Heron Island – where there are no herons, and which isn’t an island.
You know that time you saw a photo of a tropical island and thought, “The water can’t really be that colour”? Well, yes it can. And it is.
Tag Archives: birds
Somewhere over the Rainbow
Badtjala Country
While on our holiday at Rainbow Beach last year, I saw a sign for helicopter joy flights. This sounded like a great way to see some of the Fraser Coast and views to K’gari (Fraser Island) – the world’s largest sand island. And so it proved.
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Central Queensland staycation in the time of the pandemic
Hello! Yes, I’m still here. Are you still there?
Armchair travel … The Casual Birder podcast
Podcaster and casual birder, Suzy Buttress, talks about birds she’s seen and talks to fellow birders on The Casual Birder podcast.
WTFriday … surprise!
WTFriday … too close for comfort
Newbies and Boobies (don’t get the wrong idea)
After our less than glorious end to yesterday, Day 3 was much more enjoyable but still relaxed. Well, mostly.
One recent reviewer mentioned they’d done some geocaching on the island. This was something we’d tried years ago but didn’t really get into but thought we’d give it another go.
If you’ve never heard of geocaching but you like puzzles, games and the outdoors you should look it up. This worldwide, online treasure hunt is a great way to find places you would never have normally gone and to learn a little bit about places you’re visiting, or even your local area. You’ll probably be surprised to find how many caches near you right now.
Always take the weather … to eat an armpit.
We spent the day driving and looking for eagles. If you know me at all you’ll know my love of birds and you’ll realise that, despite failing to see any eagles, I was quite happy to see several great blue herons at Lake Chickamauga and the city dam. 
The Flight of the Cassowary
When I was getting ready for this holiday, a workmate asked me to take a “pet” and take photos of it on my travels.
I rescued Cassie the Cassowary from a shop in the Cairns airport in 2011 as I was leaving north Queensland after working in community recovery following Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
Cassowaries are rare and iconic north Queensland flightless birds whose habitat was severely impacted by the cyclone. As a result, they were easier to spot. And I was excited to see some in the wild.
Across the Ditch in 2012: A Little Bird Told Me
Sunday was a better day and we had considered driving out to the wetlands that we’d passed on our way in on Friday. Browsing through brochures at reception we found one for Orokonui Ecosanctuary and decided to try it instead. Excellent choice!
This sanctuary has 300 hectares enclosed in pest proof fencing and they believe they have now excluded all pests such as rats, mice and possums, have eliminated most of the introduced plant species and are regenerating with natives.
To help ensure you don’t take any pests in with you, there is a double gate system. Once in through the first gate you must open and shake all bags. Hopefully no small vermin like mice will run out. I guess it does happen, otherwise there’d be no need for that system.
We didn’t see a wild kaka (which are, apparently, there) but we did see paradise ducks, tui, bellbirds, brown creepers as well as some introduced finches – impossible to keep the birds out. We also heard a rifleman, fantails and tomtits. The 1-hour guided walk we took was excellent and our guide explained many of the native plants as well as birds and other animals. We were allowed to sample some berries and the she had some leaves for us to sample as well.
flying goannas 