Last month while on a road trip around northern New South Wales I saw a goanna in the wild for the first time. My husband and I had pulled into the car park at Minyon Falls when I excitedly noticed the large goanna in the middle of the picnic area. She appeared to be pregnant and was not disturbed at all by the people keeping their distance and taking her photo.  It was a great experience to see such a beautiful creature in her natural environment. We were actually doubly blessed that day as we saw a smaller goanna on the path back from the falls however this one was nervous and scurried into the bush at the sight of people.

Goannas are the common name for Australia’s monitor lizards. There are about 25 species in Australia. Ours was a Lace Monitor, the second largest species growing up to 2 metres— the size of ours.

Goannas

• are predators
• can run fast over short distances
• have loose skin round their neck
• have sharp teeth and long claws
• can climb trees fast
• range in size from 20 cms to 2.5 metres
• are dark in colour
• lay eggs
• have oral venom glands
• have mistaken humans as trees and run up them when under threat
• are protected in Australia except indigenous people who have traditionally hunted them

The true irony of us finding—Joanna the Goanna—was only the day before friends of ours were telling us about a showdown in their back garden between a snake and a goanna. Result goanna 1 snake 0. Now we understand why. The snake wouldn’t have had a chance.