Pelican Point                                                                                                            RETURN TO TOP

• Pelican Point is situated on the western shores of Lake Tinaroo, 12km from Atherton.
• To get there, travel through Kairi from Atherton or Tolga towards Tinaroo Dam, and turn right about 2.5km north of Kairi onto Malcolm Drive.
• About 700m down this road, turn left down Foster Road ad leave your car in the carpark.
• An area of approximately 20 hectares on Pelican Point was cleared for farming about 80 years ago, and is now managed jointly by TREAT (a community based tree planting organisation) and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources for Nature Conservation, Environmental Education, and a Demonstration area for Habitat Rehabilitation.
• Many north Queensland native trees have been planted there now, but the remaining area is grassland with the lakeshore fringe covered with a variety of sedges, herbs and woody shrubs, all providing habitat for a range of different bird and mammal species.
• Pelican Point is a place for walking to observe the land and water wildlife in the area.
• There are more than 3km of walking trails available, as well as an Interpretive Centre located 150m from the carpark.

Tinaburra                                                                                                            RETURN TO TOP

• To get to Tinaburra, turn right next to the Yungaburra School and follow the road to the Tinaburra and Lakeside intersection, continue on to Tinaburra. 
• There you will find a large array of water birds such as the Australian Wood Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Whiskered Tern, Caspien Tern, Glossy Ibis, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and Black-necked Stork.

Hasties Swamp                                                                                       RETURN TO TOP

                                                                                  

• This is a temporary swamp (56.6 Ha) that fills during the Wet Season.
• Its muddy edges and shallow water becomes available to aquatic and shoreline birds as it dries out.
• To get to Hasties Swamp, continue through the main street of Atherton heading in a southerly direction towards Herberton, then after a few kilometres, turn onto Hasties Road on the left.
• Once on Hasties road, cross the train crossing and take the first road to your right.
• It is an unmarked, well maintained dirt road.
• There is a sign on your right approximately 800m down which demarcates the Hasties Swamp National Park.
• The best bird watching sight is right at the end of the road, on the grassed area under the tall eucalypt trees, but please do not go any further than this point as it is private property.
• Some of the birds to be seen include:

FULL BIRD LIST FOR HASTIES SWAMP

Photos of Hasties swamp

Wongabel State Forest Walk                                                                         RETURN TO TOP

• The Wongabel State Forest Walk is about 6km from Hasties Swamp and about 9km from Atherton found the left of the Kennedy Highway, travelling towards the Crater National Park.
• This is an excellent forestry arbour walk with 192 species of named rainforest trees.
• The diversity of tree species attracts a vast array of rainforest birds.
• A population of White-cheeked Honeyeaters live about the perimeter.

Bromfield Crater                                                                                              RETURN TO TOP

• The Bromfield Crater is an extinct volcanic maar which has been breached on one side and now is only ponded in the centre.
• This crater is famous as a breeding ground for Sarus Cranes.
• Except for the months of the wet season, Sarus Cranes can be seen arriving in large quantities at sunset and leaving at dawn.
• To get to the Bromfield Crater, follow the road out of Malanda past the Malanda Environmental Park and turn left onto Upper Barron Road.
• The road veers around the Bromfield Crater opposite Stonehouse Road.
• If you reach the dirt section on Upper Barron Road you have gone too far.

Mt. Hypipamee National Park- The Crater                                                 RETURN TO TOP

• Good birdwatching can be done here throughout the whole day, but opportunities are generally best in the morning.
• To get there from Atherton, take the road that goes to Ravenshoe.
• The road to the cater turns off at approximately 25 km.
• Birds to be seen include:

Bromfield Swamp                                                                                            RETURN TO TOP

• The Bromfield Crater is a large volcanic crater that has subsided on one side, creating a swamp ideal as Crane habitat.
• John advises that the ideal time to see the Sarus Cranes is from 6pm onwards.
• Bromfield Swamp is famous for the fact that from July to January, the Sarus Cranes return each night in their hundreds to their nests.
• Approximately 3km before the Crater National Park, there is a dirt road that turns left from the highway, named Upper Barron Rd.
• This road is continuous and takes you to Malanda.
• As the bitumen turns to dirt road, the Bromfield Swamp is on your right.
• There is a viewing area opposite Stonehouse Rd.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       RETURN TO TOP