Talk of Kakadu reminds me to mention Gumlom camp-site as a magnificent place.
We were there in August last year and despite the fact that we had two small
children with chickenpox in a camper-van we had a great time there.
In the camping area the gums were flowering and we saw Banded,
Rufous-breasted, and Rufous-throated Honeyeaters and Northern Rosellas and
Varied Lorikeets. In the monsoon-forest bit near the waterhole were Rainbow
Pittas. Up on the escarpment, although I missed the White-throated
Grasswrens, I saw White-lined Honeyeater, Chestnut-quilled Rock-dove and
Sandstone Shrike-thrush, along with the Variegated FW ssp dulcis that Andrew
mentioned for Nourlangie, and the sandstone spp of the Helmeted Honeyeater,
plus Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.
The pool is marvellous to swim in and has freshwater crocodiles.
I suspect the fact that the campground is down 30km of dirt dissuades a lot
of people from coming ad makes it so peaceful. We were supposed to go off the
bitumen in our camper van, but we did, thank goodness.
Also along the approach road to the site we saw Black-breasted Buzzard and
Black-tailed Treecreeper.
The only jarring note was that the creek that Thomas and Thomas recommends
for Banded Fruit-Dove on the way in has Uranium salts encrusting the rock
walls (as I think I mentioned once before on birding-aus). So I wouldn't
recommend that.
John Leonard
|
