
The Great Pouched Critter Safari of 2025
Segment 2: Queensland North & South)Cairns to Daintree
(July 22–August 03, 2025)
Locations Visited
Daintree
Cooktown
Julatten
Atherton Tablelands
Outback Queensland (various locales)
Undara Volcanic National Park
Magnetic Island
Lamington National Park
Byron Bay & Pottsville
Links to Other Segments and to Related Galleries
Expedition to Tasmania (Segment 1)
Expedition to South Australia (Segment 2)
Expedition to Queensland (Segment 3)
Expedition to Northern Territory (Segment 4)
Expedition to Western Australia (Segment 5)
Bird Species List and Bird Gallery Links for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
Logistics for the Great Pouched Critter Safari of 2025
Master Species List for the Entire Expedition
Cairns to Daintree
July 22
Daintree village as seen from the Daintree River. There has been virtually no change to this area since I first visited in 1996.
(Note: Although the Brisbane portion below was the very first stop on this epic expedition, I have lumped it with my Northern Queensland expedition for the sake of regional clarity. Scroll down for that section.)
After another sleep in at the Adelaide airport, I caught an early morning flight from Adelaide to Cairns (Jetstar, 06:00–09:30) which marked the start of the tropical leg of the trip. After picking up the rental car, I headed north toward the Daintree Village, making several stops along the way to search for the elusive Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo, which occupied my thoughts and time for the next three to four days. I found out later that I was searching in the wrong area and had I seen one along that road, it would have been Lumholtz’s.
The drive offered scenic rainforest views and a few promising spots for tree kangaroo habitat. We also scouted the Mowbray River Footbridge for Saltwater Crocodiles, though none were seen this time. My goal for the day was to make it to Daintree Village for spotlighting and camping to catch the Daintree River Cruise the following day before visiting the Discovery Center.
The River Cruise was good for birds, although not as good as the time I took the cruise in 1996. Below are some of the birds spotted on the cruise. The sporadic rain was surely the reason we didn’t do better but it was nice to see the river and forest again. I used Daintree Boatman Wildlife Cruise now owned by Murray Hunt, an expert birder, mammaler and naturalist. Great information and decent sightings were had.
Mammals were absent for me at this stage of my Queensland expedition. I was hoping to find sign of Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo as several had been spotted at the very tops of the old growth trees on the north side of the Daintree River. After many hours of fruitless spotlighting I was unsuccessful finding any mammals. This trend was to continue for at least three more days as I headed north.
Papuan Frogmouths are the one of the most spectacular birds in the region and are actually quite easy to see in and around Daintree. I came across three pairs in the Daintree area.
Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) Daintree River
Plumed Egret (Ardea plumifera) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Striated Heron (Butorides striata) Daintree Town, Daintree River
White-throated Nightjar (Eurostopodus mystacalis) Daintree River
Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto) Daintree River
Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Female Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) Daintree Town, Daintree River
Wompoo Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) Daintree Town, Daintree River
Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) Daintree Town, Daintree River - Queensland
Cloudy view of the Pacific near Daintree
Rental Car #2 - this one was absolutely horrible for many reasons
Swamp Lily (Crinum pedunculatum) Daintree River - Queensland
Sublime view of the Daintree River and the Daintree Rainforest
Cloudy, rainy morning in Daintree
Amethystine or Australian Scrub Python (Simalia kinghorni)Daintree Town, Daintree River - pretty large one resting off a meal
Estuarine or Salt Water Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) Daintree River - Queensland
Four meter Estuarine or Salt Water Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) on the Daintree River with a cow being suicidally curious
Well hidden Estuarine or Salt Water Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) Daintree River
Cooktown and Northern Queensland
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
Awesome View of the Endeavour River, named after Captain Cook's ship which beached there in 1770. This pic shows the vast expanse of wilderness still remaining in this part of Queensland.
July 23 – 24 Daintree to Cooktown & Back
Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) seen near Lakeland Savanna Biome Region - Queensland
After a morning in the Daintree area, I continued to the Daintree River ferry thinking I was going to simply head north toward Cooktown, stopping at several key locations to search for Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo and other species. I found out at the ferry kiosk that my rental car was far from adequate for the road ahead, which included at least two or three river crossings that were full this season. Luckily the woman at the kiosk asked why I was buying only a one-way ticket – she saved me at least half a day of travel! This required my heading back a bit and head west to Route 81 which passed through amazing savanna habitat for hundreds of kilometres to get to Cooktown.
The plant communities in the Lakeland region of Queensland are predominantly tropical savannas and open woodlands, characterized by grasses and scattered trees such as eucalypts and bloodwoods, adapted to the area's hot, dry tropical climate and savanna soils. This region also supports agricultural crops, with sugar cane and tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papaya being significant to its economy.
I stayed two nights at the spectacular Mungumby Lodge, run by Isabella and her husband. This beautiful lodge is nestled in the rainforest wilderness just a few kilometers north of the famous Lion’s Den Campground and Restaurant. Isabella was very helpful helping to find Charlie and Lewis Roberts, legendary bushmen who know the forests of the region better than any human alive. More about my time with Lewis in a bit. Mungumby lodge has the potential of producing many species of mammals, although I did not see any there. In fact, I didn’t see any mammals at all in this portion of the expedition! This was not for a lack of trying.
My initial target was the Godman’s Rock Wallaby, that I searched for for many hours at Black Mountain National Park viewpoint area and the Annan River Gorge, both being locations others have had decent luck in the past. The gorge however has probably lost its reliability for the species due to the massive flood that ravaged the region a few years back. But Black Mountain should be good, just not for me during my two days in the area. I searched early morning, dusk and even late night – nada.
I did enjoy my time around Cooktown anyway. My second morning in the area was spent with Lewis Roberts, the legendary bushman/bushwalker. I drove my poor rental car all the way to his home, which is situated directly on Shipton Flat. The road is totally a 4x4 road but my amazing skill at driving allowed me to make it! Ha!
Lewis had plans to trek many many kilometres up in the mountain valleys past his home but I was physically not up to it, so we walked a few kilometres in the forests nearer to his cattle ranch. He commented that back only a few years ago, it was virtually guaranteed to see Bennett’s Tree Kangaroos on his vast ranch, but in the past few years, probably due to climate change-related heat waves, he hasn’t seen one at all! No sign either. He thinks it may be regionally extinct. The species is still extant further south for sure as there was a very recent study while I was there that found several at the very tops of the old growth trees in and around the Daintree Discovery Center. I do know at least two people who tried while I was in the area there with no luck however.
I just want to say, even though I dipped on the tree-roo, spending my time with Lewis was gold. He had so many amazing stories of the area and his life. I could (and did) listen for hours and hours! He’s a gentle man that walks the forests of the peninsula with no shoes at all and is a walking talking encyclopaedia of knowledge of the region. I feel my time with Lewis was well worth the effort and failing to see my target was a small price compared to life experience I had that day. Charlie was on the cattle ranch too but he was tied up fixing his stables, so I never actually met the man himself.
Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) Lakeland Savanna Biome Region
Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) Lakeland Savanna Biome Region
Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) Lakeland Savanna Biome Region
Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) Keatings Lagoon Conservation Area - Queensland
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) Keatings Lagoon Conservation Area - Queensland
Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea) Keatings Lagoon Conservation Area
Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami) Keatings Lagoon Conservation Area - Queensland
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) Keatings Lagoon Conservation Area - Queensland
Black Mountain is known to be a haunt for the Godman's Rock Wallaby
Annan River Gorge - no rock wallabies for a long long time evidently
The rocks at Black Mountain have their color due to lichens
View from Cooktown Lighthouse
Old Cooktown Lighthouse
Cooktown
Pacific view from Cooktown
Huge brush fire in the back country from Cooktown
Lewis on our trek to his back 40
Shipton Flat
Annan River
Annan River
Lion's Den!
A slow night at the Lion's Den
Annan Gorge
Hasties Swamp west of Cooktown
Hasties Swamp
Hasties Swamp
Pacific view from Cooktown
A small spot of the Great Barrier Reef
Black Mountain NP
Kingfisher Lodge Julatten
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
July 25-26
Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge with a nice Joey in tow
Departed Cooktown and headed south to Kingfisher Lodge in Julatten, arriving mid afternoon after passing through hundreds of kilometres of awesome savanna habitat along the way. Just west of Lakeland Viewpoint, I had a great view of my one and only Dingo for the expedition. I honestly thought it would be easy to see Dingos during my two month expedition but having only seen this one, I stand corrected. He was very curious of me and gave me several minutes to snap images in fairly good light. The road passes through habitat for at least four to five species of raptors that I saw often – Wedge-tailed Eagles, Brown Falcons, Black and Whistling Kites and a Black-shouldered Kite or two.
Great to see this awesome Rakali swimming in the Crake Pond of Kingfisher Lodge
The rest of the day was spent exploring the small but fauna-filled forest fragment that makes up the grounds of Kingfisher Lodge. Carol and Andrew Iles are the owners of this awesome lodge and are great sources of information and knowledge of the region and the forest. The know the mammals well even though the main clientele of their lodge are birders. They have feeders that bring in many species of local birds (images below) and at night, they put out some seeds that bring in Fawn-footed Melomys, Northern Brown Bandicoots, Queensland Long-nosed or Barred Bandicoots, Bush Rats and Yellow-footed Antechinus if you are lucky. In the orchard behind the house, I managed Red-legged Pademelons, Agile Wallabies, several species of bats (Eastern Horseshoe Bat, Eastern Long-eared Bat, Eastern Tube-nosed Bat and possible Little Bent-wing Bat) and even a very active swimming Rakali, a species that is not normally seen on the grounds of the resort. I met Brett Hartl, a fellow mammalwatcher, whom I crossed paths with in the Pantanal some years prior, who had seen White-tailed Rats and Striped Possums on the grounds.
My second full day at the lodge was spent exploring some of the area’s wetlands and birding hotspots. I did manage some spectacular bird photography of many species at Mount Carbine Caravan Park and some of the side roads (East and West Mary Roads) on Route 81, the highpoint being an awesome Australian Bustard, strolling a grassy field like a boss! Mount Carbine has many species of regional favorites of birds.
The evening was spent doing more spotlighting at the lodge and a trip up Mount Lewis Road which was once one of the wildlife watching highpoints in Queensland. A cyclone a few years back caused dozens of landslides along the mountainous road, causing it to basically be permanently closed. As of now you can drive/trek up about 900 meters from the entrance to the Mt Lewis Road. I did manage Red-legged Wallaby, Grassland Melomys and White-tailed Rat. I also got my one and only Eastern Short-beaked Echidna on the road to Lewis Mountain. Noting the differences between the mainland subspecies and the Tasmanian subspecies is really something. Tasmanians are very hairy! A cold environment adaptation.
Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Grassland Melomys (Melomys burtoni) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Agile Wallaby (Notamacropus agilis jardinii) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Fawn-footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Eastern Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus aculeatus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Northern Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles pallescens) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Fawn-footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Fawn-footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Chestnut-breasted Munia or Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) and Red-browed Finsh at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Yellow Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Macleay's Honeyeater (Xanthotis macleayanus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge
Bar-shouldered Doves (Geopelia humeralis)
Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt castanonotus) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge
Chestnut-breasted Munia or Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge
Chestnut-breasted Munia or Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Chestnut-breasted Munia or Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Davies Creek NP, Chambers Lodge and the Atherton Table Lands
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
July 27 Kingfisher Lodge to Davies Creek NP to Granite Gorge, Mareeba to Crater Lake National Park to Yungaburra…
Curtain Fig Tree, one of the most impressive trees I’ve ever seen. Just one of the many natural highlights of the Atherton Tablelands
The best I could do for the Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) Davies Creek National Park
Departed Kingfisher Lodge and headed south toward Mareeba, with plans to visit Granite Gorge Nature Park where I got many Mareeba Rock Wallabies, which were easily seen among the boulders. The area is quite scenic with massive batholiths with streams flowing through and occasionally pooling providing habitat for birds and turtles and various native fish. I could definitely recommend spending a few days relaxing here.
My destination for the day was Davies Creek National Park, an absolutely spectacular wilderness area that is famed for sightings of Northern Bettongs and Northern Quolls. While I did manage several Northern Quoll sightings, I dipped on the Bettongs. Catching images of the Quolls was nearly impossible as they were very skittish and being the solo driver/spotter/photographer was challenging to say the least.
Davies Creek is a very diverse area floristically. Savanna woodlands/grasslands at the lower elevations give way to spectacular ancient rainforest at the higher elevations and especially in the river canyons. The tree ferns were phenomenal. Had the weather been warmer I have no doubt I would have managed more wildlife in the area. Although I am not complaining as my main target was the Northern Quoll and I did get several.
July 28 – August 1 Mareeba to Chambers Wildlife Lodge
Striped Possum at Chambers! (Those front hands and Phalange #4)
Drove to the famous Chambers Wildlife Lodge located in the forest of Crater Lakes National Park. After check-in I explored the local forest around the lodge a bit before it became dark. One of the main draws for mammal watchers for Chambers is the feeding station where the owners lather honey on two trees attracting Striped Possums, Queensland Barred or Northern Long-nosed Bandicoots and Krefft’s Gliders (Although I am labelling my images Honey Glider as they match the characters of that species and not Krefft’s which have the distinctive white tail tip).
After the honey is applied to the tree (7PM sharp), Sugar Gliders seemed to come in about 15 minutes later. Bandicoots about 30 minutes later and my first night, the Striped Possums about two hours later! I was actually thinking they may not come in at all. Glad I stuck around as the Striped Possum show was absolutely spectacular. One became two which became three…Near the end of my evening, there were five Striped Possums at the site! And three Sugar Gliders and a couple Bandicoots. And the grassy areas of the lodge had several Red-legged Pademelons.
I was very fortunate to have met Alan Gillanders before my trip on Facebook who offered to take me out for a couple mornings for wildlife watching and an evening of spotlighting. Alan is an awesome source of information and stories of all that is Australia’s nature. We had a great trade of sorts in that I was to be a guest speaker for the local Atherton Tablelands Mammal Group with the topic being conservations issues and successes of Thailand in exchange for his guiding services on the Tablelands.
Alan was such an awesome host for me while I was on the Tablelands. He is an outstanding wildlife expert, naturalist and enthusiast. My time with Alan was simply spectacular.
Our first morning was mainly bird-oriented. We visited a local home of a friend of his in Malanda. We were joined by Alan’s friend (and now mine), Gary Oliver, a fellow photographer (and Kendo expert!) and wildlife enthusiast. After some time at the at the feeder with some spectacular forest species we headed out to Hypipamee Crater National Park for a shot at a Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, the one species of tree roo that still remains relatively easy to see. After many hours searching fruitlessly however, the word “easy” is perhaps a bit misleading?
Alan did point out some other possible locations along the way to Hypipamee that I would try later if we dipped. The forest of the crater is absolutely spectacular as is the crater itself. The geology of the region is quite fascinating. We did find some fresh scat on the trail to the crater that belonged to a Tree-roo but no critter to be seen. We did see an awesome Southern Cassowary which came strolling out of the bush and walked right by me, almost too close for my lens! I will never forget my first time seeing this amazing dinosaur back in Kuranda in 1996. Seeing this one brought back fond memories and a sense of awe. As it ended up, this was my only sighting of this species while I was in Queensland this trip.
While at Hypipamee, Alan took us to see an active Golden Bowerbird bower located about 50 meters into the forest from the road. I wasn’t sure what to expect but as soon as we got to the spot that Alan knew well, a lovely Golden Bowerbird came out of nowhere and landed about a meter from us as if he was expecting us! Alan had a few flower petals in his pocket that he immediately tossed down in front of the bird. The petals were quickly picked up by the bird who began a process of placing them on his massive bower. The bower was well over a meter tall and about a meter in width and was spectacularly decorated with flower petals and other things from the forest. It was amazing watching the bird place the petals in a spot, stand back to inspect, not like the positioning, place them in another location, stand back to see if he liked the new spot….not like it and repeat several more times before finally finding a place that pleased him. Wow!
About mid-day we parted ways and I spent the rest of the day exploring the region. I visited Curtain Fig Tree, the most spectacular Ficus tree I have ever seen. I will let the pictures, although they don’t do it justice, speak for themselves. It’s actually two trees but the way Ficus grows, I guess the melded to become one amazing natural spectacle!
Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) seen high up a forest giant in the forest near Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
I also trekked Malanda Falls with hopes of seeing a Tree-roo as they are commonly spotted there. None were seen by me during that trek, although some folks had seen one earlier in the day. I also checked out the Malanda Falls Caravan Park, which allegedly had a near resident Tree-roo. It had been spotted by campers shortly before I arrived but I was not lucky in spotting it myself even after scouring every tree in the area it was spotted.
The next day involved more exploration on the Tablelands to be followed by a night of Spotlighting with Alan and Gary. The morning included a trip to Angus Emmott’s and his wife’s home for more leisurely bird feeder action. Along with many species of local forest birds, including Rifle Birds, I was treated to quick glimpses Musky Rat Kangaroo and Yellow-footed Antechinus. The highpoint however was a private tour through Angus’s awesome private museum, where he had very impressive collections of insects, mammal study specimens, books, aboriginal artifacts and so much more. I could spend days in that place!
No luck on day #2 for Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo on the Tablelands. Still feeling good though as I did have a couple more days and nights to continue trying.
I was determined to find my Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo so I checked all of the spots Alan showed me the day before, all with no luck. I basically told myself that my #1 target for Queensland was not going to happen most likely. I decided to go to the Platypus viewing platform in Yungaburra to attempt to see the Queensland Platypus, mainly for comparison purposes only as they are not considered to be a subspecies and are supposedly much smaller than their Tasmanian cousins.
This involved my going to Peterson Creek Wildlife and Botanical Walking Trails located on the western edge of Yungaburra. As I approached the part of the trail that paralleled the river (about 50 meters in from the entrance) I saw a robust macropod hopping its way across the trail and into the forest. A group of hikers called out, “wallaby”! I knew immediately that it was not a wallaby – it was Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo on the ground and not in a tree!
For the next hour or two, I spent time with the roo observing its behavior and snapping great images and feeling damn good! Not only did I see my number one target, I had perhaps one of the best wildlife viewing experiences of the entire expedition. Clearly this individual was habituated and not afraid of us at all and it never acted as if it was expecting to be fed, which was nice. Between photo-shoots of the roo, I searched Peterson Creek for sign of Platypus. I did manage to see several actually but only one gave me some photo-ops. (see below). I do agree they seem to be a bit smaller than the Tasmanian individuals I saw. Peterson Creek is also home to a fairly sizable colony of Spectacled Flying Foxes which are easy to see.
Spectacular Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo in Yunga Burra!
So happy, I went back and napped a bit at Chambers before heading out to meet Alan and Gary for an amazing night of spotlighting on the Atherton Tablelands! Our first destination was to return the area around Hypipamee Crater with a detour to a friend’s house to find Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Gliders! Such a spectacular little animal that glides like a tiny little paper square floating in the wind. Other gliders were often seen there in the past but not so much now. It was here that I got my one and only leech for the expedition – a fully gorged tiger leech who had just feasted on my blood.
Then we headed to Elms Road where we were to very easily see Rufous Bettong in large numbers in a field that Alan knew well. Then back to Hypipamee but made a quick stop at intersection of Longlands Gaps and Kenney Highway where in very short order, Alan nailed THREE Ringtail Possums – the Green, Lemuroid and Herbert’s River Ringtail Possums! All situated within a few meters of each other. And to top it off, we got a great Carpet Python all coiled up near where we parked our car. And on the way back to Hypipamee, we managed more Lemuroid Ringtailed Possums and a couple Coppery Brush-tailed Possums.
My final day on the Atherton Tablelands was spent with some more travels to the various hotspots, including Hasties Swamp, a premier birding hotspot, and working my way to Possum Valley Cabins about thirty minutes further south near the edge of the Tablelands. The cabins are awesome. Mine was Black Bean Cottage. They are situated at the highest point for any commercial lodging in Queensland and are in a very remote forest. They are rustic but very well adorned with everything one would need for a stay in the wilderness. My car would not make the trip up and down the last segment of road, so Paul, the owner, offered to let me use his Nissan 4X4 for the short but challenging segment of road. The truck was quite impressive – I’ll let my pics speak for themselves.
That night I was to make my way back to Malanda where I delivered my talk on Thailand’s conservation issues and successes. I think it was well received. The area has so many truly expert-level individuals who have so much worldly knowledge making it an honor to lecture their group.
Upon returning to Possum Valley Cabins late that evening I was greeted by Red-legged Pademelons and Common Brush-tailed Possums on my porch. By this time it was absolutely pouring though. I read the weather report that basically promised many days of nonstop rain. At this point, I told myself that if it was raining like this in the morning I would leave a day early to head to the deep outback where I could add a day at Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic National Park and Magnetic Island. At 6AM, it was raining cats and dogs.
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) Peterson Creek Yunga Burrra
Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) Peterson Creek Yunga Burrra
Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) Peterson Creek Yunga Burrra
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) Hand with elongated digit #4
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) Possum Valley Cottages, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Large-footed or Southern Myotis (Myotis macropus) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Mareeba Rock-wallaby (Petrogale mareeba) Mareeba, Granite Gorge NP
Mareeba Rock-wallaby (Petrogale mareeba) Mareeba, Granite Gorge NP
Northern Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles pallescens) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Northern Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles pallescens) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Northern Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles pallescens) Chambers Lodge Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Coppery Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus johnstonii) Hypipamee Crater NP
Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) near Hypipamee Crater NP
Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) near Hypipamee Crater NP
Lemuroid Ringtail Possum - note the abdomen closely - I believe those to be developing young on nipples?
Herbert River Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirulus herbertensis) near Hypipamee Crater NP
Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops archeri) near Hypipamee Crater
Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops archeri) near Hypipamee Crater
Rufous Bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens) Elms Road near Hypipamee
Rufous Bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens) Elms Road near Hypipamee
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - returning to roost by the thousands
Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands
Hardhead (Aythya australis) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Chestnut-breasted Munia or Manniki (Lonchura castaneothorax) Private Residence in Malanda, Atherton Tablelands
Granit Gorge, Mareeba
Possum Valley Cabins - an awesome place well worth an extended stay. My stay was too short and very rainy, but I truly loved the rustic nature of the cabins and the remote nature of Paul's wilderness.
Possum Valley Cabins TV Room! Possum Valley is the highest in elevation of any lodging in Queensland
Granite Gorge - a permanent stream flows through this small paradise
How Curtain Fig formed - wow!
The road to the cabins at Possum Vally has a couple hundred meters where a treu 4X4 is required, especially when it rains. I did not have one so Paul let me use his truck for the duration of my stay. He proudly told me it had not been cleaned since he bought it new! "Better things to do!" I admire the hell out of that!
My view from Possum Valley Cabin Black Bean - Platypus in the stream, Azure Kingfisher all day long, Red-legged Pademelons at night and a possum - most likely Common Brusthtail.
Curtain Fig National Park - truly a spectacle of nature
The size is amazing
Granite Gorge Turtle Pond
Mareeba Rock-wallaby cuddle!
Angus Emmott's amazing room of wonders!
Anoplognathus central
Macaque skull art?
Study pelts - guess that they are
Two of my faves
Crater Lake NP
Joey Lumholt'z Tree Kangaroo being cared for as mom was killed by a car
Baby Joey
My guest speaking gig in Mandala, Queensland
Trust me, some people did show us
Davies Creek lush tree fern forest
Mandala Falls
Bromfield Swamp - waiting for the cranes to come in
Hipypamee Crater NP
Hypipamee Crater
Golden Bowerbird's favorite petals!
Alan Gillanders with his magic golden Bowerbird petals
Yungaburra, Malanda & Possum Valley
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
Agile Wallaby (Notamacropus agilis jardinii) Davies Creek NP - Queensland
Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP - Queensland
Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP - Queensland
Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP - Queensland
Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP
Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP
Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP
Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP
"Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP - Queensland
Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP - Queensland
Red-necked Crake (Rallina tricolor) Private Residence near Crater Lakes NP
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP - Dinosaur Feet!
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Bower for the Golden Bowerbird (Amblyornis newtoniana) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Golden Bowerbird (Amblyornis newtoniana) Mount Hypipamee - placing the new decorations
Re-thinking where they should go!
Golden Bowerbird (Amblyornis newtoniana) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Wollumbinia latisternum (saw-shelled turtle) Hasties Swamp, Atherton Tablelands - Queensland
Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) near Mount Hypipamee Crater NP
Amethystine or Australian Scrub Python (Simalia kinghorni) Road to Lions Den Restaurant
Australian Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) Lamington Area
Australian Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) Lamington area
Australian Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge
Coastal Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland
Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) Mareeba, Granite Gorge NP
Australian Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge
Northern Sun Skink (Lampropholis coggeri) Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge - Queensland
Saw-shelled Turtle (Myuchelys latisternum) Yungaburra Peterson Creek - Queensland
Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic National Park
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
August 2
The vast savanna of Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic National Park. Note the dark green vegetation in the center - remnant Gondwana period rainforest in a collpased lava tube.
A supremely regal Antilopine Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP - Queensland
After being rained out at Possum Valley, I headed out to the deep savanna country of western Queensland. There is something about being in such vast open spaces that thrill me. After living in the concrete jungle of Bangkok for so many years now, seeing clean air, vast open spaces and an open road free of tuk tuks and diesel, I am easy to please!
Before actually leaving the Tablelands completely I did see a very large mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in Ravenshoe. While that spot is famous for Yellow-bellied Gliders, I was passing mid-morning so I had no hopes of seeing any. Onward to the Outback!
While the route to Undara is remote and long, I wouldn’t call it risky travel at all. The road is good and so long as you carefully plan your fuel stops, you will be ok. That being said, there is a stretch where you are nearly 350 kms between petrol stations. A bit less if you are willing to drive 60kms or so off your route to a station that may or may not be open in Mount Surprise. I was heading to Townsville so I had to bank on the Greenvale Roadhouse being open. It was but it looked pretty small and maybe subject to closing at random times and or running out of fuel potentially. I’m just paranoid I guess.
Immediately upon entering the road to Undara, I spotted a couple Common Wallaroos in a waterhole on the side of the road. They didn’t stick around long but I got a good enough look to know they were not the target species – Antilopine Wallaroo, that is generally easy in Undara.
Undara is an amazing place filled with stunning and fascinating geology and flora and fauna. On my initial plan, I noted the possibility of leaving it off at the last minute as a trade for Magnetic Island, but my one day early departure from the Tablelands allowed me to comfortably do both – good move on my part.
Most of the park however is closed to independent public travel. You are required to joing bus-based tours that leave at various times of the day and night. Nothing wrong with that but be forewarned that if you go in the peak tourist season, you may be unable to join any tours to the cool spots at all as they fill up quickly. Some of the tours were full when I was there and it was low season. I was interested in one tour mainly – the Sunset Drive. This tour took us on a very good late afternoon, dusk wildlife safari where we had excellent views of Antilopine and Common Wallaroos as well as Swamp Wallabies and the potential for Mareeba Rock Wallabies.
The tour takes one up to one of the taller mountains to view the sunset and the vast expanse of savanna woodlands that stretch for hundreds of kilometres in all directions. The dry woodlands are punctuated by remnants of Gondwana-aged rainforest patches that exist only in the collapsed lava tubes that are common throughout the region. See the picture below for detail. The tour concludes with a trip down a smaller lava tube to view the bat departure for the evening. Bat species included Eastern Horseshoe Bat, Little Brown Cave Bats and Dusky Leaf-nosed Bats and possibly several others.
Spotlighting was not as productive as I had hoped, considering it was not that cold in Undara while I was there and the epic full moon had subsided some. Nothing of note that I can recall. The next day was full of Swamp and Whiptail Wallabies, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and loads of parrots of various species. Mareeba Rock Wallabies are supposedly common in the rock outcroppings of the campsite but none were spotted while I was there. Quite a few Eastern Greys were about. Evidently they are remnants of the population brought in for food by the earlies European settlers in the area. They seem to be well established.
Antilopine Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Antilopine Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Antilopine Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Whiptail or Pretty Face Wallaby (Notamacropus parryi) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Whiptail or Pretty Face Wallaby (Notamacropus parryi) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Whiptail or Pretty Face Wallaby (Notamacropus parryi) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Eastern Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus robustus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) Undara Lava Tubes Volcanic NP
Cat's claw creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati) is what I think this is. Endless tracks of forest in Queensland are hit hard by this invasive vine.
Sunset Lava Tube Tour at Undara is quite nice - Champaign and cheese platter....
yum
One of the countless lava tubes at Undara Lava Tube Volcanic National Park. We went for
Note the dark green - Gondwama Rainforest still exists in these collapsed lava tubes. These are a very rare and endangered habitat now.
Kalkani Crater - a great 4km trek with great views and Wallaroos and Pretty-face Wallabies!
Where are the Mareeba Rock Wallabies?
Basalt - Outback Road - Queensland
Magnetic Island - there are Rock Wallabies in them rocks!
Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) were easy to find on Magnetic Island
Now I was off to Magnetic Island, hoping for an open gas station a couple hundred kms down the road. The Greenvale Roadhouse was indeed open but if you miss it for whatever reason, you may be in a heap of hurt. The road in and around Greenvale is simply filled with raptors. I had great views of at least five different species, similar to the experience in the upper stretches of my route near Lakeland, Qld.
I made it to Townsville in early afternoon with the plan of boarding a ferry, getting my targets, and returning later that same day! Ambitious for sure but the efficiency of the ferry system there made it actually very practical and doable. Note: There are two ferry companies that launch from Townsville to Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island Ferries Vehicle and Passenger Service on the south side of the harbor, only leaves every few hours and is primarily a vehicle transport ferry service. I initially stopped there and was a bit dismayed at how seldom the ferries left and returned. Luckily the nice young lady at the kiosk, before taking my money, said there was a much more regular ferry service across the harbor. SeaLink North Queensland does 18 crossings a day and is super easy and efficient to use. (Passenger ferry only though and with onsite reasonably priced parking – 24 hours for a few bucks. I actually slept in the car in the lot)
So I jumped on an afternoon ferry and made it to Magnetic Island about 30 minutes later. I hopped the bus that meets at the ferry station for a quick trip to Arcadia Village, where I strolled a few hundred meters to the Rock Wallaby Point to see the Allied Rock Wallabies up close. They were very easy to spot and the light was perfect for some nice images. This spot is supposed to be the easiest and most reliable spot to see this species, which is present on the mainland as well, just not that easy to see there.
The island is very scenic but not that easy to get around on foot, at least in the areas I needed to walk between. I was under the impression that the bus service would be an easy way to get around but I was very shocked to find that the time between pickups could be two to three hours! So I would recommend renting a scooter if you are here for a short time or actually bringing your own vehicle across if you plan on staying for a longer period. The good news is that hitch hiking was very easy and I was picked up within seconds after sticking my thumb out. I guess an older overweight man with a big camera is not a threat? 😉
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Magnetic Island
My other targets were of course the Koalas for which the island is famous. Also I was interested in seeing some microbat species up in the ruins of “The Forts” that are about a 4km walk up to the highest point on the island where the Aussies had a WW2 gunnery station. Now the area is a historical site with several ruins, one of which (the Armory) is home to some lovely Northern Broad-nosed Bats that huddle together for warmth during the cool winter days. I do believe there are other species there depending on the time of year but these were the only species I managed to see in July. While Koalas are supposedly very numerous on the island, I only managed one at the top of Fort Trail. Clearly a habituated animal that was an excellent poser…Always surrounded by a small crowd of fans.
I made it back to the mainland just in time to crash in my car in the parking lot, which I was good for 24 hours. The next day was my final day to travel in Queensland, so I slowly worked my way north stopping at every nature-based site and wetland I could find on Google. There are so many lovely places along the roads of Australia, I often felt I was really rushing things during this two month expedition. I was of course, but I was on a mission!
I decided to get a hotel for the night – a nice shower and mattress was what I needed. Although to be honest, my inflatable Temu sleeping pad was and continues to be more comfortable than any mattress I have seen in a long time!
Cairns is so much bigger that it was in 1996. I was enjoying my time there exploring in the afternoon, eating outstanding pho and searching for the now non-existent flying foxes that I remember seeing huge numbers of back in 96. Evidently the city moved them out for reasons that elude me. The old library had thousands back in the day but now, nada, zip, zero…. Luckily I’d seen the Spectacled Flying Foxes before in 96 and earlier in Yungaburra at Peterson Creek. I did spend some quality time at Cairns Harbor shooting water birds. The evening was spent at the Cairns Botanic Gardens (specifically the Rainforest Boardwalk) looking for Giant White-tailed Rats, that I saw one of – barely. I did get several Northern Brown Bandicoots, Red-legged Pademelons and several people saw Striped Possums. The Rainforest Boardwalk is spectacular and allows spotlighting all night. The Botanic Gardens proper is locked though.
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Northern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sanborni) Magnetic Island
Northern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sanborni) Magnetic Island
Northern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sanborni) Magnetic Island
Northern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sanborni) Magnetic Island
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Pho Yah! Seriously - Aussie pho is as good as California pho any day!
Townsville
A bit of Cairns from the harbor
Cairns
Sailing out to sea
Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) Mount Hypipamee Crater NP & Vicinity - Queensland
Dubious Dtella (Gehyra dubia) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Dubious Dtella (Gehyra dubia) Magnetic Island - Queensland
Brisbane
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
NOTE: The below report is for Southern Queensland - Lamington mainly. While the Brisbane portion of my expedition was actually the first stop on my nearly two-month journey, I am posting it here as it is Queensland after all. And it makes sense to keep these segments together
The rolling hill country heading to Lamington National Park is poetic.
The trip kicked off on the evening of June 26th, with a late-night flight from Jetstar (JQ66) departing at 21:40. After a smooth arrival in Brisbane at 09:40 AM on June 27th, the first order of business was picking up the rental car, firing up me eSIM card, and making sure Google Maps navigation was working properly.
I used East Coast Car Rental throughout my time in all locations in Australia. Generally very good service although, being a budget rental operation, all of their offices are off-site and one needs to get a shuttle from the airport. A bit inconvenient but considering the budget rates and the number of days I needed a car (54), I’m not complaining. Considering I planned on sleeping in the vehicle most nights, a mid-sized SUV is what I used throughout. Sleeping ended up being actually quite nice. More on this on the Logistics page.
My first location after leaving the airport was a quick drive to Toohey Forest Park to search for Queensland Koala. I was a bit shocked with how vast this inner-city park was and I immediately knew that it was going to be like looking for a needle in a hay stack. After consulting with some locals picnicking in the park, it was clear that my koala hunting was going to be challenging here for sure. I did trek the very nice trail network for a couple kms and aside from some interesting birds and forest scenery, no koalas. At this stage, I thought it best to head straight to Lamington National Park, a couple hours due south to start my search for my targets with the plans of hitting the hotspots in Brisbane on my return a few days later.
Lamington National Park at O’reilly’s
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
June 28–29: Lamington National Park
Lamington National Park features subtropical, warm temperate, and cool temperate rainforests, including the ancient Antarctic Beech forests. The park is a significant part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.
Lammington National Park is a vast national park located a few hours south of Brisbane. This amazing natural area protects hundreds of species of flora and fauna and incredible ancient primary forests, some of which are remnants of the ancient Gondwana flora over 200 million years. Genera such as Nothofagus and others are still found in small populations within the park. (more information here). While I was mesmerized by the awesome beauty of the forest there, arguably one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, rivalling even the Coastal Redwood forests of northern California. I was there with a target list of critters!
By far the most common critter at Lamington was Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP
Based on previous trip reports, I was hoping to see the following:
Brown Antechinus,
Long-nosed Bandicoot **
Northern Brown Bandicoot,
Eastern Short-beacked Echidna,
Sugar Glider **
Fawn-footed Melomys **
Red-legged Pademelon,
Red-necked Pademelon**
Common Ring-tailed Possum**
Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum**
Australian Bush Rat**
Australian Swamp Rat,
Red-necked Wallaby**
Red-legged Pademelon, (Binna Burra)
Whiptail Wallaby, (Binna Burra)
Feather-tailed Glider (Binna Burra)
(** = species actually seen during this segment of the expedition. Most of the remaining species were eventually seen during other segments of the trip.)
An ambitious list for sure! Upon arrival, I was pleased to find myself at O’reilly’s Campground for my stay. O’reilly’s is an impressive operation, mainly centering on villa rentals, it does offer a decent campground as well. I was a bit blown away with how crowded the place was. I recall reading advice from previous travellers to avoid school holidays, and I immediately knew what they were talking about. School kids everywhere! So be it. On top of the crowds, a substantial storm came in and my first 24 hours there was full-on downpour, which made wildlife watching a bit challenging.
Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus caninus) Oreilly's at Lamington National Park
My first night spotlighting the campsite, villa grounds and main road was pretty much fruitless. One day in and my species list was a whopping zero! I knew that would change but it was a bit off-putting for an OCD person like me who likes to see things immediately! 😉 The next day, the weather did clear up a bit and I was able to walk a couple of the trails near O’reilly’s. I did pick up several species of subtropical forest birds. I even made it a point to view the famous “Bird Feeding” which is a claim to fame for O’reilly’s. Well it was absolutely worth it. At least three or four very spectacular parrots made the scene and were very friendly indeed, even giving me an awesome scalp massage! I was able to see Bower Birds and even get a good look at an active bower hidden a few meters out of view in the forest.
My second night I joined a spotlighting tour which, and considering another bout of rain, was actually pretty productive. We were able to view Australian Bush Rats, Long-nosed Bandicoot, Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum, Sugar or Krefft’s Gliders (in the lower elevation Eucalyptus forest), Fawn-footed Melomys, loads of Red-necked Pademelon, what was most likely an Eastern Chestnut Mouse (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus) and Common Brushtail Possum. We also saw a couple interesting snakes (Rock Python) and some cool trapdoor and funnel spiders. Good night walk for sure – highly recommend!
I did spend quite a bit of time spotlighting the grounds of O’reilly’s and aside from loads of Red-necked Pademelon near the pool, I did not come up with much, probably owing to how wet and freezing cold it was. I am sure if I were there during a warmer, drier time, I would have done better.

Southeastern Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula vulpecula) Binna Burra Lamington NP

Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus banksianus) Oreilly's Road at Lamington NP

Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus caninus) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Fawn-footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus banksianus) Oreilly's Road at Lamington NP

Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Krefft's Glider (Petaurus notatus) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus banksianus) Lammington NP - Queensland

Krefft's Glider (Petaurus notatus) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) Canungra near Lamington NP - Queensland

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) Canungra near Lamington NP - Queensland


Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) Canungra near Lamington NP

Australian Wood or Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata) Canungra near Lamington NP - Queensland

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) Canungra near Lamington NP - Queensland

Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP Female

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP Female

Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) & Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) Oreilly's Lamington NP - Queensland

Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) female Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) Countryside near Lammington NP - Queensland

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) Oreilly's at Lamington NP Female

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) Canungra near Lamington NP - Queensland

Black Kite (Milvus migrans affinis) Countryside near Lammington NP - Queensland

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) Countryside near Lammington NP - Queensland

White-necked or Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica) Countryside near Lammington NP - Queensland

Oreilly's Cafe

Mist over the McPherson Range at Lamington was surreal during my stay there. A "bomb cyclone" hit while I was there making wildlife watching difficult but very beautiful

Fire scars from the 2019 fires

Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) with spike Binna Burra Lamington NP - Queensland

At lower elevations Lamington is vegetated with Eucalyptus woodlands where you may find Koalas and various gliders.

Spectacular Staghorn Fern (Platycerium superbum) Binna Burra Lamington NP - Queensland

Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) with spike Binna Burra Lamington NP - Queensland

Wollumbin or Mount Warning in fog

The owner's old plane - there is history here

Lamington is home to subtropical rainforests and remnants of cooler, older temperate rainforests, including the northernmost Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest.

One of the more beautiful forest roads anywhere



Maybe Araucaria species?

Strangler fig and its victim in cross section

Yes her claws hurt

Yes sir

Countryside on the way to Lamington

The pines confused me. I don't thing thse were Aruacaria species

Temperate woodlands as you head up in elevation

The countryside here is gorgeous. This is horse country - just about every house was surrounded by horse pastures and riding stables, etc

Richmond River Keeled Snail (Thersites richmondiana) Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Trap Door Spider Species - Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland

Trap Door Spider Species - Oreilly's at Lamington NP - Queensland
Numinbah Road & Valley
Bird Species List for the Entire Expedition to Australia
Landscapes & Scenery of Queensland
July 1: Numinbah Valley to Pottsville
I left Binna Burra mid-morning and headed north through Numinbah Valley, stopping at Brush Camp to look for the Black-striped Wallaby, which had been spotted in open grassy areas by others but sadly not by me. But the Brush Camp was a trip. Although I didn’t stay there more than a few minutes, it was an outdoor museum of memorabilia and decaying farm equipment. It had signs about trekking and camping but since there was not a soul there I have no idea how one would accomplish either. I took the scenic Numinbah Road through the valley with the same name and basically wildlife watched from the car, mostly finding birds. Eventually I made it down to the coastal plains of Gold Coast and started down toward New South Wales - Byron Bay and Pottsville.
Numinbah Valley Stream
Bush Camp Numinbah!
Flooded Forest off Numinbah Road
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland Bent-wing Bat Cave (not in season)
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland
Springbrook National Park Waterfall - Queensland
Wollumbin / Mount Warning
Dam causing the flooded forests near Numinbah Road
View of Gold Coast coming from Lamington
Gold Coast
Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) Binna Burra Lamington
Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) Byron Bay, New South Wales
Close up of South Pacific Humpy from Byron Bay Lighthouse
From Numinbah Valley, we continued to Pottsville Environmental Park, in Pottsville New South Wales along a very scenic road in a very scenic part of eastern Australia.
Keeping to my plan, I headed down in elevation and in to New South Wales to Pottsvile and Byron Bay. My goals there were fairly easy although not completely successful. I was searching for Grey-headed Flying Fox, NSW Koalas, Swamp Wallabies and Whiptail Wallabies The Grey-headed Flying Fox were easy to find in Pottsville Environmental Park. I also spotted several Black Flying Fox as well. After trekking a couple kms in the park, I found no Koala sadly.
Byron Bay had a similar outcome. Byron Bay is a very scenic and very developed part of the eastern Australian coast – kinda reminded me of coastal California in places like Monterey or Santa Barbara. Clearly a very high-end area. iNaturalist does have several pins in Byron Bay for the NSW subspecies of Koala but no luck for me – again some significant rain may have had something to do with it.
I did manage to see a distant South Pacific Humpback whale frolicking in the sea from the viewpoint, a few hundred meters past the lighthouse. And around dusk, I did get some OK views of two Swamp Wallabies.
My final day in New South Whales, I did opt to go to Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to at least get a glimpse of the New South Whales subspecies of Koala. They had one male on display. Honestly aside from this individual being absolutely huge, I could not see any major differences between it and the Queensland subspecies that I was soon going to see in significant numbers further north during a later segment. Perhaps this is why most sources only consider only the Queensland and the Victorian as valid subspecies. I’ve put a gallery of all three below to show these differences.
July 2: Return to Brisbane
Roly Chapman Reserve is definitely the place to head to for wild Koalas
The final day included a few last stops on the way back to Brisbane. A quick stop at Billinudgel Nature Reserve which produced only some birds and Eastern Grey Kangaroos although fewer in number than what I saw at the Koala Tail Road area, which had dozens in the open fields of the reserve. But finally I did manage to see my first wild Queensland Koala in the Eucalyptus forest in the reserve. I talked to some locals who assured me that they could find at least 5 to 10 Koalas every time they ventured in to the reserve. I managed two and was very happy indeed.
After spending the night on the shores of the lagoon in Gold Coast (again in my car), I headed straight to Roly Chapman Reserve in Brisbane, which I was recommended to visit by friends from the Australian Mammalwatching Group, which is an outstanding Facebook group that gave me so much useful information during the planning of my expedition and in real time during my trip. Roly Chapman is a very small, square-shaped patch of Eucalyptus forest that is set aside for Koalas and other fauna that used to dominate the area. I caught a very good view of a tired individual Queensland Koala in the tree just outside the Mt Gravatt Lapidary Society building adjacent to the parking lot. Members of the Lapidary Society informed me that there is always a Koala in one of the three trees nearest the building which is habituated to humans observing it.
Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) Pottsville Environmental Park - New South Wales
Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto) Pottsville Environmental Park - New South Wales
Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) Pottsville Environmental Park - New South Wales
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Those eye-lashes!
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Koala Trail Road and Locations South of Brisbane - Queensland
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Byron Bay
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) Byron Bay
Southeastern Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula vulpecula)
New South Wales Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus) Captive at Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) come out every day at dusk at the Byron Bay Lighthouse
My first airport overnight of the trip. The international terminal of Brisbane airport has these nice couches but they did fill fast!
Boondall Wetlands Reserve - Brisbane - Queensland
Boondall Wetlands Reserve - Brisbane - Queensland
My 5-star hotel! Actually I loved sleeping in the mini-SUV's
I'm a neat freak....there was a system under there...
My bed!
Rental car #1
Imagine back in the day when these were all over the place
Brisbane downtown
Brisbane valley seen from Tooehy Park
Jetstar! Actually a nice and cheap airline. Flights were actually not a huge expense on this trip. Many may disagree with me on the Jetstar review but they did not miss a step over the 6 or 7 flights I had with them. Qantas on the other hand....
Great Pouched Critter Safari of 2025 Species List for Queensland
Marsupialia
Macropodidae
(Follow the underlined names to galleries for that species)
1. Agile Wallaby (Notamacropus agilis jardinii) QLD
2. Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus banksianus) QLD
3. Western Brush Wallaby (Notamacropus irma) QLD
4. Whiptail or Pretty Face Wallaby (Notamacropus parryi) QLD
5. Allied Rock Wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) QLD
6. Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) QLD Captive
7. Mareeba Rock-wallaby (Petrogale mareeba) QLD
8. Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) QLD, SA
9. Antilopine Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) QLD
10. Eastern Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus robustus) QLD
11. Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus giganteus) QLD
12. Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) QLD
13. Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) QLD
14. Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis) QLD
Peramelemorphia (Bandicoots, Bilbies)
15. Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) QLD
16. Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) QLD
17. Northern Long-Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles pallescens) QLD
Phascolarctidae
18. New South Wales Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus) NSW
19. Queensland Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) QLD
Phalangeriformes (Possums, Gliders)
Phalangeridae (Possums)
20. Coppery Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus johnstonii) QLD
21. Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus caninus) QLD
22. Southeastern Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula vulpecula) QLD
Petauridae (Gliders)
23. Krefft's Glider (Petaurus notatus) QLD
24. Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) QLD
25. Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) QLD
Pseudocheiridae (Ringtail Possums)
26. Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) QLD
27. Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops archeri) QLD
28. Herbert River Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirulus herbertensis) QLD
29. Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) QLD
Acrobatidae
30. Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) QLD
Hypsiprymnodontidae
31. Musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus) QLD
Potoroidae (Bettongs and Potoroo)
32. Rufous Bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens) QLD
Dasyuromorphia (Marsupial carnivores)
Dasyuridae
33. Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) QLD
34. Fawn-footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes) QLD
35. Grassland Melomys (Melomys burtoni) QLD
36. (Eastern) Yellow-footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes rubeculus) QLD
Monotremata (Monotremes)
37. Eastern Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus aculeatus) QLD
38. Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) QLD, TAS
Chiroptera
39. Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto) QLD, NT
40. Northern Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sanborni) QLD
41. Large-footed or Southern Myotis (Myotis macropus) QLD
42. Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) QLD
43. Spectacled Flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) QLD
44. Common Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene albiventer) QLD
45. Eastern Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus) QLD
46. Little Brown Cave Bats (Vespadelus troughtoni) QLD
47. Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros diadema) QLD
48. Little Bentwing Bat (Miniopterus australis) QLD
Canidae
49. Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) QLD
Lagomorpha
50. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) TAS, QLD
Rodentia
51. Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) QLD
52. Australian Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes) QLD
53. Eastern Chestnut Mouse (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus) QLD
54. Australian Giant White-tailed Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus) QLD
55. House Mouse (Mus musculus) QLD
