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Hello all,
Just got back from 2 weeks at Portland
Roads,
near Iron Range NP with my eldest son,Billy, and
younger
brother ,Colin and his son ,Tom.
We were the only non locals there for the whole
time.If you get the chance ,go....but be warned
;
it can sure rain too!
It's a rough old track in but saw Southern
Cassowary
(in open forest too);Merten's Water Monitor. A huge
rainforest tree had fallen across the track,making
it
tricky to negotiate around.Almost got bogged on a
Brush Turkey's nest.
Stayed at Portland House...absolutely fantastic
open
plan home.Went out to Restoration Is where
Bridled Terns
and abt 5000 pairs of Torresian
Imperial-pidgeons nesting.
In the Iron Range (easy 20 min drive)
Superb views of ...Black-winged
Monarchs(Common)
Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfishers(Common)
Red-bellied Pittas(Common...sounds like a
drunk Noisy Pitta)
Green-backed
Honeyeaters (Cook's hut)
Yellow-billed Kingfishers (Heard more than seen)
Eclectus Parrots(Noisier than cockies!)
Red-cheeked
Parrots(Hard to see...usually flying
I reckon they are pretty scarce)
On the second last day ,it rained and rained and
rained.Got to the
Pascoe River...3 m's over and going
gangbusters....quickly turned
around just made the Tempal Bay barge..put
the Landrover on it ...
Flew in small plane to Cairns and waited 2 days for
the car to arrive.
Stacks of fish....fantastic locals...the best
location...lots of insects
but NOT at all hot.
300 Hundred birds including 5 new ones and
throughly recommended
for the adventureous.We,ve been in the dry but the
wet is better.
Dipped on Fawn-breasted
Bowerbird...so will have to back one day!
Cheers,
Bill
PS Portland Roads is featured in Australian
Geographic No 56 in 1999
If anyone is interested in renting the house ,give
me an email and
I'll forward info to you.
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