A Different Outback (1 Viewer)

My outback is not your typical outback, for my outback is truly vast on any scale.
Rosie (my Border Collie) & I just returned from a 2 month jaunt that started in the Snowy Mountains and took me 1200km through drought stricken central NSW, then east to the Gold Coast region of SE Qld, to my sister Heather's patch of Sub-tropical rainforest paradise....for a short stopover...Here my senses reeled against the splendour of the King Parrots, Rosellas,and Satin-Bowerbirds; the catcophony of many competing kookaburras, to mention just a few.

This was before Heather took me to nearby Fleah's Sanctuary where we watched up close Cassowaries prowling, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos courting, a huge range of waterbirds, complete with crocs, with a pair of pure dingoes nearby....others too numerous to mention here at this time.

The late Dr. Fleah was the first to breed Wedgetail Eagles in captivity. I strongly recommend this place to all birders.

We covered the next 3000km at a steady 100kph over the next 3 days....as I'd heard the Spanish-mackeral were "on" in the Gulf....The Gulf of Carpentaria. I am ashamed to admit that I failed to stop to photograph a magnificient young Wedgetail feeding on roadkill, something that will remain on my conscience forever.

I also drove past, revelling in sighting flocks of budgerigars, Australian Ring-neck parrots, Mulga parrots, groups of brolgas, Bush-turkeys, Kites, occasional emus, spinifex pigeons.

I had other things on my mind as I had yet to catch a Spanish mackeral, and they move on quite quickly.

I camped at Karumba Point on the lower South-Eastern corner of the Gulf where the mighty Norman River exits to the sea. There is only 1 major tide each day here, and they vary up to 3.5m.

The really big Spanish-mackeral eluded me this time and after slashing the tendons on the top of my left thumb with a filleting knife, I had plenty of time to cruise the mangroves and the river with the beloved Olympus C700 targeting Sea-eagles, jabirus, brolgas,and crocodiles, as well as herons and ibis.

In short I had a great time, I even found the 520km side trip to Mt Isa for surgery on my thumb to be quite interesting....especially when faced with 4-trailer road-trains thundering at me on the single width of bitumen...and me trying to keep the wounded appendage elevated whilst driving.

We returned home over 3 days mainly on cruise control, to find that winter was still here, my butcherbirds long departed and a new dominant male magpie who has yet to be taught the local rules of etiquette. There is now plenty of fish in the freezer, piscatorial delicacies like barramundi, blue-nose salmon, grunter, and a lot of Spanish mackeral, courtesy of a friend.

Robert

Ah, Robert, your words take me back a bit. I can smell the parched earth and feel the dry heat on my skin. I havn't had a trip to the outback for a long time.
But your fishing trip sounds really exciting, I've never tasted Spanish Mackerel but fresh REAL Barrumundi sounds marvellous. I had it once in the Kimberly area when we spotted a fishing boat illegally netting the river. We all looked at him through our binoculars and later he came over and offered us some "offcuts". They were a bribe really and were really thick juicy cutlets which we enjoyed for our evening meal, they fed about twelve of us and I have never tasted Barra like that again.
How about posting some of your pictures especially the crocodiles, I think our American friends would enjoy those.

I can recommend the Spanish mackeral, Nancy.....and the blue-nose salmon as well as the Barra. Each is delicious in its own way.

My croc shots are nothing special...it was the "cold" season for them and they were hard to find out of the water, and always with jaws closed. I'll have a look through my archives.

I did go up a tidal creek looking for a well known 13 footer...the same length as my boat....without success. However the next day a friend anchored in this creek and was shocked to feel a solid whack under the hull. complete with angry swirl of tubid water. Although he didn't see the croc, we have no doubt it resented his presence.

I especially loved coming across stands of "Bottle Trees" Nth of Augathella, and travelling through red sand country is always a treat. I can always find something of visual interest to keep my interest and concentration up...there are a couple of 300km stretches in the savannah country of Nth Qld that require a vivid imagination to maintain interest...but there is usually something to catch the eye, like the occasional flocks of budgies. I thank the auto engineers for cruise control...I wouldn't like long distance driving so much without it.
Robert

Way to go, Bigbadja.

I'm heading up in that general direction for a few weeks myself shortly. Not sure exactly where - wherever the muse takes me, I guess, but the general idea is to go up via Broken Hill and Coopers Creek, reach as far north as I have time for (Cairns? Or hire a 4WD and go the whole way?) then back via the NSW and Victoria coastline, stopping to use scope and camera all the way.

I'll never do all that in just 4 or 5 weeks, but that's the ... er .... well, call it an ambit claim.

Fleah's Sanctuary. I'll remember that. Sounds like a do-not-miss stop. Thanks.

Hiring 4wd's is an expensive option. Most of Oz cann be covered in a conventional vehicle. I've been driving 4WD's for the past 17 years, mainly to rescue my pump from the rising river, or to cart firewood out of the bush, or to launch my boat off the beaches, rarely have I needed 4WD in touring Oz.
If you get caught in the wet outback it may assist.
If I were you I'd carefully peruse your route and check as to whether it is worth the expense.
Last month I met up with a group on a "Bush Bash" that came Nth via Innaminka and the Nthn end of the Birdsville Track. They were all driving cars that looked about 30+ years old and they made it OK. Just go gently through the rough sections and enjoy the scenery.
If you mean Cape York "by the whole way" the hiring of a 4wd in Cairns would be the sensible option. This allows you also to take the Cooktown track from Cairnsvia the Daintree and the coast through Cape Tribulation.....a wonderful drive. It's 4WD only from Cape Trib. to Cooktown. You'd then be able to travel through Lakefield NP and linking up with the main drag to Cape York at Laura.
Lakefield has a lot of spectacularly BIG crocs.
Robert

Funny that, I have no particular urge to get close to a big croc.

But yes - hiring a 4WD somewhere near Cairns and heading up Cape York is in the back of my mind. For the outback, just my little 3 year-old Barina. I've had it called a "motorised roller skake", but it was cheap to buy, incredibly cheap to run (well over 50MPG) has enough room for me and all my gear, has all the nice things like CD player and airco, and seems to cope with gravel roads easily. Not much ground clearance, so I have to pick my route a little carefully.

Getting close to the birds I never see in Victoria, on the other hand, is something I really want to do. Oddly enough, the only species I have as a "must see" on my list is from nowhere near the Top End: it's the Letter-winged Kite.

Cheers,

Tony

Alright for you pampered guys but some of us Ozzies wake up to Ice and Snow .... Pen diving in. It is a BIG and diverse land eh?

I was -6C outside this morning and the frost is still in the shadows...this is why I go Nth in the winter, but I have to return sometime.
Robert