We live in a rural area in the tablelands outside of Cairns and have a small collection of animals. We are situated on 5 acres and have a nice 2 bedroom home with views over the rainforest to Lambs Head Range in the distance. We are about a 45 minute drive to Cairns and a 30 minute drive to Mareeba. The area boasts some phenomenal flora and fauna with endemic cadagi trees and mixture of rainforest and wet eucalypt forest surrounding the property. I hear whip birds in the morning along with wompoo fruit doves and catbirds. We get many visitors from Papua New Guinea, so you'll see quite an array of birds of paradise such as buff breasted kingfishers, paradise kingfishers, Victoria's rifle birds and many others! A night trek will show you the unique nocturnal animals of the area as well. It's a slice of paradise and I don't really want to leave it!
In our care are pythons, a goanna, a frillneck lizard, a Galah, a Lorikeet, two Lories in a suspended aviary, a Red Tailed Black cockatoo, a dog, a cat, two turtles, and a fish! We also breed some rats and mice and have a flock of fancy chickens with delicious eggs!
There is an orchard at the bottom of the property with tropical fruits and a dam as well, if you like croaking froggies!
When we are away we board the dog, the cat and the Red Tail Black cockatoo so the rest would be part of your charge. I find it to be very rewarding looking after these guys and it takes me about an hour to feed and water the animals and water the plants. If you wanted to rush it would take 30 minutes. The cages get cleaned weekly so they are pretty easy too! As far as the reptiles go, we feed them up before we leave and ask that the water be topped up as not everyone is comfortable with snakes.
If you like to cook the house boasts a fine gas stove and oven! There is no air con but you don't really need it up here as temps are usually around and we get a nice breeze as well.