Cassowary Sighting

We're on our way back south from Cairns now and decided to call back at Etty Bay because we'd forgotten to have the fish and chips when we went there on our way up. Our friends Lara and Geoff had recommended the Spanish Mackerel which indeed lived up to expectations:

However, it was not only the great food which made the visit worthwhile. While we were eating, two more visitors came to find their lunch as well. They were a father cassowary and a chick:

Apparently there are only about 1500 cassowaries left. The father sits on the eggs until they are hatched and then is responsible for bringing up the chicks until another female wants to mate with him. Each cassowary needs its own territory, so when the chicks are old enough they must find their own space. This leads to many deaths when they cross roads or fight with other cassowaries:

The fish and chip shop is associated with a caravan park. The owner said these two cassowaries come looking for food four times a day. We were really lucky to see these beautiful birds: