Yeah, g'day Lloyd,
The viewing platform at Cumberland is in no way a hide. It is a great job as
far as it goes, but it is open, with what I can best describe as a low pool
fence, and sits right on the water edge.
Admittedly, the water birds seemed quite relaxed, so maybe it doesn't matter as
much as I thought.
Congratulations on your book. We found it very useful on this trip.
If you are in touch with the people who fixed the boardwalk, could you pass on
our appreciation.
Regards
Peter
The conservation battle is never finally won; the development battle is.
> On 9 Aug 2016, at 1:02 PM, Lloyd Nielsen <>
> wrote:
>
> I haven't been to Cumberland for 12 months now but believe the new bird hide
> is great. The dam is a free camping spot and at this time of year is very
> popular with grey nomads. By September when the hotter weather arrives, most
> will be gone. This influx coincides with the tourist season in north
> Queensland which lasts from about mid May to about mid September. After that
> there is usually very few people there. I have camped there between December
> and March and nearly always have the place to myself.
>
> Abattoir Swamp boardwalk has been repaired by a local resident and ratepayers
> group after the local council decided not to foot the bill. The grass in the
> swamp itself is now mostly Hymenachne olivii, a pondage pasture grass
> imported from I think South America for trials for the grazing industry. It
> appears to have been brought to Queensland illegally, probably through the
> 1980s. It is very bad news and takes over wetlands up to a metre deep in very
> short time, creating a monoculture. The southern part of Lake Mitchell is now
> one mass of this pest. A few of us have been trying to keep it out of the
> northern (road) section of the lake but it is going to beat us. It has the
> potential to destroy many tropical wetlands (and already has).
>
> Lloyd Nieslen
> Mt Molloy, Nth Qld
> www.birdingaustralia.com.au
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