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.
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.
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)
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.....
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.
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.
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
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