Incredible photos and information. I wish I could get down there for
a visit.
Kevin
On Aug 8, 2010, at 5:42 PM, Robin Whittle wrote:
> Hi Meena,
>
> I am replying to the list since I think other folks would be
> interested in suggestions about recording in Australia. If a person
> could only visit one part of Australia, and was interested in birds
> and rainforest, I would suggest Binna Burra.
>
> Here is some information about Lamington National Park, in southern
> Queensland, at the NSW border, not far inland.
>
> http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington_National_Park
>
> The two major access points have lodges and camping grounds: Binna
> Burra and O'Reillys:
>
> http://www.binnaburralodge.com.au
>
> http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/pdf/lamington-binna-burra-map.=
pdf
>
> http://www.oreillys.com.au
>
> http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/pdf/lamington-green-mtns-map.p=
df
>
> If you can afford to stay in the lodge at Binna Burra, you can have
> great food made for you. Alternatively, a short walk to the south,
> and right next to the forest, you can camp, park your campervan or
> stay in some semi-permanent tents. There is a kiosk/restaurant at
> the campground with excellent food and supplies.
>
> From there are walks of a few km to many km to the south. This is
> elevated, on an undulating plateau with views over cliff-edges to the
> east, of the "Gold Coast" which is the complete opposite of Lamington
> National Park.
>
> There's a list of bird species here:
>
> http://www.lamingtonnationalpark.net.au/Documents/Birds/Bmen.htm
>
> This is rich sub-tropical rainforest and there's a huge variety of
> bird calls. I remember the currawongs most prominently. There will
> be a few people walking on the trails, and occasional passenger jets
> flying overhead, but I can't imagine you would be disappointed. I
> met people from the USA who were on their third or fourth stay at
> Binna Burra. Most people in Brisbane know of it, and some are really
> keen about it.
>
> Somewhat to the north of Cairns is the Daintree River area. It is a
> bit of a drive, and involves a ferry crossing of the river, but the
> rainforest comes down to the ocean. I have some photos here:
>
> http://www.firstpr.com.au/show-and-tell/green-ants/
>
> This is walking north from Thornton Beach.
>
> http://maps.google.com/?ie=3DUTF8&t=3Dh&ll=3D-16.151863,145.450187&spn=3D=
Message: 0.
Subject: 038171,0.050983&z=3D15
>
> Don't go in the water - or too close to it, there are crocodiles. It
> is not possible to drive much further north along the coast. Cape
> Tribulation is the limit. There is a track, past that, for 4WD only.
> It starts with a puddle the size of a small swimming pool.
>
> I didn't do any sound recording in FNQ (Faaar Northern Queensland),
> but I have a good quality Walkman D6 binaural recording from Binna
> Burra from the 1980s which I could put on my site.
>
> Closer to Cairns is the elevated, rainforested, Kuranda area which
> would be good to visit too.
>
> On the road south, a deviation to Mission Beach might be good.
>
> Most of the drive south is through farmland, but you might like to
> turn to the coast at Mission Beach. In the Whitsunday Islands, I
> understand you can exclusively rent a small island for a few days,
> and have someone take you there and pick you up.
>
> From Google Maps you can see there are forested areas to the west or
> east of the highway.
>
> Fraser Island - a large sand island (the largest in the world?) -
> might be good to visit. You can't take an ordinary car there, but
> there is transport in various forms, and places to stay. I have only
> been there in 1973, so arrangements may have changed, but my friends
> and I took a day ferry from Urangan to Kingfisher Bay, with a 4WD bus
> to Eurong. This was one half of a tourist day-trip. My friends and
> I then hitch-hiked up the coast, as far as the dunes behind this
> headland:
>
> http://maps.google.com/?ie=3DUTF8&t=3Dh&ll=3D-24.968669,153.346395&spn=3D=
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Subject: 018013,0.02562&z=3D16
>
> We got lifts with Queensland cane farmers in their Land Rovers, who
> were there for the fishing. This is all along the beach, and their
> wives fed them stubbies of beer as they drove. The empties were
> hurled onto the beach. One 4WD broke an axle in a sand-drift. They
> were only interested in beer and fish. Progress involved waiting for
> waves to recede, and then driving over wet sand before the next one
> came.
>
> We stayed one night sleeping without tents in the dunes. There were
> no insects - just sand, starts and some brumbies. At that stage, it
> wasn't possible to drive further north. But a little further is the
> luxury resort of Orchid Beach. On the way back south to Eurong, we
> camped a night at Ely Creek - blue clear water and pure sandy sides
> and bottom. On the trip back across the island, we visited a creek
> or river where there was fully mature rainforest, rooted purely in
> sand, with steep slopes, going down to this creek with sandy sides
> and pale blue water. I think there are places to stay around Eurong.
>
> A little further down the mainland coast is Noosa, with its national
> park.
>
> Northern NSW has a lot of forest and you can see from Google Maps the
> various places in NSW where you can travel to the coast from the main
> highway.
>
> There is a dramatic walk up an old volcano in Northern NSW - Mt
> Warning. If you stay near the base, at a caravan park, or if you
> sleep overnight at the car-park (not strictly allowed, but that
> doesn't matter) you can walk to the summit in time for dawn. I
> suggest allowing at least 3 hours. This is all rainforest, with a
> bit of a clamber at the top, using a chain to guide the way up the
> rocks. Due to the proximity to the eastern-most point (Byron Bay)
> you may see the sun before anyone else in Australia. I am sure this
> would be good for bird recordings. I once saw a luminous toadstool
> there. Another one, which someone had picked, was good enough to
> read newspaper headlines by.
>
> I can't advise about Western Australia, only having visited Perth
> briefly. I think your plan - driving from Cairns to Sydney - is
> excellent.
>
> - Robin (Melbourne)
>
>
>
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