Lying 80 kilometres west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains National Park is one of the most popular bushwalking destinations in NSW. More than 8 million people visit the mountains each year trampling over 140km of tracks and trails. But what not many people realize, is that when the darkness falls and the trails are deserted, […]
This year, the Critically Endangered Swift Parrots visited the Mt Annan Botanic Gardens in western Sydney. There estimated to be no more than 2000 of them left in the wild. These attractive little parrots breed in Tasmania and fly north to the mainland in winter. While on the mainland, Swift parrots are nomadic, following the […]
While looking for the Clouded leopard in Borneo, we came across the herd of Borneo Pygmy elephants in Deramakot Forest Reserve a few days in a row. Unlike most pygmy elephants that would retreat at the first sight of a vehicle, this herd was very relaxed. They were happy to stay on the road and […]
After weeks of rainy weather the sun has finally come out in Sydney and to celebrate I headed out to Royal National Park to hike along the coastline and to do a bit of birdwatching along the way. I took a train to Otford and the birdwatching started before I even got to the park. […]
A spotlighting walk in Royal National Park turned up quite a number of Sugar Gliders (Petaurus breviceps) and a tiny and extremely fast Feathertail Glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) – the smallest gliding mammal on earth, that is literally smaller than a mouse and seems to be constantly on the move. Unlike the ‘disappearing in a flash’ […]
As I headed out on a pelagic wildlife watching trip out of Sydney with Halicat I was really keen to see a new species of whale. Which wasn’t not too much to ask for, given that the only whale species I have seen are Humpbacks, Right whales and a pod of Pygmy Killer Whales. The […]
A sudden cold snap in Sydney this weekend provided a good reason to stay indoors and to catch up on some trip reports. In May 2012 I had the opportunity to visit AWC’s Bowra Sanctuary in southern Queensland for a few days. Bowra is an internationally known hotspot for Australia’s threatened birdlife. The 14,000 hectares […]
Australia’s Top End beaches are off limits for swimming. And for a good reason. If a Saltwater crocodile won’t get you, a Box jellyfish probably will. As a result, in contrast to the rest of Australian coastline, Northern Territory beaches are often virtually empty. And what happens if you take people away from the beach? […]