The Gulf, Cape York and Moreton Telegraph Station

The dry season is the busy season in the tropics.  Thoughts turn to warmth and sunshine when the first hint of frost appears in our southern latitudes and Queensland usually springs to mind.

Now when you want to be sure of warm weather, it pays to go to north Queensland because Brissy and the Gold coast can have their fair share of winter chills.

I have now done three Gulf Tours and two Cape York Tours, with one more Cape York Tour to go. 

I have stopped promising blog photos to my passengers as I forget all the details by the time I get round to writing them.  

I made the following movie clip on my first Gulf Tour in June, so this is for my passengers in June.

Ian helped out at Moreton Telegraph Station doing boat tours on the Wenlock River, as the previous coxswain made a sudden departure due to family emergency.  

Ian (centre standing) cautiously navigates between shallow sandbanks on the Wenlock

Navigating the river was tricky as a 'dry' wet season caused a low water level much earlier than usual.  

There were usually a couple of trustworthy residents of the Wenlock River to show to admiring tourists.

This Azure Kingfisher looked particularly spectacular as he flashed his electric blue from branch to branch as he zig-zagged his way up the river.

                                                    A territorial Shining Flycatcher lets everyone know that this is his branch and to go and find your own flies somewhere else.      

                                                                  

Ian drove to Moreton, accompanied by 'Pete, the Plumber', who was also going to Moreton to help out for a few weeks.  He was promised lots of lazy days, relaxing and fishing for the numerous Barramundi which abounded in the Wenlock.  All he had to do was a tiny bit of work in return for his food and lodging. All Ian had to do was help Pete when he wasn't driving the boat.

After 2 weeks, Pete finally managed to do a bit of fishing.  He caught a Barra, among other things.

I returned from my Gulf trip and booked a flight to Moreton.  I would spend my two weeks off taking photos, while Ian worked.

Moreton airstrip boasts a no-frills terminal for the budget conscious. The mail plane comes once a week and you can even mail people to and from there.

A Yellow Honeyeater  picks some fruit and catches it

  

Moreton always has an abundance of wildlife, especially birds.  This kept me occupied while Ian was working.  I never get tired of stalking these Red-winged Parrots as they try and feed in the grass undisturbed.  This one eyed me off suspiciously. . . . 

unlike this Black-backed Butcherbird who showed off his grasshopper.

Ian did manage to get a couple of days off while I was there.  We went exploring around some nearby lagoons.  Ian had found this amazing tree a few days before I got to Moreton.  It turns out to be a Weeping Tea Tree.  

Melaleucas being friendly with the lagoon. 

A White-faced Heron poses for a photograph.

The day is done.  We have a cup of tea before retiring to our Safari Tent accommodation.

After a few weeks Ian and I drive  back to Cairns. The Wenlock is down to a trickle and boat cruises are finished for the year.  I have to do my next trip.  

Pete left a couple of days before us.  Fishing was getting too dangerous and nobody was willing to unhook his crocodiles for him.

The crocodile he caught in the movie clip was unhurt and managed to free itself.

Cape York - It never rains in the dry season

 I have just returned from my first tour to Cape York.  Nerves were working overtime as I haven't done a tour since leaving Oztours 3 seasons ago.  It was good to be back and I had 13 eager people to show off the Cape to.

I'll do a series of blogs on my Oztours travels this year with a few highlights each trip.

First day was from Cairns to Cooktown via the Bloomfield Track.  This controversial track was made in The Daintree Rainforest during 1983/84.  Protesters did their best to prevent this track going through.  Although the track finished up going through, the publicity highlighted drew the attention of scientific interest as well as that of the rest of the world. This ancient forest is now protected by World Heritage listing which was granted in 1988 as a result of the track and hence the protesters. 






Picturesque Woobadda Creek. a great place to stop and stretch our legs and take a few pikkies.

The Lions Den is a hotel named after a tin mine which was situated on a hill opposite.  The owner of the mine named it after a young stow-away named Daniel who was working for him.  One day when Daniel was sitting at the entrance to the mine, it reminded the owner of the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den.





The first night was spent at the Seaview Hotel in Cooktown.  We had the luxury of phone reception, electricity, TV and an ensuite all at the same time.  This isn't always possible on the Cape as there are very few towns and a limited number of places that have accommodation. 

Cape York Peninsular is almost the size of  Victoria. Tourism, mining and cattle stations are the main industries.  The beauty and remoteness of the pristine landscape and varied ecosystems draws more people to this area each year.  I was astounded at the road and accommodation improvements made during my 3 year absence. 

After leaving Cooktown the following day, we made our way to Lakefield National Park.  Our first stop was Isabella Falls.  

An interest feature along the way is the Old Laura Homestead which was run as a cattle station to provide meat to the miners of the Palmer river gold rush in the late 1800s.  

A rusted relic of bygone days, waits patiently amid old buildings for its final slow demise.

The pristine Wenlock forms a  corridor from east to west and brings with it a number of rare and unusual flora and fauna.  It is also home to many rare marine species, some of which are awaiting discovery yet.

Some of the cattle stations supplement their incomes by providing a few tourist comforts for the weary traveller.  






Palm Cockatoos are Australia's largest cockatoo.  They can only be found on Cape York Peninsular north of Princess Charlotte Bay.  They have large red cheek patches and long curved crest feather which distinguish them from their smaller cousins, the Black Cockatoos.  Their powerful beaks are able to crack the hard nuts of Pandanus.  They are usually found in rainforest and margins adjoining eucalypts, often following the corridors of riverine rainforest.


We were treated to a grand floor (tree) show by the iconic Palm Cockatoos at Bramwell.  I took a million photos.  Here are 3 of them.

This young brolga which was rehabilitating in a nearby paddock, gave me the opportunity to get a nice closeup.  They are usually not so obliging.





While others were enjoying a dip at Fruit Bat Falls, I stood guard protecting them from the numerous carnivorous plants which lurked in the area, waiting for some unsuspecting victim.

Pitcher Plants

Sundews

A new ferry returns my passengers from their Thursday Island trip to Seisia.

The following day, we go to "the Tip".  One more tick off the bucket list!

The following movie goes for 4.17mins and is 52.7mb.  

I will try to do a blog on each trip with different features each time.  As I will be away much of the time, some of these won't be done till the end of my season, mid Sept.  I now have to rush and do some speed research on a new trip for me to the Gulf.  I hope my passengers are as excited as I am to be doing this trip.

Unanswered questions - sometimes a question comes up during the trip that I can't find the answer to.  

Tony - the name of the shrub with the yellow flower which grows profusely at Kennedys Lost Camp in Heathlands is the Yellow Tea Tree (Neofabricia myrtifolia)