Gary Hodges Wild Australia

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	AUSTRALIA GARY TOOK THIS PHOTO OF HIMSELF WITH A VERY FRIENDLY GREEN TURTLE! Gary's just back from an exciting and productive trip to Australia with partner Dave. They researched in advance places to visit to see turtles, dingoes and dolphins, but as we all know, wildlife is not predictable! Nonetheless, the sightings and photos they returned with exceeded expectations. ONE OF LADY ELLIOT ISLAND'S GREEN TURTLES At the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, about 100 kms from the Queensland coast, lies a special and beautiful coral cay called Lady Elliot Island. Just large enough for a small airstrip, it is the only island on the 2000 km Great Barrier Reef where fixed wing aircraft can land. Albeit very small ones! Not being great sailors, this was a major consideration. DAVE DIVES DOWN TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS HUGE 2 METER MALE GREEN TURTLE - PROBABLY WELL OVER 100 YEARS OLD In February Lady Elliot is home to many Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles, amazing coral, sharks, rays and unbelievable sealife. Loggerhead and Green turtles nest on the island - just in front of their cabin! To top off a fantastic wildlife experience, over 300,000 wild birds nest on this tiny coral cay - noddys, rails, terns, boobys, and many others. Frigate birds and Sea Eagles take advantage of the extraordinarily loud mass of birds - some so unperturbed that human guests have to be careful not to tread on them. SOME OF THE GREEN TURTLES WERE VERY INQUISITIVE! Snorkelling over and on the edge of the reef they saw dozens of turtles, some so unafraid that they actively sought out people to scratch their backs. GARY SWIMS OVER A SHOAL OF FISH PHOTO: DAVE CURREY Gary enthused "I've always been fond of turtles, but this trip really made me quite besotted with them; their large, almond-shaped eyes, beautifully intricate flippers, stunning shell markings and most of all, their endearing characters". FRIENDLY TEENAGE GREEN TURTLE A YOUNG DINGO ON FRASER ISLAND'S 75 MILE BEACH On nearby Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, they bumped around in a 4-wheel drive in search of dingoes. Fraser Island boasts the purest dingoes alive, about 95% pure. In other parts of Australia they have interbred with domestic dogs. On many occasions they came across dingoes on the 75 mile long sand beach, lone animals watching the vehicles pass them on the sand. These beautiful creatures are believed to be descended from the Asian wolf, brought to Australia many thousands of years ago. FRASER ISLAND'S ALMOST PURE BRED DINGOES ARE TAGGED FOR IDENTIFICATION It is not uncommon to see the splash of a dolphin in many parts of the world, but to have an opportunity to observe wild "friendly" dolphins is a privilege. Gary and Dave visited Moreton Island, just off the coast of Queensland's capital Brisbane, to see a a family of bottlenose dolphins which have been entertaining the crowds for many years. Fed fish by tourists at dusk, under strict no touching conditions, the dolphins arrive from the open sea to take advantage of the human interest. It is an opportunity to see and photograph these wonderful creatures at very close quarters. Further up the Queensland coast at Tin Can Bay, they saw another group of dolphins which has developed a relationship with the locals, and now inevitably tourists. Fed early every morning, up to three Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphins arrive for their free fish. A WILD "FRIENDLY" BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN AT MORETON ISLAND, QUEENSLAND This was Gary's first trip to Australia and it exceeded his expectations. He and Dave met some great people and saw an incredible range of wild creatures including kangaroos, kookaburras and koalas. "The incredible wildlife of Australia far exceeded my expectations and has filled me with inspiration for many new drawings to come" Gary explains. "I definitely want to draw a few different green turtles and dingoes and dolphins will undoubtedly follow." NEXT: INDONESIA

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