Jojo is taking over ...

Hey there! Yes, you!

Hi! I'm Jojo. 

I live at the Cairns Wildlife Dome. 

You might have met me before.

I love snacks, I love people (sometimes), I love digging (and hate being interrupted) and I also like to show off! I can dance you know. I can also talk and yell, which not many are a fan of but I just like how it is magnified by my home and I don't want anyone to forget I am around either.

I think I'm pretty good looking, don't you?

Most of the time I go for the slicked back, cool dude look.

But then I do love showing off my bright yellow crest.

And for your entertainment ...

(17/12/14) This is from the Wildlife Dome, right in Cairns, when we had our last student. Jojo the Cockatoo is always a draw card especially when he is choosing to be friendly and social. Lucky he had chosen to be a people cockatoo that day. I'm not sure who entertains who though because the antics you can't see that get him to lift his wings and dance are pretty amusing.

Hot off the press ...

Hot off the press, well hot off the camera.

Around 6am this morning saw me leaping out of bed (let me tell you this took effort as I only got into it about 1am) and trying to sneak out the door to see if I could spot the cocky making the racket outside out place.

I don't think I was too good at sneaking as not only did I spot the cocky, it spotted me. Not that it was too worried especially after I disappeared and reappeared, camera in hand.

This fellow was way up in the neighbour's palm tree. Now I live in a town house so the neighbour's palm tree isn't really that far away, actually it is practically beside out place.

This old? one needs a bit of grooming care. Maybe it is the same one that I have captured before looking all ratty.

Then I spotted another cockatoo who was sneakily spotting me.

Then another snowy white bird in another tree (this is usually the one in kookaburra pics).

I think they got a little tired of posing and left one by one, screeching loudly.

They didn't go far though. I found them and more friends after hearing the ruckus. They had set up camp in the palms near the swimming pool.

I spied on them through a lens and they spied on me.

Again they got tired of my spying antics and deserted the trees, heading for another tree in another place. I suspect the large mango tree not too far from here is what really holds their interest.

Even now I hear occasional squawking and the mango tree could be spot on going by the direction of their racket.

These fellows haven't been around all that much but it great to hear and see them again. I do wish they'd let up on the mangoes though, they are eating my mango chutney loot. Guess I better find some mangoes somewhere else.

On a side note, so sick of American spell check and those red squiggly lines. It is making me doubt my already shaky spelling skills even more.

Another visitor

I had mentioned having visitors. The first ones were my Aunt and Uncle who hopped off a cruise ship and hung around for the day. The next one before I headed down to the family farm stayed a little longer. It was my younger, oh hang on they are all younger, my youngest sister, Sis G.

 I picked her up from the airport after her bright and early flight. I got the better end of the deal for timing there unlike my Mum who had a super early start with a 3hr drive to the airport before her flight.

Sis G's last flight was to the U.S.A so one of the first comments she made about this flight was 'wow, that was short'.

First stop was the Esplanade, not only was it the closest toilet (too big a line up at the airport apparently) it was also a great place to grab an ice cream, yum!

We licked up dripping ice cream and watched the pelicans for a while.

Then went for a little wander to check out the Lagoon, something she hadn't seen yet.

We started to head back to my place to relax for a while but on the way past port I got side tracked by the big ship and dragged Sis G for a look.

Seeing something else interesting we headed down the wharf.

 We saw the Caravel Notorious which is a recreation of a c1480 Spanish or Portuguese caravel. This vessel was designed and created by a man in SW Victoria over 11 years. Amazing, hey? I was amazed at how small it was.

Then it was time to stop sweltering in the humidity that had rocked up in time for Sis G's arrival and relax at my place for a while, eat, snooze, that kind of thing.

Later on we moved our lazy butts out the door and went for a drive. I offered to let Sis G go for a spin but she had forgotten her brand new 'P' plates, on purpose I am sure.

First we pulled into the Barron River but that wasn't too thrilling so on the way back to the main highway we stopped to check out a bit of history. Sis G wants an old car for her formal and I thought these would be perfect. Mind you I am pretty sure they wouldn't get her far.

We also checked out this old building next door.

It is the old explosives magazine and detonator shed that was built in 1901. It cost 2 500 pounds and was built because there were around 3000 cases of explosives being landed in Cairns, that were mostly for the inland mining industry, with only a barge with limited space to store it. After building of the explosives magazine and detonator store most of the explosives were sent by train to Mount Molloy, Chillagoe and Mareeba. Due to the population growing in the area the store was moved in 1941 although the building was used during WW11 by the military. It was then just used as storage building for the timber mill next door. It is now a heritage listed building.

We then found some harvested sugar cane, all ready to go.

We took the scenic route to Yorkey's Knob Beach.

What a view! To live in a house with a view like that, ahhh. Actually scrap that, that hill was a killer and I would hate to actually have to do the work rather than my car.

It was another idylic looking beachy afternoon and this time I got down on the sand, going for a nice walk with Sis G. I love beach walks, they remind me of mid morning and night walks during family beach holidays. You never know what you will find on the beach.

Sis G will hate me for this pic but is so her, Miss Dancer.

Then the sun had set and it was time to head home.

But before getting back to my place I just had to share the cockatoo trees with Sis G where empty, dead trees are quickly turned to living, moving ones as hundreds of cockatoos come in to roost.

More on Sis G's visit soon.

What are some amazing things to see that are a little out of the ordinary around your place?