It may have been the contact lens curling 42 degrees of heat but the quest for a Koala was not going well. Any mammal was hard to find. It was said that I might as well look for a leprechaun! Sure, I could go to a zoo and see these bloody things hanging from every branch but who wants to see them in an enclosure. I wanted to see one of these enigmatic symbols of the Australian continent out in the wild; in the bush. I did everything I was told; I looked for the ‘favourite’ trees with fluorescent ribbons tied on them, I visited high density areas and searched every fork in every eucalypt in Victoria. Nil. Nada. Nothing. I was searching canopies in my sleep. Surely something as large as a labrador sat in a tree couldn’t be that hard to find. I even considered hiring a guide but decided persistence would pay off. It did.
Over the other side of the gorge was a Koala. It was difficult to find but easy to see; if that makes sense. It stood out like a shilling up a sweep’s arse. (I’m allowed to use words like arse ‘cos I’m in Oz) Not the tree hugging full frame I wanted but hey, who’s complaining? I’m not. Time to crack open a tinny.
Letter From Norfolk 