Ten years ago they didn’t know a finch from a honeyeater, now they’re self confessed nature nerds who blog and post about the amazing plants and animals on their property.
Louise Nicholas and Michael Gooch bought a property in Clunes, Central Victoria, as a camping spot with money they’d originally intended as a deposit for a home. Little did they know it would spark an obsession for conservation and wildlife.
“We were complete novices when we first bought the place. When we saw the bark peeling from the wattle trees, we thought they’d been burnt by bushfires rather than it being the end of their natural lifecycle – we really didn’t know much,” Louise said. Despite their lack of knowledge they admit to being incredibly fortunate to buy land that had very few weeds and an abundance of native plants. The property has mature gum trees and a healthy understorey, which they think explains why it ‘just felt right’ when they bought it.