which certainly gave the house a tremendous shake for a few seconds. When you consider that the original big one last September was over a 1000 times stronger and 10 times longer, you maybe just start to comprehend what they went through that day and during the two big ones since.

Liquefaction is a bizarre problem

The city is still deserted and the army patrol a perimeter around the city centre which is still strewn with debris and collapsed buildings. It's all rather eerie and rather sad.

The army still enforce a perimeter around the city centre

Central Otago

Reids reunited

Central Otago hills

Over the Easter weekend the extended Reid family travelled to Central Otago for a gathering. Why Central Otago? Well, back in the mid-to-late 19th century, a certain William Reid arrived in New Zealand and moved to Macetown to cash in on the gold rush. He wasn't a prospector himself but set up a general store to supply the rapidly expanding population. When the madness died down 20-odd years later, he left the dwindling settlement and bought himself the local flour mill.

Macetown

Macetown is now a ghost town which can be reached by a good 4WD trek out into the hills and across a few rivers. It's a good spot for a picnic and also for the New Zealand Falcon - NZ#59. I also managed to add the New Zealand Pipit - NZ#60 to my list!

Autumn colours

Easter is a great time to visit Central Otago as the trees are all showing off their Autumn colours (although like most flora and fauna in New Zealand, the colourful trees are all non-native!). The whole area is really quite spectacular just now.

The only downside to the place is the Sandfly. The minute you stand still in a nice bit of woodland, they appear. The New Zealand Sandfly is to the Scottish Midgie what the All Blacks are to the Scottish rugby side. They're bigger, badder, and have a remarkable proficiency in dishing out a good beating. They chew rather than bite and I'm still covered in the scars two weeks later!

Home of the Sandfly