Road trip: Adelaide - Melbourne

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laurius
laurius's picture
Road trip: Adelaide - Melbourne

Hi,
We are finally getting ready for our first road trip in Australia from Adelaide to Melbourne and back. It's just for two weeks, but still, we need to start with something.
Can anyone suggest any really good places for bird watching on the way. Or maybe someone is even accepting couch surfers and could show some secret points in person :)
Thanks

birdie
birdie's picture

Have friends who have just done that. She is a member on here so I will ask her. They are just on their way back now and have had a great trip.
BTW love your blog...how do you set it up like that? , I cant seem to get mine off the ground am just too indecisive about how it should look and what to write . Really liked the
night shots of Port Adelaide...great effects
Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
Woko's picture

Hi Laurius. If you're going via Duke's Highway I can recommend Little Desert Conservation Park which is accessible from Nhill or Dimboola. The more coastal route has Coorong National Park, Little Dip Conservation Park near Robe & Pt Campbell Conservation Park in Victoria. It's not a bad time to be going coastal because waders of all sorts should be arriving from the northern hemisphere.
Have a great & safe trip.

laurius
laurius's picture

Thanks Woko. Pined those places on our map :)
What concerns the blog, if you have something to say, just start writing or posting photos Birdie. Later you will see, the blog either survives and improves, or dies. It doesn't cost anything these days, but at least you know you tried :) Standard Wordpress with hundreds of themes or even Blogger will be fine for the beginning.
And Port Adelaide that night was really beautiful, but somehow it's not a very popular place and just a few people were there...

Laurius

birdie
birdie's picture

Thanks Laurius ...yes I have started one on both of them. I seem to get confused between whether I want to post images or to say something LOL Guess it is the perfectionist coming out in me ...stops you from starting anything in case it is not what you want ....will have to work on that. Also I have a few things going on in my life and I am not sure if I want to commit to "print" if you know what I mean. Blogging is such an interesting concept .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Owen1
Owen1's picture

If you're going via the inland route Wyperfield and Hattah-Kulkyne national parks are about as good as they get and on the way from Hattah to Melbourne Lake Tyrell is also a good spot.

Cheers, Owen.

sparrow
sparrow's picture

If you can arrange a permit The western treatment plant in Geelong is worth a visit
The Little Desert Conservation park would top my list and the lakes around the Grampians are alive with birds at the moment

heva1
heva1's picture

Hi there, we've just got back from an amzing birding roadtrip, so just giving you our route and then you can use any bits you want:)
Set off from Melbourne, first stop Cohuna on the banks of Gunbower island, rich with waterbirds at the moment, and Gunbower Forest. Stayed at cohuna caravan park on the banks of Gunbower creek, sat by the tent with binoculars glued to eyes!
Then on to Mildura, to visit Mungo National Park, not a huge amount of birdlife but stunning scenery.
Mildura to Menindi Lakes, stayed at Copi Hollow on the banks of a lake, this has to be one of the most beautiful spots in Australia, an overnighter turned into four days,walk from the tent to ponds, lakes, tracks and creeks, heaps of nankeen night herons, rails, crakes, herons, egrets red backed kingfishers, etc. was in bird heaven:) Went on a boat trip on the Darling river, pickup point about 20 mins drive from campsite, saw lots of waterbirds and BOP.
On to Flinders Ranges in SA, and went on a 4wd through wilpena pound, lots of bop and ring necked parrots,mistletoe birds and found a few flooded areas after all the rain they have had and water birds.
Travelled to Adelaide, via Port Augusta botanical gardens, alive with birdlife, great setup well worth a visit, free too!
In Adelaide we stayed in Belair National Park, surrounded by nature and birds aplenty.
On to Robe in SA, had to keep stopping enroute to take pictures of water birds and stunning pink salt lakes, beautiful drive.
What a pretty place Robe is, camped at lakeside caravan park on the banks of lake felmongerry on one side then a little gate into a large pond area, where you could sit and watch all the water birds being very active. A short walk to the beach too. Could have stayed here a few days as was a lovely spot begging to be explored, but alas needed to get backto Melbourne so is on the list for the next road trip:)
Hope some of this may be of help. Oh and when you are in Melbourne definately check out the western treatment plant, give them a call to arrange key pickup-they are very friendly and helpful to interstate visitors.
Enjoy your trip, I'm sure you will nomatter where you go...Australia is a beautiful counrty so rich in wildlife

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

Woko
Woko's picture

A diverse range of habitats there, heva1. Those sorts of experiences make one glad to live in Australia. Still, each country has its own beauty & interest.
Ms Woko & I have enjoyed the Arid Lands Botanical Garden at Pt Augusta on several occasions. Not bad food at the restaurant there, either.

laurius
laurius's picture

We are back from our trip. Thanks everyone for advice. Couldn't visit all the places you mentioned - two weeks is definitely not enough to see everything. But I will read this post every time we will be planning new trips :) This time we went to Naracoorte caves, Little Desert, Mount Remarkable and Innes national parks. It was really fun. Kangaroos, Emus and other creatures all around. And now it's time to go through hundreds of photos and identify all previously unseen birds :)

Laurius

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Glad you had a nice trip, nice to have you back. Looking forward to see all those photos!? M-L

M-L

birdie
birdie's picture

Sadly this was to be the last road trip for Heather, but after re reading her post I am reminded of her incredible zest for life and how seeing things through her eyes over the last year has been an inspiring reminder of just how much beauty there is in the world around us and that we should treasure every precious moment, as she did.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
Woko's picture

There was a lot of energy in her last post & I'm sure this will be greatly missed. She seems to have gone out on a great note which I hope to emulate at some time.

laurius
laurius's picture

Knowing the background and reading Heather's last post, I can say she really knew how to enjoy the life. We need more people like she.

Laurius

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