Kyogle, NSW, Australia - Mom's Tree

Email to my brother, May 12, 2007

So it’s off to Oz in a few days. The whole reason for this journey. I'll be honest, have been a little discouraged after talking to other travelers who have recently visited Oz. Most said they have never spotted a koala. And the few that did said it was on the great ocean road - very far from where I am going to be. My Australian friends claim that there are some possible spots around them so I hope that works out. I know right in Brisbane there is a koala sanctuary! Sounds ideal except don't know if they will appreciate me burying some ashes in the middle of their zoo. But I will do what it takes. If it means sneaking in at night – I’ll do it. But most of all, I want the place to be / feel right. I didn't come across the planet to settle for some bush and a kangaroo! I will stick to our plan. I am pretty sure we both have the same picture in mind but let me know what you were hoping for as this is just as much you quest as mine.

Email written to my family, May 27, 2007

I was taken to my friend Shona, in-laws farm. Shona is the girl who I met back in Austria in '99 and came and stayed with us when her and Christie visited Montreal. She even got to meet mom when she was down. She lives in Brisbane but wanted to take me to this farm 2 hours south because they had seen koala's once before. I had an image of a small farm, 2-3 acres and a few cows. This farm turned out to be 600 acres and over 500 cows! It was the most beautiful place. Rolling hills, all kinds of different trees and birds of all kinds.

After meeting a few of the cows and meeting her in-laws who are awesome, we went for a drive to where they had seen the koalas before (600 acres of land - you have to drive everywhere!). Jason , her husband who loves motorbikes (owns 2) drove us up the hill with his pick-up truck (coincidence??  Don’ t think so). As we got to the top of the hill, I just got this feeling of overwhelming comfort. The wind started blowing but it felt like it was nowhere else but around me. It was as if it was talking to me. The sun was starting to set and the sky was gorgeous. The group of us (5) started scoping the trees. I began thinking ' maybe I am looking too hard’. Steve had talked to me a few days prior about being open to the idea of Mom's special place not necessarily having a koala - it may be a feeling I get when I arrive somewhere, a beautiful beach, tree etc. I started to think about his words and thought this is it. I don't see a koala but I do know they are around here. This is her place! I walked towards Steve to tell him my decision. He agreed. Right at that moment, my friend Shona, trying hard not to scream with excitement, called out ' Kim! Kim!' and was pointing up towards the tree. There, high upon the branch of the most gorgeous tree, was the most perfect koala, just perched up eating some eucalyptus leaves! I broke down in tears and so did everyone else. There was no denying it - this was Mom's koala and mom's special place.

Steve drove back to the house to get Mom as I stayed and admired the most beautiful setting. More beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Just as Steve returned with Mom and the others left us alone, out jumped a kangaroo which hopped right by Mom's tree. A Hollywood film could not have set a better backdrop.

So without a doubt of hesitation, I placed Mom under her tree where the Koala sat still and always in perfect sight.

Just to let you know how magical this moment was, my other Australian friend who I was with us (and also met in Austria) has lived in Australia almost her whole life and this was her second time EVER seeing a koala in the wild. There are some Australians that have never seen a koala in the wild. I have been here 1 week!

Shona's in-laws have been dairy farmers for some time and do not plan on leaving the farm any time soon. They have welcomed anyone who ever wants to visit Mom and even offered them a place to stay.

Even though you all could not be there in person, you are all as much a part of this as I am. You were all present for this magical moment.

Mom found her koala!!! 

Kim xoxoxo

Dom & I walking up to Mom's tree

4 years later, Kyogle, NSW, Australia

As we started our road trip south, there was no doubt we would include this magical place on our journey. The farm has changed a bit since the last time we were here. Dom & Pam, the farmers that own this gem of land, experienced a terrible storm 2 years ago and actually lost their house. They were fortunately not hurt and neither were their cows. They had some damage to their property but a very special tree, and the trees surrounding it were untouched.

Being that Dom is a man of many talents, he rebuilt the most gorgeous home (with a kitchen I only thought existed in my dreams;). Seeing them again was wonderful. Only knowing us from a short visit 4 years prior, they welcomed us with open arms into their home.

We arrived a bit later than we had liked so thought it would be a good idea to get up to the tree before sun down. Before leaving on this trip, I had a plaque made for Mom’s tree. I unfortunately was not able to bring anything to hang it (hammer, nails). When I asked Dom if I could borrow his, he laughed and returned with a power drill, cocking and a level. He said if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right!

We jumped in Dom’s 4x4, Steve’s camera in hand, up the hill to Mom’s magical place. The anticipation and excitement grew more intense the closer we got. 4 years ago, I felt like the luckiest person alive to have visited this farm and find a place for mom to rest. Never did I think I would have the opportunity to visit this place again, to see and feel the magic of this land. Here I was, only 4 years later, standing under the tree where I spotted my first koala, and where mom lies peacefully.

The tree looked bigger and healthier than I remembered. I immediately began scanning it for koala’s. Disappointedly I didn’t see any. However, Dom pointed out all the claw marks on the trunk of mom’s tree, indicating that this was a well visited by koala’s.  They were here. Mom was not alone.

Hanging the plaque

We began scanning the surrounding trees for furry grey creatures. For those who have never experienced finding a koala in the wild, this search is equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack. Grey blobs of fur, camouflaged by the grey trunk of the tree, totally still due to their intoxicated state caused by the eucalyptus. It takes an expert to spot these amazing creatures. Luckily we had one with us. Dom spotted it high in a tree, completely still other then the swaying branch it was clinging to. Instantly my heart began to beat faster and I became tingly with excitement. Was this the same koala I found 4 years ago? Mom’s koala? Maybe so, but truly, it didn’t even matter. Koala’s were here, surrounding her in her very special place. Confirmation that this spot, set high upon the grassy hill over looking acres and acres of green pastures, was where mom was meant to be.

Back at the original tree, I took out her plaque and Dom pulled out his drill. With perfect precision, Dom lined up the plaque and I secured it in place with a few final twists of the drill. Now it was official. This was mom’s tree!!

Momma koala & her baby!!

As we gathered up our things and said goodbye to Mom’s tree for a second time, Dom suggested we check out a few other trees on our way back. There is a group of lush trees a little off to the side of where mom’s tree is. We headed towards there, scanning the trees even before they were in proper sight. It was at this time that I noticed something. It certainly did resemble a koala but something was different. Because this tree was beside a hill, we were able to get eye-level with the object in question. Only about 20 feet away, it took a while for things to register about what I was actually seeing. It was most definitely a koala but that was not all. There was a baby koala on its back!! I knew how fortunate I was to see one wild koala in the short time I had spent in Australia. A few moments earlier, I felt like the luckiest person to have seen a second in my lifetime. Now, with jaw dropped, eyes full of tears, I, Kimberly Lyn Davidson from Montreal, Canada, was seeing something most Australians have never seen in their lifetime. No words can explain this feeling. Maybe it’s a feeling similar to someone winning the lottery however, I am still convinced this felt even better than that! As I looked over at Dom, his expression was clear that he too had never seen such a sight.

Momma & her baby!

I stood on that hill, staring at this momma koala with her baby clinging to her back in a trance. I called out to it, getting it to look right at me, lost in its gaze. The world could have fallen apart around me for that half hour that I stared at it and I would’ve never noticed. The only thing that pulled me away was the sun going down.

 Confirmation that this was mom’s special place was not needed. The koala 4 years prior, along with the kangaroo confirmed that. And, the koala spotting just half an hour before was that extra confirmation, that 4 years later, this was still a magical place. Seeing this momma with her baby was a direct message from mom. She was telling me that even though she may no longer be with me physically, she was all around me. The land where she lay was flourishing with life.

My friend Shona had a different outlook on the message my mother was sending me.  ‘She’s telling you she’s ready to be a grandma!’ And thanks to my brother, she will be in about 6 weeks time!!

As Steve & I said our goodbye’s to Dom & Pam, unable to thank them enough for all they have done, we began our search for the perfect camping spot for our camper van. By a river in a town not too far away, we parked our $1/day rental and cracked a celebration bottle of Toohey’s. As we reflected on the most perfect day, we decided to turn it in. As I got undressed, Steve, with a little bit of a worried voice pointed out that there was something on my back. It looked like a bug. I immediately thought bed bug. But as he described how this bug had half its head burrowed into my skin, I knew it had to be a tick!! I firmly gripped the wall of the van and ordered Steve that if he had to dig it out with a knife, then he was to do it!! Do what ever it took to get it all out!! Luckily he didn’t have to use anything other then his hands and made very certain it was dead before coming back in the van. We monitored the bite for the next few days and everything was fine.

Fortunately, I was left with brilliant memories and magnificent pictures, and not lyme disease to remind myself of this most magical, once-in-a-lifetime-experience of a day.