Hi Everyone,
I was hoping a few of you out there could help out a clueless Yank. I'm
traveling to Australia this August with my wife on our first birding trip
down under. We'll have about two weeks. We're trying to figure out where
we should go, but are having some trouble finding information. We have the
Where to Watch Birds in Australiasia by N. Wheatley, which is a start, but
it is not as helpful as I was hoping. Another book was recommended to us
(Thomas & Thomas), but apparently it's out of print (or at least difficult
to find in the US). The internet is filled with advertisements for
ecotourism trips, accommodations and hotels, and guides, but less on where
to actually go and what to see there. We thought about joining a tour, but
I think we would rather just hire a car and see things for ourselves.
So, any recommendations on what to do with two weeks in August? We don't
need to tick every bird in Australia, we were just hoping to see some neat
places and birds and get a flavor for the country. We were hoping to visit
a variety of different habitats. And we enjoy at least a moderate amount of
walking and hiking, not just "seeing it all from the car." Our tentative
plan was to fly into Sydney or Melbourne, spend 3-4 days in the southeast
somewhere, then fly to Cairns for another 7-8 days exploring Queensland.
How does this sound? Which area (Sydney or Melbourne) might offer better
birding in August? What should we be sure to see while in the south? Would
7-8 days in Queensland be too much? What are the "can't miss" things there?
We also thought about a stop in Brisbane to see Lamington NP - worthwhile?
Also, are there any other books or reference materials we should look into?
Any and all advice and information would be greatly appreciated. I would be
more than happy to return the favor -- I have traveled widely birding in the
US (Texas, Florida, California, Maine, Minnesota, Washington, etc.) and
would be happy to help plan a trip to the States.
Thanks for all your help. You can reply directly to me at the email address
below.
Hans
Hans de Grys
Seattle, WA (USA)
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