4.8.24
Sandy Camp Wetlands
I picked Mr P up at 6.15 and we were on site at 6.30 as dawn broke. This was my second attempt to see the elusive Australasian Bittern that had been turning up on an irregular and hard-to-get-onto-have-to-be-kinda-lucky way. I had managed, so far, to retain my lousy record for chasing other people’s birds so wasn’t optimistic. However…….. you never know if you don’t go, I guess.
We wandered into the reserve and found a few random birders looking hopeful, but so far unsuccessful.
Halfway down the mid pond track and Mr P spotted a Black Bittern flying low across the ‘main’ pond and perching up in a clump of trees on the other side, about 80 meters distant. It moved fairly quickly – for a Bittern – down the tree and seemed to disappear. Shortly afterwards I thought I had it sitting dead still – as they do – to the left of the trees but couldn’t be 100% sure without a scope. A good bird, although we had both seen one here previously.
We moved on to the ‘channel’ where the AB had been seen most often. We met Nicolas & Raja there and chatted while we watched.
We did have a Pale-vented Bush-hen in the channel at very close range – a site tick for both of us – and very brief views of Spotless Crake, but no real sign of the AB. One guy did think he’d seen it but the jury remains out.
After a while Mr P and I walked off around the Bittern Pond but didn’t come up with anything else of note. We spent another half hour or so hanging around the channel with the collected twitchers but nothing else showed so we headed off.
Cape York Trip
8.8.24 - 28.8.24
Day 1. Thursday 8.8.24
A trip we had planned for 41 years – and we still left 10 minutes late.
When Mr B and I met in 1981 and found we had similar interests one of he subjects we fantasized about was a trip up Cape York. Back then it would have been a major undertaking. Now, 41 years later we were finally doing it.
Both of us had been ‘up the cape’ since. Myself only as far as Iron Range, driving from Cairns. Mr B had been to Bamaga and Weipa as well as IR, the latter several times, mainly flying in, once driving from Cairns. But, all in all, this was the adventure we had planned as young 20 somethings. Now as 60 somethings (almost 70 in my case) we finally were doing it together, by car, from Brisbane. We had booked accommodation in the Greenhoose in Iron Range, a cabin in Loyalty Bay, near Bamaga, and a powered campsite in Weipa. We had a 3 day drive to IR to start with and planned to camp, overnight only, on the way at Mackay and Mareeba.
I had stayed overnight Wednesday to ensure an early leave and we had packed the car with half the house the day before. We had agreed 6am was the start time, but a bit of stuffing around meant we didn’t actually drive away till 6.10. We had just had a coffee each before leaving so 2 hours later, and 160 kms, in Gympie we stopped at Mackers for breakfast.
We headed on.
5 hours and 599 kms later at 13.30 we reached Rockhampton. Once again Mackers came to the party and we had burgers and chips for lunch.
We reached Mackay at about 17.00, 332 kms and 3 hours later.
We had discussed camping sites and I had suggested a spot north of the town, on the coast, where camping was reportedly free. So we headed out the main road stopping only for fuel.
Mr B had installed a long range fuel tank and filled up the day before. We filled up again @ $1.91/liter which was one of the cheapest prices we had seen all day. It still cost $203 to fill the tank back up.
We headed on in the dark.
We reached Ball Bay and found it to be a very small camping area chockablock full of caravans and grey nomads. I suggested we try Cape Hillsborough National Park where Mr P and I had camped in 2017. We drove there – about another 20 minutes – watching keenly for Kangaroos or Wallabies along the road edges.
We found the Cape Hillsborough Natural Tourist Park and drove around seeing a couple of spare sites, but reception was closed and it all seemed a bit iffy and, again, full of caravans.
I was getting concerned now, because it appeared our only option was to drive back to Mackay and try to find a caravan park still open. That was going to take us the best part of an hour and Mr B was pretty tired from doing all the driving. I thought I might end up being sent home on the next available flight….
We saw Smally’s Beach camping area on the map and decided to throw the dice once more – it was only 10 minutes away.
Perfect! It was, in fact, the national park camping area Mr P and I had camped in in 2017 and we ended up camping in exactly the same site he and I had inhabited back then! It wasn’t named on the map as the NP camping area but that was what it was. We got our tents up – didn’t bother with the outer layers as it was a warm night and no rain expected – scrounged some water from a couple of women at a nearby campsite – we hadn’t brought any with us – and settled for ham and cheese sandwiches and (thank God) coffee for dinner.
Panic over.
Bird-wise – didn’t see much, obviously from the car. A big number of Black Kites, a few Whistling Kites and 1 probable Little Eagle among the usual highway observations. Road kill was not too heavy and appeared to be mostly Wallabys.
So 10 and a half hours driving and 880+ Kms behind us we settled in with plans to leave by 6.00am the next morning……
Day 2 Friday 9.8.24
We were both awake and up by 5, had coffee (were visited by a friendly pair of Bush Stone Curlews while we sat), broke camp and were on the road by 6.30. At about 7.30 we reached Bowen and had breakfast at… yep, Mackers again. Its quick, filling and you know what you’re getting – that’s my excuse anyway.
We headed on.
11.00 and we passed Townsville. 12.30 Ingham and we had pies and coffee from a Pie Face service station – wasn’t overly impressed.
At 14.15 we turned off the Bruce Highway and headed up to the Tablelands and eventually Mareeba just after 16.00. We were looking for the Showgrounds where free camping had been advertised on the internet, however, we couldn’t find the ‘Showgrounds’ and instead checked in at the Mareeba Rodeo campsite which was probably the Showgrounds…
Pretty busy but a big site with plenty of room for two small tents. $20 for the night included hot showers which we partook of, then bought fish and chips, conveniently on site - $34. It was a bit windy when we arrived and on the cool side, but the wind died off after dark.
Mileage – 732 kms today. Total mileage since leaving Brisbane 2 days ago – 1,713 kms.
Bird-wise – a lot more activity today. Loads of Black Kites, but still just a few Whistling Kites. A small number of Black-shouldered Kites on the wires over the endless cane fields and one probable Australian Hobby over Ingham. About 10 Red-tailed Black Cockatoos overhead and increasing numbers of Brolgas in the fields (presumably Brolgas although Sarus Cranes was a possibility. Views not good enough to be certain as we hurtled past at 100+ k/hr.) At the campsite a party of Apostlebirds chuckled around, a pair of Grey-crowned Babblers along the fence line and a pair of Red-winged Parrots flew past.
Once again road kill was not catastrophic and, again, appeared to be mainly Wallabys plus a few Bandicoot sp. We didn’t see any dead snakes.
Day 3 Saturday 10.8.24
We were up again before 5.30, broke camp and were at Mackers for hotcakes by 6.15.
We fueled up ($1.98/l, 85 liters, $168) and headed north.
We reached Lakelands roadhouse at 9.30 and fueled up on coffee again. At 10.30 after 290 kms of bitumen we hot the first dirt. Only 8 kms of it in the first section, then bitumen again, but the rest of the day was on and off, some OK, some pretty awful - probably two thirds bitumen or concrete, at least until Archer Roadhouse at 13.45. We stopped here and Kerrod had something to eat, then continued the last 50 kms before turning off to Iron Range.
The 110 kms in were pretty rough in places with at least 3 water crossings – not deep, probably hub cap level – and several other crossings had been fitted with concrete culverts eliminating river crossing. All in all probably close to half dirt – but a lot of rough dips and some rugged areas that nearly shook our fillings out.
We got to the Greenhoose at 16.30, unpacked the car and sat with coffee.
Within a few minutes we had Red-bodied Swallowtails and a single New Guinea Birdwing visiting a Buddleia plant. The light was poor and typical of Swallowtails - they never stop fluttering! But I tried....
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| Red-bodied Swallowtail Pachliopta polydorus |
We decided not to do anymore for the day, relaxed, showered, had dinner and watched South Africa demolish Australia in a rugby union test match.
Bird-wise. Not much along the road, the usual Black Kites, a couple of Whistlers and a Brown Goshawk. I did see a single Australian Pratincole standing on a clay pan off the side of the road. Typical Pratincole shape, I assume it was Australian. Not much else, road kill pretty minimal.
So, 3 days driving, today – 672 kms, total ks since leaving Brisbane – a massive 2,385 and we’re finally here.
Day 4 Sunday 11.8.24
We were up before dawn and, after the obligatory coffee, I headed off into the forest behind the Greenhoose. I walked the track finally emerging near the ranger’s hut with little to show for the effort, but frustration and the biggest Orb Weaver spider I have ever seen. It was easily the size of my spread hand.
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| Orb Weaver sp |
I crossed the road and walked down the track on the opposite side – more Greenhoose property. I found Mr B’s car there but the man himself was nowhere to be seen. I walked on down the track listening to Common Emerald and Wompoo Fruit Doves calling in number. I did find a couple of Black Butcherbirds but otherwise little of interest.
I met Mr B back at his car and we headed ‘home’ for breakfast.
That done we drove down to the main Iron Range rainforest road and drove its length stopping for butterflies, butterfly plants Mr B wanted to inspect and me birding. I took photos of several butterflies and at one point (our old 2015 campsite) got some photos of Yellow-spotted Honeyeater.
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| Yellow-spotted Honeyeater |
Before I had left Brisbane I had made a list of birds I wanted to get photos of. Although I had seen all the specific birds in IR before, there were several I had failed to get any shots of so I wanted to particularly target them. Yellow-spotted Honeyeater was the first. I didn’t see any other species worth writing home about, it was generally pretty quiet.
In the butterfly department I got shots of a number of new species which I was happy about.
Blue Argus Junonia orithya, Dingy Bush-brown Mycalesis perseus, Hamadryad Tellervo zoilus, Palmfly Elymnias agondas and Scalloped Grass Yellow Eurema alitha. Also Orange Bush-brown Mycalesis terminus
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| Blue Argus Junonia orithya |
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| Dingy Bush-brown Mycalesis perseus |
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| Hamadryad Tellervo zoilus |
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| Palmfly Elymnias agondas |
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| Scalloped Grass Yellow Eurema alitha |
Back ‘home’ for lunch and then at 15.00 we drove to the Old Cohen Track and I walked down leaving Mr B to visit butterfly sites along the road.
About 100 meters in and I found a tree with 3 Papuan Eclectus perched up. I had, of course, seen this bird in 2015, but never perched, always flying by overhead. It was another of my target photo species. Unfortunately the light was low and hard and so the photos were not everything one could wish for, but it was nice to see and ‘tick the box’.
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| Papuan Eclectus (Female) |
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| Papuan Eclectus (Male) |
I met Mr B at the top of the track as arranged, having got photos of another butterfly lifer - Black-eyed Plane Pantoporia venilia, aka Cape York Plane.
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| Black-eyed Plane Pantoporia venilia |
We drove down again to the main IR rainforest area and I set up some ‘feeding stations I hope will attract Bandicoots and Antechinus. May be a little optimistic, but I had made a mixture of oats, honey & peanut butter and left lumps of this at strategic (!) spots along the side of the road marked with bright pink tape Mr B had brought with him. My intention is to revisit after dark and see if anything has eaten/is eating the offering. I figure if I leave food every night where its been eating we might get lucky……..
We went out after dark and drove the road through the rainforest scanning the edges for snakes. We checked the food drops – nothing touched.
I was getting a bit over it as we headed back still scanning when Mr B brought the car to a stop, looked at me, raised his eyebrows and got out of the car. Right in front of us in the headlights….
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| Green Tree Python Morelia viridis |
Brilliant! I had no real idea they were so luminously green. Amazing! Really happy. We didn’t see anything else at all.
Day 5 Monday 12.8.24
As planned I got up at 6, had some breakfast and headed off to walk to the rainforest along the road. I had been hoping to pick up stuff along the road edges, but nothing showed until just before a small dam when a Leaden Flycatcher showed.
We had had a Black-necked Stork (juv) and a White-necked Heron on this muddy, tree surrounded dam the previous day. The Stork was still there and it stalked majestically out the other side of the small pond and eventually flew away.
On the muddy edges, however, was a single Snipe sp. Most probably Latham’s – but I’m seeking expert advice because it just might be Swinhoe’s. Unlikely but…..
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| Latham's Snipe |
I moved on and along the road through the rainforest picked up Grey Whistler, Frill-necked Monarch, Green-backed and Tawny-breasted Honeyeaters, Orange-footed Megapode, Sahul Sunbird, a trio of Double-barred Finches and Trumpet Manucode. It was hard work. The tree line was very quiet and it took some ‘encouragement’ to get the birds – apart from the Manucode. I also took photos of various butterflies as they presented and a skink that will require ID at a later date. Note: I believe it was a Striped Rainbow Skink Carlia munda.
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| Grey Whistler |
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| Tawny-breasted Honeyeater |
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| Trumpet Manucode |
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| Striped Rainbow Skink Carlia munda (I think!) |
Mr B caught up with me just after 9 and we drove on through the rainforest and eventually, after several stops to inspect butterfly food plants, arrived at Portland Roads. We found a Fawn-breasted Bowerbird bower behind the mangroves, but the bird remained elusive. The bower appeared to be 'active' with a neat appearance and green 'fruits' of some sort carefully arranged at front.
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| Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Bower |
We had intended to have lunch at the one and only café at Portland Roads, but then discovered it was only open Thursday-Sunday so…..
We drove round to Chili Beach – the campsite was empty – and eventually again arrived back at the Greenhoose around 15.00. I once again scored a few new butterflies, mainly thanks to Mr B’s observations……… Black-spotted Flash Hypolycaena phorbas, Chocolate Argus Junonia hedonia, Glistening Pearl White Elodina tongura, Pied Ringlet Hypocysta angustata, Red-banded Jezebel Delias mysis and Shining Oak-blue Aropala micale.
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| Black-spotted Flash Hypolycaena phorbas |
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| Chocolate Argus Junonia hedonia |
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| Glistening Pearl White Elodina tongura |
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| Pied Ringlet Hypocysta angustata |
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| Red-banded Jezebel Delias mysis |
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| Shining Oak-blue Aropala micale |
At one of the stops a Spectacled Monarch flew in – or at least that’s what I called it as – but it had a weird face pattern. I realised that the sub species albeventis is on Cape York but this still looked weird to me.
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| Spectacled Monarch |
I relaxed and sorted my photos ect for the rest of the afternoon while Mr B went off for another butterfly search.
After dinner we watched the NZ v Argentina match and went to bed very happy with the win for Argentina.
Day 6 Tuesday 13.8.24
Up again at 6 and Mr B dropped me off at the junction saving me the walk down. The Black-necked Stork and Great Egret were on the dam again, but flew away as I arrived. Shortly afterwards a White-necked Heron flew in and perched up in a nearby tree.
I walked the road through the rain forest for 3 and a half hours, almost all the way to Cook’s Hut campground. It was disappointing. There were virtually no birds along the road, apart from the odd ones that flew over – Riflebirds, Doves ect. I did manage to pull up a pair of White-faced Robins at one point with encouragement, but other than that it was dead as.
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| White-faced Robin |
Along the track where we had once camped I did have Green Oriole well - used to be Yellow Oriole – a common bird in the area, but that was really the excitement for the morning.
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| Green Oriole |
Even the butterflies were quiet..
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| Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope |
Mr B picked me around 10.30 and we made a cup of coffee for which I was very grateful.
We drove ‘home’ and I stayed there for a rest while Mr B went off butterfly-ing for an hour or so. On his return we drove down to Lockhart River, the indigenous settlement.
We needed some fuel to ensure we made Bamaga in a few days and so purchased another $200 worth @ $2.85/l. It was an automatic pump and one had to pay with a credit card, pick the pump and designate how much one wanted. The pump stopped at $197.53 – obviously a ‘surcharge’ of sorts….. ripped off. I do vaguely remember the same thing happening 9 years ago?
We went into the supermarket and Mr B bought a standard can of Coke for ….$3.45. I priced a few things – a can of Baked Beans was $3. Wow! We didn’t need or buy anything else.
We explored the area around the township – saw the beachfront and the airport – then drove back to ‘home’ where again I stayed put for a while and Mr B went off again.
I wandered down the track behind the Greenhoose and tried for Northern Scrub Robin without success. I placed some more oats/honey/peanut butter mix and spread some peanut butter on a few tree roots with hope in my heart – but not a lot of optimism, the other ‘food’ drops along the road had not been touched.
I walked down to the creek and had a Shining Flycatcher there, but little else.
Back ‘home’ we chatted, showered, drank Gin & Tonic and had dinner.
Day 7 Wednesday 14.8.24
Up at 6 and after a coffee I headed down into the rainforest behind the Greenhoose to check, once again, for Northern Scrub Robin – and my ‘food’ drop. Neither inspired any enthusiasm. The Robin didn’t dhow and the food remained untouched.
A Helmeted Friarbird did show and called briefly around the garden.
After breakfast we both headed across the road opposite the Greenhoose. At the edge of the road a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher sat up on a leafless plant and showed well and long enough for me to get it on film – another of my ‘list’ birds. It wasn’t the best, being against the light, but it was OK.
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| Lemon-bellied Flycatcher |
We crossed the road and went our separate ways – Him to butterfly, me to bird.
I spent about two hours trying to get a Riflebird or Tropical Scrubwren on film, but failed with both, although I saw a female Riflebird very well, briefly and had at least 3 Scrubwrens bouncing around. Very frustrating and tough work.
Back home, coffee and then out again to Cooks Hut campsite. Mr B had a plant he wanted to check and I wandered into the forest behind the toilet block with a bit of hope for a final try at Northern Scrub Robin. There had been one there 9 years ago and having tried everywhere else it was a last throw of the dice before I threw my bins and camera away in frustration….
Thankfully for my possessions there were two Northern Scrub Robins present. I didn’t get any photos but did see them distantly well. Thank Christ!
We moved on down the road to a pull in spot on the right where Mr B went up yet another track looking for plants etc and I settled in to wait. While I did so I pulled in a pair of Green-backed Honeyeaters. I did get one on camera, but not at all well. However, it will have to do for now.
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| Very poor Green-backed Honeyeater |
Back home for lunch and an easy afternoon. The weather, incidentally, had brightened up and the sun was out all day.
Had a quiet retiree type afternoon – i.e. lay down and had a little rest. After dinner we drove down to the main rain forest area, picking up a Katydid sp on the car bonnet on the way.
Mr B drove the road while I walked a couple of ks.
I had 3 Frog sp – now believe to be Australian Wood Frog Papurana daemeli but happy to be corrected! – then a single Large-tailed Nightjar calling and perched up on classic dead stump, nightjar-style, but too far away for photos. Otherwise it was very quiet.
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| Australian Wood Frog Papurana demeli (I believe) |
After an hour or so Mr B drove back, he hadn’t seen anything but we continued to spotlight from the car as we drove ‘home’ and, of course, he picked up another Green Python at the edge of the jungle, hanging in the classic Green Python style.
That was it and we headed home.
Day 8 Thursday 15.8.24
We headed down to the Cook’s Hut campsite again after breakfast. I was keen to try again for the proving-to-be-freaking-elusive Northern Scrub Bloody Robin.
It wasn’t there – or at least refused to play the game – so we headed on towards Portland Roads. Mr B had a couple of stops planned along the way for butterfly stuff so I birded where we stopped.
At one – a patch of rainforest a few ks after the main area – I had a very reactive Frill-necked Monarch for a few seconds.
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| Frill-necked Monarch |
I also picked up Dusky Honeyeater and a pair of Mistletoebirds for the trip list.
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| Dusky Honeyeater |
The morning became very hot and sunny as we progressed. A large Lace Monitor Varanus varius stood its ground in the road before stomping off to the side to allow us to pass.
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| Lace Monitor Varanus varius |
At Portland Roads I walked in to check the Fawn-breasted Bowerbird’s bower, but, once again, no attendant bird which surprised me a little as the males always seem to hang around the bowers they have laboriously constructed.
I did had a pair of inquisitive Graceful Honeyeaters play the game at the back of the mangroves – it is very like Yellow-spotted, just a small difference in the shape of the yellow spot, the size of the gape and the shape of the bill.
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| Graceful Honeyeater |
We went for lunch at the Out of the Blue café – the only such establishment in Portland Roads – and had Nannygai, chips and salad which was very nice. ($80).
We headed back home afterwards with another stop or two for butterflies, but no birds.
At home I spent a few minutes checking the ID of the Monitor, although I was pretty sure it was what it turned out to be – and the Frog sp I had found the previous night. The latter I believe to be Australian Wood Frog Papurana daemeli.
After dinner I took the car and drove down to the main rainforest road, parked up and walked the road spotlighting. I didn’t see anything at all of interest in the first walk but when walking back to the car came across a snake crossing the road. Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregulars
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| Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregulars |
Drove the car further down and parked up near our 2015 campsite – the Rainforest camping area. I walked down to the river and taped the frog chorus, but saw nothing. Back to the road and I left the car and walked as far as Cook’s Hut campsite – Large-tailed Nightjar calling and briefly saw it. Walked back again to the car and gave it away for the night. Before I went home however, I drove to where we had seen the Green Python the night before and sure enough it was in the same spot!
Day 9 Friday 16.8.24
We were up at 6 and had breakfast straight away, packed the car and hit the road at 7.30. The road back out to the ‘main’ road was as rough as when we drove in and took us the best part of two hours for the 95 kms.
We turned north of good bitumen for a long way before hitting dirt again. Then it was very dusty, but a relatively good surface. I saw the first Wedge-tailed Eagle and Australasian Kestrel of the trip and a big Lace Monitor stopped us in our tracks while he sauntered across the road.
We had been told the road north of Fruit Bat Falls was poor - and poor it was. Horrendous corrugations, I mean HORRENDOUS! Shake the fillings out of your teeth, throw the car from side to side, absolutely dreadful. This went on for about an hour until we reached the Jardine River crossing.
The Jardine is about 100 meters wide at this time of year. The ferry goes backwards and forwards almost continually and is run by the local indigenous tribe/clan. We bought our ticket in the small shop place (credit card only no cash) - $130. It costs to get IN to the NPA (North Peninsula Area) but its free to get OUT, so it’s a return price.
We drove on the 40 + Ks to Bamaga, turned left and drove towards Seisia, then turned right to Loyalty Beach Campgrounds.
I thought Loyalty Bay would be a ‘place’ – but it’s only the campground. We checked in and found our ‘accommodation’. A tiny hut on the seashore with two beds, 2 fans and a small fridge, almost no windows – all open walls fly screened – and a tiny veranda, baking in the westerly sun. It was smoking hot and at $150 a night we were not impressed. The view was impressive – I guess – right on the beach looking across part of the Torres Strait, but, hot, hot, hot.
We drove around the campsite looking for potential vacant powered sites – we needed the power to run the fridge/freezer. There weren’t a lot and they all appeared occupied – and anyway there wasn’t a lot of shade anywhere.
We erected my canopy off the veranda at Mr B’s suggestion and it provided some relief. Mind you when it cooled down it wasn’t too bad – so long as the crocodiles stay in the sea and don’t come up the beach we’ll be fine!
I walked to the shower and saw a nice Great Bowerbird on the way. There were a couple of Orange-footed Megapodes running around with the Bush Turkeys and Helmeted Friarbirds calling so….. The camp office told me Palm Cockatoos come in to feed morning and afternoon so hopefully……and several Bush Stone Curlews walked past the veranda before dark.
We had driven 427 kms from Iron Range and, including the mileage around the IR area, we had now done 3,159 kms.
Day 10 Saturday 17.8.24
We had breakfast and prepared to leave. I walked up the campsite to look for Palm Cockatoos, but didn’t find any along the back fence area. I did find a pair of Helmeted Friarbirds.
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| Helmeted Friarbird |
Mr B drove up to meet me and on the way found 3 Palms closer to the beachfront. Finally connected.
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| Palm Cockatoo |
We decided to have a look at the wharf in Seisia as a potential fishing spot and parked up to walk out. There were several people, both indigenous and non-indigenous fishing mostly using herrings caught live from the massive schools around the wharf. One local lady caught a small Queenfish while we watched. It looked good for a night fish.
We drove back into Bamaga, then found the road to The Tip or Pajinka as it’s referred to in the area. Heading out along the 45 minute drive we hit dirt fairly quickly and parts of the first section were really rough, huge corrugations and sharp ‘dips’ with holes in them.
We stopped at the Croc Tent where souvenirs of your visit to Cape York could be purchased – at a price – and enormous price. I had considered T-shirts for my grandsons but at $60 each decided I didn’t really have that kind of money.
We turned off to Punsand camping area and had a reasonable coffee in the bar - looked like it was a nice camping area.
Back to the main road and on to The Tip. It was quite a drive through rainforest/vine scrub and across the Mew River. The ford was potentially quite deep and the water thick with mud and we stood and contemplated our options until several trail type motorbikes came up and went through keeping to the right and exiting off the main road. We followed and crossed quite easily in the end.
We got to the car parking area where a number of cars were already parked – and the motorbikes – and headed along the beach and then behind the mangroves more or less following the footsteps of those who had gone before as there was no signage whatsoever. It wasn’t a long walk – maybe 10/15 minutes – but was, in places, a bit tricky and rugged. One would think the local council or someone would provide a clearly marked and comfortable path considering the majority of people who visit the area are in the older category. It looked to me like a broken hip just waiting to happen.
At The Tip we had to queue up and wait for other visitors to take the obligatory photos with the rather homemade looking sign. Again for such an iconic spot it all seemed very basic. Maybe that is what people prefer? I thought it rather pathetic.
We hung around long enough to get photos and I had two Common Noddys feeding with a flock of probable Greater Crested Terns a few hundred meters off the rocks, then headed back the way we had come.
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| Mr B |
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| Myself |
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| The Tip |
Along the way at a short stop for Mr B to check some plant or other he pointed out a female Cruiser Vindula arsine – sounds like someone out of Taxi Driver, but is in fact a not so common butterfly and one I hadn’t seen/photographed before.
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| Cruiser Vindula arsinoe |
Back on the road again and we turned off to Somerset, an abandoned homestead area on the east side of the peninsula.
Interestingly along the way a ‘green’ Goanna scuttled off the road. Checking later it would best be presented as an Emerald Monitor, although details seemed sketchy, the species is present in PNG and some Torres Strait islands and there had been ‘reports from Cape York’ – quote, unquote. We both saw it, but only briefly. It was a definite light green colour and appeared smaller than the average Lace Monitor. We did see at least 3 other Lace Monitors crossing the road during the day.
On the way back through Bamaga we stopped off at the local (only) supermarket. We didn’t need anything but just wanted to see what was available. It was completely stocked, of course, and Mr B bought a 10 can carton of Coke for $27…….
Eventually back at camp mid afternoon we sat out the heat watching a Great Bowerbird admire itself in a truck mirror, then after dinner, headed down to the pier at Seisia with optimism.
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| Great Bowerbird |
It wasn’t to be. The Herring schools of the morning had completely disappeared. The place was alive with schools of Mullet and huge Garfish but we only managed to catch one Herring with the jig we brought before, after several hits, something took the remaining two hooks and the rest of the jig. We had no idea what it could have been but suspected big Long Toms or small Mackerel. We gave the Herring to a couple who we had met on the wharf. Maybe tomorrow….
Day 11 Sunday 18.8.24
We got up by 6.30, but it was 8 before we hit the road. We drove out to Roma Flats, almost all the way to The Tip again, crossing the Mew River ford again.
Mr B butterflied while I birded.
I was keen to get photos of Tropical Scrubwren, Magnificent Riflebird, Northern Scrub Robin, Lovely Fairy Wren, Silver-crowned Friarbird and Fawn-breasted Bowerbird. I hadn’t even seen either of the latter two birds this trip, but still, hope existed.
We followed the same course of action at several locations meeting back at the car each time.
I was almost completely unsuccessful. I did get a couple of poor photos of the Scrub Wren, and a couple of photos of a Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope but failed dismally on all the others. I did see two more Shining Flycatchers in the forest some distance from water and a single Palm Cockatoo flew overhead at one point, but all in all it was a poor performance and hot, dirty and tiring.
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| Tropical Scrubwren |
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| Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope |
We hung out in the heat for a while then decided to try fishing again.
Plan B. Go down just before dusk; catch a bucketful of live Herring and fish into the evening!
We got down to Seisia wharf about 30 minutes before dusk.
This time we managed to jig TWO Herring before dusk fell and they just stopped biting and even seemed to disappear.
No worries, we were twice as better off as we had been the previous night!
We baited up and cast into the streaming current.
Within 5 minutes I got a run. Rather I got something that was heading for New Guinea – and was in a hurry. Line was screaming off my reel despite a hard drag.
I said “What do I do now?’
Mr B said “Depends on how much line you want to loose!’
I tried tightening the drag a little.
Didn’t make any difference to the express train on the other end.
I tried, carefully, to slow the reel with my hand.
Didn’t make any difference.
Suddenly the line snapped with a loud ‘Crack’.
I thought my rod had broken.
Thankfully it was just the line, broken just above the reel. Must have been faulty.
End of my fishing night – all 7 minutes of it.
5 minutes later and Mr B connected with the same departing train.
He had braid on and it appeared he was gonna lose all of it somewhere out in Torres Strait.
However, the fish, presumably a shark, slowed, then went off again and cut the nylon trace with its tail.
We packed up and went home.
40 minutes to get 2 baits, 2 runs – 10 minutes.
Gin & tonics awaited us back at camp.
Day 12 Monday 19.8.24
Up and out again around 8.30. We drove down to Seisia and checked out the wharf – pretty quiet. Then out to the airfield to look at a plane wreck – a DC3 from WW2. Checked out the boat ramp on the eastern side – in a small creek, nothing of interest. Called into the bakery in Bamaga and picked up a coffee from the shop next door - $15 for 2 coffees.
We filled up withy fuel - $2.80/liter. 129 liters (the tank holds 140, so we were almost empty) - $361. (Note: we had found out, don’t know how, that fuel in Weipa was also $2.80/l. It was in fact $2.23/l when we arrived the next day….)
Checking out the wharf again – well, it was on the way! – we found 4 Lesser Frigatebirds swooping low trying to pick cast baits off the surface before they sank. Mostly adults and a couple of juveniles.
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| Lesser Frigatebird (Adult) |
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| Lesser Frigatebird Imm |
We returned to camp and sat contemplating our navels and the Torres Strait for a while then Mr B took off to drive the back track – the one with ‘no recovery available if you screw up’ track – while I tried to relax out of the sun. He was only gone an hour or so having found what he wanted much quicker and earlier on the track than anticipated. Happy about that as I didn’t fancy calling out the non-existent rescue team to pull him out of a 4WD nightmare.
Plan C: We went to the wharf earlier – at 16.30 - and THIS time managed to catch 6 live Herring – look at us!! There were a heap of people fishing and it was a bit hard to find a decent spot. Eventually a space on the open front of the wharf opened up and I moved in. The current was atrocious so I cast out only about 10 meters and let the bait – a dead Herring by now – drift back in to the edge of the pier about 10 meters to my right. Within 10 minutes I had a series of relatively small bites but struck anyway and pulled in a Barracuda about 1 Kilo I guess, about half a meter long? On Mr B’s suggestion I gave it to the local indigenous people who already had half a dozen.
I went on fishing. By now it was 17.30 and dusk was looking close. That would be smokin’ shark time.
However, I felt a tug and then a slow ponderous drag away from the pier.
It was taking line slowly off the baitrunner, so I struck and hit it with the drag. Immediately some vicious head shakes and this thing started taking line off against the drag. It obviously wasn’t a shark as it didn’t scream off into the distance, but actually started to head back under the wharf below me. I managed to stop it in open water, but I could make no line on it, My rod was bent double, the line tight as a fish’s ass and every time I dropped and pumped it simply took the line back. I was prepared to tire it out – and had the whole wharf crowd at my back offering comments, observations and getting out of the way as I moved along the wharf edge.
I kept control and we had reached a bit of a stalemate so decided to tighten the drag and made some progress before…………….the line snapped - much to the disappointment of my audience.
The most frustrating thing was – we never saw the fish as the water was too murky. It wasn’t really deep but no sight whatsoever. It might just have been a big Shovel-nosed Ray, although I was inclined to think it was a big Cod. We’ll never know – and that’s annoying. I would never have got it up onto the pier anyway and would have been happy to cut the line and set it free if it had surfaced.
I re-rigged and baited up with another dead Herring, but my space had been taken and so I fished with Mr B on the inside of the pier.
Sure enough dusk had fallen and I got smoked once again by a fast PNG bound shark.
At that stage I gave up.
Mr B didn’t hook anything during all this excitement.
We were home by 19.15 and had chili for dinner.
Day 13 Tuesday 20.8.24
We were up at 6, breakfasted and hit the road by 7.30. We were happy to shake the Bamaga dust off our feet, to be honest, but were dreading the section after the Jardine River and up to Fruit Bat Falls. It had been really, really bad on the way up and I knew Mr B was not looking forward to it either.
We reached the Jardine ferry at 8.10 and were the only – and I think the first – vehicle across as it operated from 8-17.00. There were several caravan/car combos waiting on the southern side so suspect they had overnighted as it was still a long way from anywhere else to camp.
We reached the ‘Section’ but, as it turned out, it wasn’t as bad going south as it had been heading north. In fact we passed Fruit Bat Falls without even noticing it.
We stopped at Bramwell Station at 10.30 – the only other ‘place’ on our day’s journey – and bought a coffee -$8 each – then headed on to the shortcut to Weipa via Batavia Downs. We had been advised this road, which runs across two private stations – was well maintained and would cut 1-1.5 hours off our journey.
It was and it did, although there were a few watery ‘dips’ that had to be negotiated slowly. About halfway along the 50 km section a large raptor lifted off from beside the road and landed in a tree overhead. Mr B stopped and I hopped out and checked it out. I was 95% sure it was a Red Goshawk (one of the rarest raptors in Australia).
I ran back to the car and grabbed my camera but, of course, before I could get any shots, it flew off and perched 100 meters away in another roadside tree. I started to go after it but the first two vehicles we had seen on this part of the road came through from the Weipa direction and it, basically, flew away.
Being very self critical of my identification skills I checked the book and the apps and was still pretty sure I was right.
We drove on and reached Weipa at 13.15.
We checked into the Weipa Caravan and Camp Park to find our 2 night booking was for the NEXT day, however, they had a site so we moved in. The park was very busy and we needed a powered site for the fridge/freezer so that precluded a waterfront site which were all unpowered. It wasn’t the best but it would do as we only intended to stay two nights.
We sat for a while then went for a drive checking out fishing locales. We went as far as the long bridge over the Mission River and drove down a track and under the bridge to a concrete platform where a couple of families of local indigenous people were hand lining.
We watched for a while, as did our first Saltwater Crocodile of the trip. A 3-4 meter (approx) monster sitting offshore in the current lazily contemplating the action. A couple of indigenous women who had been sitting on a lower platform evacuated to the upper level, but otherwise everybody kept fishing. They weren’t catching much and the currents under the bridge were quite daunting, never mind the croc.
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| Saltwater Crocodile |
A Whistling Kite perched up nearby and demanded a photograph.
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| Whistling Kite |
We returned to camp, showered and had dinner.
Today we did 385 kms and have done 3,838 kms since leaving home.
Day 14 Wednesday 21.8.24
Usual get up, we left the campsite around 8 and stopped almost immediately at the shopping center next door where Mr B bought coffees and I went into Woolworths to buy bread.
I found the ‘bakery’ area easily enough but preferred to get some ‘processed’ bread that would last longer than the morning’s bake. I wandered around the store – normal size WW – and could not locate ‘normal’ bread.
I asked the guy in the bakery where the normal bread was?
He said’ In Aisle 3 in the freezer’ – and sure enough there was ‘normal’ bread all frozen solid. I picked out a multigrain that was 2 days past it’s 'Best Before’ date but figured if it was frozen it’d be OK. Never bought frozen bread before.
We headed north across the longest single lane bridge in the southern hemisphere – as per the receptionist in the caravan park – and stopped at the back of the mangroves a few hundred meters further on. Mr B had butterfly business within – a visit didn’t prove as successful as he’d hoped so we moved on looking for a place that did not exist on Apple Maps, Google Maps or Maps Me, but were assured by a council rubbish collector on the side of the road that Clough’s Landing did exist, just watch for the small sign.
We found it at about the 50km mark and turned down a kilometer or so of track to arrive at what appeared to be a crabber’s camp on the bank of the river. There was no one home and we wandered along the back of the fringing mangroves again – once again without much success.
We had been told that Pennefather was a good place to fish so heading back towards Weipa we turned off towards the coast.
35 kms later we arrived at the back of what turned out to be quite a wide band of sand dunes. We were hesitant to drive the sand track and it was a bit far to walk in the now 34 degree smoking hot afternoon, so settled instead for a coffee in the shade.
While we thus imbibed two dune buggy type things and a 4WD ute came past all full of NP Rangers.
We had a word and they said they were down marking turtle nests on the beach. Apparently Olive and Green Turtles breed there. They said they had lowered their tyre pressure to 20 PSI and it was OK. We decided to give it a go…..
Our tyres were currently at 30 PSI – normally Mr B runs them at 40, but we had lowered them a few days ago when we had been in softer sand and to reduce the effects of the corrugations.
So we drove over the dunes and down onto a relatively narrow beach. We started to drive along the beach but there was minimal hard sand and the going was tough. Mr B decided enough was enough and we turned and headed back.
When we tried to go back up and over the dunes, the car just bogged down and would not give enough traction to get us up.
We dropped the tyre pressure to 25 PSI and tried again with a bit of a run up – no go.
At this stage I was envisioning existing on turtle eggs and maybe a fish if we were lucky even though we had no bait…
We lowered the tyres to 20 PSI , prayed and gave it everything and we just made it over the top – we didn’t stop till we were completely clear of the dunes and back on hard land.
Mr B had brought a small compressor so we spent the next half an hour putting some air back in the tyres prior to heading back to Weipa.
We went back and relaxed for a while, then had an early dinner and went round to a fishing shop nearby. The young guy was very helpful and sold us a packet of big banana prawns as bait. We drove out to the concrete platform described earlier and found a younger couple fishing there but there was room for us. (The indigenous people don’t usually fish at night) On the way the only Common Sandpiper and White-breasted Sea Eagle of the trip showed well.
We spent 3 hours losing prawns to small bream or similar – we never caught one so don’t really know what they were. There was a strong easterly wind blowing down river, which made it difficult, but it wasn’t cold.
We headed home at 21.30 and crashed.
Day 15 Thursday 22.8.24
We got up at 6 as planned, breakfasted, broke camp and were on the road at 7.
We only stopped for fuel at Coen - $2.65/l, 75 liters = $200 - and for coffee at Lakelands roadhouse.
We arrived in Mareeba at 17.15 and booked into the Rodeo/Showground campsite again ($25).
After we had the tents up we drove the short distance back into Mareeba and got two takeaway pizzas from 'Joe’s Pizza, Burger and everything else parlour' for dinner.
We had driven 734 kms, 10 hours. Our trip total was now 4,810 kms.
Day 16 Friday 23.8.24
There was no rush to leave as we were only going down to Cairns so we got up around 7, then drove into Mareeba to have hotcakes & coffee at Mackers before returning to break camp. It gave the tents a chance to dry out as there had been a bit of a dew overnight.
We left Mareeba at 10 and drove down to Cairns via Kuranda (an hour+). The roadworks slowed us down – repairing damage from the cyclone that hit the area the previous year – slow work as always.
Mr B wanted to catch up with another butterfly maniac – Ed P – and so we went to his place at Palm Cove, north of Cairns.
Following coffee and a lengthy meet up we headed to our booked campsite – Lake Placid Rainforest Retreat. It was very pleasant, the toilets and showers excellent and at $57/night for a powered site it was very acceptable.
After setting up camp Mr B and I went for a walk in Barron Gorge NP, just up the road from the campsite. The road in was closed – probably due again to cyclone repairs – and it was very quiet anyway. We drove down to the Esplanade at Cairns and had a coffee along the front. It was pretty quiet – being winter – but a few Far Eastern Curlews and Great Knot were out on the low tide line. The place was as busy as shit, apparently the Cairns Festival was starting the next day and parking at the Esplanade would be ‘closed’ – so I was happy we had at least visited it today.
Back at camp we showered, shaved etc and had dinner.
Day 17 Saturday 24.8.24
It rained during the night. Not particularly heavily, but a little persistent. We both survived with just a little dampness and adjustments to the tents, we hoped, would eliminate even that, should it rain again. By 9.00 everything was dry again anyway so…..
We went for breakfast at the café in Lake Placid Rainforest Retreat. I had waffles with ice cream and Mr B had an egg and bacon burger, with coffees it came to $32 which we felt very reasonable.
At 9.15 Ed P picked Mr B up and they went off for a mornings butterflying. I wandered across the road from the campsite and took photos of the multiple butterfly species along the edge of the Barron River. There were several species present and I had one lifer – Orange Plane Pantoporia consimilis.
I spent the next two hours sorting and labeling the photos.
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| Orange Plane Pantoporia consimilis |
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| Bordered Rustic Cupha prosope |
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| Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona |
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| Orange Bush-brown Mycalesis terminus |
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| Shining Oak Blue Arhopala micale |
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| Yellow Albatross Appias paulina |
Mr B returned after lunch and we went out to fill up with fuel ($1.84/l, 107 liters = $200) and get some garbage bags to put the potentially wet tents in as were expecting rain.
In fact it stayed dry overnight.
Day 18 Sunday 25.8.24
Up at 5.30 and on the road by 6.15. We stopped off at Mackers to pick up coffees and egg & bacon burgers free courtesy of my ‘points’.
Our first stop was at Bowen at 13.00 for more Mackers coffees, then on south. We filled up with fuel at Carmila ($1.79/l, 94 liters = $169) for the last time on the trip and arrived at Clearview Beach Holiday Park aka Baracrab Campsite at 17.00. ($36 unpowered site).
10 hours driving, 847 kms.
Nice caravan park, had a good feel, obviously shared by the hundreds of other travellers present. However, we got a site to ourselves with no close neighbours and set up camp in 20 minutes like a well-oiled machine.
Day 19 Monday 26.8.24
Broke camp and hit the road by 8.
Stopped at Rockhampton for coffee at 10.00 and again at Gympie at 15.30.
Arrived Mr B’s place at 17.35.
800 kms driven, 9.5 hours.
We unpacked the fridge/freezer, but left the rest for the morning.
Some facts:
Total mileage: 6,639 kms.
We spent $1,701 on fuel.
$2,130 on accommodation (Note: The Greenhoose was $1,620/6 nights and Loyalty Bay $600/4 nights).
We used 11 liters of long-life milk and 2 dozen eggs.
We ate 14 of the 16 prepared meals we had brought with us and almost a kilo of rice.
We drank almost a complete large jar of coffee – and we bought coffees 19 times at various locations.
We actually bought very little extra food (a loaf of bread, Coke and a couple of packets of biscuits) and brought back some supplies.
Summary: Would I go again? Not to The Tip. Iron Range maybe, but I wouldn’t go any further. I wasn’t overly impressed with the drive or the NPA – except for the pier in Seisia; I’d like to go fishing there again!
The road from Mareeba to Archer River was OK with long stretches of bitumen and only a few corrugated areas. The road in to Iron Range was very rough in places and there were several (3, I think) river crossings where the vehicle got wet, but they were shallow and of no real challenge. From Iron Range north there were a lot of rough sections, some extreme, with much less bitumen. Not particularly enjoyable – to me anyway. The constant fear of broken windscreens (didn’t happen, not even a chip), punctures (didn’t happen) and something breaking on the car (didn’t happen) made it a future experience I can do without.
Been there, done that, didn’t buy the t-shirt cause they were ridiculously expensive.
The drive from Brisbane to the Cairns area is pretty tedious and boring. The road being single lane (with overtaking lanes here and there) is tough driving, although most drivers behave reasonably and sensibly. It’s not something I would rush to repeat, but the advantage is having your own vehicle at the end rather than renting and having the restrictions involved with that. Its OK to rent for the Cairns/Tablelands area, but not if you want to go seriously off road or further north.
Birding (and butterflying) in Iron Range was tougher than I had hoped. Apparently it’s always hard birding, even in the wet season. Having said that I did not even look for certain birds. My mission was to photograph the birds I had seen before, but hadn’t got on film – just for me. So I avoided the frustration of some of the more difficult species.
I was disappointed in the almost complete lack of mammals and/or reptiles anywhere along the road or at campsites/locations. We saw few snakes and virtually no mammals. I did ‘get’ a number of new butterflies and the Green Python has to be seen to be believed!
On a positive note road kill was absolutely minimal on The Cape and even further south nothing of any consequence.
Mt Mee
10.9.24
We left Mr B’s place around 10 and started onto an unsealed track just after 11. Mr B wanted to check a few areas for butterflies – and generally go for a drive – I was just along for the ride.
We spent several hours driving the sometimes challenging tracks, mostly in High 4WD, but on some stretches required Low 4WD to get through some ‘interesting’ spots.
It was quite misty at the higher points and the views from the Outlooks were reduced to a few meters, but it didn’t rain. It was overcast and dull for the most part which didn’t encourage much flight in anything and there were very few birds either calling or seen – it was, basically, dead – but we saw a few butterfly species.
Orange-streaked Ringlet Hypocysta irius Yellow-spotted Blue Candalides xanthospilos and, a new one for me, Fringed Heath-blue Neolucia agricola the latter in their hundreds! We also saw a few Four-barred Swordtails which would be/was a new species for me but they just kept going into the distance and it has become a habit for me not to ‘tick’ a new butterfly unless I get photos….
We also found a large Moth caterpillar which requires identification...
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| Orange-streaked Ringlet Hypocysta irius |
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| Yellow-spotted Blue Candalides xanthospilos |
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| Fringed Heath-blue Neolucia agricola |
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| Unidentified Moth caterpillar |
14.9.24
Oxley
Mr D picked up Mr P and myself at 6, on site by 6.15.
A generally good morning with a list of 65 species. Best of which were 5 raptor species – at least 2 Brown Goshawks, possibly 3, at least 1 Collared Sparrowhawk, possibly 2, a Black Shouldered Kite, a Brown Falcon and a perched up White-breasted Sea Eagle which flew up from one of the small islands and perched up briefly on a dead tree on the main island before being chased off by one of the Brown Goshawks.
Breakfast afterwards at Arte & Gusto, Sherwood.
