These were seen on my recent trip to the Terrick Terrick National Park, about 10 km away as the crow flies. (30 if you go by road).
This is a prickly pear (Opuntima, I think). It a very invasive plant and illegal to cultivate. The ‘pears’ are apparently edible. There were a few plants growing wild.
My husband spotted this bird. I don’t know what it is. Any ideas?
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It is Opuntia. Native to USA and other places. I have 4 kinds in my yard. I can process the fruits to a sweet syrup.
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Thank you. I think they were introduced into Australia for the fruit but they quickly spread as a noxious weed. I must try the fruit.
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Wheel Cactus (Opuntia robusta). Parks Vic did roadside Wheel cactus control last year along Terriicks ridge road but there are little pockets throughput the park. That looks like a healthy one!! The bird is a Brown Tree Creeper (Climacteris picumnus).
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Thanks Audrey. Robusta seems like a very apt name for such a resilient plant!
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Actually a closer look at the Wheel Cactus may have been injected with chemical in the lower stems but obviously the plant still lives.
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Just as well I didn’t eat the pear
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