The bird in question? Casuarius casuarius ... “I’m coming back as a female cassowary!” one mother of five told me. Adding to their mystique, cassowaries have a reputation for being dangerous.

This bird plays a huge role in spreading seeds ... During the breeding season, the female cassowary lays a clutch of 3-5 eggs, each weighing about the same as 10 chicken eggs.

Mission Beach is surrounded by World Heritage rainforest, home to many southern cassowaries, the largest bird in Australia and second in the world only to the ostrich. Cassowary sand sculpture ...