I saw a baby kookaburra on the banks of the Yarra last night. He was awesome, as they say here - a lot. I was rather hoping the little fella would 'laugh'. No joy. He didn't hang around long enough to do very much at all as it happens, other than blink a bit. He took off rapido, swooping so close to my head that I thought he might be taking me along for the ride. It turns out he'd spied a tasty morsel in the shape of a 6-foot snake in the neighbour's garden. Oh yuk. 

The Yarra (aboriginal for 'never dry up') might be muddy and uninviting in stretches, but the platyapus/pusses, who are said to love hanging around on the river banks, (although no-one actually remembers seeing one), like to call the area home.  Good for them.