Calling ed & Tassie and all Banana Benders!

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tarkineus
tarkineus's picture
Calling ed & Tassie and all Banana Benders!

Hi ed and Tassie, seeking your advice on driving to FNQ, possibly as far as the Daintree commencing mid January, camping out most of the way. Would you consider that a reasonable drive to undertake alone at that time of year, or would it be fool's errand even for an experienced fool like me? What adjectives can you think of that would describe such a venture and what good birding route/s could you recommend?

ed
ed's picture

Hi Tark
I'd maybe give it a go, but my good lady would tell me I'm mad (and often does, but thats another story.... :-0), remember it is our wet season/ cyclone season and that can mean rain, rain and more pain (that was a typo but having read it I think I'll leave it...)North of Townsville it will almost certainly be [b} wet [/b}.It would be possibly better in the late dry, November and December, still very hot but not as much chance of really heavy rain and most of the birds you would expect to see in December should be active. We can get into where to go once you have decided when.
.

Ed Townsville NQ

tarkineus
tarkineus's picture

Thanks ed. OK, forgot to mention that I will have 5-6 weeks. The trip is pre-determined by a photo assignment mid January in Victoria, otherwise it means another Bass Strait crossing; once a year is more than enough. I was aware that it's the wet cyclone season, which is why I was asking your advice. If the weather looks too iffy I could take it only as far as Townsville or Mackay and then return south via 70, west of the Divide. My itinerary is entirely flexible as I will be on my own for most of it. Sandra may fly over and join me at some point to share the drive back - she might pick up a cheap Virgin flight, Hobart to Townsville.

Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour

Tassie

Gidday Tark, to be honest with you mate,what Ed has said is pretty much what I would have to say.
Most tourists are now heading home before our wet arrives and when it does arrive you can get trapped in a matter of hours as you probably already know.
The humidity/heat up here is only going to intensify from here on in until about April.
The best time to travel the roads up here mate is between April and the start of December, I don't have that luxury unfortunately....lol.
Now as for a good route, assuming you are starting from Melbourne, I would travel from there inland to Brisbane then follow the coast road all the way to Cape Tribulation which is where the Bitumen of Highway one finishes,just Nth of the Daintree River.
By doing that you mix it up a bit and get some inland birds up to Brisbane and some Coastal birds the rest of the way up.
Another thing you can do is when you hit Cairns you go inland bypassing Cape Trib and hit Cooktown.
You have many options Tark and they are all interesting routes. I have driven all of them on numerous occassions but there is one thing I must stress to you in agreeance with Ed,"Don't take the wet season up here lightly mate"I have been stuck in the gulf at the Gregory Downs pub for two weeks with what started as one good afternoon thunderstorm, thats not the only time I have been stuck either mate.
Anyway hope all this helps, if there is anything else you want to know yell out mate.
Cheers
Tassie.

tarkineus
tarkineus's picture

Thanks Tassie, ed's and your advice is pretty much as I feared and I'm thinking that Townsville is as far as I should take it. So what conditions should I expect in Townsville, late January into early February - is there a possibility of getting trapped by floods there also? And what species of birds would I possibly see?

Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour

Tassie

Gidday Tark, Go for it to Townsville I can't see you having any dramas mate. If tropical lows start to form close to the coast and it starts raining constantly,head Sth,you'll be right.

bushanwater
bushanwater's picture

I'd agree with ed and Tassie. I spent christmas at Lakefield in 81 and it took no time at all for the road to dissapear when a storm hit. Lucky i was to be there for 5 weeks and the wet was late that year otherwise I would have had to fly out. I've done a couple of quick trips from Bundy to NSW this year and my 2 recommendations are The Putty Road north from Sydney and just about any of the national parks along the QLD/NSW border area. If you do want to stick away from Brisbane give Girraween and Bunya Mountains a visit. If your going through the big smoke from the inland and you have the time find your way to Rathdowne and head north, take "The Falls Drive" and then continue on to Warwick, then the Cunningham Highway into Brisbane with some time to stop at the national parks along the way. My two bobs worth anyway. If you want info on the Bundy area let me know.

See Yez
Trev

ed
ed's picture

Hi Marj
Depending on time add in Broadwater State Forest, a great little campground about 40klms from Ingham, for bird lists try this site, you may need to join to get at the best info http://www.eremaea.com/

Ed Townsville NQ

tarkineus
tarkineus's picture

g'day Tassie - thanks for the tip mate, I won't forget.
.
bush and ed I've copied your suggestions to a travel folder for reference. We have decided to postpone the FNQ trip until next October as to take in the Jacaranda Festival. However, in January I will stay south of any likely trouble. My itinerary will be flexible.
.
Thanks guys, I do appreciate your input and shame on me for not responding to your threads sooner - I had not been watching my own post.

Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour

bushanwater
bushanwater's picture

Tark, the wet can hit a lot earlier than January so you will still need to be careful if your going off the main highways. Have fun anyway.

See Yez
Trev

tarkineus
tarkineus's picture

Thanks bush, I'll go prepared mate.

Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour

heva1
heva1's picture

Tassie-you got stuck in a pub for two weeks? and that's a bad thing because?... :)

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

Hi Hev,the pub is the only thing there other than the cemetery next to it so gets a bit boring after a while,also had my young fella with me and he was less than excited after a couple of days...lol, and I was missing my wife and daughter.

heva1
heva1's picture

just teasing you! sorry.
Must be exciting for your young fella to go on road trips with his Dad...until something like that happens. and you were misiing your wife and daughter... now the whole bird forum knows what a big softie/romantic you are... :)

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

Hey Hev, its all good I knew you were teasing.
The young fella loves the trips,especially into the Gulf country and across to the West, Sometimes I have to keep telling him to get out of the bunk and have a look at some of the country we are passing through. :)
As for missing my girls,I gave myself away there a bit lol. I will tell you one thing I can't get the wife to come on trips, she hates the truck.

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