From Chinchilla in the Southern Downs of Queensland, I went east to Dalby, then north to Jimbour Station which was pretty bizarre. It was built more than a hundred years ago for a rich grazier. It is a bit full on I reckon.
Jimbour Station
Jimbour Station
Then further east to Toowoomba , then north again to Crows Nest where I went along the walking track from Bullocy Rest Area to the Pumphole Lookout.
I had not taken any photos for about a week. It has been so cold. The last few nights I have woken up with ice covering the windscreen. brrr. This morning I did not get out until after 9am. That is unheard of for me. It is just too cold. I took a few photos at Charley’s Creek at Chinchilla a few days ago but nothing much was there. This morning I stopped at Crows Nest, north of Toowoomba and went for a walk from the Bullocky Rest Area along Applegum Walk to Pumphole Lookout.
Redbank Reserve is somewhere in the central west of Queensland. I have forgotten exactly where it was now. It was so long ago. After that I kept going south. It had been raining for days and this morning was the first chance that I had got to take the camera for a walk. So here I am at Wandoan, wandering around the Waterloo Plain Environmental Park.
I left Muttaburra in the afternoon and drove to Aramac, about eighty kilometers east of Muttaburra. It is a small village with a shop and a camping area. I found a nice camp site near Aramac Creek at the 5 Emus Camp Site. I wandered around in the afternoon and saw a few birds and in the morning walked along the creek and back again. The Aramac Creek Rail Bridge was first built in 1913 by the Aramac Shire Council. The bridge is all that remains of the original rail line between Aramac and Barcaldine. Here are my bird photos.
After Hughenden, I headed south to Winton where I spent the night at Mistake Creek, just out of town. There was a film festival at Winton so I went and saw Outlaws, starring Tom Hardy. After doing some internet stuff, I headed east towards Longreach and then went north again along a dirt road to Muttaburra.
Hardhead ( Aythya australis) and Grey Teal
In the morning I had a look at the Winton Sewerage Works. There were a few ducks around but not much.
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
I camped the night at Union Hole where striking shearers carted their water from Union Hole with a horse and dray in 1891. At Union Camp approximately 400 striking shearers camped here in March 1891. The remains of the main camp oven can still be seen along with other relics.
Finally I have got around to editing my tourist photos. I am loath to check how long it has been since I have processed all these photos. This covers a major part of Australia from the Pilbara in Western Australia to Hughenden in Northern Queensland. Remind me to do these tourist photos more often.
Cape Keraudren
Pilbara hills
Bea Bea Rest Area
Coming out of the Pilbara towards Port Hedland.
China Wall
Just out of Fitzroy Crossing.
Rock Formations
Kakadu Flood Plains
Kakadu Aboriginal art
Bamboo Creek Old Tin Mine
This was inside Litchfield National Park.
Great Bowerbird nest
Near Mataranka.
Porcupine Gorge National Park
On the Kennedy Development Road on the way to Hughenden.
I headed south from the Atherton Tablelands. Just past Mount Garnet, I turned left onto the Kennedy Development Road. The first night I camped at the turnoff to the Valley of Lagoons. A lovely name but I had no idea what that was all about. The next day I found Moonstone Hill, where I dried out all my bed stuff. In the afternoon I walked down to some wetlands/swamp. There were a few herons and ibis hanging out but nothing special. So I carried on and found a camp near a water-hole at Lake Louisa. The next day I stopped off at Porcupine Gorge National Park and was rewarded with some photos of a Squatter Pigeon.
In the afternoon, I headed back south to Lake Mitchell to have a look for some finches. I did not find any other than Double-barred Finches. Hmm , as a matter of fact I did not see much at all. Once more and big DOH!! After that I went up the road to the Big Mitchell River but saw absolutely nothing. There was plenty of grass but no finches. In the morning I went once again to the Rifle Creek Rest Area just north of Mount Molloy. More rainforest birds and a severe lack of light.
After Mareeba, I headed north to Mount Molloy. In the morning I went along the track towards town at Rifle Creek Rest Area. There were a few birds but not many. Inside the rainforest sections, it was a nightmare trying to get decent photos as the light was abysmal. You really need specialized gear for rainforest photography. arghhh!!! Later in the morning I headed towards Julatten and stopped off at Abattoir Swamp for a while.
From Normanton, I kept headed east past the 40 Mile Scrub, Mount Surprise and Archers Creek where I stopped for a few nights rest by a relaxing babbling brook. Heading off again I stopped for a few days at Ravenshoe at the Railway Caraven Park right in the middle of town, which was a big change for me. I could even walk to the supermarket. When I got to Atherton, I had a look at Hasties Swamp National Park – Nyleta Wetland. There must have been more than five thousand Plumed Whistling-ducks there. Not much else though. Then off to the Bonadia RV Park just out of Atherton Town. There is an amazing scrap of rainforest on the edge of the park that is truly amazing. In the morning I got heaps of birds. Just look.
