My parents are still back in the UK and live in a tranquil valley fold on the English / Welsh border about 30 miles south of Shrewsbury. It's a beautiful place surrounded by fields, pastures and a collection of wildlife which seem to be becoming increasingly relaxed with my parents presence. Along with the squirrels, rooks, pigeons & hedgerow birds they are also visited by rabbits - Dad took these pictures from the back door 
Rabbits are not popular in Australia. They were introduced into Victoria (in the south of Australia) in the 1850's as a handy snack-sized food source, promptly escaped and have wrought devastation on the continenent ever since - Eg "Since their introduction from Europe in 1859, the effect of rabbits on the ecology of Australia has been devastating. Rabbits are suspected of being the most significant known factor in species loss in Australia." (from Wikipedia)
It's actually illegal to own a pet rabbit in Queenland and if you're caught with one you could be liable for a $30,000 fine. There are some exceptions, and one such loophole is
Ref: Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Regulation 2003 Division 2 section 8D (Magic Act) "A declared pest mentioned in schedule 3, part 2, may be kept by any entity for performing a magic act for members of the public on payment of a fee."
Schedule 3 Part 2 Magic act 2. European rabbit (domestic breeds only)(Oryctolagus cuniculus).
I've always fancied a house rabbit and as luck would have it we actually know a professional magician & childrens entertainer. I wondered about the possibility of cutting a deal with her - she gets to use it in her acts whilst we look after it - but it would void our tenancy agreement as well so it wasn't an option. However I do love the idea of a bunch of serious lawmakers sitting around in a room trying to formally legislate on the use of rabbits in hats.
So - no rabbits in the apartment but the balcony garden is coming on well. Just two weeks after planting the spring onions have sprung, the mint is getting very comfortable in its pot, the radishes are going gang busters and the courgettes are looking hemmed in already.
I need to seperate out the courgettes (or zuchinis as the locals know them) as I get the feeling those pots aren't big enough for one of them, never mind four.
Rabbits are not popular in Australia. They were introduced into Victoria (in the south of Australia) in the 1850's as a handy snack-sized food source, promptly escaped and have wrought devastation on the continenent ever since - Eg "Since their introduction from Europe in 1859, the effect of rabbits on the ecology of Australia has been devastating. Rabbits are suspected of being the most significant known factor in species loss in Australia." (from Wikipedia)It's actually illegal to own a pet rabbit in Queenland and if you're caught with one you could be liable for a $30,000 fine. There are some exceptions, and one such loophole is
Ref: Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Regulation 2003 Division 2 section 8D (Magic Act) "A declared pest mentioned in schedule 3, part 2, may be kept by any entity for performing a magic act for members of the public on payment of a fee."
Schedule 3 Part 2 Magic act 2. European rabbit (domestic breeds only)(Oryctolagus cuniculus).
I've always fancied a house rabbit and as luck would have it we actually know a professional magician & childrens entertainer. I wondered about the possibility of cutting a deal with her - she gets to use it in her acts whilst we look after it - but it would void our tenancy agreement as well so it wasn't an option. However I do love the idea of a bunch of serious lawmakers sitting around in a room trying to formally legislate on the use of rabbits in hats.
So - no rabbits in the apartment but the balcony garden is coming on well. Just two weeks after planting the spring onions have sprung, the mint is getting very comfortable in its pot, the radishes are going gang busters and the courgettes are looking hemmed in already.
I need to seperate out the courgettes (or zuchinis as the locals know them) as I get the feeling those pots aren't big enough for one of them, never mind four.
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