24 - 26 June 2014
Wallaman Falls is one of those places that is close to home that we had never visited. We had always intended to visit and decided this would be our next camping destination. We booked to stay for three nights.
On the way through Ingham we stopped for a quick visit to Tyto Wetlands, but decided against the long walk as we were keen to get to our destination. When I had booked the day before it appeared we would be the only campers on the first and last nights and with one other camper registered for the second night we were looking forward to a peaceful and restful time. How wrong could we be! No sooner had we arrived and set up camp in our chosen spot, than we were visited by a "grey nomad" asking about how to register to camp. We provided the information - go to the phone box provided and call - and settled in for a relaxing afternoon.
 |
| Juvenile Comb-crested Jacana at Tyto Wetlands |
 |
| Comb-crested Jacana at Tyto Wetlands |
Throughout the afternoon more campers arrived with camper vans and tents to fill up more of the remaining sites. Not a problem really until we were invaded by a horde of noisy teenagers. I have nothing against young people - I have two of my own - and applaud their willingness to get out into the great outdoors, but these young folk seemed to have no idea that most campers in National Parks are there for the peace and quiet, unfortunately their loud voices persisted until late at night.
The campsite was well appointed although only a couple of sites were suitable for our type of camp set up. Toilets and a cold shower were provided as were picnic tables, shelter sheds and fire pits (BYO firewood). There was plenty of grass to set up the tent not far from the car. We knew a cold night was forecast, but hadn't expected the extreme lows that eventuated. Fortunately we had brought fire wood (purchased from Bunnings for $12) and were snug in out tent with the warm quilt. Getting up in the morning was a bit of a challenge though.
 |
| Sunset and food preparation. |
We went for a walk in the morning along the well-marked Bangguru Walk which took us along the creek and down to beautiful rock pools. We spent some time there just taking in the surroundings. Later in the day a ranger advised that there would be some burning off near the falls and not to be concerned abut the smoke. Mick asked about the distance to the falls as this information was not available on any of the signage or National Parks website. He advised it was "about a kilometre". It seems National Parks has a different measuring system to the rest of us. We attempted to walk and were overcome by the steep hills along the road so didn't make it up to the falls lookout that afternoon.
 |
| Evening Brown Butterfly |
We made the decision to move on to Broadwater in Abergowrie State Forest the following morning, mainly because of the cold. Because we had booked three nights at Wallaman Falls, I called National Parks from the public telephone provided and discovered you cannot change a booking once it has started and have to make (and pay for) a new booking. Seems ridiculous! I'm sure there has to be a better way. You cannot self register at the site so must book online in advance but without any flexibility to change if needed. It's no wonder many people just camp without registering and paying. After another cold night we packed up camp and drove up to the lookout - definitely more than the quoted distance.
 |
| Wallaman Falls |
 |
| Cameras at ten paces. |
The view to the falls is magnificent and well worth the time to get there. We stayed a while and took lots of photos. We decided not to attempt the obviously challenging walk to the bottom of the falls but did walk a short way down to another viewing spot.
The campground and surrounds were excellent for birding. White-throated treecreeper, female Victoria's Riflebird, and the endemic Yellow-breasted Boatbill were all encountered. Golden Penders had just finished flowering along the river on the Bangguru Walk. These prolific nectar producers would attract lots of lorrikeets and honeyeaters when in bloom, something to keep in mind for next time.
Despite the numbers of birds, I didn't manage many good shots on this particular outing. Mick.
No comments:
Post a Comment