Cairns

30 September – 4 October 2023

It’s a relatively short drive from Yungaburra to Cairns so we stopped in Kuranda for a look around and a coffee. Towing the trailer makes parking a challenge but there are a number of long vehicle parking bays one street back from the main street. We were early so found one easily. Disappointingly, when we returned later, every other spot was taken by a single vehicle.

We drove down the Kuranda Range and arrived at the caravan park in time to set up and have lunch. This park allows check-ins for powered sites from 11:00 am – very convenient and helpful. We had stayed at this one before and chose it again as it is on a creek, has lots of shady trees and a lovely pool.

Mick had a number of things on his Cairns wish list so we had a fairly full schedule planned, most of it involving photographs of birds. We started with a drive to the mouth of the Barron River at Machan’s Beach. The tide was out quite a long way so Mick had a bit of a walk to get close to the birds there.

On Sunday morning we headed into The Esplanade – always a favourite spot and usually a great place to photograph birds, if the tide is right. It wasn’t, but we had a good morning visiting Rusty’s Market, walking along The Esplanade and having an ice cream. We also did some grocery shopping while we were in town. Later in the afternoon we walked along the creek out of the caravan park and into Goomboora Park. This lovely, “rainforesty” park was being well used by locals to fish, walk, exercise dogs, cycle and play.

On Monday morning we set off early to Catanna Wetlands. Once part of a cane farm, and sand quarry, this environmental park has been rehabilitated into a fabulous network of walking tracks and wetlands, with a number of viewing platforms, bird hides, seats and BBQ areas. We spent a few hours spotting birds and enjoying the surroundings. Later in the day we visited the Cairns Botanical Gardens but the sandflies were biting so we didn’t stay long. After the Botanic Gardens we returned to the Esplanade where Mick met up with some fellow birders – including one he had met on a Pelagic out of Eaglehawk Neck. As always the locals were very generous with their information and shared photos of a rare sighting – a laughing gull. Despite everyone’s best efforts it wasn’t seen again – but they did have lots of photos to prove it had been there.

On Tuesday morning we made another early start – this time to the Mangrove Boardwalk near the airport. We knew from past experience to expect sandflies there so we were well prepared with long pants and shirts, as well as heavy duty insect repellent. Even so they managed to find those exposed parts of the body that hadn’t been smothered in spray. It was still a great walk along the boardwalks above the mangroves. Late in the day, we went back to the Esplanade – again – just in case the Laughing Gull returned. It hadn’t, but it was a nice afternoon there anyway.

We had one more night before returning to Townsville so decided Kurrimine Beach would do us nicely, so that’s where we headed when we left Cairns.

Tropical North Queensland - again!

A winter trip north is always a favourite and this year we decided to travel to Cairns and Lake Eacham on the Atherton Tablelands, without the camper trailer. A last minute decision also added a couple of nights at Daintree Village. As usual, the main motivation for this trip was to do some serious bird photography in some lovely spots.

Daintree Village

14 – 16 June 2017

A reported sighting of spotted whistling ducks on the Daintree River had us heading there first. An early start and a very leisurely drive up the highway and we still had time to go out to The Boulders just out of Babinda, for a picnic lunch. This is a very popular spot and there were lots of people enjoying the surrounds even though it was mid-week.

After enjoying the beautiful coastal drive north of Cairns we arrived at Daintree and checked into the lodge at the caravan park. Our room was perhaps the best on offer – the last one in the row, with uninterrupted views of the river. The lodge consists of a number of ensuite guest rooms and a communal cooking/dining/lounge area on the expansive deck. The views are fabulous too!

The spacious deck of the lodge.

The view from our verandah.

 We spent the afternoon in and around the village and then ventured across the road to the pub for dinner.

From our balcony we saw a native White-tailed Rat gnawing coconuts.

We saw a couple of White-lipped Tree Frogs around the lodge building.

Nutmeg Manikin near our room.

We were booked onto a wildlife cruise in the afternoon so spent the next morning looking for birds along the roads “up river”. We drove along Stewart’s Creek and Upper Daintree Roads, with only moderate success. Back at the lodge I spotted the whistling ducks paddling down the river towards us.  Out with the camera and Mick was well pleased. Later in the day we met out guide, Ian, for the 4:00pm wildlife cruise. Some boat tours are designed specifically for those wanting to spot crocodiles and others are more suited to bird watchers and those interested in other wildlife. Some leave from the boat ramp at the village and others from a tour centre a few kilometres down the road.

A favourite thing to do here is to drive along Upper Daintree Road and see what birds are about. There is usually plenty of Rainbow Bee Eaters and Forest Kingfishers around but you never know what might turn up. Mick.

It was overcast for most of our visit.

Cattle Egrets

Rainbow Bee Eater

Willy Wagtail

Like a bird on a wire... exactly. Tree Martin.

Once out on the river we saw lots of birds, some snakes and a few crocs as well. We spotted the ducks and Mick was able to get a few good photos although they wouldn’t turn their heads and smile for the camera.

We didn't spend much time with the Spotted Whistling Duck but I ended up with a record shot.

Seven of the eight ducklings the pair were raising in this dangerous place.

This is what most visitors to the Daintree want to see. We saw four or five individuals on this trip.

Forest Kingfisher

Forest Kingfisher

Christie takes a photo of a female croc on the bank.

The cruise took us a fair way up Barratt Creek looking for kingfishers and big crocodiles.

The sun begins to set, signaling time to head back to the jetty.

Cairns

16 - 19 June 2017

We left Daintree in the morning for the drive south to Cairns. We had plenty of time so we took our time packing up and called in to Port Douglas for morning tea. We stopped for lunch on the Esplanade in Cairns before making our way to our accommodation – an apartment further down the Esplanade.

Not a great view but an excellent location.

We spent the next few days doing some of our favourite things – a couple of long walks along the Esplanade, a drive out to Centenary Lakes and a walk around and a visit to the Mangrove Boardwalk. Each of these places have the potential for good bird photography.

Pacific Black Duck

A Striated Heron grabs a snack.

At Centenary Lakes we found Radjah Shelduck.

Radjah Shelduck

Grey-tailed Tattlers all in a row.

Some of the usual birds seen along the Esplanade. Gull-billed Tern

Eastern Curlew

The Whimbrel is similar to the Eastern Curlew though smaller and with a shorter beak.

Terek Sandpiper. This bird's broken bill probably prevents it from gaining enough condition for the annual northern migration.

Cairns waterfront.

Cairns waterfront.

We were entertained by a talented busker as we walked the Cairns Esplanade.

One of the many tourist boats comes in.

After three lovely days in Cairns it was time to set off for our next destination – Lake Eacham on the Atherton Tablelands. We used our superpower for this one – the ability to take all day to get a short distance. The trip via Kuranda is about 115 kilometres and should take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. With our superpower we took over 5 hours! Well, we did stop at the Mangrove Boardwalk and spent a good bit of time walking around looking for birds (and being bitten by sandflies despite the insect repellent). We also stopped for morning tea and a look at the op-shop in Kuranda, and for a picnic lunch and a look at the op-shops in Mareeba, and for groceries and a look at the op-shops in Atherton.

Female Shining Flycatcher.

Lake Eacham

19 - 22 June

We have stayed in many different places on the Atherton Tablelands over the last 35 years, and I think we have found our new favourite. Crater Lakes Rainforest Cottages at Lake Eacham suited us perfectly. The owners John and Jenny are welcoming and knowledgeable about the local wildlife, which is abundant. Mick had hoped to see the Victoria's Riflebird - displaying if possible, so we were allocated the cottage with the best chance for a photo.

The back deck of our cabin.

No sooner had we settled in than the birds appeared, looking for the mealworms which are provided so visitors can feed them with something appropriate. We were also provided with pellets to feed the other creatures which included pademelons and Musky rat-kangaroos.

Rufous Fantail

The light was very low but I managed to get some reasonable shots of the Victoria's Riflebird.

Male Victoria's Riflebird displaying. Getting far enough back from the action was problem with the 500mm lens.

A female riflebird mistakes Christie for a tree.

Bridled Honeyeater

Lewin's Honeyeater

Spotted Catbird

Musky Rat-kangaroo

Musky Rat-kangaroo

The weather wasn't great, but the location was perfect so apart from a quick trip into Malanda one day, and Yungaburra the next, we spent most of the time just enjoying the surroundings.

At night the cabin was snug and warm despite the cold and rain.

After a relaxing short trip away we headed home  and back to Townsville's warmer weather. No need for the fire at home!

Atherton Tablelands

25 - 28 October 2014

Our next stop would be the beautiful Atherton Tablelands. From Cairns you can travel north and go via Kuranda and Mareeba, or go south via Gordonvale and straight to Yungaburra. We opted for the longer journey via Kuranda. Both the Gillies Highway and Kuranda Range Road are steep and windy, and both can be dangerous, but Kuranda Range itself is much shorter. Besides we had all day to get to The Canopy in Tarzali.

Once we reached Kuranda, just on 9.00 am, we stopped for coffee only to discover that Kuranda doesn't really get going until later in the morning - we suspected once the tourists start arriving via Skyrail and the Kuranda Rail. We did find one coffee shop open and enjoyed our coffee - complete with milk art - before checking out the local op shop. We also did a spot of Christmas shopping in one of the few shops that were open.

Great work by the barista, worth a photo!

As luck would have it we had booked this visit on the weekend of the famed Yungaburra Markets, so this was to be a definite stop. Yungaburra Markets started as a fundraiser for the local primary school, and have grown into the biggest and best markets in the north. They are held on the fourth Saturday of each month, except December when they are held before Christmas. We wandered through the numerous stalls selling local produce, clothing, natural remedies, soaps, gift ware and numerous foods. We bought nitrate free bacon and fresh local vegies, as well as some more Christmas gifts. Traditional Swiss bratwurst hot dogs and a deep fried, battered potato twist was not the healthiest lunch - but it sure tasted good! 

Christie is serenaded by a barber shop quartet as she chooses a dip.

Not only was it markets day, it was also Tablelands Folk Festival weekend, so like Green Island, Yungaburra was packed with tourists, but unlike Green Island, these were a different breed altogether. Everyone was relaxed and friendly, polite and courteous. Despite the crowds, it was a nice place to be.

Green-eyed Tree Frog found in the bath room.

From Yungaburra we drove on to Malanda to pick up more supplies and then on to The Canopy. We had stayed here before and chose to return as it is a beautiful spot in the rainforest, with abundant birdlife. Bird seed and over-ripe bananas are provided so you can attract the locals and it didn't take long for Mick to get the camera set up on the tripod on the balcony of our pole house. Brush turkeys were the noisiest visitors and catbirds the greediest. King parrots, Macleays honeyeaters, Victoria's riflebirds and many others visited throughout the afternoon. 

This is the boss turkey. There were at least six others in his entourage constantly hanging around, totally obsessed with getting a share of whatever food was on offer.

Light levels were always very low in the rainforest, making photography very difficult. I found myself pushing the ISO up to numbers I'd not attempted before and still not even getting 1/160 s. As a result, close up detail has suffered and lots of shots were blurred and unusable. Luckily, modern cameras can handle high ISOs very well and in in conjunction with noise reduction and editing software, a decent image is possible. 

I set up my camera with a flash attached on a tripod at the other end of the deck from where birds came in to feed. Whenever birds came in I clicked away like crazy. Unfortunately the feeder is at the darkest part of the deck. This was a great learning experience as I worked through different combinations of ISOs and fill flash values. Because of the lack of light the aperture was always wide open. Mick.

Spotted Catbird

Wompoo Fruit-Dove

I could never tire of this view.

Sunday was a relaxing day spent at the cabin, with Mick alternating between taking and processing photos. Some of the birds eat out of your hands and one of the king parrots was quite demanding – sitting on the table and making eye contact and noises until a handful of seed was made available.

Australian King-Parrot Female

Macleays honeyeater

Victoria's riflebird Male

Victoria's riflebird Female flicks banana into its mouth.

We were awoken by noises inside the cabin to discover a midnight possum raiding party. I had forgotten to close the louvres in the kitchen before retiring for the night! The Special K cereal was overlooked in favour of bananas, and date and walnut loaf as the food of choice for these very cheeky creatures. As Mick held the door open to shoo one out, another came strolling in. The trail of possum pee revealed that they had even been into the bedroom – perhaps checking that we were asleep. 

They are a pest but an irresistible one.

The local currency is banana.

We headed out - having cleaned up after the possum party - and made our way to Malanda and then Atherton for the op-shops. Then it was on to "Platypus Park" and Hastie Swamp for some bird watching. There is a great hide at the swamp, but not many birds on this occasion. Back to Malanda for lunch at the bakery - tasty pies and good service (they even provide hand sanitiser on the tables!) Back over to Yungaburra for a browse in the shops and you would never know the place had been crawling with thousands of tourists and visitors two days before - it was back to its sleepy and peaceful self.

Eastern Water-dragon.

Bridled Honeyeater sun-baking.

Gerygone feeding young in nest.

These three shots were all taken at another favourite birding place of mine, Platypus Park in Atherton. I make a point of visiting each time we are on the Atherton Tableland and am never disappointed. 

Because of the diverse habitat available in a relatively small area, there is always plenty of wildlife. Because this is a suburban park the wildlife is more accustomed to humans, so you are generally able to get a little closer. A large Evodia tree in the park blooms around Christmas each year and becomes the focus of a multitude of nectar-loving creatures. Several species of honeyeater, butterflies, lorikeets, beetles and other insects all flock to the abundant nectar supply. More pics to come. Mick.

On arriving home, we went for a short walk on the property to visit the turtle hangouts. These creatures know to expect to be fed when you arrive, and come to the bank in expectation. I held a handful of the turtle food provided and was bitten on the fingers for my trouble. I didn't expect that.

We spent our last morning just enjoying the surroundings - and taking more photos, so we didn't leave until almost ten o'clock. A good run home, with a stop in Cardwell for lunch.

Time to start planning the next trip....