Photograph: iStockWhen I came home from Australia for a visit last autumn, my brother and I took a road trip. I planned to visit Kerry to do some research for a book I’m working on, and my brother kindly offered to drive me. For an Irish person, accustomed to the less capricious cadence of Irish seasons and creatures, Australia is a sort of cosmic shock. While the landing of my apartment building is hopefully not these moths’ natural habitat, there they have been each morning this week. In the meantime, I try to nurture a sense of awe in the face of Australia’s alien (to me) natural world.

Source: The Irish Times November 05, 2025 19:32 UTC