The last time I see him in England, he is wearing his trademark battered top hat. He struts his muscomorpha stage persona. A frenzied crowd reach out to touch of his silver-skull-encrusted costume. The Divide is pumping out wave upon wave of metal sound for the last time. The band’s front man, Mr Fly is buzzing off to Oz. Few fans know that this one-time-graphic-designer-outragious-cartoonist-retired-policeman who harbours a profound passion for and knowledge of herpetology is heading downunder forever; maybe because there is only one species of frog in England; there are 208 species of frog in Australia.

Scarlet-sided Pobblebonk, Limnodynastes terraereginae

You have met Garth before. He Talks Beautiful Stuff from Queensland, Australia. I visit him there and we do a road trip to the Glass House Mountains. It is hot. Storm clouds gather. His excitement mounts. “Tonight,” he says with relish, “we go frogging!”

Graceful Tree Frog, Litoria gracilenta

It starts with late evening lightning. Fat raindrops splash onto the dusty tarmac of a back country road. Fifteen minutes later, the downpour makes it is difficult to see through the windscreen. Moving at 5km/hour, our headlights are picking out hundreds upon hundreds of frogs that have lain dormant in the brutal Australian heat waiting for the rain and the opportunity for mating brought by the temporary puddles and streams.

Great Barred Frog, Mixophyes fasciolatus

It is early morning and a soaked Garth is still leaping out of the car every ten metres to chase, net and photograph the objects of his life-long passion. Each image will be minutely examined and catalogued once the frog is identified.

Stony Creek Frog, Litoria Wilcoxii

On the drive home through sleeping Brisbane suburbs, he tells me that he is going to turn his hand to serious herpetological illustration. For the results of this decision, see above! I am happy that Talking Beautiful Stuff is first to publish his truly beautiful and precise work. It is a labour of love.