28/6/02
Left Melbourne at 19.30 and drove to Dimboola and camped on the river near the weir at 23.30
29/6 841k
Up 7.30 and drove to Adelaide and arrived at about 12.00 and rang up Smathi. We met at Cobbler Ck and went for a walk, found a quite tame Nankeen Kestrel. Left at 14.00 and got to Pt Augusta at 16.30 sitting on 110kph, which I usually don’t do, but I’d arranged a meeting with Doug, he called me up on the two way radio just as I was arriving. We loaded Ros’s gear into my car, parked hers and headed for Lake Gillies getting there just on dark and camped just to the south of the main road.
30/6
The trucks were terrible last night, and I dreamt I got run over by one. It was -8deg in the morning, we drove a little loop to the north of the highway and got Western Yellow Robin and Rufous Treecreeper, both new for me. Left the park at 11.00 after spotting a Grey Currawong. Got some White-winged Choughs at Kimba and got to Ceduna at 15.00, filled up the car to the brim with petrol, and got some vegies, then met up with Peter and drove to Yumbarra Rock Hole, up Foggos Rd, veer right, left at fence, past 1st waterhole to right and wind through the trees, arrived just on dark.
1/7
Had mice crawling over the tent last night. Went for a walk to the east of the hole, but the birds were very sparse, back for lunch and went for a walk alone along the track and found Western Yellow Robin and Southern Scrub Robin, but again the birds were sparse. For Dinner Peter cooked up some of his freshly caught fish, yummo! We caught a rabbit that’ll get cooked for dinner another night. Saw Dusky and Black-faced Woodswallows on the ground foraging for ants in the late afternoon.
2/7 34k
One of Peter’s traps caught a feral cat, the girls refused to add it to the rabbit pot. The Elliot traps only caught mice, though we’ve seen Dunnart tracks. We struck camp and drove slowly back the track we’d come in on, at one stop I got Chestnut Quail-thrush. Stopped for lunch at Inila hole and then drove along the dog fence to the start of the Goog’s Tk and went a short way up it to camp at Googs Track south 1. Along the fence an Emu had tried to get through in front of Peter, but got itself hopelessly entangled in it, Peter decided to shoot it, and then hacked off a leg to restore the fence, all very gruesome.
3/7 52k
Up at sunrise and de-camped at 9.00 and drove slowly up Goog’s track, from the tops of the big sand dunes there are great views across smaller dunes to the next big dune, with glimpses of where the track leads, found a waterhole for lunch stop off to the west, then angled back to the main track, followed a track eastwards until we got to the south end of Goog’s Lake and camped at 15.30 at Googs Track south 2 and had the rabbit stew, which was rather nice, sat around the small flickering campfire and talked religion, comedy and tall stories till 21.00 and bed.
4/7 12k
A heavy fog, being blown by the wind, greeted us in the morning, it took forever to lift. I went up a sand dune trying to get a shot of the lake, but it wasn’t any good. Went for a long walk to the east and got Mulga Parrot, and we were just discussing Hooded Robin when one appeared, and got a Redthroat singing its heart out. After lunch Doug showed us possible Ostrich tracks. We moved camp to the north side of the lake at Googs Track north, and again the birdlife in the arvo was poor. Cooked my own dinner which wasn’t as nice as the earlier communal ones, and studied the stars till bed.
5/7 42k
After brekkie went for a walk, took a photo of the lake just after sunrise, only found a few unexciting birds. It rained after lunch for an hour or so, I took a photo of the cars in the rain as they made their way from one sand dune to another. We pulled in to a well used area at 14.30 at Googs Track. Some of the site has been burnt, the birds were sparse again. About 1km west of the camp I found a recently abandoned Nissan Patrol.
6/7 47k
Went for my usual walk after brekkie, got some Yellow-rumped Thornbills. Met other groups on the track all day today including one of 8 motorbikes with support vehicles. Got to Mt Finke at 15.00. The others decided not to do the climb, so I put my walking boots on and up I went, it wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it might be, taking 3/4hr to get to the top, spent 1/2hr there enjoying one of the best views in Australia, a 360deg sight of bushland to all horizons, got 2 Wedge-tailed Eagles and a group of babblers there, took 1/2hr to get back down. The others were still relaxing around camp when I got back, had dinner and bed at 20.45.
7/7 112k
After my effusiveness about the view from the top Doug and Lizzy decided to climb the peak. I went searching the gullies and found a feeding group that included Southern Whiteface. We passed by salt lakes on the way north and after a few more sand hills we were out of the park. We stopped in the virtual ghost town of Tarcoola. Doug found a water tank and filled up so the girls could wash their hair. I found a crest feather from a Major Mitchell Cockatoo, and we had a look at the derelict pub where there was a player piano sitting forlornly in the bar room, drove about 10km east and camped on a windswept plain.
8/7 105k
After brekkie had a feeding group come through the camp that included Zebra Finch. It was a long walk to feel safe enough to drop my pants for my morning’s ablutions. Drove on good tracks to Kingoonya and got some major Mitchell Cockatoos on the railway line, there was a dingy shop with a mangy woman behind the counter, I walked out, the others bought ice creams, which they admitted later weren’t very good. The landscape south was clearly being overgrazed and we found very few birds, then we crossed in to a conservation park and immediately the bird counts increased. I found a large feeding group with 11 species that were focused around some flowering mistletoe. We stopped at Hiero Tank. Peter had trapped another rabbit 2 days ago, we got our rabbit stew dinner that we’d all being looking forward to. Doug made a heavy linseed bread, between the two we were all well sated. We had one fire to provide the coals to cook the stew and bread in different beds. Sat around the fire till 20.30 and bed.
9/7 82k
Had another walk after brekkie but found no new species and left the campsite at 10.30 and headed south, lunch was at a dry lake with some Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring nearby. We stopped at 13.30 at Lake Everard Station in some mallee and spinifex, went for a long walk but found nothing exciting. I was setting up my tent when I noticed I had a flat tyre, so Peter got his bead breaker out and fixed it, but my cheap compressor couldn’t pump enough air to create a seal so I had to use Peter’s and dishwashing liquid to find where the air was escaping and put pressure on it, it took 1½ hrs to complete the job, dinner was late as a result.
10/7 69k
-3deg in the morning, went for a walk behind the sand dunes in the Spinifex and had a close encounter with some very inquisitive Striated Pardalotes. Found a small lake with water on it, but only a lone Willy Wagtail on the shore. At lunch Doug showed us around an abandoned water bore drilling rig. Took a photo of Mt Friday on the east-west rd. peter found a Hairy-nosed Wombat sitting by its den soaking up what heat there was in the day. We camped on a hillside amongst the oaks at Hiltaba Rd 1, and I had a zizz in the afternoon sunshine, later saw a Collared Sparrowhawk, later still had dinner and we sat around Doug and Lizzies camp then went to bed early.
11/7 70k
Went over the hill and found a vale of birds adding 6sp to the list. When I got back Doug and Lizzy had already gone and Peter and Judith left as I arrived, the complaint was that it was too windy. I had to pack up and hit the road. We saw a few Emus along the road. Doug had stopped at a likely spot for Slender-billed Thornbills, but had found a grove full of honeyeaters, a little further on we got a Pallid Cuckoo and after much discussion decided on a female Pied Honeyeater. Camped at Lake Gairdner south at 13.00, had lunch then went for a walk up the hill and took some photos of the lake, sat around all arvo and did a bird list for the trip figuring in 76 species bed 21.00 after spotting a fox.
12/7 155k
Had a brief glimpse of a likely Thick-billed Grasswren on the morning walk, we also searched the main track with no success. Peter and Judith said goodbye as they headed off for Streaky Bay. We continued on the road to Iron Knob. I’m having problems with the bolts to my cage coming undone, and Doug’s microphone isn’t working properly. We camped in the sight of the city glow of Port Augusta in a small open forest near Red Hill on Nonning Rd with good looks at breeding male Variegated and White-winged Fairywrens in the area. Bed 20.00.
13/7 1127k
Had an early heavy shower, got up as soon as it stopped, packed and had brekkie, Doug’s car wouldn’t start, he had no power getting to his glow plugs, I was able to tow start him, drove into Pt Augusta and put in 100L of fuel and said goodbye to Ros, decided not to go to the Flinders Ranges and headed south on the main hwy in steady rain, we got stuck behind a caravan doing 80kph, each time an overtaking lane came up Doug would stay behind it whilst all the other traffic streamed by us, I got frustrated and urged him via two way to overtake it, he refused and swore at me over the two way. Near Morgan the rain finally let up and we had lunch, when I put my point of view about the caravan incident Doug flew in to a rage, I said I was going home, rather than continue the trip, Doug demanded that Lizzy get in the car, I gave her a quick hug and they were gone, the last thing I said to Doug was that I expected an apology for inappropriate language over the air. I drove through the rain to Mildura, used all my jerry cans and would have made it all the way home, but I put $20 of fuel in at Carlshue just to make sure. Arrived home at 23.00 and crashed in to bed still dirty.
Bird list for the trip. % is of the 11 surveys done.
- Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae 1 (9.09%)
- Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera 4 (36.36%)
- Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes 1 (9.09%)
- Black-eared Cuckoo Chalcites osculans 1 (9.09%)
- Pallid Cuckoo Heteroscenes pallidus 2 (18.18%)
- Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides 2 (18.18%)
- Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus 2 (18.18%)
- Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax 3 (27.27%)
- Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus 1 (9.09%)
- Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus 1 (9.09%)
- Southern Boobook Ninox boobook 3 (27.27%)
- Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides 1 (9.09%)
- Brown Falcon Falco berigora 3 (27.27%)
- Galah Eolophus roseicapilla 4 (36.36%)
- Mulga Parrot Psephotellus varius 6 (54.55%)
- Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius 9 (81.82%)
- Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala 1 (9.09%)
- Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris rufus 1 (9.09%)
- Variegated Fairy-wren Malurus lamberti 5 (45.45%)
- Splendid Fairy-wren Malurus splendens 7 (63.64%)
- White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus leucopterus 2 (18.18%)
- Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis modestus 1 (9.09%)
- White-eared Honeyeater Nesoptilotis leucotis 4 (36.36%)
- Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris 4 (36.36%)
- Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis 6 (54.55%)
- Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata 5 (45.45%)
- Singing Honeyeater Gavicalis virescens 6 (54.55%)
- Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Ptilotula ornata 6 (54.55%)
- Grey-fronted Honeyeater Ptilotula plumula 2 (18.18%)
- White-fronted Honeyeater Purnella albifrons 6 (54.55%)
- Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula 8 (72.73%)
- Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus 4 (36.36%)
- Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris 6 (54.55%)
- Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus 1 (9.09%)
- Shy Heathwren Calamanthus cautus 1 (9.09%)
- Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis 5 (45.45%)
- Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa 5 (45.45%)
- Inland Thornbill Acanthiza apicalis 8 (72.73%)
- Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis 7 (63.64%)
- White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus 11 (100.00%)
- Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera 3 (27.27%)
- Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae 2 (18.18%)
- Chestnut Quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotus 1 (9.09%)
- Gilbert’s Whistler Pachycephala inornata 1 (9.09%)
- Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris 6 (54.55%)
- Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis 1 (9.09%)
- Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica 10 (90.91%)
- Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis 4 (36.36%)
- Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor 2 (18.18%)
- Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen 7 (63.64%)
- Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus 9 (81.82%)
- Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus 4 (36.36%)
- Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus 2 (18.18%)
- Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys 5 (45.45%)
- Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa 1 (9.09%)
- Little Crow Corvus bennetti 5 (45.45%)
- Australian Raven Corvus coronoides 4 (36.36%)
- Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta 2 (18.18%)
- White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos 1 (9.09%)
- Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii 10 (90.91%)
- Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans 5 (45.45%)
- Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia 2 (18.18%)
- Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis 1 (9.09%)
- Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata 1 (9.09%)
- Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum 4 (36.36%)
- Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae 2 (18.18%)
- Silvereye Zosterops lateralis 1 (9.09%)
If you would like to contribute the the well being of this world, our world, your world, an easy and effective way to do it is to join a quality environmental group. There are many spread across the world all plugging away trying to make the world a better place for wildlife. We belong to Birdlife Australia, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). You can donate your time and or money to these and many others knowing that the world will be a slightly better place because of your effort.