A journey of a thousand smiles: Questing Quokka

Embarking on a quest can be serious business – whether you’re going off on a family holiday or traveling the hills of Britain in search of the holy grail, our focus is very much affixed to the finish line. Every year, nearly 1 million people from across the globe pack their bags and trek thousands of kilometers to a small island off the west coast of Australia. Rottenest, in Dutch meaning “The Rat’s Nest”, is home to not a rodent, but a peculiar little marsupial: the quokka. These perpetually grinning little creatures have lived on this majestic slice of land for millennia and have recently become a bit of a sensation in the age of social media. 

The idea of traveling myriads of miles to take a selfie with a pudgy little macropod may sound silly, but that may be the point. Ubuntu, and all of open source software for that matter, may too seem silly on paper. People from all over the globe, from every walk of life, giving their most precious commodity to a cause that really has no defined end. Open source is ever changing and the quest to build the best free software is a never ending adventure and that’s what makes it so special.

Philosopher and Zen author, Alan Watts, once remarked:

“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.”

So smile, just like the Quokka, because enjoying the quest is just as important as reaching the destination. We invite you to chart your own course with the official wallpaper for Ubuntu 25.10:

You can download the official Questing Quokka wallpapers in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes here.

From a land down under

The man behind the merry marsupial, Marcus Haslam, shared how he navigated the creation of the new wallpaper and its affable Australian subject. 

“For Questing Quokka, I aimed to embody curiosity, exploration, and quiet confidence in a single mark. The quokka’s outline seamlessly merges with the contour line background, while a path winds through — guiding the eye and hinting at future journeys. It moves in harmony with the terrain it explores, symbolising navigation, adaptability, and the quiet thrill of discovery.

“The strong circle anchors the composition, while the quokka’s forward stance expresses purpose and momentum. A calm yet adventurous mark, Questing Quokka serves as a reminder that every great journey begins with a single step.”

A happy little collective 

Joining the Quokka is a collection of backgrounds created and voted upon by the Ubuntu Community as part of our time honored Wallpaper Competition. Every release we put out a call to our extremely talented artists and photographers and they never fail to deliver. It’s our great honor to present the winners of the Questing Quokka wallpaper competition:

Mascot

Photography

Digital / Abstract

Getting Involved

In the grand tapestry of our Ubuntu realm, the Ubuntu Wallpaper Competition stands as one avenue for you, esteemed allies and artisans, to contribute to our vibrant community.

I invite you to explore the many ways to join our collective endeavor and enrich Ubuntu with your creativity and collaboration.