SPOT A KOALA

Cute natives love to sleep and hang out by the beach at the National Park

NOTHING unites Noosa like our native koalas. The best spot to see one in the fur is definitely the Noosa National Park, with its walking tracks winding through dense bushland and high trees.

In fact, you’d be pretty unlucky to miss out on seeing one while trekking through the picturesque walkways by the water’s edge.

Noosa conservation groups have even named some of the local icons, including Teadoro, Hastyngs, Isabelle and Aggie, the last of which is currently raising a very cute little joey.

If you spot a koala in Noosa, you can report it to Noosa Koala Sightings Facebook page, a group who like to keep a close eye on the health of the population.

Or enter its location at koalatracker.com.au.

If there’s a koala in a spot of trouble, near a road or looking sick and hurt, contact Koala Rescue Queensland.

Queensland Koala Crusaders president Meghan Halverson and her husband Rex fell in love with koalas when they emigrated to Noosa from southern California.

“She (Meghan) started volunteering at the wildlife hospital nine years ago,” Rex said.

“She saw a lot of hurt koalas and sick koalas and it was heartbreaking. In the last 10 years, 90% of the population of koalas has disappeared.”

Meghan said koalas were facing a tough battle against habitat destruction and infectious disease.

“Right now, (koalas) they’re in trouble, they’re unwell,” Meghan said.

“The disease is chlamydia, and they’re also suffering from a retrovirus, it’s a koala AIDS virus.

“So it’s more important than ever to help them.”

You can help koalas by donating at koalacrusaders.org.au.