Story of the Piece: Splash Time

Even Cassowaries need to have a splash in FNQ Summers!

The Cassowary is one of the most ancient and extraordinary creatures on earth - a living dinosaur walking the rainforest floor of Far North Queensland, completely unbothered by the fact that the rest of the world finds it astonishing.

I have seen them in the wild here, and they never fail to stop me. But one of my favourite things about living in FNQ is watching what happens on local social media in the height of summer - people putting out paddling pools for cassowaries to cool off in.

This ancient, powerful, slightly terrifying bird, standing in a plastic paddling pool in someone's backyard, absolutely loving it. That's Far North Queensland. That's the relationship people here have with the wildlife that shares their lives.

Splash Time captures that joy. A cassowary parent and chick at the water's edge — the most dangerous bird in the world, having an absolutely wonderful time. The resin water is poured and layered to create depth and movement, the driftwood and river pebbles grounding the scene in the FNQ landscape they come from.

Materials: Resin, father and baby cassowary figurines, locally sourced driftwood and river pebbles, vegetation accents and glass lily pads.

Dimensions: 16 cm x 16cm x 13 cm (h)

Price: $450