Atherton

 23 March - 2 April 2025

Before we left Cairns to return "home" to the Atherton Tablelands, we made one last visit to the Esplanade in search of birds, then packed up and were on our way. We made the usual stop in Kuranda for a walk around and a coffee, before continuing on to Atherton.

We checked in to the caravan park close to town, where we have stayed a few times. It is one of the best kept caravan parks we have visited and the bonus is that there is lots of birdlife around. The down side was that the rain we had been experiencing for more than two weeks, was forecast to continue. With that in mind we chose a site with a slab, close to the amenities.

We had originally planned to stay for three nights but decided we might as well stay for the ten days we had left before our house sitting commitment in Lake Eacham. We were glad we did as the rain continued on and off for the whole time, including a couple of nasty thunderstorms. There was significant rain across most of the state so we couldn't have escaped it anyway.

Lake Eacham has long been a favourite spot

We did all the usual things while we were in Atherton - Hasties Swamp, Petersen Creek, Mount Hypipamee Crater, a walk around Lake Eacham, and this time we went on the cruise around Lake Barrine. The Lake Barrine Tea House had a special on the cruise - free for over 65s in April so we took advantage and were very pleased we did. We've been on this tour a number of times and each time the guide had told us about the resident python that is "usually over there", but not when we've been there. This time there were four pythons spotted! Success at last!

Dinner Falls in Mt Hypipamee NP

Lake Barrine Teahouse seen from the cruise

We were lucky that on our final morning in Atherton the sun was shining after a very loud and heavy thunderstorm overnight. We were able to get the canvas mostly dry before packing up, knowing that we would be able to open the camper trailer once we were settled in at the house sit.

Cairns

 21 - 23 March 2025

North Queensland has had much more rain than is usual for a wet season and Townsville and Ingham seem to have received most of it. We waited anxiously for the Bruce Highway north of Ingham to reopen and set off as soon as we could. We were aware that with even a small amount of extra rain the road could be closed again.

We decided to scrap our plans to stay at Mission Beach as they were in for a heap of rain too, and instead headed straight for Cairns. We made it through Ingham and could see that the water was only just below the level of the road when we passed the Seymour River which flows into the Hinchinbrook Channel from the Herbert River. There was so much water around!

We stopped in Cardwell for lunch as has become our tradition and then continued on to Cairns. This time we chose a caravan park quite close to The Esplanade so Mick could get down to do some birding. Although we thought about heading to his favourite birding spot as soon as we were set up, it was getting quite late, and we were both exhausted after a long and busy day.

Blue skies at last - for a short while anyway

We did managed to get to a few spots for some bird photography the following day, including the Cairns Cemetery, which was only a block away, as well as the Botanic Gardens and, of course, The Esplanade. We revisited The Esplanade on Sunday morning before returning to the Caravan Park to pack up and finally make our way to the Atherton Tablelands.

Townsville - Mick and Laurie's

 20 - 21 March 2025

After 4 rainy days at Airlie Beach, it was finally dry enough to pack up and move on. As Mick was winding up the campper, he noticed the winch strap had almost torn through so that was another repair we would have to get done. We were headed to Townsville so were hopeful we could get that done, and also get some of the pinchweld needed to reseal the storage hatch.

Caravan park in Airlie Beach was so green

Townsville, and other parts of North Queensland had experienced another massive downpour of rain - over 200mm - so we were glad we had stayed further south for a few days - but there was more to come, and the Bruce Highway was closed north of Ingham, again. We drove from Airlie Beach and stopped in Bowen for lunch where it was just starting to rain. 

We continued on to Townsville and went straight to Clark Rubber to get the seal, then on to Mick and Laurie's. We had driven through some very heavy rain, but it had eased off by the time we reached our destination. Not long after arriving and getting settled, the rain bucketed down again and continued through most of the night. We were very grateful to be staying with friends and not camping in that weather.

On Friday morning, we checked and the road was still closed so we set about finding someone to repair the winch strap. I took the strap to Beehive Canvas who had said they would be able to do it straight away. The job only took a few minutes and they only charged a few dollars. Getting that job done meant we could get back on the road as soon as we were able. While I was out Mick replaced the seal, and I visited friends Wendy and Jay. While I was on the way to their place, I heard on the radio that the highway had reopened.

Back at Mick and Laurie's we had morning tea, packed up and said our farewells. We decided we'd go straight to Cairns as we were getting close to the time we had arranged to meet the people we would be house sitting for in April. 

Airlie Beach

 16 - 20 March 2025

We drove down from Eungella and stopped in Proserpine briefly before heading to Airlie Beach. Fortunately there was no rain around when we arrived so we were able to set about drying everything off again. We had more water in under the bed which Mick suspected was due to a seal on the side hatch not working as it should. Once again we pulled everything out and hung things up to dry. 

The rain held off for a while, but there was lots more forecast. We still had an old side wall / wind break from a car awning we used to have so we rigged it up to provide some extra protection on that side of the camper, while relying on the awning on the other. We crossed our fingers and hoped it would work.

We had a couple of days without too much rain and we were able to get out and do some shopping and to also go for a walk along the beach - with some birding added in for interest. We drove to Shute Harbour but moved on when we realised we would have to pay to park - even just to have a short stop at the lookout. We called in to a short walk in the rainforest in Conway National Park but didn't get far due to the very boggy track.

More grey skies

Most of the rain fell overnight, but that meant the canvas would be wet when we packed up if we stayed the three days we had planned, so we decided to watch the weather and make up our minds on a day by day basis. The caravan park staff were very happy to accommodate our needs, we just needed to them know by midday if we intended to stay. We booked an extra night and hoped for the best as the forecast suggested Thursday might not be too wet.

There was very little rain overnight on Wednesday and the sun was trying to poke through the clouds on Thursday morning. We did a bit of organising, and by morning tea time, the canvas was dry enough to be able to start packing up. We left Airlie Beach around 11:00 and started the journey to Townsville where we had arranged to spend the night with friends.

Eungella National Park - Broken River Bush Camp

 13 - 16 March 2025

We knew there was rain forecast for Eungella - but it is in the rainforest so we figured that would be part of the adventure. The sky was overcast but there was no rain until we stopped at Finch Hatton to pick up some milk. Milk had been hard to get since Tropical Cyclone wreaked havoc further south, but we didn't expect there to be none in Mackay supermarkets. Thankfully, the small general store in the Pioneer Valley had plenty.

It started to rain while we were stopped and continued all the way up the range to Eungella. It was still raining when we set the camper trailer up. We were very thankful to have a couple of good raincoats! We set up as best we could and settled in to enjoy the view of the creek at the rear of the campsite. Broken River is well known for platypus and we were hoping to get to see some, but we were really there for the birds.

Our home  for three nights

Because of the almost constant drizzle, we didn't do as much walking in the forest as we had hoped. We did manage to get out to the various platypus viewing spots a number of times between showers and were well rewarded. We also visited the cafe adjacent to the National Park office for morning tea. 

We saw at least one platypus!

On Friday afternoon we went for a drive down Dalrymple Road to a well-known spot where Eungella honeyeaters are found - and were in luck. The sky was grey, and there was some rain, but Mick did manage to get some photos. We rewarded ourselves with a drink at The Chalet - the local pub which had great views down through the valley.

Friday drinks with a view

On Saturday morning we went for another drive in search of birds - this time on the Crediton Loop Road. This one wasn't quite as successful, but helped to pass the time. There is no phone or internet reception at the campground so we drove up to Sky Window - a lookout - a couple of times each day to check the weather (hoping the forecast had miraculously changed - it hadn't). 

While we were at Eungella we had success with trapping our mouse. The first night, he took the bait and got stuck in the little house but managed to escape while Mick was trying to work out if he was in there! We set the trap again the next night, and I picked it up in the morning. I could feel that it was warm so we took it with us a long way from camp and released him in the bush. Hopefully there was only one - only time will tell.

We had no choice on our last morning than to pack up while everything was still wet. We managed to get the bulk done between showers of rain, before setting off back down the range to Airlie Beach - where there was the promise of even more rain!

Mackay - Blacks Beach

11 - 13 March 2025

We had stopped in Sarina and booked a couple of nights in Mackay at Blacks Beach and were looking forward to another nice beachside spot. Although there was rain forecast the sky was clear when we arrived and I was able to get some washing done. We had also discovered that water had managed to get in under the bed again so we had to take everything out and dry it off. We figured it must have been when we were caught in the really heavy, driving rain at Moore Park Beach.

We could see more rain out to sea

The weather was hot, and there were a couple of showers of rain but otherwise we enjoyed a fairly relaxing stay which included a number of dips in the pool at the caravan park. We walked along the beach a couple of times as well. We also went shopping for the next few days which would be spent at Eungella, camping in the national park.

We had suspected for some time - as far back as the NSW south coast - that we might have had a mouse in the camper trailer. We had bought traps and left them for a few days with no result so decided that we must have been mistaken. We discovered that our mouse had managed to get into the car and was happily feasting on packaged pantry items! We set more traps and the sneaky little thing was able to eat the peanut butter without setting of the trap. After purchasing some new plastic containers to secure the few packaged items we had left, we planned to stop at Bunnings on the way out of Mackay and buy some different traps - the ones that catch the mouse in a little house.

The day we packed up to drive up to Eungella the weather forecast was for rain - and quite a lot over the next few days, but we were committed so headed off anyway, stopping to pick up some more mouse traps - hopefully ones that would outsmart our hungry passenger.

Clairview

 10 - 11 March 2025

Having successfully negotiated some very wet roads leaving Moore Park, we were unsure again about our next destination. We had flagged a farmstay just south of Rockhampton as a possibility so that Mick could go in search of an elusive Chat on the Port Alma access road so set the GPS and set off again.

We stopped in Miriam Vale and had lunch then continued on. We stopped again in Mount Larcom where I called ahead to check they had availability but didn't book as there was still a lot of rain about. We decided to drive out along the Port Alma access road to assess whether we would be able to get to the likely spots - and we had to turn around as the road was flooded. Lucky we hadn't booked the farmstay.

We decided to press on, and after refuelling in Rockhampton, figured we could make it to Clairview. We'd stayed there in a cabin a number of years ago and weren't really impressed but there aren't may options so we thought we'd give it another try.

We arrived and checked in - opting for an unpowered site. The sky was clear so we were hopeful we could at least get the canvas dry overnight. We were able to select our own site and ended up with a great view of the beach with no-one nearby. There were heaps of caravans crammed in to the ocean-front powered sites, but only a few in the expansive unpowered section. Staying in this part of the caravan park we were starting to see why so many people love the place.

We enjoyed a walk along the beach
to the creek mouth

After a breezy, dry night we packed up before an incoming shower of rain arrived and then went for a walk along the beach, and a good look for birds as well. We headed off and stopped in Sarina for a free cuppa at the Visitor Information Centre where we made up our minds to stay at Mackay for the next couple of days.

Moore Park Beach

 8 - 10 March 2025

We waited anxiously, with everyone else in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales, to see what Tropical Cyclone Alfred would do. By Saturday morning, the cyclone was downgraded to a Tropical Low and was impacting areas from the Sunshine Coast to Coffs Harbour with heavy rainfall and damaging winds. It was time to go north and away from the area, and hopefully, to some better weather.

We left Chinchilla with a bit of a plan - maybe Childers or Moore Park Beach. Along the way we stopped for a cuppa at Proston and then continued on. We stopped for lunch at Ban Ban Springs and then made the decision to go to Moore Park Beach. There was rain forecast, but there was everywhere anyway.

After picking up some supplies in Gin Gin, we booked a site at and made our way to Moore Park Beach for two nights, maybe three, depending on the weather. We were given a nice site just back from the beach. We walked on the beach and explored the nearby "Duckpond". Mick was pleased to see a few new birds for the trip. There was a bit of rain overnight, but nothing to worry about. 

The weather was good when we arrived
but soon turned nasty

We spent the morning again walking along the beach and the checking out the pond, when the weather forecast turned nasty - potential severe thunderstorms. We managed to stay mostly out of the rain during the afternoon but our plan to walk to the local Bowling Club for dinner turned into a short drive there. It was raining quite heavily when we returned, but still not too drastic.

During the night, however, the storm raged - and the wind blew the rain straight at the side of the trailer tent. We didn't realise at the time, but it was so strong that water was coming in through the window zippers. We woke, after a somewhat sleepless night, to water all through the inside of the camper and all we could do was lay down towels to try to soak some of it up, as it was still raining heavily. We knew we would have to pack up and leave for somewhere drier and fortunately there was a short break in the weather during which we readied ourselves to leave.

We had received an email from the park management regarding possible flooding on the road to Bundaberg, but weren't sure what that meant to us as we were heading north. We called into the office and a fellow camper who had left a about 1/2 hour before us had called to say she had driven through without any issue. We hoped that it would be the same for us as, if the road was flooded, the was no other way out.

There was heaps of water around, with many spots where there was water across part of the road, so we took it easy. There was one creek causeway that had water over it, but it was only a few centimetres deep, so still safe to cross. We made it into Gin Gin without incident and stopped to shop again before going north along the Bruce Highway.

Chinchilla

 6 - 8 March 2025

We had an early start at Myall Park Botanic Gardens so Mick could have a session at the bird hide before we set off again. Once more we checked the BoM app for the progress of Cyclone Alfred and confirmed our decision to stay at Chinchilla. There would probably be some rain, but nothing too drastic.

After a rest stop and cuppa in Condamine we continued on to Rubern Lagoons in Chinchilla - a place we had stayed at before, and enjoyed the bush like setting on the lagoon. We took the same sit as we had last time which meant we were looking towards the bush instead of a neighbour's caravan. 

Our site had a great outlook

We took the time to do a couple of jobs and to get a couple of loads of washing done before the rain set in. Late in the afternoon there was a very heavy, windy downpour and then a few lighter showers but not the massive deluges that were beginning to occur in the SE corner as the cyclone approached.

We did some shopping and were surprised to see empty shelves this far from the expected cyclone impact zone. There was no fresh fruit or vegetables, no chicken, no milk - fresh or UHT, no bottled water - it seems panic buying is still alive and kicking.

We packed up on Saturday morning still not sure where we would end up - maybe Childers or Moore Park Beach.

Myall Park Botanic Gardens

 5 - 6 March 2025

We left Armidale with the GPS set for Goondiwindi - back into Queensland. Our first stop was in Guyra for morning tea and a look around. We bought sandwiches, something we rarely do, but aware that it could be a hot, wet, windy day so a ready made lunch would make things easier. On the way to Inverell we made a brief stop at a lagoon at Gilgai that Mick had visited with birding friend Ian.

We made it to Inverell in time for lunch in the park then set off towards the Queensland border - and a change of time zones. We'd gain an hour leaving daylight savings behind. When we arrived in Goondiwindi it was only 1:00pm and 35 degrees so we made a quick decision to keep on travelling - perhaps to Miles or Chinchilla. 

Mick drove for a while and I had another look at the map and realised it wouldn't be much of a detour to go back to Myall Park Botanic Gardens for a night. This lovely spot has a bird hide, and we'd arrive late enough that the heat would have started to wane. We called ahead and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find we were the only ones camped there, or maybe we were the only ones silly enough to be camping in this weather.

A well-earned drink after a long day

We did a quick set up - no awning - and Mick headed off to the bird hide until dusk. He enjoyed the session while I enjoyed the peace and quiet. He returned the next morning and then we packed up ready to move on to Chinchilla.

Armidale

 3 - 5 March 2025

Having studied the weather forecasts associated with Cyclone Alfred we felt the best thing to do was to head inland. We chose Armidale because there wasn't much rain to come and it would allow us to return to the coast easily if the weather system petered out. We drove towards Port Macquarie - another spot we would have like to stay at - and then headed up into the hills through Wauchope and Walcha and on to the New England Tableland.

We stopped in Walcha to book ahead in Armidale and saw that the forecast had changed and that there was the possibility of some serious rain there too. We'd just have to deal with it when it happened. We arrived at the caravan park and were able to select our own site. We chose one adjacent to amentities and camp kitchen. We spent some time trying to locate a repairer for the broken zip, and in desperation Mick phoned Janke, in Victoria, who replaced the zip for us last time. As luck would have it, her former boss is located near Coffs Harbour. She made contact with him and we arranged to take the trailer down to him on Wednesday morning so he could replace the slider. 

There was a bit of rain in the evening and also through the night, and the new forecast had us very nervous about driving down the Waterfall Way the next day. We called Ray and arranged to go down straight away so packed up and headed off for the 2½ hour drive.

Limited visibility on Waterfall Way

There was quite a bit of rain on the way and we resigned ourselves to having to deal with wet canvas if it meant we could use the zip again. We arrived at Ray's around 1:00pm and set up the trailer while the rain held off. We didn't set up the awning but held it up when the rain started again, while Ray worked on replacing the slider. Once the job was done we packed up ready to head off back up the hill to Armidale.

Before we had left in the morning we had asked about booking into a cabin on our return as we knew we  would be worn out, and it could be quite late. Before heading back we called to confirm that we would like the cabin, and were very glad we did. We arrived back in Armidale at around 5:00pm after a  huge day and relaxed for the night without worrying about wind, rain or wet canvas.

Once again we consulted the BoM before deciding that we needed to continue our journey inland, perhaps to Goondiwindi. The cyclone was looking like it might actually cross the coast in South East Queensland, a very rare occurrence, and that would cause flooding on the New South Wales north coast. Reluctantly, we had to abandon our plans to spend time in that part of the country. 

Harrington

 2 - 3 March 2025

We left Old Bar and drove on to Harrington to stay for one night, so Mick could go out looking for the South Island pied oyster catcher again. We arrived before lunch and set up under a nice shady tree. Late in the afternoon Mick went out with the camera - but once again he had no luck.

Harrington is at the mouth of Manning River

We were watching the development of the cyclone and decided that we would just stay one night in Harrington, then move inland to Armidale so we could still come back to the coast once the weather passed. Of course it rained overnight so we had to pack up the trailer wet - but at least we managed to do it between passing showers.

By the time we left, the forecast was for some very heavy rain even in Armidale, and it looked like there could be some significant flooding ahead for the Northern Rivers region - right where we wanted to spend some time. We decided to go to Armidale anyway and then make up our minds. We had also tried calling some canvas repairers but were having no luck finding someone to fix the zip. 

Old Bar

 28 February - 2 March 2025

We left Fingal Bay after three lovely days with old friends and made our way north to Old Bar. There had been reports of Aleutian terns on the beach so we had to go and investigate. We checked in to the caravan park and then went in search of.

We drove to a spot a little way north then walked about 1½ kilometres up the beach to the sand spit. There were some birds about but it was very windy making it a less than pleasant outing - and, although there were terns, there was no sign of the one we were looking for.

Vehicles drive on the beach which is home to shore birds

We decided to drive up to Harrington the next morning in search of another bird - a South Island Pied Oyster Catcher. We left quite early but the sun was hot by the time we arrived at the beach - and again - no luck with the bird. Later in the afternoon we drove out to Manning Point in search of more birds, and for another walk along the beach in the wind. 

We always keep a close eye on the weather and this time we knew we had to be very careful as there was a cyclone brewing in the Coral Sea that was predicted to make a very southerly track, resulting in some rainy weather along the NSW coast. We figured we could go to Harrington for a night then we would head inland for a few days to wait it out. We had the added complication that the zip on the camper was playing up again and we were having trouble getting it done up - we'd have to try to get that fixed soon.

Fingal Bay

 25 - 28 February 2025

We had always promised my life long friend Anne that we would come and stay at her new home in Fingal Bay but circumstances meant we never had the chance to get there. This time however, Mick was booked onto a Pelagic boat trip out of Port Stephens so a few nights with Anne and Stephen would be perfect.

We drove north from Belmont and arrived in Fingal Bay in time for lunch. We had planned to stay a few days and were looking forward to catching up. Unfortunately for Mick, the pelagic was cancelled due to engine trouble - making five cancellations in a row for him. Anne and Stephen were generous hosts and we spent the afternoon relaxing and chatting about our travels - past and future.

On Wednesday morning they took us out on a sightseeing tour of the local area, visiting beaches and lookouts on this stunnning part of the coast, including Birubi Beach and Nelson Head Lighthouse. Our time was somewhat limited as Anne and I had a lunch date with another old friend at Stockton.

Birubi Beach -
just one of the many beautiful beaches in the area

Anne and I had met in primary school, in 1968, and have been friends ever since. Deb and I have been friends since before that - starting school together in 1965. We spent a long lunch hour catching up and it seemed like we had never been apart. Deb is a great story teller and the tales of her time as a senior NSW police officer flowed thick and fast. Reminiscing about our time together at primary school brought back many happy memories - and some long forgotten incidents that gave us a laugh.

On Thursday morning Anne took Mick and I out for a walk in Tomaree National Park, finishing at Barry Park, not far from her home. Once again we were able to see some of the stunning coastal scenery that is a feature of this area.

On Friday morning we packed up, had an early lunch with Anne and Stephen, and headed on our way to Old Bar, near Taree,

Belmont

 23 - 25 February 2025

We left Myola and headed north towards Sydney, but turned off to take the scenic route through Kangaroo Valley. Mick wanted to stop at Nepean Dam for some birding and we arrived there in time for a slightly late morning tea. We had a look and realised that the spot we should be in was a bit further on towards the dam wall so drove the short distance down there.

Mick spent a fair bit of time but was unsuccessful in finding the bird he was after. It was a nice spot anyway and we stayed there to have our picnic lunch. From there it was on through Sydney - not something I was looking forward to, but glad we had been able to time it for a Sunday afternoon.

We returned to the motorway and found the drive easier than I had expected - especially the North Connex tunnel that completely cuts out the nightmare that was Pennant Hills Road. If you've ever driven that way, you'll know what I'm talking about. We continued on towards Newcastle and checked in to the caravan park on Lake Macquarie.

The park is in a lovely spot right on the lake so we went for a walk to see if there were any interesting birds - there weren't. Just the usual ducks and black swans. In the morning we set off to do some sightseeing, but first we had to go to Nords Wharf to look for the Glossy black cockatoos.

When we found the spot we realised someone had put the marker on private property so we wouldn't be able to look for them. We decided to move on to one of the beaches, but on the way back to the highway we made a snap decision to drive down to Cams Wharf. This time we were in luck - a pair of Glossy blacks flew right across in front of the car. We turned around and, as luck would have it, there was a place to park right near where the birds had landed. Mick was very happy with this serendipitous find.

From there we drove out to Swansea Heads and went for a short walk, then on to Caves Beach. The tide was low enough for us to be able to walk to the caves, and to walk through. Again, it's a very pretty spot, but also very popular so quite crowded, even on a week day.

You can walk into and through
the network of caves

The weather had been quite hot, and a bit windy, but the worst part was having to pack up in the rain. When we woke up in the morning, there were a couple of spits of rain, but nothing to be concerned about. We set about packing up, and were interrupted by a friendly neighbour who stopped for a chat. That was our big mistake. By the time he had left the rain had arrived and everything was wet and so in the end we just had to deal with it. We would be spending the next three nights with friends and we didn't think we'd be able to set the camper up to dry it out. 

We left Belmont and drove along the Newcastle Bypass and on towards Fingal Bay where we would spend the next three nights with Anne and Stephen.

Myola

 21 - 23 February 2025

We left Gillards beach and stopped at Bermagui to have a cuppa and to try to boon a caravan park in Huskisson for a couple of nights. We eally wanted to stay in Booderee National Park, but at $100 per night plus the park entry fee of $20 we decided we wouldn't ever be camping there again. Our next choice was Huskisson, but there wasn't anything available. We broadened our range to include Myola and Currarong but still hadn't found anything when we set off again. 

We had left a couple of messages at caravan parks as sometimes the online booking system shows no availability when there actually is room so we were hopeful. As we continued up the highway we talked about our options and realised we might need to move inland - anything on the coast within coo-ee of Sydney on a weekend was starting to feel like an impossibility.

We stopped for lunch at a rest area and had just opened up the map to try to plot a route when we received a phone call from the caravan park at Myola. Great timing! Yes, they had an unpowered site, but there was two night minimum. No problem, we actually wanted two nights.

We continued on to Myola where we settled into the caravan park. It wasn't the greatest place with many old onsite vans with outdoor rooms attached. Quite a few looked to be very run down, and they were really close together giving a less than attractive impression. 

Mick was keen to go birding to a spot near Currarong so we headed out very early the next morning to Abraham's Bosom Reserve. There are a heap of walking tracks but not much signage to indicate how long any of them are. We walked along the main track and found the bird Mick was looking for. We then walked on to Wreck Beach then back to Abraham's Bosom Beach. It's a lovely reserve worth exploring, with some beautiful beaches.

Abraham's Bosom Beach - just beautiful

The reason all the caravan parks were full was that a Triathlon Festival was being held in Huskisson over the weekend so the place was packed. We had been told about the small private ferry service operating across Currabene Creek from Myola to Huskission. We decided to go over for lunch.

It was a nice walk down to the jetty, and even though the ferry usually operates on an hourly timetable, for the duration of the festival it was basically shuttling backwards and forwards all day. We went for a walk in town which was a bit of a challenge with roads closed and events being conducted in a number of locations. The town was busy, but we found a spot for a very nice pie at the local bakery. We wandered into a number of shops, then back to the ferry for the ride home.

A short ferry ride across the creek to town

Our next stop would be north of Sydney so we decided to drive through from Myola as the traffic on a Sunday would be much easier than on a weekday. Of course we had to plot a course that would take in a birding opportunity! We left Myola and drove up through Kangaroo Valley towards Nepean Dam.

Mimosa Rocks National Park - Gillards Campground

 20 - 21 February 2025

We left Lakes Entrance with the intention to stay somewhere on the NSW south coast - maybe around Merimbula or Pambula. It wasn't all that far so we first detoured towards Marlo and found a nice spot for coffee on the Snowy River. We continued on to Cape Conron National Park and stopped at the boat ramp for a successful spot of birding.

From there we drove on through Eden and stopped for lunch at Waldrons Swamp Rest Area - but we didn't see any sign of the swamp. We continued on and tried to find a spot in a caravan park but they were either full, or what they had on offer wasn't suitable, and they were all very overpriced. We took a chance on getting a site in a national park and were able to book a spot in the Mimosa Rocks National Park, just north of Tathra. 

Gillards Beach had good reviews so we booked and drove on to the campground. We had booked "on the run" and hadn't taken too much care to get the best spot, but the site we had was quite suitable for one night. It wasn't too hard to get the camper trailer level, but there were a lot of tree roots that made the site very uneven to walk on. Because of the position of the site, we were also facing away from the beach. We'll be more careful next time.

Lots of beach and not many people

It was quite late when we arrived so we set up and went for a walk down to the beach. By the time we returned it was time to get dinner organised. We didn't stay late in the morning, and we set off, again not knowing where we would spend the next night.

We wanted to go to Huskisson, so took the coast road to Bermagui where we stopped to try and organise somewhere to stay while we had a cup of coffee.

Lakes Entrance

 19 - 20 February 2025

We weren't sure how long it would take to get from Colac Colac to Lakes Entrance as Google Maps and our GPS are rarely accurate on windy mountain roads. On the advice of locals we took the road through the Nariel Valley which included 67km of dirt. Despite the unsealed road, it was a spectacular drive, and cut off a significant amount of time from the alternative route via Mitta Mitta.

We arrived at Omeo at morning tea time so called in to a cafe for a cuppa before continuing on. We found a nice picnic area on the Tambo River at Ensay along the Great Alpine Road. We arrived in Lakes Entrance quite early in the afternoon and spent some time in town before heading up to our friends' house. We had met Ruth and Boyd at a campground on Cape York in 2016 and met up with them at a number of camps. Since then we have remained friends and we always try to fit in a visit when we're in the area. 

Pelicans and Cormorants

Because of other commitments we could only stay one night. We enjoyed catching up and sharing travel tales, as always, and appreciated the generosity of friends we only see once in a while. We packed up again and headed off towards the south coast of New South Wales.

Colac Colac

 15 - 19 February 2025

We set off from Glenrowan but didn't get far before we detoured off the highway to another favourite spot -  Honeyeater Picnic Area and Cyanide Dam in the Chiltern - Mount Pilot National Park. It was morning tea time, so we made a cup of coffee and went for a walk around the dam. It's a lovely spot for a short stop with bonus birding included. 

We returned to the highway and continued on until taking the turn towards Talangatta. We stopped for lunch on the foreshore of Lake Hume at Tallangatta, but it was so windy we had a very quick bite to eat before continuing on towards Colac Colac - not to be confused with Colac which is also in Victoria. "Clack Clack" is only a few kilometres from Corryong and is in a beautiful location on Corryong Creek, with views all around. We set up camp in a quiet spot in the caravan park and settled in for a relaxing few days.

Our friends from Townsville who are travelling full time arrived to meet us the following day. We try to catch up with them whenever possible and we were looking forward to a couple of days together. Judy and John had stayed at Colac Colac a few weeks before so suggested a day trip for the next day.

We set off after breakfast, following Judy and John to Bluff Falls. There is a camping area nearby but it is closed at the moment and looks like it is being redeveloped. There is a short walk from the carpark to the falls and then a set of stairs that takes you to the bottom for a different view. It was there that John crashed his drone into a tree - on the other side of the creek. I wonder how many drones end up left in trees and bushes?

It's an easy walk from the carpark to the falls

From the falls we continued on to the small town of Jingellic in New South Wales for a lovely lunch at the pub, right on the Murray River. We went for a walk and had a look at the campground that is between the pub and the river. It looked like a top spot to camp. We returned to Colac Colac via the road that follows the Murray River, stopping at a couple of lookouots and Clark Lagoon Wildlife Reserve. Our friends drove back a different way - along the NSW side of the river and arrived back at the caravan park only a couple of minutes ahead of us. 

We went to NSW for lunch!

The following day we had a look around Corryong and discovered the sewerage ponds - usually a good spot for birding, but not this one. We visited the shops and picked up some supplies from the supermarket. We also chatted to some locals at the servo to get some advice about which road we should take back to the coast. It's always good to get local knowledge about road conditions.

The following morning we packed up, said farewell to our friends and set off to travel to Lakes Entrance.

Glenrowan

 12 - 15 February 2025

We have stayed at Glenrowan quite a few times so Mick can photograph the Turquoise parrots that frequent the park, so we didn't want to miss another opportunity. We drove from Bendigo straight to the caravan park on a very hot day. We set up but were disappointed that the birds didn't seem to be around.

On previous stays at the caravan park there have been regular visits to the bird bath by a number of birds, and there are usually a few visiting birders - but not this time. There has been talk that the management of the park has been less than encouraging of birders and some feel that she has actively discouraged them. This certainly looks to be the case which is such a shame.

We had wanted to stay a few days, but thought that maybe one would do - until we checked the weather forecast for the places that were next on our list and saw that there might be some significant rainfall and possibly damaging storms. We decided to stay for three nights and hope that the weather wasn't too bad where we were.

Despite the lack of birds,
we did enjoy the peace and quiet

We took the opportunity to catch up on some shopping and general day to day tasks while we were there, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Most visitors only stayed overnight so the park was very quiet during the day. We also drove over to Benalla to have coffee with Mick's sister. Collette is always pleased to see us, and it was a nice morning out.

We rose early on our final morning to go for a spot of birding in the nearby Warby Ranges National Park. Mick had been told about a spot not far away and he was happy to see that there were a number
of Turquoise parrots right where he hoped they would be. 

We drove back to the caravan park and were packed up ready to leave by 9:00am. We headed off up the highway on our way to Colac Colac, in the Victorian High Country.

Fosterville - Somerville Park

 10 - 12 February 2025 

Before heading towards Bendigo for our next stay, we detoured to another lake where Blue-billed ducks had been reported recently. Apparently the low water level at Lake Purrumbete may have sent them elsewhere. We drove to Lake Struan Wildlife Reserve where we could see plenty of ducks - but they were not close enough to shore to get a positive ID. Mick took lots of photos anyway and, later that night, was able to see that there was indeed, a number of Blue-bills. He keeps a list of all the birds he has sighted for the year (as well as a life list) but he won't add anything unless he is absolutely certain. He was now able to add the Blue-bills to the year list.

We drove on through Lismore, Beaufort, Maryborough and then on to Bendigo. We had chosen to stay at a Hipcamp - our first - just out of Bendigo. We had called ahead and were told we were the only ones booked in. We were met on arrival by Cheryl and shown to the site that we had been allocated - but we could move to another one if we wanted. We were happy to stay at "Valley View" because they had set up the port-a-loo there for us. It was such a nice spot, we paid for two nights straight away.

A very peaceful spot!

Proximity to the Greater Bendigo National Park was important and after a very peaceful night we set off into the park in search of some more birds. We didn't have any luck there so headed into town with a stop at Lake Weeroona, right on the edge of the CBD. It's always a very popular spot, with lots of people enjoying the warm weather. 

From there we went into town to buy a new pair of binoculars - Mick's were probably 20 years old, not the greatest quality and had recently broken, so it was definitely time to upgrade. We found the Camera House store and he chose a nice pair of Nikons, which he is very happy with.

We dropped a gas bottle off to be tested, redated and refilled before returning to camp for lunch and a very relaxing afternoon. Just on dark we went out in search of some night birds we heard calling. Mick didn't get any photos but we did get a look at one that perched on a branch quite close to us.

We couldn't pick up the gas bottle until late in the morning so we really appreciated not having to leave this lovely campsite until after almost 11:30am. By the time we had driven in to the gas place it was lunch time so we stopped for a picnic at Lake Weeroona before continuing on to Glenrowan.

Lake Purrumbete

 8 - 10 February 2025

We chose Lake Purrumbete as our next stop because we wanted to escape the weekend crowds on the Great Ocean Road and there was a chance of seeing Blue-billed duck. We left Port Campbell, stopped at Cobden for coffee and were at the caravan park around 11:00am.

We chose a spot that had a view towards the lake, set up and went for a walk. No blue-bills! To add to the disappointment, the wind started to blow and just kept getting stronger. We checked the forecast again and it would be like this for the two nights we were booked in for. It was cold and windy, but we had fortunately set the camper trailer up so that it blocked the wind most of the time. We escaped the wind duing the afternoon by driving into Colac to do some shopping, and in the evening by making use of the camp kitchen.

It was nice to be close to the water 

Lake Purrumbete is a fishing spot and there were lots of people with boats, but not too many out on the lake due to the weather. We tried to enjoy our time there, but the weather really spoiled what could have been a lovely weekend. We checked the forecast for the rest of the week on the Otways and Great Ocean Road and came to the conclusion that we would have to forego that part of the trip - it was going to be even windier and then there would be some very heavy rain. It was time for a rethink and we decided to head towards Glenrowan - a bit of a detour, but we could go back to the coast later.

Not wanting to drive for a whole day, we chose a spot near Bendigo to stay and rang ahead to book, before leaving Lake Purrumbete.

Port Campbell

 5 - 8 February 2025

We chose Port Campbell as the first stop on our Great Ocean Road journey. After lunch (and a  spot of birding) at Peterborough,  we settled in to the caravan park and discovered we were camped beside one of our favourite Youtube travelling couples. We found Steve from Trip 4 2, to be just as friendly in real life as he is online, although we didn't get to meet Ally. 

We had initially booked for 2 nights but added an extra one as soon as we arrived. It was clear this would be a nice place to stay, and an extra day would allow us to have some "down time" and see the sights. On our first day we walked along the beach into the village and called in to the Visitor Information Centre on our way home. Armed with some maps and brochures we planned our next couple of days.

Mick was keen to see penguins to add to his bird list and I was keen to do some sightseeing so we planned to drive east towards the Twelve Apostles with the aim to arrive at sunset. We headed off and stopped at Loch Ard Gorge, one of many spots where ships were wrecked. The Loch Ard was lost with only two survivors found in the bay. We walked along the clifftops where interpretative signage tells the story of the shipwreck, and also provides information on the geology, flora and fauna of the area.

Loch Ard Gorge

From Loch Ard Gorge we continued east to the Twelve Apostles and were quite surprised how full the carpark was at around 8:00pm. It was a beautiful evening after a very hot day and it seems we weren't the only ones with the idea of enjoying the sunset at one of Australia's best known natural attractions.

We made our way along the boardwalk and found a good spot. We could see the telltale signs of penguin footprints on the beach below and waited until about 10 minutes after sunset to see a small group of about eight Little penguins making their way from the water to the beach. There is a colony of about 800 birds but we were happy just to see the first few. We headed home very satisfied with the evening out.

Sunset at Twelve Apostles

We rose early the next morning for another birding session at Peterborough, although it wasn't as successful as some of the others had been. We then hit the tourist trail, first visiting Bay of Martyrs and Halladale Point, then Bay of Islands to the west of Peterborough. From there we turned towards the east again and called in to The Grotto and London Bridge before heading back to the caravan park. Because we were out early, there weren't too many people about. They can become very crowded by the middle of the day.

The Grotto

Later in the afternoon I left Mick happily procressing the hundreds of photos he had taken over the last few days, and set off on the Port Campbell Discovery Walk which can be accessed from the bridge adjacent to the caravan park. This walk is about 4.4km and is fairly easy although there are a lot of stairs at the start. The walk follows the cliff line for about the first half, then turns inland through coastal heath. It's an "out and back" walk and there is a carpark at the turn around point.

It's a big climb up the stairs at the start
of the coastal walk

We still hadn't made up our minds exactly where we would go next, but decided on Saturday morning that we would go inland to escape the weekend crowds. The caravan park in Port Campbell had been almost empty when we arrived, but by Friday night was almost full. We called ahead to Lake Purrumbete which had been recommended to us, and made our way there - only about 45 minutes away.  

Portland

 4 - 5 February 2025

We had enjoyed our longer than anticipated stay in Warrnambool and were ready to move on, but still cncerned about fires in the Otways so decided to go in the opposite direction to the one we had intended. Mick was keen to go back to Portland for a night or two so he could get some more photographs of the gannets.

Mick had been out for an early morning birding session with Tony and we left Warrnambool after a final coffee and farewell to good friends. We headed west and were at Portland just on lunch time. We decided to dine again at Mac's Hotel where they have a fabulous, well priced lunch menu. The price had risen slightly since we were there in November but was still great value.

After lunch we checked in to the caravan park and spent some time reorganising our things and doing some shopping. We planned a light dinner after a big lunch and were ready to go out to Point Danger for the 5:30pm tour at the Gannet colony.

Tours are conducted by volunteers each night and all you have to do it meet at the gate - no booking and no charge. We arrived and Mick organised his camera gear including tripod as we knew he would have about 1/2 hour to take photographs. Just before 5:30 a tour bus arrived which had us a bit worried about so many people being there but we need not have been concerned. Because we 'd been before, our guide allowed us to skip the commentary and go straight down to the viewing spot.

Mick was keen to photograph the stray Cape gannet that is part of the large colony of Australasian gannets but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Our guide was busy with others in the group but generously gave more of his time once almost everyone else had left. He was able to pinpoint the Cape gannet and Mick was finally able to get some photos of it.

Can you see the lone Cape gannet?
No? Neither could I!

With a successful session at the gannets, we were happy to leave Portland after only one night so packed up and headed off the next morning. We had decided to drive east along The Great Ocean Road and had booked a couple of nights at Port Campbell so we didn't need to rush.

We stopped at Peterborough for lunch and so Mick could do a spot of birding and then made our way to Port Campbell.

Warrnambool

 30 January - 4 February 2025

After a successful birding session at Heywood, we followed our friends Tony and Julia to their home in Warrnambool. They had invited us to stay and said we could stay as long as we liked. We thought maybe a couple of nights, but little did we know we would be there for longer.

We parked the car and trailer in their yard and enjoyed a lovely meal and relaxing evening. They planned a birding photography trip for the next day to take Mick to some of their favourite places.

The next morning, after breakfast, Mick went to move the car and trailer to a more convenient location in the yard and it wouldn't start. It was clear there was something wrong, and we were confident it wasn't the battery, but we tried a jump start anyway. Nothing, no sign that it was even trying to start. A call to RACV, and they were there fairly quickly. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get it started but was certain it was an electrical fault, so a tow to the auto electrician was arranged. Being a Friday, we had to wait until Monday for any news so we made the most of the weekend.

Not a great way to start the day -
but lucky it happened in a friends' yard

There were fires in various parts of Victoria so we weren't too worried about having a few days in one spot. Fires in Little Desert National Park had destroyed Little Desert Nature Lodge, one of our favourite places to stay, and fires in Otways National Park could mean we wouldn't be able to stay there. Smoke from the fires in Grampians National Park created some really interesting morning and evening skies as the smoke clouds moved towards the coast.

Mick went out birding with Tony and Julia late on Friday afternoon and we all went out on Saturday morning with another of their friends to a spot near an abolone farm near Port Fairy. Another expedition was arranged for Sunday morning to Peterborough, which included a stop at Timboon for coffee. despite the anxiety about the car, we had a fabulous weekend.

Smoky from fires in the Grampians

On Monday morning we went with Tony and Julia for breakfast at a local cafe which overlooked the bay. A walk on the beach was followed by a great meal, and then we received noticed from the auto electrician that the car was fixed - a new starter motor - and Tony drove us to Koroit to collect it. 

Because it was a very hot day, we decided to stay one more night which would allow Mick and Tony to have another trip to Peterborough for one last birding session together in the morning. It didn't pan out as good as the Sunday morning, but it was worth a try anyway.

Finally packed, we said our goodbyes and headed off to Portland - in the opposite direction to where we really should have been going. We were extremely grateful to Tony and Julia for their hospitality and hope to be able to repay it when they visit North Queensland.

Avoca

 29 - 30 December 2025

When we arrived in Geelong it was still very early, and cold, but we decided to return to a birdwatching spot at Barwon Heads that we had visited once before. We made our way through the city and down to the beach but initially had a bit of difficulty finding the right spot. We eventually found it and went for a walk along the beach. We didn't go too far because of the weather, but Mick did get a few bird shots.

We left the beach and headed towards Bendigo to collect the camper trailer. This time the GPS took us via Bacchus Marsh, where we stopped for brunch and to refuel. From there it was on the way to the storage yard. Leaving Bendigo we had decided that Avoca would be far enough - we'd had a very early wake-up call on the boat, and had already been on the road for more than 4 hours, thanks to the birding expedition.

We chose Avoca because the reviews of the caravan park were quite good, and we had read there was the possibility of seeing a Powerful owl. Because we had returned from Tassie without any fresh or frozen food, we headed to the pub for lunch before making our way to the caravan park.

By the time we arrived it was mid-afternoon and quite warm so we were directed to a spot with a some tree shade. We had only just started setting up when Mick spotted the owl in the tree just across the road from our site. We had to stop what we were doing so he could get the camera out. It turned out that there were at least three Powerful owls in the park.

We spent the rest of the day, and the next morning, shopping, sorting and repacking the car and trailer ready for a couple of months on the road. Mick made contact with birding friends in Warrnambool and we arranged to meet them in Heywood to try to find the Gang Gang cockatoos, before travelling on to their place. This meant we had most of the day to fill in so we took our time leaving Avoca.

From Avoca we drove through Ararat and then on to Dunkeld where we stopped to have a look around the town and to have a picnic lunch. We called in to the Visitor Information Centre and were told about the Dunkeld Arboretum so we went down there for a walk around. We didn't stay long, but it is a lovely spot for a walk.

There are some nice views from the Dunkeld Arboretum

From Dunkeld we drove on to Hamilton where we stopped again to pick up a few things at the shops, and to kill some more time. We wandered along the main street and into a small gallery selling local art, including photography. On one of the photos, we saw a name we recognised as a "Flickr" friend from way back. Turns out, Rob was minding the store that day and introduced himself when he heard us talking. He and Mick had never met so it was lovely to finally be able to have a chat with someone who he had previously only known in the virtual world.

Before leaving Hamilton we called in to the Botanic Gardens for another walk, then drove on to Heywood where we met up with Tony and Julia. The Gang Gangs were about so there was lots of camera action. From there we headed to Warrnambool where we would stay for a couple of nights.

Spirit of Tasmania

 28 - 29 January 2025

Our time in Tasmania had finally come to an end and it was time to return to the mainland. We spent the last couple of days sorting, tidying and packing, and finished with a quiet night at home with the girls. We planned to leave fairly early so that we could do some sight-seeing along the way from Hobart to Devonport.

We finished packing the car, said our final goodbyes and were ready to leave just after 9:00am. We had about 8 hours to get to Devonport so made our first stop not far away at Gould's Lagoon. This is a great birdwatching spot that we have been to a number of times, but it wasn't as productive as we had hoped.

From there we travelled north along the Midland Highway and turned off into Oatlands. Pectoral sandpipers had been reported at Lake Dulverton so we drove around the lake to the spot where they should have been. It was cold and windy, but Mick found them and took a few photos before retreating to the warmth of the car. It was getting close to lunch time so we drove to a picnic spot and ate in the car. It was just too miserable to be outside.

Our next stop was Liffey Falls. Again Mick was hoping to do some birding so we drove up through Campbell Town, and then turned off to travel through Cressy and Liffey then on to the falls. We were surprised at the number of people who were there on such a cold, windy day and a little disappointed - it's never easy getting photos of birds when there's heaps of people about. We walked to the Tall Tree and a bit beyond, but didn't walk down to the falls.

We left Liffey Falls and drove through Quamby Brook to Deloraine. We had planned to visit the Tasmanian Arboretum at Eugenana near Devonport but realised we wouldn't have time. We stopped at Elizabeth Town for afternoon tea then made our way to East Devonport. We didn't want to be at the boat too early so we killed a bit more time down on the beach.

We timed our arrival at the Spirit of Tasmania perfectly - we checked in, went through the security check and were directed straight to the ship. We only had to wait a few minutes before we were able to drive on, once again to one of the bottom two vehicle decks. Expertly directed in the small space, we were soon on our way up to our cabin, before retiring the bar for a drink or two.

A farewell drink

We ate the dinner we had brought with us and settled in for the night. We'd had a big day so were both quite tired. We always expect it to be rougher than it turns out to be and this crossing of Bass Strait was no exception.

We arrived at Geelong terminal and we were soon on our way to Bendigo to collect the camper trailer - but first we had another spot of birding to do.