'Yabby Dabby Doooooooooo!'

[Mad Aussie]

We went for a walk in the Lamington National Park rainforest on the weekend, trying to get some serious hiking fitness up ready for our trip to New Zealand in a few weeks time.

There's a been a LOT of rain here again and many areas are flooding badly once more.

However, up above the Gold Coast, near the border of New South Wales and Queensland, the rain has been plentiful but not too bad.

The wet conditions are perfect in this area to see our Lamington Spiny Crayfish.
These crays (ranging in size from around 150mm long to around 300mm long were plentiful on the slushy trails near the river and waterfalls. I also stepped on a couple.

The thread title comes from our colloquial term of 'Yabby' which Aussie's often call any crayfish, lobster, shrimplike creature.

After seeing our first Cray we were walking along the trail a few minutes later when my wife suddenly says "I like Yabby Dabby Doo's!" ... it made me laugh ... so there you have it.

Here's a big one who was hiding from us ...
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6957391605_8cbe8c89b3_o.jpg

When threatened they aggressively defend themselves while walking backwards to find cover
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6811282156_b679f3b032_o.jpg

An idea of size as this one latches onto my wife's hiking boot
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6957391957_89b1e7d0ab_o.jpg

Swimming around in the stream
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6811282448_ff99ca4d3c_o.jpg

[Bambi]

cool a wee blue lobster!!

[Yisehaq]

Never seen a blue lobster before! Thanks for sharing!

[Mad Aussie]

Never seen a blue lobster before! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome :)

[Runmonty]

Great spotting and capture. Not much of a meal though!

[kmunroe]

lookin good... get the water boiling

[Mad Aussie]

Great spotting and capture. Not much of a meal though!
Easy to spot and we saw about 30 of them so plenty of food. Except they are protected of course. :)



lookin good... get the water boiling
I couldn't eat something so cool!

[theantiquetiger]

Here in Louisiana, we eat crawfish (crayfish) by the hundreds at a time. We have crawfish farms. I have never seen a blue crawfish. If you don't mind, I want to put this on Facebook for my fellow Lousiana friends to see.

[Mad Aussie]

Here in Louisiana, we eat crawfish (crayfish) by the hundreds at a time. We have crawfish farms. I have never seen a blue crawfish. If you don't mind, I want to put this on Facebook for my fellow Lousiana friends to see.
As long as it doesn't result in hundreds of rednecks turning up here eating my crayfish ... fine :)

[theantiquetiger]

BTW, this is how we do it in Louisiana

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r198/theantiquetiger/boiledcrawfish.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

Looks yummy I have to admit!

[kmunroe]

thats what i'm talkin about

[Hillbillygirl]

Very nice MA. Love the first and second mostly for the natural surroundings, but the foot attack is cool.

[Iguanasan]

A very cool looking little blue fella. Nice.

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks HBG and Iggy :)

[asnow]

Love the colour. I've never seen a blue lobster like that.

[Mad Aussie]

Love the colour. I've never seen a blue lobster like that.
Was a first for me in real life too. Well not quite ... we have a smaller variety in many freshwater dams around the country called Blue Claw which I've seen before.