Days 3-4: 7th & 8th September
(1030km)
There's something magical about the mallee. We could have made a beeline from Bendigo to Mildura, but instead decided to take the chance to revisit Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. And it was certainly a good decision!
North-western Victoria is flat. We chose a saltmarsh reserve - Lake Tyrell, the largest salt lake in Victoria - as our lunch stop ... in the hope of sighting a bird or two, including the Orange Chat. No luck, but that's the nature of a birding adventure ... win some, lose some.
We arrived at the Mournpall Lake camp ground in the late afternoon. Beautiful location among the River Red Gums. Fine weather. And no neighbours. Perfect!
And it gets even better. The first birds we sighted were Major Mitchell Cockatoos! By the time I'd extracted my camera from the back seat, the birds were further away, but I did manage a couple of shots. I took this as a good omen for our stay.
The lakeside vegetation is dominated by large River Red Gums, but they don't extend far from the lake.
A short walk from our camp and we were in true mallee country. I love this landscape. It's so different from the east coast where I grew up. For Paul, it is almost a homecoming, as he was born in mid-north South Australia.
A moonless night. An amazing display of stars. And nocturnal birds too!
To take full advantage of our brief visit, we forced ourselves out of bed into a chilly morning ... and it was well worth the effort.
For the next few hours we wandered a track alongside the lake, then took a brief side trip into the mallee. Here's a small glimpse.
A short drive late this afternoon, and we're now set-up for the night in Mildura. Not nearly so scenic a camp spot ... but the shower was welcome, and we'll head off into South Australia early tomorrow morning.
Read more about the ecology in Paul’s ‘travel post’, Hattah-Kulkyne: contrasting environments in the mallee
28th-30th October: my final post, as we cross into the mid north of SA
24th-28th October, Port Lincoln, SA
22nd-24th October, Gawler Ranges, SA
18th-19th October, western woodlands, WA
16th October, central south-coast, WA
14th-15th October, eastern south-coast, WA
12th-13th October: central south coast, WA
11th October: Blackwood River Valley, WA
6th to 10th October: South West Capes, WA
Week 5 (around 7th Oct): South West Capes, WA
3rd to 6th October: western south-coast, WA
29th Sept to 3rd Oct: central south-coast, WA
26th-29th September: southern WA
21st-25th September: central south-coast, WA
19th-20th Sept: eastern south-coast, WA
18th–19th Sept: south coast, WA
16-18th September: nullarbor
14-15th September: far west coast, South Australia
12-14th Sept: mid-north South Australia
9-12th September: mid-north South Australia
7-8th September: North-west Victoria
An overview of the birds we discovered in South-west WA, focussing on the endemic species and subspecies.
The botanical richness of WA’s southwest is breathtaking, and it’s worth considering what makes it so.
A trip to Head of Bight, just in time to see several whales before they head south again for the Summer.
Our first stop in a natural place en route to WA presents us with two contrasting environments.
31st October - 4th November: my final post, as we head towards Melbourne.