| Australian Deer Hunting | | | | thousands of kilometres. I nearly ran it over, but |
| The northern territory is well known for being 'the | | | | swerved suddenly, missing it by millimetres! I turned |
| real bush'. It has a population of less than 200'000 | | | | around and went back, moving it off the road before |
| people, over 90% of which live in Government areas. | | | | the 50 metre oncoming road train ploughed straight |
| These government areas only cover 5% of the | | | | through us all! It was a beautiful, 2 metre female in |
| Northern Territory, which leaves over 1.2 million | | | | perfect condition. It was different seeing such an |
| square kilometres virtually deserted. This area is | | | | animal in the wild, after seeing many of them in |
| nearly five times the size of the UK! As you can now | | | | friends' collections, it did not compare to the |
| imagine, this is an incredibly large and diverse | | | | wonderful feeling of seeing her out in the bush and |
| landscape! There are approximately 300 species of | | | | lending her a helping hand getting across the road. |
| reptile, and 50 species of amphibian in the Northern | | | | This was definitely for me! I knew there was plenty |
| Territory. Slightly more diverse one might say, than | | | | more where she came from, and I would definitely |
| the UK's species count of only 6 reptiles and 6 | | | | find them! Australian Deer Hunting |
| amphibians! | | | | During my time in the Northern Territory, I spent 3 |
| I spent the entire year of 2005 travelling around | | | | months working at 'Crocodylus Park'. A crocodile |
| Australia. I went to every State, every major city, | | | | research and education centre, home to |
| drove across the longest straight road in the world, | | | | approximately 8'000 saltwater crocodiles and a |
| twice, and travelled the complete circumference of | | | | number of other crocodilian and animal species. This |
| this beautiful country. But the Northern Territory was | | | | was certainly an experience of a lifetime. Not only to |
| in my books, by far the most fantastic place I have | | | | work with such a large number of large crocodiles, |
| ever been. I spent 3 months in Darwin, and several | | | | but also to meet a whole group of brilliant ozzies! |
| more weeks travelling around the NT, going as far | | | | Myself and my girlfriend Eirlys stayed with an |
| south as Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru in | | | | Australian couple; Cade & Holly. Cade knew the |
| Aboriginal terms). | | | | area and had been working at the park for a couple |
| I knew the place was for me when, only a few days | | | | of years. He told me of a place he goes to on a |
| after I drove through, I saw my first wild Black | | | | regular occasion. He said to me; "We drive out after |
| Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus) crossing | | | | the sun sets, about 45 minutes out of town and just |
| the road. What a shock! This was the first snake I | | | | cruise for snakes." Well, that just sounded too easy |
| had seen in Australia and I had already driven | | | | for me, but I definitely wanted to give it a go! |