Final leg on the way up to the tip
List of identified species will be at the end of the last part of the whole trip (Part 4).
We decided to book a nice place for a couple of days to dry out, after this long haul camping across the top and found a lovely birding lodge. A log cabin with wood chopped for the indoor fire – what a treat. Within 30 mins of being there we saw new birds and thought it was going to be a great stay. There are a number of walks around the property so we set of that evening on a shortish one, planning on the others the next day. Unfortunately the rain is following and started on our way back from this walk – and did not stop again for the whole stay. Back at the cabin we got great views of Victoria’s Riflebird and Wompoo Fruit Dove from our deck, amazing. We did a longer second walk in the rain but it got too much and far too many leeches, also the birds hide. Was a lovely place and really good to have the fire.
Planning a few days in Atherton for birding, we managed only one day, with a visit to the amazing Hasties Swamp birdhide. It was so cold and wet that it was just not worthwhile (we will come back this way on the way down).
By now my phone and laptop had dried out and were at least working again. Looking at the forecast it was warmer and dryer in Cairns so we headed to the coast. Only for it to cool down and rain the day after we got there. Re-stocking food etc and a couple of days to generally re-organise and off up to Port Douglas, supposedly warmer, but rain and cool spell followed, although a little warmer than further south. 
Time to head into Cape York, these campsites had to be booked months in advance due to getting packed out. We also had to change the dates once and now have a gap on one park where we could not get space when dates changed.
A problem I find with this book in advance (apart from changed dates) is you really do not get a sense of what the places are like from the on-line description and photo. We got to Welcome Waterhole but it was not at all what we were expecting. Plus it was still bucketing down. Sat in the car for a while then decided we would head back to a previous campsite Horseshoe Lagoon – now this is what we like, stunning place on large billabong and lots of birds. But its still chucking it down, after sitting in the car for another 30 mins we decided it just was not worth the risk. Its not so much camping in the wet, but the road in would become impassable if it kept up and then we would be stuck.
The picture below is not ours but what the campsite would have looked like in nice weather.
Back to the highway and a Roadhouse motel room or that was the plan. On arriving everyone else had same plan – plus a road crew had turned up earlier and taken all the motel rooms. So camping it was. Pitched the tent in the rain, it blew over when we went off to eat (did not peg it down…). By morning everything was very wet. Never had a problem getting accommodation anywhere till COVID, now between extra money being thrown at roads and the number of travellers its nuts everywhere.
Now to hunt the endangered Golden Shouldered Parrot. The owners of Artemis Station have been protecting and trying to understand these parrots for years and done a lot for the slowly growing numbers. We decided to camp here the night in the hope that we would see them, in the end it was easy (ish). Great campsite too, with an old wood burner to heat the hot water for showers.
There is a feeding station, but the parrots are flighty and do not like people so it is a game of stillness and patience. The weather was still not good but we did get some photos at least – not much good, but at least we have had a chance to see 4 of them in the wild.
Next to see a bit more of Lakefield National Park – this time going in from Northern End. The park has a number of different habitats so reasonable for birding but in general it is more a fisherman’s paradise.
The scenery was interesting and very varied with some lovely billabongs and a few (new to us) birds.
Iron Range – our number 1 destination for birds on this trip, the largest remaining area of lowland rainforest in Australia and home to many species of bird found no-where else, and a number of migratory species from Papua New Guinea. Driving in is spectacular (although the road is abysmal). Days spent walking up and down the same stretch of road found us all species except one (which we heard). Even with occasional rain it is an amazing place and the birds are stunning, although not always easy to find.
Lots of wildlife but due to the bad weather we were not lucky enough to find much in the way of Reptiles or Mammals.
An evening down at Chili Beach also very worthwhile to watch thousands of Metallic Starlings doing a murmuration as they come in to roost on an offshore island at dusk.
(They struggled though as it was raining and blowing so hard, not easy to fly). Had a great time in Iron Range and met so many good people of all ages interested in birds, reptiles and nature.
It is also lucky that some people warned us about the nightjars on the road – would have hated to run them over. They just sit there in the middle. mesmerised by the lights I think. Great to see but you wonder how many do not survive as unless you knew they were there and drove slowly you would not see them. So going home at around 30 kpm.
(Not a good picture, could not hold the camera steady with long exposure in the dark).
Amazingly lots of kids interested too, one lad of about 10 was just getting such great photos – youthful quick responses help. 4 days was not enough, will do again on way down. It was still raining on and off so hopefully a second visit will be better.
We found another flaw here in the book in advance system. As National Parks are cheap, many people book and then never show up so that people who do want to book can not. We found many people just camping without paying as there was no way to contact anyone, but equally people could not use the site they had paid for as someone else took it. If this is a system they want then rangers need to be on site.
Fruit Bat Falls are stunning and worth a swim, we went early morning when no-one was there and could swim alone, the afternoon was packed.
Elliot falls – this was were we had not been able to re-book but there were supposedly 2 free camps nearby. 1st one was so packed at the start of it and to get further or to 2nd you needed a much higher clearance vehicle than we had. After a 12 point turn we headed back to National Park camp (nowhere else to go at 6pm and miles back to anywhere). We did not like it but found an empty campsite and just sat in car till well past dark hoping no-one would turn up, then pitched tent. Elliot Falls is to my way of thinking not as scenic as Fruit Bat Falls (or my judgement may be clouded by a person who was forcing a scared kid to jump).
I rang the National Parks days later when in range and talked about these issues -she said “if you are stuck in remote places, just camp and ring up and pay later”. Trouble with that is you don’t know if someone else has booked it – Stupid.
Seisia camping on a beautiful beach mainly so we can stock up on food again, but a lovely spot and great to watch how easily the odd fisherman makes a catch.
Punsand Bay campsite via the infamous Croc Tent and some great patches of rainforest. Another amazing beach and campsite set up like asia. On the second day we missed by minutes a Taipan seen under the beach bar, shame. Still we found a pair of Papuan Frogmouths on a nest.
We also missed wandering around a ruined luxury resort right on the tip – saw it from the road but then did not stop and explore as it was too hot to wander around.
After 5 weeks we made it to the tip, there are unexpected small pockets of rainforest which are incredible and the scenery at the tip is just astoundingly beautiful and well worth the journey. Again we also missed a bird tree to climb – we looked but could not find it.
Not my picture below
