There was an unexpected guest hanging around Janine Gifford's Buninyong home last week.
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Returning from a Monday morning walk, Ms Gifford said she noticed movement behind her.
"I had just walked in with our labrador when I saw [the koala] had literally followed me up the driveway.
"I couldn't believe it."
It was a noisy time of the day, with children arriving at school... the most surprising thing was he didn't seem to be all perturbed by me and the dog
- Janine Gifford, Buninyong resident
The koala then climbed up one of the posts on the verandah of her Simpson Street home, a short distance from Buninyong Primary School.
"It was a noisy time of the day, with children arriving at school," Ms Gifford said
"The most surprising thing was he didn't seem to be all perturbed by me and the dog. "
Ms Gifford said she found it particularly surprising as they have no native trees in the garden.
"I have got an English garden. I just watched him for a little bit and got the dog out of the way."
After about 90 minutes, the koala climbed down from his man-made perch then climbed a eucalyptus tree in a neighbouring property.
"I don't know why he was moving - there was a bit of noise in the street during the night a few days earlier and he might have been trying to find a new patch," she said.
She said she was concerned about the koala's wellbeing - especially with busy roads nearby - and called the vet and Ballarat Wildlife Park, who came out to check on the marsupial.
They told her the koala was safe and was finding its way, advising her that it should be left alone.
The koala stayed in the tree next door for a while longer, moving on the next night or early the following morning.
Ms Gifford said she was a relatively recent arrival to the area but neighbours said they had not sighted a koala around there for a number of years.
Many observers believe the local koala population in Buninyong and Ballarat has declined steeply in recent years.
The image was submitted to the Friends of Canadian Corridor community group, which has been collecting information on reported koala sightings in the area to try and assess population levels more accurately.
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