Day 32

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Wednesday 15th June.

Set the alarm to see what the milky way was like at 5 am. I didn’t think it was worth it after looking, Don went out and did some shooting and is now still sleeping, 8.56 am. I’m going to save my early mornings for the jump-ups. Very windy today, hard to cook like this and we are still using a tarp for cover from sun due to the poles getting lost and the zip is not durable in wind. Going to have a relaxing day, we are staying tonight as well. All the Wattles are in flower. Dingo’s were howling last night. Got some good shots of Rainbow Bee Eaters this morning. Saw another crocodile this evening. Had another fire to burn all our burnables.

The Fresh water crocodile. Looks like a log but then it moved.

Sun going down over the Corella Dam wall.

White winged triller, lovely song it sings, just out side the camper door.

Flocks of Budgies.

Last light hitting the hill behind us.

Day 30

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Monday 13th June, Terry Smiths Lookout.

Heading to Terry Smiths Lookout for the night, its 80 km north of Cloncurry on the Burke and Wills development road. Stopped for lunch at the Burke&Wills Roadhouse, big place, must of been 20 vans of sorts parked in there. We got fuel @ 1.49 a litre. Got to the Lookout and there’s heaps of vans but within the two hours the place has filled up to 19 vans. Several have a drive in and drive off. There are toilets and dump point but not always water in the tank. Light tea with a early start tomorrow. Bed and it’s only 8 pm. Few photos of the day.

Whistling Kite, Mum was bringing food back for the young one, which was as big as the parent. It has a fish in its talon.

Young one and parent. Whistling Kite.

Road kill, Wedge tailed Eagle and a Whistling Kite.

When we arrived at Terry Smiths Lookout, budgies flying free, so nice to see. Terrible lighting, but still had to take it.

Day 29

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Sunday 12th June,

Another cool morning, love it. Sat by the river and just enjoyed it as we leave tomorrow. Chattered to a couple of people that came in yesterday, Got chatting and Another couple who parked opposite us all were really nice. They all came from Woolongong, NSW. Lovely group. Quiet day really. I cleaned up my camera gear and put them into the car, had tea and bed by 9 pm. In reference to my words Shoot or Shot, this is with a camera. 🙂

Sun going down, cooling nicely.

What a beautiful sunset, nice end to a wonderful time here at the Gregory River. Top spot. 🙂

Don cooling off, the river is very fast flowing.

Small bridge that the trucks come in and fill up with water for the road works.

Crimson Finch, Male.

Young Whistling Kite.

Grey Fantail.

This poor kangaroo has a broken jaw, so awful to see it still trying to eat and cant help it.

Day 28

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Saturday 11th June, Gregory River

Lovely sleep last night as it was cooler. Alice and Jack headed off, they are going home. We have decided to stay over until Monday. Lots of vans have come in. I had a rest this afternoon was so nice as we are in shade all day. Shot birds, went for a walk, chattered with people really relaxing day.

Infra-red photo of the Gregory river. This is a lovely swimming hole.

Blue Winged Kookaburra. This bird has a real funny call not like the laughing kookaburra, very timid, this was the only shot I got.

From our campsite, looking north. That’s the main bridge on the road above.

This is looking south from our campsite.

Looking south from the main bridge, we are tucked up on the right hand of the image.

Looking north from the bridge. Gregory River on right.

Different angle. Even though there are a lot of vans, people are not in each others face, lots of room for big rigs as well.

Day 27

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Friday 10th June, Leaving Lawn Hill for Gregory River.

Got away at 9.30 am and had a good run through to Gregory River. So good to be back here, got our same site, shade all day, but plenty sun for solar. Had lunch once we were set up, dumped toilet and rubbish. Would love to sit here for a week. Well I’ve checked out our meals and we have just enough to stay another 3 nights, trying to run all the food out so I can stock up on fresh foods for the next leg of journey. Alice and Jack are heading off early in the morning. We will stay until Monday. A lot of vans tonight, a group traveling over to do the central of Australia, about 8 in the group. Mild, not to hot, beautiful.

Horses have the right of way up here as do all the animals.

Dusty roads, vans are still coming up this way.

Roaming animals, they must see so much traffic they are never in a hurry to get off the road.

Nice to see some water in some of the water holes still, they had rains out here a fortnight ago and were flooded.

Female Crimson Finch.

Brolgas, such big birds, they are awesome to see flying.

Day 26

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Thursday 9th.

What a day, awesome. Did lots of shooting birds, did the boat trip, that was fantastic learning all the history of the gorge and the Waanyi people.

Heading up the Gorge.

Cliff face, going up the Gorge, some light it looks red, other times its orange, keep’s changing colours. Just beautiful.

We go up around the bend ahead. Feel very small in comparison to the cliffs.

Another part of the trip.

Crocodile slide. We waited but didn’t see anything.

Canoeing, they all having fun, Indarri Falls just around the corner.

Trees growing out of rocks, amazing.

Part of the falls, quite a story as to how long the falls have eroded the rock away, it passes through lime stone and deposits calcium to form where the falls fall.

Another fall as part of the Indarri falls.

A Bower bird landed on the calcium ledge.

Indarri Falls in all its glory, they are so beautiful..

Shapes, colour, just breath taking.

The skipper was telling us about the crack in this cliff face, when there’s been a lot of rain the water gushes out from this crack and forms a water fall that flows right out into the water. So where we are now he said, we’d be getting wet.

Honey Bee full of nectar.

Purple crowned wren.

Day 25

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Wednesday 8th June

Had a great day. Had a good breakfast and then headed off on a hike to Indarri Falls, 3 hours round trip up over the plateau and down the cliff face, dam steep. The colours out here are just so vivid. The falls are beautiful. The terrain is very undulating, rocky and colourful. Alice and Jack went up to the falls in their kayak, went to the second level, we saw them at the falls. Got back at 12.30 pm. Had to cool down, then went for a cold shower. Had lunch and just sat around for awhile, it was 35 deg today again. Flies are bad. Wearing the fly net most days. Don and Jack went walking up over the Constance Range, Don said it’s beautiful but extremely tough. I’m not doing it. Couldn’t get on the boat trip today but have booked for tomorrow 10 am. Looking forward to that. Not cold at nights. Lovely and fresh.

Beautiful cliffs where we’re camping. These colours are as they are.

Path on our 3 hour walk to Indarri falls, then to the lookout and back down to camp.

This is the Lawn creek, magic colours. There are fresh water crocodiles but we didn’t see one.

The Indarri Falls, so lovely.

Love these reflections.

Indarri falls,

Going up the escarpment, reds and green, we are so lucky this national park was closed to flooding two weeks prior to us coming.

View from climbing up higher, the falls being just to the left of the middle of photo.

On our way up to the lookout, this a great view but facing the sun.

The workers and rangers accommodation.

Bigger view of the whole camping.

Sun going down and I’m down by the jetty.

Another angle. magic reflections.

Heading back to camp, got a sun burst through the trees.

Young crimson finch.

Very bright but still beautiful.

White winged triller.

Yellow tinted honey eater.

Liked these, don’t know there name, reminded me of the Lupines in NZ up Mt Cook.

Lizard sunning.

Indarra falls.

Close up of the falls.

Day 24

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Tuesday 7th Traveling to Lawn Hill

We got away from Gregory river by 9 am, sad to be leaving but will be calling back on our way south. Wonderful drive to Adels Grove where we had morning tea. Then another 10 km to Lawn Hill NP. The scenery is so beautiful and changes so often I have taken shots along the way from the vehicle as we are driving. Very hot, 35 deg. Lots of birds. I’m going on the boat cruise as there is no way I can row 6 km. I will then walk to the falls in the afternoon. Had a cold shower to cool off then got tea. We are here for 2 full days then leave Friday 10th. We have full telstra coverage 4G with blue tick.

The road to Lawn Hill, some of the tar sealed roads were worse than gravel roads.

This is the road to Adels Grove. It is a Caravan Park. Been very wet here two weeks ago so we have timed it nicely, lovely and green really.

Still not much water for the animals, but better than none.

We are here, yahoo, only 4 km now to the camping area.

Beautiful red soil and rocks. Very crumbly looking. The skies are so blue.

Good amount of foliage.

Well, this is the colour of the Lawn creek/river.

Another wider view.

Termite mounds, I have seen them reds, browns, creams, I’ve been told that what ever the colour of the soil then that’s the colour of the mounds. Makes sense.

IMG_8986Female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren

This is the Female of the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.

These are Crimson Finches, on the tree in our camp spot. How lucky. The red one is the male, other two females.

Dragonfly on the path where I was walking.

This is the Male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.

Red winged parrot.

Grey-crowned Babbler.

White-browed Robin.

Went for a bit of a walk and just love the colours in the rock face, but trees are growing out of cracks, make them hardy up here to survive.

Day 23

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Monday 6th. June

Well woke to a lovely morning, heaps of people moving out and one new one came In and its only 9.02 am. We have the Northern kookaburra, they are so funny the sounds they make. We walked up into the town which is 1 pub, 1 shop general Store but only necessary groceries really and petrol, all very exe. The bird life here is magic, so many different types. Not cold tonight. I got the washing dry, had showers. Off to Lawn Hill tomorrow. Met some lovely travelers.

Lovely reflections on the Gregory River where we are camped.

Large area’s for camping, Gregory River.

This camping area is on the other side under the bridge.

Gregory River down stream.

Under the bridge.

Kites, we have a nest above our camp spot. 🙂

Jack and Alice whom we are traveling with having breakfast in the sun by the rive, doesn’t get much better than this.

Kite taking off from drinking.

The cub set up for two nights only this stop. We keep it simple for a couple of nights.

Getting the shower bottles ready to heat up for the shower. Plenty room over this side of the bridge for camping.

Wee frog while I was crossing the rocks,

Kite preening.

I think this is a young Great bower bird.

White Gaped Honey Eater.

Peaceful Dove, they are so small compared to the other Doves.

A better shot of the Young Great Bower bird.

White gaped Honey eater.

Water trucks come in all day, they are doing the road works and its at least one hour away from here, so a long haul.

Yellow Tinted honey eater bathing.

Here is a better view of the Yellow tinted honey eater.

Black chinned honey eaters.

White browed robin.

Masked Finch I think.

Not sure the name of this bird.

Rufus Whistler.

Day 22

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Judy's Trekabout

Sunday 5th June

Got away from Terry Smiths Lookout by 8.25 am. Great spot to stay, nice and quiet as well. Had a good drive through to Burke and Wills roadhouse. Had morning tea, fueled up all set for Lawn Hill. A wedgie was across the road but to far. On our next leg we encountered so many things, Bustards, Emu’s, Brolgas, Sea Eagle, and a Wedge tail Eagle landed on a carcass in front of us and we all but hit it, I didn’t even get a shot away as I was so flabbergasted thinking we were going to hit it. There were all sorts of birds at the rest stop as well. We arrived at Gregory River just after lunch, once all set up had a bite to eat down the river, just a beautiful spot, with amazing bird life. Jack and Alice are on the lower side down by the river, we chose to stay up the top in shade. Here for two nights, will be staying here again on our return from Lawn Hill.