Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak By Tess Moore
IT’S 3am, a full moon and wildlife party time in Ventnor.
There is no breeze tonight and no clouds. It's very bright and the lack of wind accentuates the sound of animals going about their nocturnal activities.
Possum, who sleeps under the solar panels, has come to life as he runs along the roof, launches himself onto the car port and into the netted orange tree in an attempt to get at the ripe oranges.
Unbeknownst to him we picked them all earlier in the day.
IT’S 3am, a full moon and wildlife party time in Ventnor.
There is no breeze tonight and no clouds. It's very bright and the lack of wind accentuates the sound of animals going about their nocturnal activities.
Possum, who sleeps under the solar panels, has come to life as he runs along the roof, launches himself onto the car port and into the netted orange tree in an attempt to get at the ripe oranges.
Unbeknownst to him we picked them all earlier in the day.
Thwarted, and somewhat cranky, he runs out across the front garden to complain to anything that is listening, encroaching upon the territory of another possum. The volume goes up with much hissing and screeching.
If we weren't awake before, we are now!
A startled wallaby makes its way toward the front door ... I hear thump thump thump as it bounds away from the noise but closer to my bedroom window. The security light activates and I sit on the end of the bed watching the wallaby make its way along the pebbles to a plant that takes its fancy tonight – a bird of paradise. It sniffs around the fronds taking a large leaf in its front paws and proceeds to munch happily – and loudly – for quite some time.
Suddenly he's startled again, though I'm not sure how he hears anything above the noise he's making chomping on the leaf. Another wallaby has wandered into this area. This one is interested in the grevillea. They eat contentedly and then bound off to another part of the garden.
I settle back down as peace is restored and then I hear cock-a-doodle-doo. The rooster down the road has decided that 3.15am is wake up time. Well, it is bright enough ...
This has a flow-on effect with a tragic, and very loud wailing coming from the peacock across the fields. Both continue for five minutes or so.
I roll over chuckling to myself. It's wonderful being so close to these beautiful animals and it explains why I awake most mornings around this time.
If we weren't awake before, we are now!
A startled wallaby makes its way toward the front door ... I hear thump thump thump as it bounds away from the noise but closer to my bedroom window. The security light activates and I sit on the end of the bed watching the wallaby make its way along the pebbles to a plant that takes its fancy tonight – a bird of paradise. It sniffs around the fronds taking a large leaf in its front paws and proceeds to munch happily – and loudly – for quite some time.
Suddenly he's startled again, though I'm not sure how he hears anything above the noise he's making chomping on the leaf. Another wallaby has wandered into this area. This one is interested in the grevillea. They eat contentedly and then bound off to another part of the garden.
I settle back down as peace is restored and then I hear cock-a-doodle-doo. The rooster down the road has decided that 3.15am is wake up time. Well, it is bright enough ...
This has a flow-on effect with a tragic, and very loud wailing coming from the peacock across the fields. Both continue for five minutes or so.
I roll over chuckling to myself. It's wonderful being so close to these beautiful animals and it explains why I awake most mornings around this time.