Queensland

Queensland (and in particular Far North Queensland) is the wildlife capital of Australia. It is my favourite place in the entire world to be and I start my list of the best of the best with the Artemis Homestead. Before I started my journey across Australia, a description of my time here would be a bucket list experience, a trip of a lifetime. 

Artemis Homestead is about a third of the way up Cape York. There are some dodge roads but it is reachable by a 2 wheel drive like my van. Once you are arrive, there is no power, no shops and no internet. But you don't care because you are sitting in a paddock surrounded by wildlife. There is enough here to keep anyone happy but the huge bonus is that you are in the middle of a conservation zone for the Golden-shouldered Parrot. 

Worth the trip alone. 

Cairns is my spiritual home, my happy place. The wildlife here is stunning with so many hotspots and such a variety of species. It is also a fantastic base for exploring so many other places like the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree, Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef. Unusual and rare birds can be found on the foreshore where they can feed without human disturbance but can still be seen. The repeated visits by Nordie just epitomises how incredible this place is. 

The Daintree is famous for being the oldest rainforest in the world. It is also the gateway to Cape Tribulation. The area around Daintree Village is home to the migratory Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and their nesting areas can be see openly here. That might be reason to visit enough but the real attraction is the river. Several boat companies will take you along the river. Some go just to find crocodiles but if that is not your cup of tea then there are boats that will take you to find Azure Kingfishers, Black Bittern and even the enormous and incredible Great-billed Heron. 

Lockhart River is the small town on the edge of the Iron Range. If you are not able to drive in a 4 wheel drive up there (750km drive from Cairns), then you can fly into this tiny airport and stay at the Greenhoose. This rainforest accommodation puts you in a great place to explore around Lockhart River. There must be more endemic and rare birds here than anywhere else in Australia. Everything from Yellow-billed Kingfisher to Marbled Frogmouth. There are also plenty of reptiles to find as well if you are brave enough to venture out after dark. My favourite find here was this stunning python that virtually glowed in the dark.

I dedicate a page of my blog to the specific location of Julatten but this area is so full of wildlife that I have other pages for Kingfisher Park, Abattoir Swamp and Hunter Creek. All of which have different environments and ecosystems resulting in a wide variety of animal species. My favourite is probably the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher which can be observed at length in the grounds of Kingfisher Park. These incredibly exotic birds make you feel privileged to be around them.

Karumba, Normanton and the Leichhardt Lagoon all lie on the Normanton River within 100km. They provide habitat for everything from migratory waders to eagles, bush birds and a myriad of water birds. White-breasted Whistler can be seen in Karumba, Brolga and Sarus Cranes at Normanton and Sea-eagles nesting at the lagoon. Take time to explore these incredible areas, they are so special.

Lamington National Park is famous for being the home of O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Here you can find easy access to the Regent Bowerbird and Albert's Lyrebird. But it has so much more to offer. For instance, there are Dingo in the forest here and they can be seen at night. Snakes, lizards and frogs can all be found here. My favourite sighting was of the Leaf-tailed Gecko, one of the most peculiar and cryptic reptiles I have ever encountered.

Tyto Wetlands are in the centre of the town of Ingham. The area is not huge but the diversity is remarkable. There are trails around the lake within the wetland and easy access to the area. Between the wetlands and the visitor centre there is parkland, more ponds and the whole park is lush and full of birds. As well as the waterbirds, there this is a hotspot for cuckoo, honeyeaters, robins and gerygone. My favourite sighting was of a family of White-browed Crake. Out in the open, right below one of the hides, they were wonderful to watch.

Yungaburra is an hour and half drive south east of Cairns and is well known for being a picturesque village. All around this area are wildlife hotspots. In fact the creek that runs through the south of the township has its own Platypus viewing platform. A walk along the creek on the opposite side of the road is also a good place to spot them. 

Just outside Yungaburra is Bonadio's RV Park which is the only place I know of where you are virtually guaranteed to see Platypus. There are also Tree Kangaroo, Eastern Whipbirds and Spotted Catbird in the strip of rainforest between the park and the creek.

Michaelmas Cay is a 45 minute boat trip from Cairns out to the Great Barrier Reef. It is a sliver of sand with a beach of about 100 metres long. But from there, you can see (depending on the time of year) an incredible range of seabirds that are not normally accessible without heading out further into the ocean. Terns, boobies and frigatebirds can all be seen resting and nesting here. It is another experience of a liftetime.