A Koala taking an evening walk across Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Singing Bridge brought cars to a grinding halt last Tuesday.

Owner of Hawks Newsagency, Hugo Elstermann, was driving across the bridge at the time.

“When I saw all the cars stopping I thought – something’s happened. I told my daughter to get ready with her phone camera,” he said.

“Then we saw it, a koala crossing the bridge on its way back home to Hawks Nest. It makes you appreciate why you live here.”
Hugo said it was not the first time he had seen wildlife crossing Singing Bridge.

“I’ve seen dingoes and kangaroos crossing Singing Bridge before,” he said.

Last year he also spotted a koala taking a walk past his newsagency.

“It’s great we are so in tune with nature here,” he said.
Gail Morphett of the Myall Koala and Environment Group said koalas crossing Singing Bridge was “quite normal”.

“Not everyone sees it but it’s normal for them to do that.

It’s also normal for them to swim in the river. Being mating season you’ll see all these types of behaviours,” she said.

Singing Bridge is located right next to a koala reserve, making it a common area for koala sightings.

“It is dangerous for the koalas to be crossing the bridge,” Mrs Morphett said.

“People speed over that bridge without taking any care and in the last 12 months we’ve had three koala fatalities in Kingfisher Avenue,” she said.

She said it was imperative that people slowed down and drove with caution in the area – particularly from Ibis Avenue to Singing Bridge.

To report a koala sighting call 4997 0878.