UP CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Dolphins delight

Had the whale experience, so went for an even closer dolphin experience.  The Discovery Centre in Bunbury is on a stretch of beach in a sheltered bay, where the dolphins live for most of the year and they come right up into the shallows most mornings and swim around at your feet.  No guarantees as they are wild, which makes it all the more special when you do see them.  We first saw them 12 years ago and 2 tries since with nothing, but got lucky this time with over an hour of them swimming up to your feet and mooching nearby.

The Centre organises volunteers to stand in the water and shepherd visitors into line, with instructions not to touch etc., but with all the info on the individual animals and their behaviour.  The volunteers are from all over and come for several weeks or months in gap years or as part of work experience or study.  Great job!

The old centre was in dire need of updating and there is a whole new one about to open before Xmas.  We will definitely be back in January to see the apparently amazing 360 degree films of dolphins and try for the live meetings again - it's just magic.

Possum in a peppermint tree

May have told you about the possums in the roof space at Niki's a few years ago - they were causing a big noise problem in the roof space above the main bedroom and a possible damage problem too.  So she had the holes blocked up where they entered the roof (twice - they just chewed through the first lot of metal mesh!) in the dead of  night when they weren't there (have to be careful as ring tailed possums are an endangered species).  So they just moved across the house to the space above the outdoor balcony - not so much of a problem there, but other houses have had some dubious drips from above from their own possums!

We have spotted them in the past, just at dusk, appearing out of a tiny hole, and scampering up and over the various houses to the bush across the road.  Then been woken at dawn by them returning across the tin roof - pretty scary the first time you hear them as could swear it's someone breaking in.

But last night, whilst enjoying a first outdoor meal for a week, with just-arrived-from-Perth Niki, this huge animal crept out, down the trellis by Graham's new BBQ and waited here for 30 seconds whilst we all looked at each other, wondering who was going to make the first move

Then it made a dash across the deck to its favourite breakfast bar - the peppermint tree.  Not great piccies, but you get the idea.  Humans were suitably surprised and legs quickly withdrawn as it passed between them!

Endnote - More DIY

Graham was back in action with the DIY, after his stunning success with the BBQ - this time, the fly screen in our bedroom had a load of holes in it - possibly the possum tried to climb up to the roof and failed - so we checked out with the local hardware store and very helpful B&Q type man, who told us how to replace the netting.  Took less than an hour for less than 10 dollars and hey presto.  Fixed.

This was the black goo he used to fix it:-

Just kidding - my liquorice fix from Simmos Ice Cream parlour - only 57 more flavours to go!