Aside from being a picturesque spot on the coast, a very good reason to visit Pebbly Beach was to enjoy the beach-loving eastern grey kangaroos. Lounging about and grazing on the nearby grassy area, the kangaroos weren’t particularly fussed by the presence of humans, probably because they are accustomed to human visitors on this sheltered beach within the Murramarang National Park.
Eastern grey kangaroos are the second largest and heaviest marsupials native to Australia. They are usually found in the eastern third of the country, from the northernmost point of Queensland down to a few parts of Tasmania. One fascinating fact about these mammals is that they are very good swimmers, hence very comfortable hanging around Pebbly Beach. They will take to water to evade predators and then attempt to lure them in. If they succeed, the predator swiftly becomes the prey because the kangaroo will hold its head underwater until it drowns. The strong muscular body, hind legs and powerful tail are not to be trifled with, even when they seem docile and tolerant of people. Interaction in the wild is best done at a distance, but if an opportunity arises in a safe environment to touch their soft coat, know that it is a wonderful experience only surpassed by seeing a joey pop out from the mum’s pouch to check out the surroundings before tucking itself away and out of view.
Murramarang National Park stretches along the coast for 27mi (44km) and is one of the rare places where spotted gums, endemic trees to eastern Australia, grow all the way down to the ocean. Spotted gums are a small group of eucalypts, and it is a fascinating study as their smooth, mottled bark peels away in patches. Beneath the bark is a creamy white to grey surface. Run your hands over the smooth trunk next time you get a chance. Because the bark grows back at different rates, the trunk gets a colourful spotted pattern that can create a beautiful abstract image when photographed.
“Old Blotchy” is a well-known tree to locals near Temeil because it is supposedly the oldest surviving spotted gum, estimated at 400 years old. Having been around so long, its girth measures 36ft (11m), is 193ft (59m) high and, as such, made it into the National Register of Big Trees. While its crown is a fair way up the trunk, it is interesting that some of its limbs have grafted together, creating fascinating twists and knots along its branches, a phenomenon known as limb inosculation.
“Old Blotchy” is a well-known tree to locals near Temeil because it is supposedly the oldest surviving spotted gum, estimated at 400 years old. Having been around so long, its girth measures 36ft (11m), is 193ft (59m) high and, as such, made it into the National Register of Big Trees. While its crown is a fair way up the trunk, it is interesting that some of its limbs have grafted together, creating fascinating twists and knots along its branches, a phenomenon known as limb inosculation.
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