• Life is Never Boring – Betty the Bettong

    I’m trying to think back to what has happened over the last couple of months as it all rolls into one big blur….does this ever happen to you?  I never quite know whether that means we have too much on the go or if I’m starting to lose the plot as I get a bit… Read more »

    read more
  • Feral Birds We Don’t Care For

    Springtime sees an increase in the numbers of birds brought to the Maranoa Wildlife Caring and Education Centre (MWCEC), and our great supporters BOOBOOK. It’s peak breeding season for many species. In all the excitement adult birds have mishaps like hitting windows or getting caught by cats, while youngsters can be blown out of nests…. Read more »

    read more
  • Breathtaking Barn Owls

    Barn Owls are one of the most beautiful of all Australian owls; their ghostly white underparts contrast with the various shades of brown and grey on their back and wings. They are one of the most commonly encountered owls in the Outback, especially as they hunt rodents close to roads at night. They’ll often be… Read more »

    read more
  • Mulga Snake in the Maranoa

    The weather is heating up, and as we all know, it’s coming into snake season. One of the snakes we need to keep an eye out for is the Mulga. The Mulga (Pseudechis australis) is part of the Elapidae family and holds the title of Australia’s largest venomous snake, with the largest specimen recorded at 3.3m in… Read more »

    read more
  • Bloomin’ Bottle Trees

    October is a wonderful time of year. The temperatures are perfect to head outdoors, there’s plenty of wildlife activity and lots of flowers about. You don’t need to go far before you see some of the flowers we’re talking about. Take a wander along some Roma’s streets and you will see carpets of flowers on… Read more »

    read more
  • Botanist Spotlight: Orchids

    What do orchids look like? They are technically a perennial herb because they lack woody stems – instead most grow from a structure called a pseudobulb. You may already be familiar with them as popular plants with colourful and often fragrant flowers, used in floral arrangements and highly sought after by collectors. Where do they come… Read more »

    read more
  • Life’s Never Boring – Outback Travel

    A quote found on Facebook recently: “Europeans….I drove 20 minutes and now I’m in France.  Australians….I drove 20 minutes and now I’m at the end of my drive way”. So True.  There are some spectacular places in Outback Australia, however you do need to be prepared to travel to get there. The last two weeks… Read more »

    read more
  • ecotours what to do in Roma Queensland

     Christmas Surprise

    When I was twelve, not unlike any other Christmas morning, we jumped out of bed and raced to open presents from under the tree. Unbeknownst to us, while the door had been left open the previous day, a goanna had moseyed inside looking for a cool spot to escape the summer heat. After a few presents… Read more »

    read more
  • swans on dam at farm ecology rural outback Queensland Roma

    Life is Never Boring – Swans

    I had an early morning start in the crispy cool air to run some molasses out to cattle on the farm. With three dogs on board and the 1000 litre molasses tank full, away we go in the dark, watching as the sun rises to expose what the new day will bring. We run molasses… Read more »

    read more
  • Rose Aisthorpe standing in a bush holding a small wildflower

    Meet Rose – Boobook’s resident botanist

    Join Boobook Explore’s Wildflower Wonderland Day Tour to Gurulmundi and you’ll see flowering grevilleas, hakeas, boronias, wattles and bush peas. You might even find the threatened Gurulmundi Heath-myrtle, and if you’re particularly lucky you will find a Rose. Rose Aisthorpe is Boobook’s resident botanist and wildflower tour guide and has been identifying the plants of… Read more »

    read more