Cairns, Australia – Feb 23

Cairns, Australia – Feb 23 

Here are photo links from our previous trips to Cairns:

2013 – Great Barrier Reef https://photos.app.goo.gl/9fa4q1wPqqsW3JTcA

2017 - Kuranda Scenic Railway & Skyrail https://photos.app.goo.gl/vTDvadE6C9oeckeU9

2017 – Great Barrier Reef Snorkel https://photos.app.goo.gl/skw7KtzTrjmjHsyt6

2017 - Billy Tea Safaris https://photos.app.goo.gl/XgskXitStbH2Y24p8

2017 - Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef Snorkel - Port Douglas, Australia https://photos.app.goo.gl/APxNRMtFwuq1iDXx9

2019 – Great Barrier Reef https://photos.app.goo.gl/k2wsgbDDUjqvWXydA

We woke up to a pretty sail in. We actually saw some sun! Rain was predicted for later, so we all had brought our rain jackets. 

Coral Princess in port

arrival

I have been emailing Sue of SICKLEBILL SAFARIS / CASSOWARY TOURS since 2021 keeping in contact with each years’ canceled world cruises (21 & 22). Cassowary Tours – The Bird & Wildlife SpecialistsCassowary Tours – The Bird & Wildlife Specialists

We had a great small group today. Tom & Cathy and Horst & Mark joined us for today’s wildlife tour. All are a pleasure to spend the day with.

We were met by our guide a Japanese man, Jun Matsui. He was quiet, but a very good guide and we had a great day. (a bit of pesky rain on and off, but no downpours) 

We set off for the southern Tablelands above Cairns. Since we didn’t get in until 10:00 he rearranged our day a bit to fit our schedule and to hit our reservation for lunch, so it all flowed together nicely. It was over an hour to reach our destination past many sugar cane fields. Then, we came to more dairy farms. 

Our first stop was Peterson Creek Wildlife & Botanical Walking Track which is located in the heart of Yungaburra in the Atherton tablelands (Allumbah Pocket) where we saw a platypus! I think we all got a brief look at the fast little guy as he would surface and then quickly dive back down. I managed to look just as it was on top, so I got a great look at it before it dove down. I think the rest of the group only got a very quick glimpse. Horst was joking that it doesn’t count if we don’t have a picture to prove it. Jun was diligent and took us up and down the river following it in hopes of getting another good look. We also stood on Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge, where the guide got another brief look. None of us saw it. We walked across it and went further down the river, and as we were standing there, Greg leans over and whispers “I got a photo of it, but a bad one.” How he got one at all is a mystery to us. He amazes me at some of the surprise shots he gets. He showed it to everyone, and I told Horst now it counts! We’ll make sure everyone gets the photo. Not great, but I think it’s pretty darn good! We also saw some great birds along the way. Despite seeing lots of birds today, we got few photos. Small quick moving birds in the thick forest are not a good combination for photos. I got great looks with the binoculars of most of them.

Spectacled Monarch

Rufous Shrikethrush

Peterson's Creek

small turtle

Platypus - cropped photo - Jun said 5 live in the area

uncropped photo of the Platypus

last glimpse of it that we saw before it dove down

Lloyd’s Suspension Bridge

It was now time for lunch and Jun had reserved a table at Gallo Dairyland’s Café. Wow, was the food awesome! They also make cheese and chocolates there. We all bought some chocolates to bring back to the ship. (yes, they were amazing) Everyone got iced coffees and I got chocolate milk. (they were all like milkshakes) 

Gallo Dairyland Cafe

Jun and our server

my panini

Quiche (it was ham, but supposed to be spinach)

my chocolate milk and the rest were iced coffee

hand-crafted chocolates

we bought some, of course

candy making kitchen

beautiful farmlands

Our next stop was Curtain Fig National Park. Wow, what a tree! We saw lots of birds here and the most adorable Lumholtz Tree-Kangaroo. Way too many photos of him.....

Grey-headed Robin

Giant Golden Orb-weaver

Lumholtz Tree-Kangaroo

back side of the tree

Australian Brushturkey

We heard a Victoria’s Riflebird, but unfortunately it did not choose to show itself. 

We then drove to the dry country around Mareeba where we saw Agile Wallaby and adorable Mareeba Rock Wallaby in Granite Gorge National Park. They are quite tame there as the locals feed them. Of course, I couldn’t resist seeing if one would let me pet it. I scratched its’ ears and petted one for a while. 

Agile Wallaby

Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet

Australasian Figbird

Australasian Figbird

?

Fairy Gerrygone

Austral Brushturkey

Peaceful Dove

Peaceful Dove

Mareeba Rock Wallaby

this one is young, but old enough not to go into the pouch

Joey in the pouch

this little guy came right up to Greg's camera

just the feet of the Joey sticking out of the pouch

scratching the ears

petting him

Australian Brush Turkey - male in breeding colors

Peaceful Dove

Agile Wallaby

on the way out we saw this Pheasant Coucal

We had over an hour's drive back to the ship and I asked if we were headed back to the ship, and he said there was one more stop. We wanted at least an hour or so in town, but he said the last stop would only be about 10 minutes to see if the Frogmouths were “home”. So, we said that would be great. They were and we are glad we stopped. Awesome couple up in the tree. 

Papauan Frogmouth - female is light and the male is dark

see the wide yellow mouth as it yawned

Jun said he could drop us in town by the Night Market (where we wanted to have dinner). Tom & Cathy headed for Woolworths (grocery store) and we went in search of our favorite Chinese Buffet. It was still there, and we had a “fast” dinner. We then went in search of our favorite gelato shop, but it was out of business. We then made a quick stop at Woolworths and headed back to the ship with time to spare! However, I think we were part of the last 5 or 6 people getting on the ship. 

Night Market

our large box

We had some of the new chocolates and they were divine. We got showered and hit the late show. It was Rat Pack Reloaded. We have seen their show before and they are very entertaining. (music from Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra) 

For larger photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GFHGmry983qjRr96A

We now have 3 sea days before Darwin. 

33 species seen today with 20 new birds today bringing our total to 1,651.

Australasian Figbird                     

Australian Brushturkey               

Australian Swiftlet - New            

Black-faced Monarch - New       

Bower's Shrikethrush - New       

Brown Gerygone                          

Brown Honeyeater - New           

Brown Treecreeper - New          

Common Myna              

Eastern Yellow Robin                   

Fairy Gerygone - New    

Gray-headed Robin - New          

Great Crested Tern                      

Large-billed Scrubwren               

Laughing Kookaburra                  

Lewin's Honeyeater                     

Macleay's Honeyeater - New     

Masked Lapwing                           

Noisy Friarbird                

Pale-yellow Robin - New             

Papuan Frogmouth - New           

Peaceful Dove - New     

Pheasant Coucal - New 

Pied Monarch - New      

Rainbow Lorikeet                         

Rufous Shrikethrush - New         

Spectacled Monarch - New        

Victoria's Riflebird - New            

White-eared Monarch - New     

Wompoo Fruit-Dove                    

Yellow Honeyeater - New           

Yellow-breasted Boatbill - New 

Yellow-faced Honeyeater - New