Karumba

Visited: mid dry season

Recommendation: Karumba is so worth the trip. As well as stunning scenery and warm climate, there are so many birds here. Migratory shorebirds, endemic bush birds and all manner of other fabulous animals makes this one of the best wildlife locations in Australia.

Karumba is the most westerly point on my Far North Queensland area. It is situated on the Gulf of Carpentaria and is a really special place. Karumba and Karumba Point are relatively small settlements geared towards holidaymakers. People come here for the stunning landscapes, fishing and wildlife viewing. I stayed at Karumba Point which is famous for its sunsets and my birding sightings, except for the bird watching cruise, are based there. I saw and photographed so many birds that I have to split this post into three parts.

I stayed at a caravan park which backed on to a wetland walkway and the ocean but I didn't need to go far to find great birds. Everywhere I went, there were interesting bush birds. A track walked along the back of the caravan park, another to the creek and ocean and more onto the salt marshes. It was a fabulous place to explore and I spent a lot of time just wandering around here. Although it is very exposed, the milder temperatures meant it was very pleasant. Here are my highlights:

Wherever there is water in Karumba, there are birds. Whether it is a roadside pool, tidal water or the sea, I found birds. An ephemeral pond by the airport attracted so many birds that I took my camping chair and just sat for hours watching the comings and goings. 

Here are the highlights:

There are river cruises that leave from Karumba itself and they are mostly general sightseeing tours. However, there is an occasional bird watching tour which I was really pleased to get on. There are some local birds that are very difficult to find outside of the mangroves. The boat was able to sail along the mangroves and we found all three uncommon birds as well as a close up of an eagle.

White-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala lanioides)