Overwhelmed by Wildlife

We saw this green tree frog in the park of the hotel where we stayed in Port Douglas two years ago. Port Douglas is on the North East coast of Australia, in Queensland. Most Aussies dream about living in that beautiful tropical area, but what we enjoyed the most, again, was the wildlife. Both on land and in the sea, as just North there is the Daintree National Park and 10-20 km East from Port Douglas is the Great Barrier Reef. We posted many pictures from the reef on our website www.tirophotos.smugmug.com, as well as pictures from the tropical forest and the beaches. What I want to tell you today is how even the hotel grounds, park and buildings, were a wildlife treasure. Countless numbers of moths sat at night on the walls surrounding light bulbs, and it was hard to find two alike. These moths were the smart ones that already avoided being eaten by the geckos. They showed their jelly bodies and large round eyes from every corner outside the building, in the vicinity of the lights. I am sure they also feasted on the tiny but nasty mosquitoes and lots of kinds of spiders! Some cane toads hid in the leaves and grass, curlews screamed from the golf courts and … frogs put up subtle concerts. The green tree frog in the picture came for a date with us two nights in a row. We took her in our hands and her wet skin felt like luxurious silk. I could not believe we were in a hotel, in a city, and not in the middle of the forest! It is possible that the lights around the hotel and the grounds attracted all the activity, I don't know. But I expected to see something flying, hanging or jumping wherever I turned my head, day and night. And I was never disappointed!