Merry, Merry King of the Bush is He.

Most people are familiar with the iconically Australian sound that is the cackle of the Kookaburra.

There is nothing quite as "Home among the Gumtrees" as sitting on your back verandah on a warm afternoon and hearing the symphony that is a mob of Kooka's echoing from the bush.

Kookaburras are my very favourite bird. They're technically part of the Kingfisher family, but they rarely eat fish. Instead, they like to eat all the things that are a big NOPE here down under, like Brown Snakes and Spiders. They don't need to drink much water because they get their hydration from the blood of their prey. They have a wicked call and they are, to put it plainly, Aussie AF.

So, needless to say, when I found myself up close and personal with one of these feathery little vampires, I knew I had to make the most of it.

We had taken a trip to Charlestown near the Central Coast of NSW for my cousin's 21st in June 2019 and we had booked a motel not too far from their house. Nothing fancy, something affordable and comfortable given it was only a short stay.

We were pleasantly surprised when we found our room had a neat little balcony off the back overlooking a small creek nestled amongst some big Gumtrees. The afternoon sun was just breaking through the leaves enough for it to be comfortably warm. The perfect stop for a few pre-party Prosecco's and cheeky snack.

We could hear the Kookaburra's calling back and forth from in the trees. I was trying to get my iPhone to zoom in enough to snap a picture when a beaked head turned directly to me when it heard the rustle of the chip bag.

Cue panic as old mate Kookaburra swoops in, aiming directly for what I was certain was my face, only to land on the balustrade next to me. Looking ever so expectantly at the freshly opened bag of chips.

I should mention at this point, that although I ADORE these birds. I like to do so from a distance. I am no Steve Irwin when it comes to wildlife and I was doing my absolute best not to completely freak out.

The only thing that helped keep my nerves in check was the fact that I wanted that shot.

I backed away slowly and sat in my chair. I was determined not to startle him away.

What I was not at all prepared for, was the fact that this Kookaburra was not only tame but was also a complete star in front of the camera.

I was armed with only my iPhone and portrait mode, but luckily that was enough because this little guy knew how to work it. He was throwing me every pose in his arsenal and he was loving it. I was determined to get just one great shot of him, he deserved it.

He'd obviously been fed by travellers fairly regularly, we didn't actively feed him but weren't game to stop him when he helped himself to a few stray chips that had made their way to the ground.

He was magnificent.

His eyes stared straight into your soul from behind his razor-sharp beak. And his wing feathers housed the most spectacular blue. I would've given my right foot to have access to a decent DSLR at this point, but I did what I could.

Luckily, a bit of a fiddle with the brightness and a quick apply filter later and I had a pretty solid set of images thanks to my feathered friend.

I decided after we had shared such an intimate time, he should at least have a name. So I dubbed him Barry (Bazza to his mates).

Bazza has pride of place on my side-table at home. I never quite get sick of the look of shock on people's faces when my answer to "Where did you get the photo's of the Kookaburra?" is "I took them myself".

I can't take all the credit though. I just clicked a button. It's Barry who deserves the praise, for being the most photogenic Kookaburra in Australia.

I sometimes wonder what Baz is up to these days. I'd like to think he met a nice girl, had some chicks and spends his days feasting on baby brown snakes. One thing is for sure, he'll always be king of the bush to me.