Encounter of the (much-needed) wild kind
To see an entire community of kangaroos grazing peacefully,
looking for all the world like they were in the middle of the outback
starring in the latest Baz Luhrmann epic.
This was just 30 metres from Mum and Dad’s front door…
(and while this is not the city, Dad does consider we are still in the ‘suburbs’!)
The roos – young and old – saw me just 15 metres from them,
but rather than take off (as wild roos would at Granite Glen)
they simply returned my gaze.
I approached slowly (with Mum shadowing me)
and my Nikon jammed onto my face
the shutter rapid-firing their way.
This young gun was ready to stand up on his tail and show off a little…
But the real man of the group was the big old buck
(sitting low to the left in the photo below)…
The young bucks were just doing what young bucks do…
wrassling and carrying on,
hoping someone was noticing,
while the females and main man grazed
and kept an eye out for danger.
Would you look at these crazy kids,
And notice how everyone else is ignoring them…(I swear that roo behind is rolling her eyes, and muttering “show-offs” under her breath)
Finally I sneak a little too close for comfort
And one-by-one each of his mob turned tail and followed him …
Til the last lady, her pouch heavy with joey,
thunk-thunked across the horizon.
…
Sometimes, that Mother Nature,
she just blows your blinking socks off!
24 Comments
Frances
I am always amazed how fast a kangaroo can bound away. I had a couple of roos in my viewer…just about to click when they were startled …they took off in different directions and I was left with an empty shot. lol
Kelly
Great photos! (love the last one especially)
Certainly brought a welcome smile to my face this morning.
Natarojo
Those are some amazing shots! I can only imagine being that close!
Mikey
I think those are the neatest critters! How cool to see so many of them!
sues2u2
How incredible was that? That is so awesome to see those beautiful (I know they can be a bother too) creatures. So glad that you took some pix & shared them.
Leenie
Now if we were watching The Big Movie AUSTRALIA…that is when we would hear a rifle shot and the guys on top of the truck would be thinking about their dinner. ;-D.
Kate
Okay here comes a Yank gushing over roos. I LOVE them! You have to remember that i’ve only seen them in zoos and that they are very exotic to me 🙂 I can’t believe you got that close! That one seems so tall when he was standing straight up. I know that people say they are pests but they are native to Australia right? Are they overstepping their bounds?
Any way i’m very glad that they cheered you up a bit and made you happy. Thanks so much for sharing and have a great day!
A Novel Woman
Wow, that was awesome! Not anything like what I encounter on an average day, unless you count all the kids dropping by, and nieces and nephews, and their significant others, and assorted friends. Then it’s exactly the same except they don’t all hop away into the bush. They hang out in the basement.
Gina
Those are great pictures. Not something you would see in my part of the world. They really are beautiful. I love the two fighting/playing around. Remind me of two little boys out goofing around. Cute stuff!!
~*Autumn*~
That is amazing and I want to thank you for sharing your photos and experience with us. I am so happy mother nature cut you a break and decided to shine down on your rain-filled week.
Debby
That Mother Nature is something!
My favorite picture is the three kanagaroos all in a row, heads cocked, looking right back atcha.
Hope you’re not feeling ‘flat’ any more. Myself, I think, I’ll always feel just a little flat. Especially on the left.
Bwahahahahahahahaha! Man. I crack myself up!
traceelements
Mother Nature blows your socks off, but you manage to capture it all beautifully on film to share.
We get quite a lot of kangaroos in the various ‘suburbs’ around here. (Just not quite around our place.) They frequently graze in the grounds of my daughter’s high school too. Actually, we nearly got cleaned up by one bounding across the road in front of our tandem as we set out riding early one morning!
I do enjoy seeing them. And I giggle to myself a bit, because, growing up in Sydney I used to laugh when I heard that people from overseas would think that we get kangaroos hopping down the street. Now that I live in a regional area I know that it is actually quite possible!
Jayne
Serendipity – the Universe was reaching out to pat you on the shoulder, BB 😉
Pony Girl
They are so cool! Such fascinating looking animals. I love the one standing so high on it’s hind legs, and bounding off. Thanks for sharing little glimpses of your country, it’s SO different than mine!
Scotty
Great shots, BB, and nicely arranged too (you been playing with HTML code or something?)
🙂
Paint Girl
Lovin’ the kangaroos! I love them! I also love the one standing up on it’s hind legs! I couldn’t even imagine coming across those! But it would be cool!
Florida Girl In Sydney
That’s amazing, I have yet to see kangaroos in the wild– (or the suburbs). I’m obviously going to all the wrong places.
Chelsi
OMG I LOVE those pictures. Roos have so much character in their expressions and posture. You made my day:) Thnx.
Leenie
Okay, maybe I should ammend my snarky comment about rifles and tell you how fun it is to see your photos of real roos. So cool you saw them and even better that the camera and the talent were there as well!
Bush Babe
Leenie – I would have made a fun reference to the movie (and the gunshot) but after my previous posts, I thought everyone deserved a break from my dark humour! And thanks.
Chelsi – yes they are characters. Specially the adolescents!!!
FGIS – You won’t have to drive too far from the city to see them. Anywhere rural and green is usually a prime gathering spot!!
Paint Girl – it’s so funny… we see ’em every day but they still strike me a kinda crazy creatures…
Scotty – thanks, but blogger still takes the credit for my layout! I did email you but not sure if you got it… would love some help to permanently enlarge blog pics!!
PG – ta love. Different in many ways, but oh so similar in others…
Jayne – was that Serendipity? I must send a thankyou note. I was getting a little maudlin.
Trace – thanks. You expect ones that live in enclosed areas or fed by people to be quiet, but not roos that roam the countryside. The big fella scared me a little – they are quite intimidating when fully grown and male. And do the tail-stand thing!
Debby – oh honey, I almost cried with laughter when I read this comment. Too funny… I guess with my ridiculous rack I should be feeling anything but flat (downright mountainous in fact!)
Autumn – thanks so much. I don’t mind the rain so much, or even visiting dead friends. Turtle versus truck scenes I can do without. A mob of roos was light relief, I admit. Glad you enjoyed it too!
Gina – I know – almost human, weren’t they?
Pam (ANW) – Ha! Great analogy… although the thought of these guys in your basement is a bit disturbing!
Kate – first thing I said to Mum when I saw the roos: I have to blog thesev guys, my Yank friends will love ’em!! (Glad my Aussie ones did too!)
Sue – yet another Incredible thing in my life!!
Mikey – neat… yet messy as anything!! (Sorry, ‘neat’ is such a funny Yank expression… means ‘tidy’ to us!) Glad you enjoyed…
Natarojo – I wouldn’t want to get any closer in the paddock, or else I might find myself in a wrestle with a young buck. Not my idea of a good time!!
Kelly – Always my pleasure to make someone smile. Not enough of it in the world!!!
Frances – I know… that often happens to me too! They are powerful creatures. Yet they look kinda sedentary (sp?) – it’s deceptive.
Andrea
Now that is just something I just don’t see every day!! Awesome photos!! I love that one that stood straight up on his tail to show off!! Amazing animals and wonderful pictures!
Scotty
No email as yet, BB…
~*Autumn*~
Exceptionally caught on your camera… and now your blog. Thank you for sharing!
Debby
Four picture down. I love this. Cropped and more focused on the three curious ones in the middle. They just remind me of a bunch of old ladies gathered to gossip.