"Go frogging," they said. "It’ll be fun," they said. And it was. But it was more than that. It was incredibly beautiful being in the bush as the day dissolved around us, and the night creatures started to wake up. The air changed, and it got cooler while the humidity ramped up. The moon swam in and out of clouds and the frogs sang. They called to each other, in various croaks, barks and bonks and let us get surprisingly close to them, in their often hidden world.

So what exactly is ‘frogging’? Basically, it means heading out, usually at night and, well, looking for frogs. You’re more likely to see frogs after dusk, as their thin, permeable skin means that they can lose a lot of moisture during the heat of the day. So instead they wait until the sun sets to come out of hiding and to hunt and search for a mate. And if you’re wanting your best chance to spot them, that’s when you’ll need to emerge too.

Creeks, streams and ponds, oh my!

You may not realise this, but when you’re out at night, it’s dark. Like, really dark. So first step is to get yourself a headlamp. You can pick up a basic one at Woolies. Next step is to find some fresh water. Think: local streams, dams, ponds and creeks. And it’s best to source this in the day because we don’t want you to plunge over a waterfall or to break an ankle.

Now what?

Wait and listen. If you’ve got yourself a good spot, you’ll hear the chorus start up on dusk, with most frog species out and about on warm nights around 9ish. Use your torch to search for any eye shine and be very careful where you put your feet!

The Illawarra has more than 20 species of frogs and now is the prime time to start searching for them.

This article from Growing Illawarra Natives is a fantastic resource on our local frogs and how to attract them to your yard, so you can go frogging in your pyjamas!

And once you’ve spotted some amphibian friends be sure to check out Frog ID by the Australian Museum for more details.

Happy frogging!