GPNature

Description: There's always a silver lining - I got caught in a shower while out on a hike - then found this Maidenhair Fern - sprinkled with raindrops. Near Belgrave in Victoria, Australia.

Description: I was walking the Dandenong Creek Trail in Glen Waverley, when I spotted this old dead tree. It looked such an interesting shape - then I spotted the young tree next to it - there was my shot!

Description: I don't often take photos of man made scenes - but I couldn't resist these huge pylons, striding across the landscape! This is the main electricity supply for Melbourne from the LaTrobe Valley - crossing Churchill National Park in Victoria, Australia.

Description: I could just see this Bougainvillea vine over the back of the tree outside my window last year. This year it's really grown and covers most of the tree - quite spectacular!

Description: Sometimes you don't have to travel far for a good subject. This beautiful Camellia was flowering in my own back garden!

Description: I had a great day out looking for Spider Orchids earlier in Spring. A Winter with decent rains has really produced lots of specimens. I was taken with this pair of Veined Spider Orchids (Caladenia Reticulata) - they appeared to be dancing!

Description: Dora is a REALLY cute Koala, who lives at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. I think she knows how cute she is - I never have to wait long for her to pose!

Description: One of my favourite places to visit - the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo. Once in a while you can be lucky and get a photo like this - a Cairns Birdwing Butterfly with eggs! Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia.

Description: Kanzi, the baby Gorilla, is becoming very attached to his Dad, Otana. He looked very relaxed as he snuggled up! Kanzi and Otana are Western Lowland Gorillas who live at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

Description: Marla is the oldest Koala at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. She's seen it all before - so when someone points a camera at her - she just yawns!

Description: I waited weeks for these Tongue Orchids (Cryptostylis Subulata) to come into flower. The flower stems appeared in early Spring. A couple of weeks after the first flowers appeared I went back to see how they were doing - and found this gorgeous pair!

Description: Leila, the Koala, has been in an enclosure near the front entrance of Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia for quite a while. Unfortunately very few people saw her there - so now she's in the new Koala Walk she's keen to show off how cute she is!

Description: I've photographed these pretty orchids before - but always thought they were a Spider Orchid. I could never identify them - until I found them in an old book - called Brown Beaks (Lyperanthus Suaveolens).

Description: Toorongo Falls are near Noojee, in Gippsland, Victoria. In years gone by this was a major logging area because of the huge gum trees which grow there. Now it's a beautiful forest reserve, with lovely walking trails - and a major tourist attraction.

Description: Green Comb Spider orchids (Caladenia Dilatata) are one of the easier flowers to identify - the green comb along each side is unmistakable!

Description: These Butterfly Flags (Diplarena Moraea) look quite familiar - they are part of the Iris family. This species is native to Australia - although not common.

Description: Harry the hippo is fast asleep - with a big smile on his face, at Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria, Australia. Doesn't look like the most dangerous animal in Africa does he?

Description: Alby, the Osprey is part of the Spirits Of The Skies show at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. His specialty is diving into a small pond and catching a fish. He does this in just a couple of seconds - so getting a sharp photo is tricky. I fired off over a dozen shots on high-speed continuous - to get just 2 with his head in focus!

Description: This Monarch Butterfly - also known as a Wanderer - lives in the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. They spend all day fluttering around in the heat and humidity - so a rest is required from time to time!

Description: Dindi, the Koala, had seen the keepers coming with armfuls of fresh gum leaves - so he was waiting patiently to be fed! Dindi lives at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

Description: It's always a good sign Spring is with us when the Leopard Orchids (Diuris Pardina) come out - so this first one was very welcome!

Description: These gorgeous Star Finches are very small - and very quick - so getting a good shot requires lots of patience - and a bit of luck! These beautiful tropical birds live at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.

Description: Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, has a breeding program for these beautiful Helmeted Honeyeaters, which are nearly extinct in the wild. Before release the birds are taught to flee predators - I think this one wasn't paying attention!

Description: We had the wettest Friday in ages a couple of weeks ago - when the rain finally stopped late afternoon - this was the view from my balcony! The masts are for TV and sit on the top of Mount Dandenong near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.

Description: A brief beam of sunshine lit up the spectacular horns on this Scimitar Horned Oryx. These Oryx have been hunted into extinction in the wild - for those horns - but Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria, Australia, has this small breeding herd.

Description: Hazel is the newest addition to the Koala family at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. She loves her grub - as you can see from the look of sheer pleasure on her face!

Description: Alby, the Osprey, is part of the Spirits Of The Skies show at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. His speciality is diving into a small pond to catch a fish - which takes only a few seconds - so this shot is quite tricky!

Description: The Red Kangaroos at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia, are not usually active during the day - they like to snooze in the shade. This female hopped past me - then stopped and looked at the camera. What an opportunity!

Description: Emily, the Koala is a star at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia - so she's used to having her photo taken. She really does know how to pose!

Description: I found a colony of these Tongue Orchids (Cryptostylis Subulata) in the middle of last Winter. I kept going back every month or so until they produced some flower stems. Then I visited every week - weather permitting - until they flowered. Their exotic beauty was worth the wait!

Description: While I was photographing the Tongue Orchids I noticed the pattern these native grasses were making nearby. Couldn't waste the opportunity! I'm not sure what species of grass this is - but it was in the middle of a nature reserve - so I'm confident it is native.

Description: The Red Browed Finches at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, usually breed in Spring, but I took this shot in mid-Summer. I think it was either running very late - or having a second go!

Description: Orange Bellied Parrots are rare and endangered in the wild, so Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, has a captive breeding program for them, and every year some are released back into the wild. This male bird has the orange belly which gives them the name, but can only be seen if the parrot is perched above you!

Description: It's taken me months to get some nice shots of Kanzi, the baby Gorilla, with his Dad Otana. Otana looks unhappy about something - and is being comforted by his son! These Western Lowland Gorillas live at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia.

Description: Meet Milly, the Barking Owl. She's a star of the Spirits Of The Skies show at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. She sure knows how to stare - doesn't she?

Description: The Sumatran Tigers were taking it in turns to exercise in their enclosure at Melbourne Zoo in Victoria, Australia. This one did what all Tigers enjoy - lying in wait for their prey!