Australian Wildlife: From Adorable to Mildly Terrifying

One of the great joys of our time in Australia was meeting an entirely new supporting cast of animals. Some were impossibly cute, some were loud and opinionated, and some existed mainly to remind us why Australians read warning signs very carefully. This is a mostly pictorial roundup, with just enough words to prove I was paying attention.

The Cute Stuff (Lulling You Into a False Sense of Security)

Koalas (Mother and Baby)
We spotted this pair on a hike on Magnetic Island, which is home to a thriving koala population that was introduced for their own protection, awaay from hunting and disease pressures on the mainland. The island’s eucalyptus forests have made it an ideal refuge, and seeing a mother with her baby there felt less like chance and more like the island quietly fulfilling its purpose. Mostly they slept, occasionally shifting just enough to remind us they were real.

Colorful, Loud, and Impossible to Ignore

Cockatoos

Australia has fourteen different kinds of cockatoos. We saw two, but they made a strong impression. The white sulphur-crested cockatoo looks exactly like you expect—dramatic crest, lots to say. The red-tailed black cockatoo is darker, sleeker, and just as vocal. Beautiful birds, but not at all subtle.

Torresian Imperial Pigeon

We started seeing these as we got closer to the Torres Strait which runs over the top of Australia and south of Papua New Guinea. They are large, pale, and slightly regal, they looked like pigeons that had made better life choices than the ones back home.

Australian Brush Turkey

We saw brush turkeys often once we got away from the cities. Enough that we clearly stood out as tourists by stopping to take photos while locals carried on. These birds are striking and slightly prehistoric, and their nesting habits are especially impressive. Instead of incubating eggs themselves, they build massive compost-like mounds and rely on the heat from decomposing vegetation to do the job. 

Magpie-lark

Despite the name, not a magpie even though the markings are similar.  

We watched one nesting and feeding its young, which felt like a small, quiet privilege. 

Masked Lapwing

Common and immediately recognizable by their yellow facial wattles. They have a watchful, no-nonsense demeanor and are very aware of their surroundings.

Flying Foxes (Spectacled Flying Foxes)

We discover a park, on one of our morning walks, absolutely packed with spectacled flying foxes, their bodies draped over the trees like living fruit. Entire branches were full of them, wings outstretched and gently fanning in the heat. 

Part of the park was fenced off with a sign that read, “It’s baby bat season.” Locals moved through the area quickly and purposefully—many carrying umbrellas on an otherwise clear day. We were politely but firmly warned not to stare up at the bats with our mouths open, advice that made immediate sense once you understood the sheer volume of bats overhead and the laws of gravity.

Equal parts fascinating and slightly unsettling, the flying foxes were one of those moments where Australia quietly reminds you that wildlife doesn’t rearrange itself for visitors—you just adapt

Things That Explain All the Warning Signs

Cane Toads

Cane toads are something of a national regret. Large, invasive and poisonous. They were introduced in the 1930s to control agricultural pests, they failed at that job and instead spread rapidly, poisoning native predators that try to eat them. We saw them on Dunk Island, not hopping dramatically but hunkered down (hunkered on Dunk?), blending almost perfectly into the leaf litter—quiet, effective, and exactly why they’ve been so hard to control.

Lace Monitor Lizard

The lace monitor we saw in the Whitsunday Islands wasn’t enormous—about two and a half to three feet long—but it was still captivating. What stood out most were the intricate patterns along its body, which looked almost hand-painted. The accompanying video of it moving captures that slow, deliberate confidence that makes you stop and watch.

The Ones We Didn’t See (But Were Very Australian)

Cassowary 

We never actually saw a cassowary, but we saw multiple road signs warning us they were nearby. This felt almost worse. If you’re unfamiliar, cassowaries look like dinosaurs who survived extinction and are still holding a grudge.

Tree Kangaroo 

Same situation. No sightings, plenty of signs. Tree kangaroos are apparently real and live in trees, which sounds made up to mess with tourists, but is very Australian.

Final Thoughts

Australia’s animals are unforgettable—not just because they’re beautiful or unusual, but because they demand a certain level of respect. Sometimes that respect looks like quiet admiration, sometimes it looks like staying out of the water, and sometimes it looks like trusting a road sign that says cassowary crossing.

Next up: fewer warning signs, more color, and an entirely different kind of awe on the Great Barrier Reef.