Our Emirates flight deposited us in Brisbane around 2am and after a pleasant & very friendly visit through customs we relaxed Level 3 of the International Airport on the reasonably comfortable seats/couches for approx. 3 hours, utilising the toilet facilities to freshen up before transferring to the Domestic Airport. This is around 5 minutes away by bus (you can’t walk there) which is free for Qantas passengers and some others.
Having checked in for our flight to Cairns, our binoculars were out to scan the surroundings and with our visit being the firs to the Australian Continent, we picked up 9 lifers between 6am and 6.30am, including Figbird, Galah, Welcome Swallow, Aust. White Ibis & Royal Spoonbill.
Formalities at Cairns airport were a breeze, and we arrived at our hotel around 10am. The Heritage Hotel, 8 Minnie St. Cairns. Manageress Rosemary Robertson – HIGHLY recommended – not 5 star but very comfortable, homely & Rosemary could not do enough for us to make our stay a memorable one. www.heritagecairns.com.au
By 11am we were on the Esplanade, only a few minutes walk away, meeting the local birders, who pointed us in the right directions for our target birds (John Crowhurst was most helpful). Mangrove Robin, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot @ nest hole, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-capped Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Osprey, Rainbow Lorikeet, Silver Gull were a few of our early successes.
The following 2 days we visited Centenary Lakes & the Botanical Gardens, seeing Little Kingfisher, Lovely Fairy-wrens feeding young, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Green Pygmy-goose, Radjah Shelduck, Red-tailed Black-cockatoo amongst others.
Rosemary very kindly dropped us at these destinations and we caught the bus back to Cairns – easy & not expensive.
After acclimatising in Cairns, we were picked up by Jun Matsui from Sicklebill Safaris (based in Kuranda – www.sicklebillsafaris.com) for a 10 day private escorted tour of the Tropical North including Cape York.
We had a very full itinerary already organised, but because of the recent arrival of 13 Spotted Whistling-ducks (not seen this far south for 5 years) at Wonga beach, we had to re-organise our first day to twitch the birds. We managed excellent views of these rarely seen birds and we also twitched an Australian Painted Snipe nearby!
Over the 10 day trip we spent some time on the Black Mountain Road at Kuranda, and travelled to Lake Barrine, Redden Island, Mount Lewis, Mareeba area, Wondecla area, Hasties Swamp & cruised the Daintree River, as well as exploring the extensive grounds of Cassowary House (Sicklebill Safaris base & our home whilst in the area). Our hosts Sue & Phil Gregory made us feel very welcome and a part of the family.The food and facilities being wonderful. What a delight to spend breakfast each morning with Victoria’s Riflebird, Macleay’s Honeyeater, Spotted Catbird, Black Butcherbird, & Cassowary to name but a few – and we also managed to see the Platypus in the creek!
In addition we travelled to Cape York to Lakefield National Park,, staying at Lotusbird Lodge. ( www.lotusbirdlodge.com.au ). We had the whole place to ourselves, being constantly pampered by Sue & Gary, and fed like Knights of the Round table!
Southern Boobooks inhabited the roof of our luxury cabin and a Papuan Frogmouth rested in the trees a stone’s throw away.
A trip to see the Golden-shouldered parrot, a rare Australian endemic with a limited range was one of the highlights, though it was only seen at our second attempt, after calling in help from Sue Shepherd of Artemis Station, the lady predominately responsible for the survival of these beautiful birds. She is a real gem and a wonderful character. Another highlight of this dry area, was to see a pair of Red Goshawks displaying.
Lakefield NP provided further avian delights, and an early morning walk around the billabong at Lotusbird Lodge on our final morning further increased the tally. 254 birds seen 178 lifers including
After the exertions of the north, we returned to Yorkeys Knob, staying at the York Beachfront Apartments (self catering http://www.yorkapartments.com.au/ ). Our hosts, Karen & Graham Bedford were most helpful, and like all the Australians we met, could not do enough to make our stay a good one.
We did some birding on the beach and managed to see several Plum-headed Finches (first record for some years) and Lesser Frigatebird and we also visited the Cattana Wetlands, recently completed by the local council, picking up White-browed Crake & Crimson Finch.
A day out on the reef (Michaelmas Cay & Hastings Reef) provided some much needed relaxation. Travelling with Seastar ( www.seastarcruises.com.au a relatively small boat – 35 passengers) we had an excellent day, well organised, and with the addition of several new birds, including Black-naped Tern (6 individuals seen) , Brown Noddy, Bridled & Sooty Terns.
The only downside to the day was our disappointment at the state of the reef (looking tired & damaged) though the numbers of fish were reasonable.
The next part of our adventure took us to Adelaide to catch up with relatives for a few days, staying at the Adelaide Hills Country Cottages for a week – our home was Gum Tree Cottage (http://www.ahcc.com.au/gum_tree.html ) , a charming and characterful stone built affair, with log fire, BBQ facilities, comfortable beds and a Jacuzzi with champagne glasses to complete the decadence of your stay!
Provisions were provided for cooked and continental breakfast, with additional delights (like Port & chocolates) to help make the stay unforgettable.
The grounds are extensive and one can wander around the beautiful countryside in complete peace, with only the sound of Galahs, Adelaide Rosella’s, Red Wattlebirds, Long-billed Corrella’s and the occasional Koala breaking the silence. It was also magical to the Superb Fairy-wrens waking us up in the mornings by tapping on the window. All in all, a place to toally relax and unwind before our next 10 days of spectacular birding, taking us to Melbourne via Gluepot Reserve, Flinders Ranges, Outback Deserts, Northern Victoria, grassland plains, spectacular scenery along the Great Ocean Road, tall misty Eucalypt forests in the Dandenong Ranges and Weribee Sewage Farm.
Peter Waanders was our driver & expert guide (www.sabirding.com) for the first stage of the journey, and his expertise and persistence found us almost all our targets, and a host of birds we did not expect to see. We under took his Great Southern tour but excluded Tasmania.
Steve Davidson known as The Melbourne Birder (www.themelbournebirder.com) carried on the good work from Deniliquin. His help and guidance, together with a wonderful sense of humour and good spirit, made our last four days in this wonderful continent an experience never to be forgotten.
Birds seen include Musk Duck, Freckled Duck, Mallee Emu-wren
Gilberts, Rufous, Olive and Red-lored Whistler ,Rufous Bristlebird, Black-eared Miner, Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Striated and Thick-billed Grasswrens , Chestnut and Cinnamon Quail-Thrush, Elegant, Blue-winged, and Regent Parrot, Hooded, Red-capped, Scarlet, Flame, and Robin
During our stay in Deniliquin we went on a night drive organised by Phil Maher (www.philipmaher.com/main.htm ) basically to see the Plains Wanderer. The evening turned into an epic with over 3 hours of constant close views of these wonderful birds and with the additions of Inland Dotterel, Stubble Quail, Little Button-quail, Red-chested Buttonquail (a mega bonus) and Banded Lapwing. Anyone visiting this area MUST do the trip – the best organised night drive out of many dozens we have done. Full Marks. (265 birds seen in the South with 159 lifers)
Our first visit to Australia (we have visited Papua New Guinea before) brought us 337 lifers, a good deal more than we had envisaged and a total list exceeding 400.
This tally was brought about by the excellence of All our guides and the help and perseverance given in finding almost all our target species could not be surpassed.
Southern Cassowary
Emu
Australian Brush-turkey
Orange-footed Megapode
Black-browed Albatross
Shy Albatross
Fluttering Shearwater
Brown Booby
Magpie Goose
Chestnut Teal
Hardhead
Musk Duck
Cape Barren Goose
Maned Duck
Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck
Wandering Whistling-duck
Plumed Whistling-duck
Spotted Whistling-duck
Pink-eared Duck
Green Pygmy-goose
Blue-billed Duck
Freckled Duck
Radjah Shelduck
Australian Shelduck
Mallard
Common Coot
Dusky Moorhen
Australasian Shoveler
Black Swan
Great Crested Grebe
Hoary-headed Grebe
Australasian Grebe
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Royal Spoonbill
Australian Sacred Ibis
Pied Heron
Straw-necked Ibis
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron
Rufous Night-heron
Striated Heron
Black Bittern
Black-necked Stork
Glossy Ibis
Greater Frigatebird
Lesser Frigatebird
Australian Pelican
Australasian Gannet
Great Cormorant
Black-faced Cormorant
Large Pied Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Parasitic Jaeger
Brown Noddy
Bridled Tern
Sooty Tern
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Whiskered Tern
Lesser Crested Tern
Great Crested Tern
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret
Eastern Cattle Egret
Eastern Great Egret
Pacific Reef-egret
Australian Darter
Australian Hobby
Brown Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel
Black Falcon
Collared Sparrowhawk
Brown Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Brahminy Kite
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Swamp Harrier
Spotted Harrier
Australian Black-shouldered Kite
Red Goshawk
Little Eagle
Square-tailed Kite
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Eastern Osprey
Australian Bustard
Black-tailed Native-hen
Buff-banded Rail
Purple Swamphen
White-browed Crake
Australian Crake
Baillon's Crake
Spotless Crake
Red-chested Buttonquail
Little Buttonquail
Stubble Quail
Lewin's Rail
Sarus Crane
Brolga
Painted Buttonquail
Bush Thick-knee
Sooty Oystercatcher
Pied Oystercatcher
Black-winged Stilt
Ruddy Turnstone
Banded Stilt
Red-necked Avocet
Inland Dotterel
Red-capped Plover
Black-fronted Dotterel
Red-kneed Dotterel
Masked Lapwing
Banded Lapwing
Australian Painted-snipe
Comb-crested Jacana
Plains-wanderer
Pacific Golden Plover
Curlew Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
Latham's Snipe
Grey-tailed Tattler
Far Eastern Curlew
Whimbrel
Australian Pratincole
Common Greenshank
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Little Tern
Red-necked Stint
Red Knot
Great Knot
Silver Gull
Pacific Gull
Fairy Tern
Black-naped Tern
White-headed Pigeon
Pied Imperial-pigeon
Spotted Dove
Brown Cuckoo-dove
Diamond Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Peaceful Dove
Emerald Dove
Squatter Pigeon
Topknot Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
Common Bronzewing
Brush Bronzewing
Wompoo Fruit-dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
Australian King-parrot
Red-winged Parrot
Ringneck Parrot
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
Galah
Little Corella
Long-billed Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo
Double-eyed Fig-parrot
Musk Lorikeet
Purple-crowned Lorikeet
Little Lorikeet
Budgerigar
Blue-winged Parrot
Elegant Parrot
Scarlet-chested Parrot
Bluebonnet
Cockatiel
Pale-headed Rosella
Crimson Rosella
Crimson Rosella (Adelaide)
Yellow Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Regent Parrot
Superb Parrot
Golden-shouldered Parrot
Red-rumped Parrot
Mulga Parrot
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet
Pheasant Coucal
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo
Little Bronze-cuckoo
Shining Bronze-cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo
Eastern Koel
Eastern Barn Owl
Southern Boobook
Papuan Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth
Spotted Eared-nightjar
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Laughing Kookaburra
Azure Kingfisher
Little Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Forest Kingfisher
Red-backed Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater
Asian Dollarbird
Superb Lyrebird
Spotted Catbird
Satin Bowerbird
Tooth-billed Bowerbird
Golden Bowerbird
Great Bowerbird
White-throated Treecreeper
White-browed Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Short-tailed Grasswren
Striated Grasswren
Eastern Thick-billed Grasswren
Lovely Fairywren
Superb Fairywren
Variegated Fairywren
White-winged Fairywren
Red-backed Fairywren
Splendid Fairywren
Southern Emuwren
Mallee Emuwren
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Red Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
Gibberbird
Banded Honeyeater
Rufous-throated Honeyeater
Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
White-fronted Chat
Orange Chat
Varied Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Purple-gaped Honeyeater
Yellow Honeyeater
Bridled Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Grey-fronted Honeyeater
White-gaped Honeyeater
Singing Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner
Noisy Miner
Black-eared Miner
Graceful Honeyeater
Lewin's Honeyeater
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater
White-throated Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
Red-headed Myzomela
Dusky Myzomela
Scarlet Myzomela
Noisy Friarbird
Silver-crowned Friarbird
Little Friarbird
Helmeted Friarbird
White-fronted Honeyeater
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
White-cheeked Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Crescent Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater
Brown-backed Honeyeater
Macleay's Honeyeater
Rufous Bristlebird
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Inland Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Slender-billed Thornbill
Mountain Thornbill
Striated Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
Chestnut-breasted Whiteface
Rufous Fieldwren
Striated Fieldwren
Western Gerygone
Mangrove Gerygone
Large-billed Gerygone
Brown Gerygone
White-throated Gerygone
Fairy Gerygone
Shy Heathwren
Golden-headed Cisticola
Pilotbird
Fernwren
Redthroat
Yellow-throated Scrubwren
White-browed Scrubwren
Atherton Scrubwren
Large-billed Scrubwren
Weebill
Grey-crowned Babbler
White-browed Babbler
Chestnut-crowned Babbler
Chowchilla
Eastern Whipbird
Chirruping Wedgebill
Chestnut Quail-thrush
Cinnamon Quail-thrush
Black-backed Butcherbird
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Black Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Currawong
White-breasted Woodswallow
Masked Woodswallow
White-browed Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
Dusky Woodswallow
Yellow-eyed Cuckooshrike
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
Varied Triller
White-winged Triller
Varied Sittella
Crested Shrike-tit
Grey-headed Whistler
Gilbert's Whistler
Olive Whistler
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Red-lored Whistler
Grey Fantail
Willie-wagtail
White-eared Monarch
Black-faced Monarch
Spectacled Monarch
Pied Monarch
Yellow-breasted Boatbill
Satin Flycatcher
Shining Flycatcher
Leaden Flycatcher
Victoria's Riflebird
Magpie-lark
Green Oriole
Olive-backed Oriole
Australasian Figbird
Grey Shrike-thrush
Little Shrike-thrush
Bower's Shrike-thrush
Crested Bellbird
Rufous Fantail
Restless Flycatcher
Little Crow
Australian Raven
Little Raven
Torresian Crow
Forest Raven
White-winged Chough
Apostlebird
Common Starling
Metallic Starling
Common Myna
Australian Pipit
Spangled Drongo
Jacky-winter
Red-capped Robin
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Pink Robin
Rose Robin
Southern Scrub-robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Mangrove Robin
Grey-headed Robin
Hooded Robin
Lemon-bellied Flyrobin
White-browed Robin
Pale-yellow Robin
Fairy Martin
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Australasian Lark
Australian Reed-warbler
Brown Songlark
Rufous Songlark
Little Grassbird
Eurasian Blackbird
Olive-backed Sunbird
Silvereye
Australian Yellow White-eye
Bassian Thrush
Mistletoebird
Chestnut-breasted Munia
Crimson Finch
Star Finch
Red-browed Finch
Black-throated Finch
Beautiful Firetail
Diamond Firetail
Double-barred Finch
Zebra Finch
Plum-headed Finch
Scaly-breasted Munia
European Goldfinch
European Greenfinch