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Hello all,
Just a couple of notes to LLoyd's word of warning
on
travelling to the Cape in the Wet. I largely concur
with
him but would be disappointed to see an unbalanced
view on the risks and pleasures of such a
trip.
When we travelled recently ,we liased closely
with locals
including Sheryl at
Archer River Roadhouse and Portland
Roads.We also made prior contact with Skytrans
(local
small airline) and also a timetable of the barge as
an out
if necessary. We also had GPS,EPIRP and left ETA's
with
people at either end of the legs.
My only reason for going was to see Iron Range in
the wet.
I,ve been in the dry.
You need a vehicle at Portland Rds as the best
birding is 20
mins away on a good road into the rain forest and
also Chilli
Beach (which is spectacular).So you do it our way
spending
a couple of weeks casually birding or pay thousands
for a
shorter tour.The road to Lochart River (where the
barge leaves
from) is open all year except after
huge falls cutting off
Packers and Chilli Ck's temporarily.
So the only real risk is getting caught between
rivers.
This is a very real risk if you don't barge in or
out.
Use local current info to make that decision at the
time .
But the trip to Archer is only an easy day's drive
from
Portlands ,so talk to people who got through a few
hours earlier.
I know what it is like when really rains up there
and other
tropical places....we actually had 7 inches before
lunch one day up
there!
Anyway I have lived and worked in northern WA and
birded remoter
areas which I would classify as much more
dangerous.
Cheers and I hope I haven't upset our northern
birding gurus,
LLoyd and Klaus too much,
Bill
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