Robinvale, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and Pear Tree Cottage (Nangiloc near Mildura)

Robinvale

8 – 9 November 2015

We drove towards Hay and made a short stop at Black Swamp – for the birdwatching of course. It didn’t live up to the publicity so we didn’t stay long. After a stop for fuel in Hay, we drove on to Balranald and stopped for lunch at one of the many rest stops along the way. There was one about every 20 minutes, and some were better than others. The one we stopped at (Willow Vale I think) had dedicated truck parking, new toilets and picnic tables.

We drove on through Balranald and into Victoria. We crossed the Murray River and stopped at the caravan park in Robinvale, right on the river. The park had good reviews and they were fairly accurate – the caravan park was well kept, with good facilities and very friendly staff and visitors – a great location, but one that would be very crowded in school holidays and long weekends.

The area around the Murray River close to the SA border is prime habitat for Regent parrot, another striking, long tailed parrot. It favours River red gums and is mainly seen either flying by in pairs or small flocks, or perched high in gum trees. Frustrating for a hopeful photographer. They were seen regularly flying over the caravan park and a couple stopped briefly allowing me to get this shot of a female. Mick.

Female Regent parrot.

We did some shopping at the local IGA supermarket and had a generally quiet afternoon. Next morning we packed up and headed back into town for a coffee and stop at the Visitor Information Centre. We knew it was only a short drive to our next destination, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.

Lake Hattah – Hattah-Kulkyne National Park

9 – 12 November 2015

We had booked in advance to stay at Hattah-Kulkyne – as is required in Victorian National Parks – and paid the rather high fee of $37 per night, for three nights. We had camped here about 9 years ago and Mick was keen to return to this mallee park. We arrived around lunch time, set up camp and watched the temperature rise steadily through the afternoon.

We ventured out on the Hattah Nature Drive - a very easy loop. With the interpretative information provided in a leaflet available from the visitor centre, it was an interesting outing. The stops are well sign-posted and provide the visitor with an insight into this national park, its history and ecology.

Apostlebirds around their mud nest, a short, but very hot walk from camp.

By late afternoon it was 36 degrees and we were struggling with the heat. We drank lots of water and did very little, except try to dodge the flies and little black ants. We both agreed this wasn’t shaping up very well at all. The temperature didn’t start to drop until after dark so we abandoned our plans for a camp oven dinner – opting instead for cold chicken and potato salad we had managed to cook despite the conditions. We retreated into the camper trailer to eat, and it was a welcome, if a little hot, relief from the insects.

The temperature did drop to a manageable level overnight and the next day looked bright and clear, with the promise of a milder temperature. We headed out early, bound for a spot Mick remembered from our last visit and ended up at the Warepil Lookout. The walk was a  steady climb to the top of a sand dune, then up the steps to the top of a lookout platform. The view was the same in all directions – flat, covered in mallee vegetation.

After morning tea back at camp we headed out again, this time bound for the Mournpall Campground to have a look. Along the way we ran in to another bird photographer – Michael and his partner Jill. The two Michaels started chatting and discovered they have been Flickr friends for some time. What a nice surprise!

We headed back to camp for lunch and the weather had changed again - a gentle breeze kept the temperature at a reasonable level. In the afternoon we drove out again along the Mournpall Track and then onto the Konardin Track in search of birds. The roads in the park are all unsealed but in generally very good condition. There are some sandy tracks, but we had no trouble negotiating the ones we travelled on.

Female Mallee emu-wren

Male Mallee emu-wren

Male Splendid fairywren.

After a very windy night we set out again along the various tracks. The weather was fine, but there were some clouds starting to gather during the afternoon, and rain was forecast for the following day - our last at Hattah-Kulkyne. 

The two camp grounds at Hattah-Kulkyne are similar, both have toilets in a couple of locations, some fire pits (which we couldn't use thanks to the heat one day, and the wind the rest), and some picnic tables and chairs. You cannot gather firewood within the park, but between the highway and the grid at the park entrance, you can. We camped at Lake Hattah and had views of the lake, but next time we will probably try Lake Mournpall because it looked shadier and most campsites were closer to the lake.

There seems to be more Noisy mynahs, and bollards, around the camp than I can remember from our last visit, but it was great to be back in the mallee. Lots of the species here can be quite tricky to find, let alone photograph. One is the Red-lored whistler and another, the Striated grasswren. We had an encounter with the whistler but did not see hide nor hair of the grasswren. I'm very happy to have left with some nice shots of the Mallee emu-wren, another one that's not easy to find. Mick

The rain that was predicted, started during the night with lots of thunder. Through the morning storms moved across, some quite heavy, and some with thunder and lightning so it was a wet pack up. Because of the rain, we headed straight to the highway for the drive to our next destination - Pear Tree Cottage at Nangiloc. If the weather had been fine we could have driven through the park along the Mournpall Track.

Pear Tree Cottage - Nangiloc

12 - 15 November 2015

We had stayed at Pear Tree Cottage nine years ago, and promised to return and we finally had our chance. The cottage itself is the old family home on a citrus orchard. It's a quirky A-frame with 4 bedrooms, and an outside (but modern) toilet. We were greeted warmly by our hosts Barb and Dave, who remembered us from our previous visit! We were treated to fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh oranges, avocados, lemons and garlic. All produce from the family farm. Dave is also a keen birdwatcher so was happy to share some information about likely spots with Mick.

The old A frame nestled among Jacaranda trees has bags of character.

Inside is pretty quirky but comfortable.

Outside in the jacaranda tree a Collared Sparrowhawk has a meal.

The flowering jacaranda provides a nice backdrop.

After much needed showers and lunch we headed into Mildura to pick up supplies so there was no birdwatching that afternoon. In the morning we headed back into Hattah-Kulkyne NP armed with Dave's instructions, in search of the Malleefowl. We stopped on the sand ridge, walked along and - no malleefowl mound. We thought maybe we had the wrong one, so drove to the next sand ridge and tried again - still no mound, so we gave up and headed home for lunch. During the afternoon, Dave showed Mick the exact spot using Google Maps, so we headed out again - and there it was, not only the mound but the bird as well. Mick was pleased to be able to get some shots of it, but it was very shy and mostly stayed behind vegetation.

Malleefowl

Another Splendid fairywren, it's very hard not to photograph these.

Yellow-plumed honeyeater.

In the morning we went out for a drive along Castle Crossing Road where there is still some remnant mallee - most has been removed to make way for vineyards and orchards. This road leads out the dump and passes a nice little wetland, as well as the promised stands of mallee. A short drive from Pear Tree Cottage and a pleasant morning.

A great many parrots live in this area. Regent, Mulga, Major Mitchell's, Blue bonnet, Red-rumped, Ring-necked and Elegant parrots are among the species that can be seen, if you're lucky. Mick. 

Male Regent parrot

The beautiful Mulga parrot.

We drove the short distance down the road to the local pub - The Riverbend Tavern - for lunch. A typical country pub feed at a reasonable price. The business also includes the Post Office and shop - and is vital to a small community such as Nangiloc.

Later on we went back to the Boundary Track in search of the Malleefowl for some better photos - but alas he was not home this time. Ever the perfectionist Mick will have to make do with the ones taken the previous day.

Barb has a small stall at the gate, selling farm produce, so we bought a dozen fresh eggs to take with us. We had enjoyed the avos, oranges, cherries and garlic provided too. We headed off towards Ouyen and the next part of our adventure.