Western Australia. That includes a pair of Inland
Taipans, and it was while working with these animals
that I decided I needed to tick a wild Fiercy off from
my bucket list, and head to taipan territory.
The destination was a 24-hour drive away; directly
south down the Stuart Highway. Coober Pedy in South
Australia had been the subject of a number of
sightings, and was closer for me to get to than the
Queensland population. I planned to meet up with my
close friend Gary Vas en route in Alice Springs, where
he lives, so the first part of the trip was a solo effort.
The night drive from Darwin to Tennant Creek was
as it warmed the black tar of the road. It is always
great to see animals that are so common in captivity
in the wild. I ended up stopping for a total of six
Gould’s Monitors, and that of course was just the live
ones, as there were also a fair few road kill animals
along the way; an unfortunate consequence for lizards
that cannot resist a warm patch of road. The closer
you get to Alice Springs, the more Central Netted
Dragons (Ctenophorus nuchalis) become visible. I love
these animals and have spoken about them on more
than one previous occasion, so we will leave them
alone and hurry along to the second leg of the trip.
Coober Pedy
of a Mad Max
‘The outskirts of
spectacular, as I happened upon several species of
python simply lying on the road. I moved the snakes
to safety so that they weren’t hit by traffic. An ugly-
looking Black-headed Python (Aspedites melanocepha-
lus) had obviously seen its fair share of battles,
judging by the scars on its body, and one incredible
Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) spanned an entire lane!
The changes in habitat are amazing as you drive from
tropical Darwin into the semi-arid interior, and then
the desert of Central Australia, and as the habitat
changes, so do the animals you are likely to encoun-
ter. I came across a number of Gould’s Monitors
(Varanus gouldii) and Central Bearded Dragons
(Pogona vitticeps) soaking up the early morning sun
feel like something out
movie.’
Eventually I arrive in Alice Springs, keen for a good
night’s rest and a refreshing shower. ‘Hotel Gaz’ it is –
I’m crashing on Gary’s couch. That’s fine by me. I’ve
got Gary’s German hairdresser/backpacker house-
mate and a cattle dog to keep me company (the dog
understood me more, but the hairdresser smelt
better!) while Gary works his last nightshift before
our week away.
Next morning comes and we are off in Gary’s Land
Rover for the solid day’s drive south. The outskirts of
Left: Gould’s Monitor (Varanus gouldii).
Below: Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).
All images by Phil Mangion.