A Little Bit Of Possum Magic!

  Last night we had the most amazing and touching experience. One that little Celeste has been talking about all day today and one that will stay in our memories forever.

  We are currently staying at the caravan park in Keith SA. Over the years we have come back and forth to this caravan as we are made feel very welcome. It is a lovely community caravan park that is neat and tidy and cheap. Everytime we attend we spend our time possum spotting with our torch as the park is known for its nightly visit. There is also a nature reserve next door that is run by the local school as part of the education program. Here we enjoy watching the wallabies graze and play.

   Last night as Celeste and I were returning to our camp after visiting the amenities we were startled by a possum running across our path to the closest tree. This tree was very close to our van. As we stopped to have a look it became evident that he had startled us more than we him. He sat at shoulder height in the fork of the tree looking at us as if to say hello. We stood for a while and quietly spoke to him before I called Samantha, suggesting she grab her camera.

  To our amazement possum friend soon decided to disembark from his tree and come down to ground level to greet us. Whilst being very cautious, listening to every sound, he sat in front of us on his back legs as though begging. As Samantha started to take photo's he progressed forward as though attracted by the light of the flash. It was only when she screamed, as he was going to climb into her lap, that he ran back up into the tree. Although disturbed a little he still allowed Samantha to get up close and personal as he posed for the camera, leaning out to kiss the lens ( or was that eat it! ).

   After some amazing photo's we thanked him for brightening our night and left him in peace. We feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to share a moment of his night........but not as privileged to be given the opportunity to share our tent and van with a mouse.......but that is a story for another night.

Animal magnetism

Upon returning to our tent Celeste and I curled up into bed, discussed the possum and wrote this little poem together. It now sits on the wall of our van with a photo of the possum as a memory of our experience.

Possum, little possum

Sitting in the tree

Smiling for a photo

Looking down at me

A wonder of our nature

A part of this vast land

I will never hurt thee

but pass as I had planned

(c) Jennifer Deaves