G'day!

 

I explored Australia's northeast coast looking for wildlife. The highlight were bears — koala bears!

🐨🐨🐨🐨

I took a ferry to Magnetic Island where I spent a couple days photographing koalas. Australia's mascot is an endangered species, victim to deforestation, wildfires and cars. But there is a healthy population on Magnetic Island, a laid-back beach town with steep forested cliffs. 

After about six hours of patient waiting, I finally got a peek at the face of the sleepy baby koala.

This is how I had to sit on the 14-hour flight to Sydney. Thanks, American.

For most wildlife trips, I go to a park or refuge and photograph everything I find. But for this trip, I tried to find koalas, cassowaries, platypus and fruit bats. It was an exercise in patience and persistence.

Koalas are champion sleepers. So it took a whole day of patient waiting to get the briefest glimpse of this mama and her baby with my long lens. Worth it!

Magnetic Island's Forts Trail was hot and steep. I ran out of water and daylight on my first afternoon hiking up it. But I did get to spend the evening with my first koala, this big sleepy male. Whenever a distant male would roar, he would rouse long enough to stick his nose in the air and roar back before going straight back to sleep!

The mama koala kept her baby close throughout the day while they both napped.

As many as 1,000 koalas live on Magnetic Island. They are a treasured part of the community.

I found this big male sleeping just over the trail. They are champion sleepers!

At the sound of a distant koala's roar, he roused just long enough to lift his head in the air and roar back before settling back to sleep.

As the sun finally dipped below the treeline, the male posed for a portrait before finding a more comfortable position and going back to sleep. Absolutely charming.