Sunshine and Cassowaries

We'd almost given up hope that cassowaries actually lived in this region, even though it's called the Cassowary Coast. Camera in hand and at the ready whenever we drove out to check out the local area, the only ones that we saw were fibre glass models at shopping centres or painted on signs notifying drivers of recent sightings or warning that speed kills cassowaries.

This model is outside Mission Beach Shopping Centre.










Checking out some of the local area, we noticed a large group of tourists watching something. Driving to the spot, we could see an adult male cassowary with 2 young following closely behind. They wandered through a paddock where cattle and paddymelons were grazing.

We were unable to get any closer so this is as good as it gets. They are big birds and I wouldn't want to get too close anyway.






Just before we saw the cassowaries, we happened upon a lonely paddymelon in a vacant block near a housing development. It was very obliging while photos were snapped then hopped off. Driving further, we realised that this was a huge colony of paddymelons. They were in backyards, front gardens and vacant blocks. What will happen to them with the development of more land for housing?

Cute little critters. At the moment there's plenty of grass for them to eat.