Category Archives: Holiday Trips

Birding South Africa, Flowers, Holiday Trips

West Coast Wanderlust – Flowers, Birding and Small Towns (Part 3)

November 4, 2026 Don Reid 4 Comments

The Plan (Repeat from Part 1)

“Let’s do the flowers again” – I can’t recall whether it was me or Gerda that raised the thought earlier this year, but the immediate answer was “Yes!”

Translated, that means we were both keen to “do” the famed Spring flowers that bloom during August and September in parts of South Africa, in particular the West Coast and Namaqualand areas of our country.

With that decision made, we set about planning and booking a 14-night trip for the last two weeks of August, which would take us to some of the prime flower spots of the West Coast and Namaqualand during what we hoped would be the peak of the flower season

The plan we came up with looked like this –

2 nights in Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh (Covered in Part 1) – not part of a recognised flower route, but a convenient stopover before heading northwards to Namaqualand
3 nights in Nieuwoudtville, Northern Cape (Covered in this Part 2), with the prospect of visiting several interesting spots that we had missed during our only previous visit in 2013
3 nights in Clanwilliam with attractions such as the Cederberg and Biedouw Valley nearby, as well as Lambert’s Bay within an hour’s drive
3 nights in Darling, not part of our previous itineraries, brimming with possibilities, and finally..
3 nights in Paternoster on the coast, a place that we have got to know from a couple of previous visits and not far from the West Coast National Park

Day 5 – Nieuwoudtville: Botanical wonders, Glaciers and Farms

Our second day in Nieuwoudtville was again fine and warm, encouraging us to get out a tad earlier. Still with Linda’s recommendations in mind, we left before 11am and headed through town then south along the road to

Hantam Botanical Gardens

Our first stop was a ‘should we bother?’ one – the botanical gardens were not on the list of recommended stops as the flowers were “over” according to several sources. However we were glad we turned off at the Botanical gardens signboard and headed to the parking for a short visit, pausing along the entrance road to admire the interesting flowers on the embankment.

After parking, we took in the display of local plant species in the small hall, then took a walk to the nearby field of blooms, which we were told were the last remaining in the gardens (actually more like a farm with no formal gardens as such)

Field of Pink Tulps *Moraea bifida* , Hantam Botanical Gardens Nieuwoudtville

Pink Tulp *Moraea bifida* , Hantam Botanical Gardens Nieuwoudtville

Glacial Pavement

Moving on, we made a short stop to have a look at the Glacial Pavement – exposed rocks with striations indicating the track of a glacier some 300 million years ago! The striations are clearly visible but it’s hard to imagine a time so long ago when glacial conditions prevailed over Southern Africa.

Boereplaas

We were curious to see Boereplaas, a large farm with a flower route, which neighbours De Lande where we stayed 13 years go and woke to snowfalls on my birthday.

Snow scenes at De Lande Guest Farm during our 2013 flowers trip

As we stopped under the trees at the farm, this scene caught my eye and I just had to capture it on my iphone

Boereplaas’s restaurant did not disappoint and we had a simple, delicious lunch of butternut soup and roosterkoek – also the only choice on the menu – then scouted round the small gift shop, coming away with oven gloves emblazoned with ‘Boereplaas’ and a couple of pecan nut tarts for ‘pudding’ later

Boereplaas restaurant – as rustic as they come

Just by the way, the restaurant must be a contender for attracting the most bird species to a public building – no less than three species flew in and out of the small building while we sat down –

House Sparrow (no surprise there),
Pied Starling (who had a nest in the roof beams it seems) and
Familiar Chat (maybe nesting or just plain curious).

After lunch we took a drive around the farm on a 7km circular track that took in some lovely views of the farm and surroundings and afforded views of many species of flowering plants, including the last remnants of the Rooi Katstertjies (Red Cat’s tails) that the farm is known for. Several stops and tens of photos later we were back where we had started.

This unusual plant caught our eye

Brush Oxbane *Boophone haemanthoides*, Boereplaas

Matjiesfontein

Our last stop of the day was a few kms further along the road at Matjiesfontein, another farm-based padstal and restaurant, also offering a flower route of some 13km.

The full 13km route sounded too much at this point as it was already approaching 4pm but the friendly young lady at reception suggested we could do a short section of the route in reverse, which would take us straight to where the most flowers were at this stage, about 2kms in.

So that is what we did, after dragging ourselves away from the chatty personnel, and found some beautiful spreads of flowers at the point she had mentioned.

We had to agree with other flower tourists that the flowers were not as spectacular as previous seasons, in terms of the hoped for massed displays that are such a feature of the flower regions.

But we found that the way to counter this was to get out wherever patches of flowers occurred and scout around for different individual species, often small and hidden by the more prominent flowers.

It proved to be hard work, but paid off handsomely when we found unusual species and took copious photos to admire and identify once we got back to our base at the end of the day.

While the majority of other flower tourists were inclined to complain and be disappointed, we could hardly contain our excitement about what we had found.

Pink Eveninglily *Hesperantha pauciflora* , Matjiesfontein

Purple Kabong *Lapeirousia jacquinii* , Matjiesfontein

After that, we headed home on the corrugated road, a bit faster than I would normally drive, to ‘smooth out’ the worst of the irritating corrugations.

Our evening meal was that prepared by the guesthouse staff, taken at a communal table with a few other guests who provided pleasant conversation.

Birding highlights :

Ant-eating Chat on the way to the Botanical gardens
Black-winged Kite just outside the town

Black-winged Kite *Elanus caeruleus* Blouvalk

Several Capped Wheatears – some doing their display flight and calls
Jackal Buzzard over Boereplaas

Sickle-winged Chat on the drive around Boereplaas
Common Quail heard a few times and seen once while on the drive around Boereplaas

Large-billed Lark *Galerida magnirostris* Dikbeklewerik, Matjiesfontein

Day 6 – Nieuwoudtville to Clanwilliam

Time to move on again – however, with a short drive of 120km facing us, we had time to explore Nieuwoudtville before heading southwards.

After checking out after 10am we headed to the local NG Church Hall where they serve pancakes and tea or coffee during the flower season, in the hall which is filled with stalls offering all kinds of crafted goods.

Gerda bought a number of goodies as small presents for the family and we had pancakes and tea at an outside table, while many similar-minded people (of a similar age group) did the same thing.

We walked over to the old church – a classic example of a NG Church built in beautiful sandstone quarried just outside the town and completed in 1906 – very much an icon and dominating the skyline.

It was equally impressive inside and beautifully maintained with oak pews, wrought iron railings and a pristine white sandstone pulpit that has not discoloured over a period of more than 100 years.

From there we set off on our short trip to Clanwilliam and were soon into the descent of the spectacular Vanrhyn’s Pass and beyond across the Knersvlakte again, before reaching the N7 where we turned south towards Clanwilliam.

We were too early for check in so had a lunch of bacon and egg toasties at Velskoendraai Padstal on the outskirts of Clanwilliam before heading to the Ochre and Ash guesthouse nearby.

Once checked in we had a rest and later a simple in-room supper / snack of rice cookies, ham and cheese

Birding highlights

Cape Canary and Fiscal Flycatcher added to my NC birdlasser list, both seen at the church
Pale Chanting Goshawk and Rock Kestrel on the Knersvlakte road

On arrival in Clanwilliam my new list got started at the Padstal with the common or garden species, with Hoopoe being the best of the bunch.

Birding South Africa, Flowers, Holiday Trips

West Coast Wanderlust – Flowers, Birding and Small Towns (Part 2)

October 16, 2026 Don Reid 2 Comments

The Plan (Repeat from Part 1)

“Let’s do the flowers again” – I can’t recall whether it was me or Gerda that raised the thought earlier this year, but the immediate answer was “Yes!”

The plan we came up with looked like this –

2 nights in Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh (Covered in Part 1) – not part of a recognised flower route, but a convenient stopover before heading northwards to Namaqualand
3 nights in Nieuwoudtville, Northern Cape, with the prospect of visiting several interesting spots that we had missed during our only previous visit in 2013
3 nights in Clanwilliam with attractions such as the Cederberg and Biedouw Valley nearby, as well as Lambert’s Bay within an hour’s drive
3 nights in Darling, not part of our previous itineraries, brimming with possibilities, and finally..
3 nights in Paternoster on the coast, a place that we have got to know from a couple of previous visits and not far from the West Coast National Park

Day 3 – Welbedacht Nature Reserve to Nieuwoudtville

With a 290 km journey ahead, we did not have to rush and left at the “check out by” time of 11 am, sad to leave this piece of paradise with its constant birdsong and not another soul seen except a glimpse of the people in the neighbouring cottage on our way in.

The weather was fine and warm, the roads quiet, so we had a relaxed drive and time to stop a few times. The route took us through farming areas of the Swartland and small towns such as Gouda and Porterville, then onto the N7 national road northwards all the way to Vanrhynsdorp.

Our stops along the route were –

Kole & Deeg Coffee shop in Tulbagh – for take away coffees and four of the superb Pasteia de natas we knew from an earlier visit
Kardoesie Padstal in the Piekenierskloof Pass for quiches (tonight’s supper) and some other goodies including Weskus Pinotage and Rose wines.

At Vanrhynsdorp we branched off the N7 towards Nieuwoudtville (the locals pronounce it Nee-oat-ville) and for the next 40 kms drove the road across the flat semi-arid landscape known as the Knersvlakte – which translates literally to “gnashing plain”.

The Afrikaans name describes the loud crunching sound that early wagon wheels made when grinding over the hard white quartz gravel that covers the region’s terrain.

Vygies, Vanrhynsdorp – Nieuwoudtville road

Abandoned farmhouse, Vanrhynsdorp – Nieuwoudtville road

Van Rhyns Pass, which connects the Knersvlakte with Nieuwoudtville, can be seen a long way off, presenting as a long rising gash across the face of the mountainside.

We arrived at the curiously named Linda se Dop, the guesthouse we had booked for our three night stay in Nieuwoudtville, at 4.30 pm and were soon settled in after having to get our suitcases and bags, etc up a longish flight of stairs.

It was still warm, and I was feeling the exertion of getting our baggage to the room – what better way to cool down than a swim in the inviting pool. No other guests seemed interested and I soon found out why – the water was icy cold and it took a while before I was fully immersed. After a few lengths I climbed slowly out, my limbs feeling quite numb, yet it had the invigorating effect I had hoped for.

Following that, I went for a short walk in the vicinity of the guesthouse, which is located in a sparsely populated part of the town with large stands, and I was soon admiring the flowers I came across – mostly different from those we had found so far.

Supper was the quiche from Kardoesie padstal accompanied by the Weskus Pinotage which proved to be a good buy at R95.

Birding highlights

Birding highlight of the day was when Gerda shouted “STOP” just after Vanrhynsdorp – the reason for her urgency turned out to be a pair of Ludwig’s Bustards walking in the low scrub. This was only my second ever sighting of this species, the first was back in 2012 in the same area while touring the flower spots for the first time.

Day 4 – Nieuwoudtville: Quiver Trees, Flowers and a Waterfall

Our first full day in Nieuwoudtville was fine and warm, even hot at times, and presented an opportunity to see some of the sights that we had missed during our short visit in 2012.

Guesthouse owner Linda gave us a rundown of the recommended places to visit after a “gentleman’s hour” continental breakfast.

One of the pleasures of ‘doing’ the flowers is that the blooms are best viewed between 10 to 11 am and 4 to 5 pm, as they are fully open during those hours, providing it is not overcast. So there is no need to rush and relaxed breakfasts are the norm, followed by a slow drive along the day’s route.

Accordingly, we left the guesthouse after 11am and headed through town, then north along the road to Loeriesfontein, driving slowly enough to be able to spot flowers and birds, both of which were not plentiful at first, but every stop produced something of interest.

The habitat changed from open farmland to Karoo scrubland and after about 20km we reached the turnoff to our first destination of Gannabos and, a few kms down a bumpy gravel road, the gate to the Quiver Tree Forest.

Gerda explored the area near the gate while I walked the narrow track to where the Quiver trees started and further to where groups of trees spread across the stony, hilly terrain, displaying their other-worldly form and bark.

Quiver trees clearly do not need much soil to grow -this one was clinging to the rock face like a professional rock climber

In between, the ground was sparsely covered with mostly nondescript plants but here and there were unusual succulents and vygies, some of which attracted butterflies coloured white, orange, and deep blue.

The most unusual succulent was the oddly named Willybush – now what prompted them to call it that?

Painted Lady butterfly *vanessa cardu*i , Gannabos

Yellow Gazania *Gazania lichtensteinii*, Gannabos

Vygies and a butterfly (possibly a Blue Pansy) Gannabos

Rain Daisy *Genus Dimorphotheca* , Gannabos

Our next stop, on the way back, was at the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall reserve entrance, where a couple of locals were selling their wares from tables shaded by open tents – we succumbed to temptation and bought pancakes which we had straight away, plus home made iced rooibos tea and chocolate cookies for later.

The waterfall viewing point was a short walk along a track into the reserve, lined with interesting plants and flowers which attracted their share of insects and birds.

Pathway to the viewing point, Nieuwoudtville Waterfall, Klippe Rivier

Yellow Milkbush *Euphorbia mauritanica* Geelmelkbos, Nieuwoudtville Waterfall, Klippe Rivier

The waterfall came into view as we approached the rocky platform at the edge of the gorge and was quite spectacular despite the low water flow – the height of 90m made it special.

On the way out another stall run by a pair of local ladies attracted our attention, and we left with raw honey and dried peaches, pleased that we could support these entrepreneurs in a small way.

By this time, we were happy to return to the guesthouse, however on the way back our curiosity got the better of us and we turned off onto another gravel track closer to town to find the flowers that Linda had told us we would find at Willemsrivier.

Daisies, Willemsrivier near Nieuwoudtville

We were rewarded with a short drive through fields of mostly yellow flowers, dominated by Katstertjies (Cat’s tails) and I spent some time taking photos of this beautiful spread of colour.

Water Catstails *Bulbinella nutans* Geelkatsterte, Willemsrivier near Nieuwoudtville

Soft Felicia *Felicia amoena* Bloumagriet, Willemsrivier near Nieuwoudtville

After that we made our way back for a welcome rest before enjoying a dinner at the guesthouse, with bobotie prepared by Linda and chatty table neighbours from Ogies, not far from our old hometown of Pretoria, who turned out to be large scale mielieboere (maize farmers)

Birding highlights :

Pale Chanting Goshawk on the road to Gannabos
White-throated Canary at the Quiver Tree Forest
Capped Wheatear calling from a bush-top at the Quiver Forest

Capped Wheatear. *Oenanthe pilesta.* Hoëveldskaapwagter

Mountain Wheatear among the Quiver trees
Cape Bunting, Karoo Scrub-Robin and Familiar Chat on the pathway to the waterfall

Cape Bunting *Emberiza capensis.* Rooivlerkstreepkoppie

Large-billed Lark (several) in the open fields
Pale-winged Starlings at the waterfall

Pale-winged Starling *onychognatus nabouroup.* Bleekvlerkspreeu

Spoonbill at the vleis at Willemsrivier

Birding South Africa, Flowers, Holiday Trips

West Coast Wanderlust – Flowers, Birding and Small Towns (Part 1)

September 28, 2026 Don Reid 4 Comments

The Plan

“Let’s do the flowers again” – I can’t recall whether it was me or Gerda that raised the thought earlier this year, but the immediate answer was “Yes!”

There are many aspects of an extended road trip that appeal to Gerda and myself – chief among them is the freedom of not being bound to a rigid itinerary, but rather deciding day by day what we will be doing …. or not doing.

Having said that, my organised nature still demands a degree of planning that takes care of accommodation and ensures a relaxed trip with comfortable distances between stopovers.

The plan we came up with looked like this –

2 nights in Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh – not part of a recognised flower route, but a convenient stopover before heading northwards to Namaqualand
3 nights in Nieuwoudtville, Northern Cape, with the prospect of visiting several interesting spots that we had missed during our only previous visit in 2013
3 nights in Clanwilliam with attractions such as the Cederberg and Biedouw Valley nearby, as well as Lambert’s Bay within an hour’s drive
3 nights in Darling, not part of our previous itineraries, brimming with possibilities, and finally..
3 nights in Paternoster on the coast, a place that we have got to know from a couple of previous visits and not far from the West Coast National Park

Day 1 – Getting there

Final preparations for our departure started the day before – choosing the catering items we would need, packing most of our clothing requirements, sorting out the medical kit (essential at our age) and the paraphernalia that accompanies me on our road trips (cameras, binos, laptop, ipad) together with all the various batteries, cables and plugs to keep all of it working smoothly.

I was excited to try out my newest acquisition – an Iphone 17 – in the field as it were – more camera than phone, it has many of the features of my ‘fancy’ cameras, all packed into an unbelievably small package. I have made do for several years with a now outdated iphone SE – heck, even our Son-in-law said I deserved a better phone!

We left home at 10.30 am and travelled at our usual relaxed pace, which included stops at –

Oumeul outside Riversdale for coffee and one of the nicest savoury muffins ever – they call it a Four-cheese muffin, I call it a delight. We bought two more to take away after eating the first one at an outside table.
Nuy on the hill near Worcester for a late-ish lunch of Chicken mayo roosterkoek (a large bun baked over coals) – too much to complete so we doggy-bagged the rest for later in the evening

Traffic was light for most of the trip and there was time to check out the verges and fields which had small patches of colourful flowers.

I pulled off the road at a couple of places, between Swellendam and Ashton and again between Robertson and Worcester, when I thought the concentration of flowers deserved a closer look.

That proved to be a good tactic as there were several different flowers at each stop, even though the area is not regarded as part of a flower route.

Brightfig (Vygies), roadside near Ashton

My new phone proved to be up to the task of photographing the flowers from different angles and producing nice crisp images.

Cushion Sorrel *Oxalis convexula* (Suring), roadside near Ashton

Velvet Storksbill *Pelargonium candicans* (Malva), roadside near Ashton

Mouse Dewfig *Drosanthemum hispidum* (Doublaarvygie), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Gazania (Gousblom), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Capeweed *Arctotheca calendula* (Botterblom), roadside between Robertson – Worcester

Welbedacht Nature Reserve

After passing through Tulbagh, it was a short drive to the nature reserve, which we reached at 5pm on the dot and followed the whatsapp instructions to access the reserve, find our key in a box at the main complex and follow the track to our cottage set amongst trees well away from the other cottages. The last few kms were through the reserve itself and we were pleased to see a few animals such as antelope and Zebra.

We found it unusual that there was no one to welcome us and provide information about the cottage and reserve, as we are used to – in fact we did not see or meet any staff during our two night stay and simply dropped the key off in the same box on the way out. However, that didn’t detract from the stay, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet along with no disturbances whatsoever.

The cottage is compact with bedroom, living area and kitchen forming one space and a separate bathroom. What makes it special is the feeling of solitude and peace in natural surroundings, featuring fynbos and fields of flowers.

Cottage at Welbedacht Nature Resrerve near Tulbagh

Outside a small stoep looks out over the reserve and there is a small plunge pool adjacent to it, which I tried out later. (It’s heated so not as brave as it may sound)

Our evening meal was light – the rest of our roosterkoek with sides of sliced banana and tomato!

Birding highlights

My initial impression was that birdlife around the cottage was plentiful, with calls of Olive Thrush, Cape Grassbird, Bokmakierie and Blue Crane heard as the day ran out.

Evening brought the calls of the big three nighttime birds – Fiery-necked Nightjar, Spotted Thick-Knee and Spotted Eagle-Owl

Day 2 – Chilling in Welbedacht Nature Reserve

We awoke to a warm sunny day and decided to make it a ‘rest’ day and just stay at our cosy cottage all day. That was a good decision as we were feeling the effects of a particularly busy time of late.

The view of the reserve from the cottage

After a late lie in and breakfast, I spent time on the stoep boosting my bird list, then scouted around the cottage for interesting flowers. I followed that with a short walk along the track leading to the other cottages.

There were plenty of flowers – and birds – to keep me occupied, the birds are typical of those I know so well from the Mossel Bay fynbos habitat, with Yellow and Cape Canaries and Streaky-headed Seedeaters visible and audible throughout the day.

Streaky-headed Seedeater *Crithagra gularis* (Streepkopkanarie), Welbedacht Nature Resrerve near Tulbagh

Karoo Prinias were not far behind, and Cape Robin-Chats made regular visits to the patio in the hope of picking up crumbs from our breakfast rusks.

Karoo Prinia *Prinia maculosa* (Karoolangstertjie), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Cape Robin-Chat *Cossypha caffra* (Gewone janfrederik), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Flowers were colourful and varied, with two that were growing close to the cottage stimulating our curiosity, until Gerda matched the photos with illustrations in her wildflowers book and found that both were a type of wild Orchid.

It’s easy to overlook a flower when it is surrounded by undergrowth and in the shade, appearing quite nondescript ….

Orange Satyre *Satyrium coriifolium* (Ewwa-trewwa), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Get closer – on your knees if necessary – and the flower reveals its special beauty

We took a late afternoon drive to see what else the nature reserve had to offer and explored the tarred road beyond the reserve turn off to the foothills of the mountains. Fruit trees – dormant and pruned skeletons at this time of year – cover every available piece of arable land and seem to be managed by a couple of large estates.

Lichens on a rock, Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh

Apricot Tulp *Moraea ochroleuca* , Welbedacht Nature Reserve near Tulbagh

Birding highlights

Klaas’s Cuckoo calling in the morning
Cape Batis briefly in the trees in front of the stoep

Cape Batis *Batis capensis* (Kaapse bosbontrokkie)

Brimstone Canary visited during the day

Brimstone Canary *Crithagra sulphurata* (Dikbekkanarie), Welbedacht Nature Reserve

34 added to the pentad list during the day, taking the total to 52 species

Birding South Africa, Holiday Trips, Land of Beauty, Stoepsitter Birding

Winter Trip to The Baths, Citrusdal

January 17, 2026 Don Reid 7 Comments

Looking back over the last year …….

Having enjoyed our time in July 2024 at The Baths near Citrusdal immensely, it was an easy decision when Andre and Geraldine (our daughter) invited us to join them again for a 10 day winter holiday visit to this most pleasant and relaxing resort set amongst hills with hot pools fed by a natural spring. Our two eldest granddaughters, both at Stellenbosch University, were ‘part of the deal’, making it extra special.

26^th JUNE TO 7^th JULY 2025

Getting there

With my webinar presentations (CPD for Quantity Surveyors) behind me on the Wednesday afternoon, we could start our packing and preparation in earnest for a Thursday departure – most of that was left for Thursday morning so I accepted that we wouldn’t be getting away until midday – fortunately our first day’s drive was around 300kms so not too onerous.

The roads were not too busy but light to heavy rain was the order of the day all the way to our overnight stop at Eikehof Farm near Worcester.

Snow on the surrounding mountains said just one thing – we were in for a chilly stay, but fortunately the chalet had a ceramic hearth and I at once set about getting a wood fire going before taking a short walk around the property.

Snow bedecked mountains around Worcester, Cape

Next morning we left at 10am with just 160 kms left to travel to The Baths so we took it super slow, ambling along at 90 or so and stopping twice, to make sure we arrived after check in time of 2pm.

Our first stop was in the charming town of Tulbagh, decided on the spur of the moment as we approached the turn-off. We were curious when we discovered that it happened to be a “Christmas in July” weekend organised by the town, so the place was buzzing with people and parked cars.

We chose Kole & Deeg restaurant for a coffee and Pasteis de Nata, which were so good we bought 6 more to take away. The drive itself was through beautiful scenic countryside and the traffic quiet until we reached the busy N7, the main road from Cape Town to Namibia.

Our second stop was at Kardoesie Padstal where we had lunch, before reaching Citrusdal and the last stretch of the trip to The Baths.

We had plenty of time to settle in and get our provisions and clothes sorted, leaving time to relax and get used to the feel of the place again.

The Daily rhythm

Our first full day at the resort was a template for the rest of the stay as we settled into a comfortable rhythm with some variations here and there.

A late lie in before making our first tea and coffee of the day accompanied by rusks. Then a visit to the hot pool for a relaxing ‘swim’ – if you can call standing neck deep in hot water and occasionally paddling about slowly ‘having a swim’. Very relaxing and takes away some of the aches and pains of senior life.

Morning tea and a light lunch out on the balcony, while watching the birds going about their own version of life in a resort – seems they have caught onto this relaxing thing as many of them seem quite laid back and accustomed to the presence of people around them.

Mid to late afternoon we head to the chalet ‘Willy’ just over a km away on the other side of the resort for some family time and the evening meal – mostly a braai – along with watching some Wimbledon tennis.

The Birding

Most of my birding was done while ‘stoepsitting’ on the balcony of our apartment which looks over a busy part of the resort where most of the accommodation is found.

Our apartment on the upper floor, with balcony

Each time I went to sit on the balcony a few House Sparrows would arrive, looking for a dropped crumb or other morsel. Okay, so maybe I created a few crumbs with a slice of bread.

The balcony is flanked by trees and bushes on both sides and across the road the mountain dominates the view with a couple of large trees at the base.

Fiscal Flycatchers were next, followed by the regulars such as Cape Bulbul, Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver, The Baths Citrusdal

The African Flame Tree and Honeysuckle bush were draw-cards for the Cape White Eyes, Southern Double-collared Sunbirds and Streaky-headed Seedeaters.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird, The Baths Citrusdal

Streaky-headed Seedeater, The Baths Citrusdal

Southern Boubous and Cape Robin-Chats were a bit more wary and the Familiar Chats kept their distance as well, ever on the lookout for a tiny insect to pounce on from a low branch or rock.

A Laughing Dove got into the act in its own gentle way

Passing birds added to the mix – an Olive Woodpecker chose the Namaqua Fig Tree to clamber through the branches, gleaning insects from the cracks in the bark and displaying its fine colouring.

An Outing into the Cedarberg

A chance meeting with old friends just before our trip, who recommended a visit to an area of the Cedarberg not too far from the resort, led to us undertaking a day trip to see for ourselves.

The route from The Baths took us initially back to the N7 near Citrusdal, then northwards towards Clanwilliam, taking a turnoff signposted Algeria (not the country!).

From there the road changed to dirt – good in parts, single track and bumpy in others, so the going was slow. Nevertheless, it was an interesting drive through the Cedarberg Wilderness area that we have heard many people talk about but have never experienced ourselves – mostly high mountains with rock and boulder strewn hills and an abundance of Proteas and other fascinating flowers.

After what seemed like a long drive but was just 20 kms we stopped at the Cape Nature offices at Algeria (a small settlement) for permits for the Caves we wanted to visit further on.

Moving on we headed through another pass and down into a long valley which surprisingly had planted vineyards alongside the road – they belonged to Cedarberg Wines which was our next stop to have a look around.

The wines on offer were mostly at premium prices – I like buying wines from places we visit so chose the more affordable Merlot-Shiraz blend on offer after a brief tasting session.

Having taken more time to get there than planned and being lunchtime, we decided to head to the restaurant that our friend had recommended as part of the visit. The turnoff to Kromrivier, where the restaurant is uniquely located was shortly after the winery and the road there followed a circuitous route across the ridges and into the next valley.

The road became single track in places with little visibility of oncoming vehicles due to sharp bends and scary drop-offs, so I was happy to reach the open valley without meeting any other vehicles.

The restaurant is part of a resort and the design immediately spoke of quality and attention to detail, which was borne out by the meals we ordered and enjoyed – quite amazing to find such a place in this very remote spot which apparently can be cut off for a week at a time by excessive rain. (One of the low water bridges we crossed had water lapping at the edges so would be impassable a day or two later after heavy rain fell over the whole region)

With lunch done it was close to our cutoff time of 3pm to make sure we got back to base before sunset, so we had to skip visiting the caves which had been the original idea – maybe next time! In any case we were all happy to have seen this part of the Cedarberg Wilderness before the forecast wet weather descended over the region the next day.

And just to end off, back at the resort a couple of winter blooming flowers caught my eye

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Mackay – a Wet Introduction : Part 2

October 4, 2025 Don Reid 8 Comments

Mackay : The Wettest place we have experienced!

As mentioned in Part 1, we had inadvertently chosen the wettest time of year to visit Mackay, when most of the annual rain falls over the area, but the rain we experienced was way beyond the norm

My walks around the wetlands area close to the house more than satisfied my desire to see and photograph as many new birds as the weather allowed, which Part 1 covered in some detail.

However, Gerda and I were keen to see more of Mackay proper, but without our own transport, outings were limited to shortish ones that could be fitted in between the morning and afternoon school runs that Liesl undertook every day.

One of the local attractions we managed to visit a couple of times was …..

The Botanic Gardens

Our first visit was accompanied by light rain falling, so we headed to the café for tea and cake which we enjoyed out on the deck with broad views over the lagoon.

From our table I could already see that there were various waterbirds present including a Pelican, Moorhens, Swamphens, Cormorants, etc and there was a moment of excitement when a Whistling kite flew overhead, clutching in its beak several twigs obviously bound for a nest under construction somewhere in the tall trees on the opposite bank of the lagoon.

We followed tea with an interesting stroll through the rainforest area – in light rain of course – which had some fascinating, exotic-looking plants and trees, then a longer walk through some of the other garden areas.

Here’s a selection of some of the ‘rainforest’ plants and flowers that are on display

A quiet, lush pathway leading back to the entrance of the gardens

Birds of the Botanic Gardens

A selection of the birds I was able to photograph in the overcast rainy conditions …..

Australian Pelican *Pelecanus conspicillatus*, Botanic Gardens, Mackay Queensland

White-breasted Cormorant *Phalacrocorax carbo*, Botanic Gardens, Mackay Queensland

Peaceful Dove *Geopelia placida*, Botanic Gardens, Mackay Queensland

Dusky Moorhen *Gallinula tenebrosa*, Mackay Queensland

I was particularly thrilled to get photos of an Australasian Figbird feeding on small red berries in the trees near the main entrance, carefully plucking the berries before juggling them into position for easy swallowing

Australasian Figbird *Sphecotheres vieilloti*, Botanic Gardens, Mackay Queensland

The Beaches

Other exploratory trips between school runs were focused on visiting some of the fine beaches along the eastern coastline of the town.

Lamberts Beach

We drove to Lamberts Beach and stopped at the Island Lookout point where we had views up and down the coast and beach – rugged in places with a few of the islands visible in the distance despite cloud and mist.

A plaque at the lookout point showed the names and positions of the offshore islands

Black’s Beach

Towards the end of our stay in Mackay we were thankful to see a bit of sunshine one morning – that was just the inspiration we needed to get out and about, which we did with our youngest grandchild Ellie joining us for the short drive to Black’s Beach north of the house.

We had the picnic area and beach to ourselves after the group that was there left shortly after we arrived.

A play area with swings made it ideal for kids and the table and benches under a canopy roof invited a picnic meal – maybe next time!

However swimming appears to be a risky business judging by the signage – we were aware of the Jellyfish, but not the Crocodiles!

Ellie and I had a walk on the beach which is wide and flat but clearly gets swamped at high tide.

There were signs of the Sand Bubbler Crabs that create patterns with tiny round balls of sand around their burrows in the wet sand

I was fascinated to find out that these small crabs sift the sand through their mouthparts, filter out the nutrients, and discard the remaining cleaned sand as small, processed pellets, which are left in radial patterns around their burrows.

Ellie and I had a competition to see who could draw the best ‘finger picture’ in the firm sand – I reckon she won this one by a mile!

Ellie’s imaginative jellyfish – not bad for a 4 year old!

Don’s Seabird – yes I know what you are thinking – stick to your photography…

On the way home from the trip to the beaches, we had a wonderful sighting of two Wedge-tailed Eagles in a newly cut caneland next to the main road – walking in the field then flying up and circling low as we watched in awe of these massive raptors.

The Suburbs

On the days when it was too rainy to walk the wetlands, I took shorter walks around the suburb in the vicinity of the house, which paid off with a couple of new birds almost each time I ventured out.

There were also times when the birds came to the small garden of the house, so I tried to keep my camera at the ready for such occasions, leaping up and rushing to the nearest vantage point if I spotted anything unusual.

Birds of the Beaches and the Suburbs

Here are some of the more significant birds I came across …..

Oriental Dollarbird

Heading back from one of our beach visits, Ellie called out “Oupa there’s a bird” and I stopped to have a look. Well what a surprise when I realised it was the unusually named Oriental Dollarbird which I had been hoping to see!

Back at home I checked out the bird books and found it is related by genus to our Broad-billed Roller, which it resembles in many of its main features

Why Dollarbird? Apparently in flight it shows round silver “dollars” at the tips of the underwing area

Oriental Dollarbird *Eurystomus orientalis*, Mackay Queensland

Torresian Crow

I initially took the large black Crow-like birds that I was seeing regularly in Mackay to be Australian Ravens, which was a bird seen many times during our previous visits. But reading some posts on the local birder’s facebook page I picked up that the Torresian Crow was common in the Mackay area – also that the easiest way to separate it from the Ravens was through its call.

So I made a point of listening to their calls when I next saw them and was able to confirm the ID and add another new bird to my growing list.

We came across a group during our visit to Black’s Beach and I was happy to get some images despite the difficulty of photographing a black bird against an overcast but bright background – thank goodness for Lightroom editing software which allows exposure adjustments of the subject and the background separately

Torresian Crow *Corvus orru*, Mackay Queensland

Pied Butcherbird

During another suburban walk I spotted what looked to me like Butcherbirds – it took a second look to realise this was a different species to the Grey Butcherbird I had seen several times before. It fortunately stayed in place while I struggled to get my camera working properly as I had inadvertently adjusted settings while it was in the plastic bag protecting it from the rain

Torresian Imperial Pigeon

During a visit to the local public swimming pool where Stephan likes to train, I did a few lengths myself, then scouted around the gardens surrounding the pool. A flock of large-ish white and black birds drew my attention flying from one tree to another.

I was fairly certain they were pigeons but had no binos or camera to confirm the species – later research convinced me they were Torresian Imperial Pigeons, which I subsequently spotted a few times in different parts of Mackay.

This is another species that seems to go under a few different names, Pied Imperial-Pigeon being the one that local facebook posts seemed to use and which lead to some doubt on my part at first, but I settled on the name that Birds of the World used.

Torresian Imperial Pigeon *Ducula spilorrhoa*, Mackay Queensland

Yellow Honeyeater

Another new species I spotted at the swimming pool for the first time, then saw a few times in other parts of Mackay, was the Yellow Honeyeater. I was eventually able to photograph one during a wetland walk, when it flew across the pathway and settled in a nearby tree.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

This spectacular species became a regular sighting, especially late afternoon when they returned in flocks to their roost while calling loudly

The visit to Black’s Beach provided a good photo opportunity where a small group were working their way through the trees

The red tail, just visible in the image below, is prominent in flight

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo *Calyptorhynchus banksii*, Mackay Queensland

Sahul (Olive-backed) Sunbird

The only representative of the Sunbird family in Australia is this striking species which visited the garden a few times.

After a few attempts I was able to get some reasonable photos as a pair moved through the garden

It turned out that this was not a lifer but new to my Australian list – I discovered that I had in fact seen it in two diverse places before in years gone by – Mauritius and Kuala Lumpur

Sahul Sunbird / Garden Sunbird / Olive-backed Sunbird *Cinnyris frenatus* (female), Mackay Queensland

Sahul Sunbird / Garden Sunbird / Olive-backed Sunbird *Cinnyris frenatus* (male), Mackay Queensland

Little Friarbird

Heading homewards at the end of another rainy walk through the suburbs, I spotted what I thought was a Helmeted Friarbird, a species I had come across a couple of times partly hidden in sidewalk trees. This one looked a little different and closer inspection of the photos I took confirmed it was a Little Friarbird – another lifer

Black-fronted Dotterel

Another unexpected sighting during one of my short suburban walks between rain showers, was a pair of small plovers in the short grass at the end of a cul de sac which adjoined farmland.

As I approached they darted off to some small heaps of soil with shallow pools of water between formed after the rains, which the birds had clearly decided suited them well.

I was keen to get a photo of the Dotterels so the following day after lunch, when the rain held off for a while, I returned to the same spot. Happily, they were still around and I was able to get some shots even though they were quite wary and flew a short distance each time I edged closer.

Black-fronted Dotterel *Thinornis melanops*, Mackay Queensland

The Dotterel looked very familiar – the reason being it carries the same genus name as our Three-banded Plover and shares many of its features

And just to end off this post, this pair of Magpie-Larks proudly watching over their youngsters kept me interested in their progress from the first day in Mackay to the day of our departure, when this photo was taken and the young ones about to fledge by the looks of it.

What worried me was the precarious and exposed position of the nest on top of a lamp post just outside the house, and in particular whether the mostly mud constructed nest would hold together in the incessant rain. Incredibly it did and I’m sure the youngsters took their first flight shortly after our departure.

Magpie-Lark breeding on top of lamppost, Mackay Queensland

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Mackay – a Wet Introduction : Part 1

September 4, 2025 Don Reid 3 Comments

Australia 3.1

This was our third visit in six years to this wonderful country – we had completed our slow, memorable road trip from Sydney to Brisbane, enjoying a few days each at Caves Beach, Nambucca Heads, Gold Coast and Brisbane, where we had boarded a plane again to travel ‘home’ to Mackay and the very pleasant prospect of spending the next three weeks with the family and getting to know the town.

Mackay is a city in the Mackay Region on the eastern or Coral Sea coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located about 970 kilometres north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River.

Mackay : The Wettest place we have experienced!

We had inadvertently chosen the time of year to visit Mackay, when the area receives its highest rainfall, but the rain we experienced was way beyond the norm

A selection of my journal comments paint the picture …..

“The rain came down in torrents today, keeping us indoors, which allowed me to catch up on some blogging and photo editing. No birding opportunities though.”

“Yet another rainy day and not much done. The weather was kind enough to allow me an afternoon walk, this time with camera wrapped in a plastic bag just in case.”

“No birds added for two days now, mainly due to the unending rain that kept on during the late afternoon 4 to 6 pm slot when I usually take a walk”

“By the time I got home I was thoroughly drenched but still warm as the humid air does not cool down much.”

“And still it rains, two weeks after arriving in Mackay!”

And if that is not convincing enough, have a look at some local news reports ….

Fortunately the rain eased during our last week in Mackay and we could at last get out and about to have a look at some of the beaches and the Botanic Gardens.

The (Very Wet!) Wetlands

As soon as the weather allowed, I set out on a slow recce of the neighbourhood in the vicinity of the house and was immensely pleased to find some large ponds with surrounding vegetation within easy walking distance. Even better, the adjoining lands, which seemed to be part of a farm, were partially inundated to form a large wetland area, with numerous birds visible in the shallow water and along the fringes.

I have been using the ebird app to record my birding occasionally and it came in handy in Australia with its worldwide coverage and data.

As per the screenshot below, the app tracks your route while birding – shown by the blue line in the image. I added a green outline just to show the approximate extent of the wetlands adjoining the built up area.

Blue = ebird tracking of my walking route. Green = an indication of the extent of the temporary wetlands

After that first exploratory walk and whenever the weather allowed, I enjoyed late afternoon walks to and around the nearby wetlands which I quickly discovered were a sheer birding delight, with plenty of birds easily visible. Although many of the birds on the expansive wetlands were further away, they were still identifiable for the most part.

One afternoon, I went for a longer walk around the wetlands with rain imminent. It rained lightly at first then came down a lot heavier while I was halfway around. There was no going back, so I pulled on my rain jacket and quickened my pace but had to take off my sandals to get across the newly formed streams pouring across the walking trail at a slight dip.

Another afternoon, I took what had become my customary walk, this time without a camera (which usually guarantees that I will have exceptional photographic opportunities) and with e-bird at the ready to do an ebird list.

After an hour of circling the wetland area I had listed 31 species, which compares well with my SA atlasing pace – not something I expected in Australia based on my Victoria birding outings during previous visits.

The Birding

Birders like nothing better than finding and seeing new birds – or ‘lifers’ as they are known – I am no exception and exploring a new area in a different country is one of the absolute joys of this endlessly fascinating pastime, with the prospect of coming across a lifer or two.

Despite the extreme weather – or perhaps partly because of it – I managed to find a lot more new birds during our stay in Mackay than I had hoped for – here is a selection of those in the wetland areas – Part 2 of this post will include the lifers and others that I found away from the wetlands.

Photography

Heavily overcast conditions and rain meant 1. Light for photography was seldom satisfactory and 2. It just was not worth the risk of damaging my camera out in the rain

So I have relied on two other sources where I was not able to take my own images of birds :

Australian Birds eguide app by Michael Morcombe and David Stewart
The Complete Guide to Australian Birds by George Adams

Wandering Whistling Duck

Just 5 minutes from the house, approaching the wetlands for the first time, a group of ducks flew up calling in a familiar way that reminded me of our White-faced Ducks. When they settled again, I approached cautiously and was able to ID them, confirming my first instinct.

Comb-crested Jacana

One of the highlights of our visit was finding this striking Jacana on my first walk around the ponds, the red comb on its head standing out like a bright red beret. They became a regular feature of my walks, but remained quite skittish, not hanging around for a sharper image.

White-browed Crake

Literally a few metres after the Jacanas, I saw movement among the water lilies and was thrilled to see two small Crakes moving about warily before disappearing into denser vegetation.

Pied Stilt

Still on my first walk, while I was scanning the distant wetlands, I quickly picked up a familiar long-legged black and white wader – certainly a Stilt I thought, very similar to its South African cousin but it had a black neck instead of the white of the Black-winged Stilt

Royal Spoonbill

Not a lifer but pleasing to find was this Royal Spoonbill

Scaly-breasted Munia

This was the first of two Mania / Mannikin species I came across in small flocks, landing in the rank grass verge of the ponds

I assumed this was a lifer as it carries the name Nutmeg Mannikin in the app, but it turned out to be the same species I saw in Mauritius back in 2017!

Scaly-breasted *Munia Lonchura punctulata*, Mackay Queensland

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Munia)

The other one was indeed a lifer and quite a striking little bird at that – shown by the illustration below

Magpie Goose

This large goose became a familiar sighting during our stay, including in a flock of 100 or more, descending on the wetlands as I headed home

Brolga

An elegant crane species, my first sighting was of a group of five doing a high fly past over the suburbs. A few better sightings were had in the wetlands as they came in to settle there, but photo opportunities were scarce or non-existent

It became obvious that this is a stand out species in the area, when I stopped to chat with people from the neighbourhood – first question when they noticed my binos was inevitably “have you seen the Brolgas?”

Australian Pipit

Spying a dullish bird walking in the short grassy area adjoining the pans, my instinct said ‘this just has to be a Pipit’ and sure enough that’s what it turned out to be

Bar-breasted Honeyeater

Another exciting find – for no good reason other than being something quite different – was a Honeyeater (probably the most numerous species in Australia) moving about among the longer grass and reeds, which I followed anxiously until I had decent views of it

Plumed Whistling Duck

I had mastered the several differences between the two species of Whistling Duck, having seen them on a daily basis

A pair with 7 ducklings made for a lovely sighting but light conditions were just not conducive to getting clear images

Plumed Whistling Duck *Dendrocygna eytoni*, Mackay Queensland

By contrast brief sunshine made all the difference in this image

Black-necked Stork

Way over on the far side of the wetland a single black and white bird drew my attention – another lifer and less common species was walking about in the long grass

A Couple of Cuties

The next two species are not strictly linked to wetlands habitat but I include them under this section as that is where I had memorable encounters with them and could watch their antics

Golden-headed Cisticola

I had hoped to find at least one Cisticola in Mackay and this energetic bird on a fence wire was a most pleasing find, putting everything into its song while raising its colourful crest.

Red-backed Fairy Wrens

My last afternoon walk of our visit felt like a farewell to the birds I had got to know over the last 3 weeks, and many came out in the welcome sunshine for a last sighting and some special photos.

A pair of Fairy-Wrens put on a show which had me chuckling at their antics on a fence wire – clearly some sort of wooing was going on as the male pranced about on the wire and repeatedly leapt over the female to present himself from both sides

Red-backed Fairy-Wren *Malurus melanocephalus*, Mackay Queensland

A sighting like this is the essence of why birding is such a rewarding pastime – there is never an end to the moments that await you – at the end of a pathway, along a lonely beach, up in the mountains, deep in a forest, or wherever the birding urge takes you. Moments that you recall time and again later, bringing that same smile to your face that broke out when you first observed it.

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Brisbane – a Brief Glimpse

June 7, 2025 Don Reid 1 Comment

Australia 3.1

Our third trip to Australia in January and February this year was all about seeing son Stephan and his family for the first time since 2022, while using the opportunity to see more of Australia – a huge country we are getting to know in small instalments.

The ‘instalment’ this time around was based on a suggestion by Stephan that we meet the family in Sydney and do a slow road trip up the east coast to Brisbane, where we would catch a flight to Mackay in Queensland, their new home town. That appealed to us, as it meant spending quality time with the family while our grandkids had school holidays and Stephan was on leave, at the same time seeing a part of Australia that we had not visited before.

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days each at Caves Beach, Nambucca Heads and Gold Coast, now it was time to conclude our road trip with a short visit to Brisbane

Wednesday – Some shopping and a slow trip to Brisbane

After checking out of the Meriton Suites in Gold Coast, we tagged along with the family to the nearby Pacific Fair shopping mall, with no particular goal in mind other than to see what it looked like and while away some time before undertaking the (supposedly) short trip to Brisbane, a mere 75 kms away.

Pacific Fair Mall, Gold Coast Queensland

What we found was a mall much like those in all big cities with the usual mix of shops, some with names we recognised, others not, and walkways full of people of all ages but predominantly young and fashionable.

First stop was at Le Bon Croix restaurant for tea/coffee and something delicious – the choice of croissants and tarts, the latter fresh and brightly coloured, was tempting

After some deliberation I chose this slightly more conservative one to accompany my coffee

Then the girls did a round of the shops with the boys in tow, before returning to the car and setting off to Brisbane.

Traffic was painfully slow all the way to the highway and for most of the way to Brisbane, which turned the short journey into a 3 hour affair.

Thank goodness for the technology that provides a map and directions on the console – it’s hard to imagine driving in a foreign country to a city you have never been to before without it.

Nevertheless, driving in constant traffic on roads you have never driven on before is not easy (dare I say especially at our age), so it was not surprising that I missed the turn into the Indigo Hotel Brisbane City and had to find my way around a series of one-way, busy city streets to get back to the hotel, adding to the already somewhat nervy state I was in. I was mightily relieved once we had offloaded our bags, got them to the room and I had taken the car to the off-site parking a block away.

The family had delayed their trip due to the traffic, so we went in search of a restaurant on our own, ‘following our noses’ along strange streets and ending up a few blocks down George Street at Lennons in the Hyatt Hotel – we enjoyed a good dinner and by the time we got back to the hotel the family had arrived.

Birds added: None!

Thursday – Brisbane – Gardens and the Museum

We slept a bit later and went for breakfast as late as allowed.

We had decided to visit the Botanical Gardens in the city, so we ubered there and took a slow walk from the drop off point, taking in the lush forest like gardens along the way.

A cafe with a view beckoned for tea…

Refreshments were accompanied by the presence of Noisy Miners and an Australian White Ibis / Bin Chicken as well as a Water Dragon that dashed between our legs causing a flutter or two.

Noisy Miner, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

Eastern Water Dragon, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

“Bin Chicken” cleaning up as soon as we stood up to leave

A nice surprise awaited when we carried on along the pathways, in the form of three Bush Stone-Curlews standing like statues among the trees.

Bush Stone-Curlew, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

I had hoped to find this species, which is of the same genus as our Dikkops – Burhinus – so is akin to being a cousin, albeit on a different continent.

Further on we came to the ponds which held a number of Dusky Moorhens.

At one of the ponds I noticed two birds flying low over the water and snatching something from the surface. On closer inspection of the photos and after comparing my photos with the Birding app, my hopes for another lifer were confirmed – Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Blue-faced Honeyeater, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

This juvenile Laughing Kookaburra was quite content scratching about in the leaf litter and seemed unconcerned by our presence

Laughing Kookaburra (Juvenile), Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

The kids were keen to visit the Queensland Museum and with closing time just an hour away we ubered there from the main gate of the gardens. It was a worthwhile trip with outstanding exhibits although we had to rush it a bit.

The digital recreations of prehistoric scenes were particularly impressive

We all found something interesting to see, mine being the displays of Aussie birds and butterflies

On the way back we had a glimpse of the river and views of the city from the minibus cab that we called

No this is not the cab! Just a sleek Aston Martin outside our hotel

We rounded off the day with a last meal in the hotel restaurant, which was Japanese fusion and our ‘Wagyu Bagas’ were the best burgers we’ve had in a long while.

Tomorrow we travel ‘home’ to Mackay on the last leg of a memorable trip.

Triplist – Birds added

Bush Stone-Curlew at the Botanical Gardens
Blue-faced Honeyeater at the Botanical Gardens
Australian Brushturkey on the lawns where we waited for our Uber

Friday – Brisbane to Mackay

The last morning in Brisbane required some careful planning – we had to return the rental car to a site near the airport by the designated time of 10.30am and fit in breakfast, final packing, fetching the car from the parking garage off-site and getting the baggage loaded.

Before returning the car we also had to find a filling station and fill the tank (myself – no attendants here) Fortunately it all worked out nicely and we were dropped off at the terminal by the rental company’s shuttle bus with plenty of time to spare.

We had almost four hours to wait for the flight, which went surprisingly quickly, and the flight was just an hour and a half.

We were at the house by 6pm and immediately had a swim in the pool to shake off the hot and humid conditions – just a taste of the “Durban on steroids” weather we would experience for the next three weeks.

We are looking forward to our stay in Mackay which a first impression suggests is a pleasant town without pretension.

Footnote on modern travel

Just when you think you can deal with everything modern travel throws at you, something new crosses your path! Checking in online is old hat but I have always relied on an actual person at a check-in desk to drop off our bags. That wasn’t an option when checking in at Brisbane Airport, so I just had to figure out how to do the label printing and baggage drop without the aid of another human being for the first time – very intimidating!

Travel nowadays is all but entirely reliant on technology, and it is a constant learning curve and a mind challenge for the older generation – you really have to keep your wits about you, even when doing something ‘ordinary’ such as riding in a lift….

The lift at the apartment suite we rented in Gold Coast had no buttons in the car – you choose your destination when calling for a lift in the lobby and the smart technology does the rest. Still rather unnerving to get into a lift car that has no controls other than door opening and closing buttons.

Oh well, we live and learn…

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Gold Coast

May 26, 2025 Don Reid 2 Comments

Australia 3.1

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days each at Caves Beach and Nambucca Heads – next stop Gold Coast

Sunday – Nambucca Heads to Gold Coast

Time to head further north today, but not before enjoying a breakfast at Wharf Café which overlooks the estuary. The rain had almost subsided and allowed us to load the cars and leave by checkout time.

Breakfast done, we started on the route to Gold Coast and were soon back on the Pacific highway, this time in sunny conditions which made the drive a lot more comfortable. As in other parts of Australia that we have driven, we passed through long stretches lined with tall trees on both sides, which is always pleasing to the eye.

We stuck to the highway all the way to Byron Bay where we diverted to drive through the town and stop for refreshments and a look at the beach. Byron Bay is known for its beautiful coastal scenery, its famous surf breaks and for being a spot favoured by celebrities – it struck us as being similar in character to our Garden Route towns such as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.

Back on the highway, a notable feature are the ‘bridges to nowhere’ that the road passes under at fairly regular intervals – bridges that seem to end either side of the highway with no visible approach road crossing over.

We saw similar bridges in Canada so I guessed that their purpose was the same ie to provide a safe crossing point for wildlife of all kinds, without having to set foot on the road at all.

The principle behind these structures is the provision of ecological connectivity between the areas occupied by various wildlife on either side of the highway. They are used by everything from marsupials and reptiles to frogs and birds, saving countless wildlife from becoming roadkill.

Passing under one of several “Wildlife crossings” on the Pacific Highway

Approaching our destination of Gold Coast, the proliferation of tall modern buildings made it clear that we were entering a large city with spread-out residential areas.

Our home for the three nights was set on a hill in Burleigh Heads, overlooking Burleigh Beach and set among tall trees and bush – the house appeared quite modest at first glance but was furnished and equipped in modern fashion with a large kitchen and living area as well as a spacious deck. Downstairs were more bedrooms and a living room which the kids immediately took a liking to.

Being in in a new time zone in Queensland (which does not observe daylight saving in summer), we had lost an hour so had about an hour of daylight left to relax on the deck. Naturally I spent most of that hour scanning the surrounding trees for birdlife and gazing into the sky where a number of what looked like swallows were making the most of the time before sunset.

View from the deck at Burleigh Heads Queensland

Triplist –

Birds added:

Good old House Sparrow at one of the stops

Swamp Harrier flying over the road in an area with wetlands bordering the highway

Swamp Harrier (image from Birds of the World)

Pied Currawong in the large trees around the house

**Pied Currawong**
*Strepera graculina*, Burleigh Heads Queensland

White-breasted Woodswallow high up above the house

White-breasted Woodswallow (image from Birds of the World)

Monday – Gold Coast : Sea World

Stephan had booked tickets for a visit to Sea World and we set off along a busy route lined with tall apartment buildings and hotels which told a story of a popular place for holidays and plenty of wealth. Our hearts sank when we saw the exceptionally large, full parking area – expected I suppose but still… I dropped Gerda off near the entrance, parked far away and walked back to join the queue at the entrance.

Inside, the foyer was buzzing with activity and people – after a tea and a snack we walked along paths filled with more people and flanking expansive outdoor pools which we bypassed for the time being – the dolphin show was scheduled to start soon and we didn’t want to miss it.

We made it in good time after a longish walk with throngs of people and found a good spot to sit and enjoy the show – which was very well done and a highlight of the day.

Heading back, we found a table at the main area for a burger lunch, after which we slowly made our way back to the exit, leaving the family to do the rides, while we took in the Shark tank and Manta ray pools on the way back.

At the house we flopped onto the bed for a recovery snooze followed by some outside time on the deck before the rest of the family returned, exhilarated after doing several of the spectacular rides on offer.

Tuesday – Gold Coast : Surprise Low and a Spectacular High

The Low

Well it had to happen sometime – no proper road trip ever runs smoothly all of the way….

We were having a relaxed morning after yesterday’s activities when a knock on the door changed things – it was a plumber informing us that the sewer from the property was overflowing and running into the neighbour’s yard below, apparently into their swimming pool! He suggested we would not be able to flush toilets or open taps until the problem was sorted out, which could only happen with the owner’s cooperation. That was not forthcoming so we would have to vacate the house a day early!

We set about finding alternative accommodation while we packed, which we eventually found in an apartment complex not too far away. Meriton Apartments turned out to be quite smart, upmarket in fact and apart from the cost it was a good move, albeit just for one night. Gerda and I checked in while the rest were having a beach swim, and I popped down to the pool for a refreshing swim.

The High

Soon it was time to set off for the Outback Spectacular evening show at a venue on the way to Brisbane, which was true to its name and made up for the drama and disappointment of the day so far.

Australian Outback Spectacular show, Gold Coast Queensland

The show had it all …… and more as the images hopefully show –

The show started and while the story was being told, a meal was served at our seats, which had a continuous table in front. We watched in awe as a team of young waiters served up about 2000 meals in a short space of time and we tucked into the delicious food accompanied by a glass of wine – this is the way to do it!

We all enjoyed the show thoroughly, with horses, cattle, a dog and various vehicles adding to the spectacle, all synced with an outstanding projection of images on the back wall and on the floor of the arena and woven around a story of the outback

There didn’t seem to be any way of topping what had been done so far – until a helicopter entered the arena! I mumbled something about ‘Good grief it’s a flipping helicopter!’ or words to that effect, as the helicopter, a real one tethered to a steel beam running below the roof, did a circuit of the arena and helped ‘rustle’ the cattle back to their pens – truly spectacular!

And as if that wasn’t enough, a cloudburst with real water fell across the arena (not the seating area) and was followed by a digitally created waterfall and river flowing through the sandy floor of the arena. We left with embedded memories …… and a complimentary straw hat!

Triplist –

Birds added (before we vacated the house)

Pacific Swift amongst swallows and swifts soaring above the house

Pacific Swift (Image from Birds of the World)

A curious Grey Butcherbird appearing on the deck and popping out into the open to give us the once over

**Grey Butcherbird**
*Cracticus torquatus*, Burleigh Heads Queensland

The Gold Coast had proved to be memorable for many reasons – all that remained of our road trip was the short stretch to Brisbane.

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Nambucca Heads

May 13, 2025 Don Reid 2 Comments

Australia 3.1

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days at Caves Beach – the exotic sounding Nambucca Heads lay enticingly in wait for our next stop

Friday – Caves Beach to Nambucca Heads (In the rain)

Rain accompanied us almost the entire distance of just under 400kms and along with slow roads for the first two hours turned a 4 hour trip into 6, with the added challenge of poor visibility for most of the way. Lunch was burgers at Taree Service stop which was very busy but quick.

We were glad to reach the Cubana Resort at Nambucca Heads safe and sound and were soon settled into our two rooms with ours overlooking lush gardens and a lake.

Cubana Resort, Nambucca Heads New South Wales

When the rain subsided enough to venture outside, I stood scanning the garden in front of our room for signs of any bird or other life and noticed a bird darting out into the open, picking up something then darting back.

I rushed to get my camera suspecting something special, and when it ventured into the open again, I was able to get a few shots as it scurried between tufts of grass, which were good enough to ID the bird – it was my first Rail photographed! Buff-banded Rail to be exact.

**Buff-banded Rail**
*Gallirallus philippensis*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

Later we drove to the nearby supermarket for provisions which included a selection of prepared meals for the evening – the fridge and microwave in the room proved to be invaluable and we enjoyed our supper in the room.

Triplist –

Birds added:

The weather conditions with regular showers and poor light meant opportunities for bird photography were severely limited – something we were to experience throughout our trip.

Where I did not manage to get a fresh photo, I have ‘borrowed’ some of my images from our previous trips to Australia to illustrate the birds added to the triplist

Our quick lunch stop at Taree Service Stop produced a Magpie-Lark

The Buff-banded Rail was a Lifer for me, the first of the trip and made a few appearances on the grass in front of our room, but I had to grab my camera rapidly and be as stealthy as I could as it dashed into the cover of the bushes at the slightest movement

Strangely we had not seen the well-known “Bin Chicken” or Australian White Ibis until we reached Nambucca, where they were plentiful

**Australian White Ibis**
*Theskiornis molucca*

Rainbow Lorikeets are for me one of the most iconic birds of Australia so I was happy to see a few high up in the tall Eucalyptus trees that line one boundary of the resort

On the way to the river mouth we spotted a flock of Little Corellas

Other stuff –

On my walk around the lake I came across several Eastern Water Dragons near the water’s edge, sitting dead still on a handy rock, then scurrying off when I got too close for its comfort

**Eastern Water Dragon**
*Intellagama leseurii*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales – semi-aquatic agamid species

Saturday – Nambucca Heads (Mostly in the rain!)

The weather forecast showed another day of rain, light at times, heavy at other times and that is how it panned out. That meant staying indoors then venturing outside when rain held up for a while, for short spells of walking about and birding.

After the continental style breakfast, we chilled for most of the morning with Stephan and the kids enjoying ‘boat races’ with leaves and sticks in the fast-flowing water channels next to the road in between rain squalls. Some simple pleasures never age – as kids growing up in Cape Town it was a particular delight to go out in the rain and ‘race’ our matchsticks in the kerb channel to the nearest stormwater gulley.

I managed a couple of short walks around the lush gardens before the rainy conditions chased me back to the shelter of the verandah of our room.

The flowers in the garden of the resort were tropical in nature

Lichen cover tree – looks similar to what we would call ‘Old man’s beard’

**Scarlet Percher Dragonfly** (I think),
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

After lunch we drove to the river mouth and parked where we could view the beach and stormy seas, whipped up by high winds.

The rain let up long enough for me to get some images of the beach and the unusual painted “Art rocks” lining the pathway.

Art rocks, Nambucca Heads New South Wales

I also tried a few in flight photos of passing terns with some success, before another squall chased me back to the shelter of the car.

Later we returned to the estuary for a pizza dinner at a busy Mathildas Restaurant – we could only get seating outside so were glad that the rain held off

Triplist –

Birds added

Another iconic Aussie bird, the Laughing Kookaburra, attracted my attention with its calling in the tall eucalyptus trees

**Laughing Kookaburra**
*Dacelo novaeguineae*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

On the way to the main beach I spotted a Pied Oystercatcher on a grassy sandbank in the estuary – another Lifer!

**Pied Oystercatcher**
*Haematopus longirostris*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

Greater Crested/ Swift Tern and Common Tern hunting and diving at the estuary – distant birds in flight + poor light = somewhat fuzzy images – what birders like to call a “Record Shot”.

Both of these Terns are seen regularly in Mossel Bay, but the Common Tern was a new addition to my Australia list

**Common Tern**
*Sterna hirundo*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

**Swift (Greater Crested) Tern**
*Thalasseus bergii*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

I spotted the second species of Oystercatcher for the day – Sooty Oystercatcher – at the estuary

**Sooty Oystercatcher**
*Haematopus fuliginosus*

A few Australian Pelicans were hanging out on a distant sandbar – identifiable but too distant for a photo of any description

**Australian Pelican**
*Pelecanus conspicillatus*

Expanding my walk beyond the boundary of the resort, I spotted a Sacred kingfisher among the trees bordering the walking track – my second lifer of the trip – just a pity it it flew off as I lifted my camera, not to be seen again. I have no previous photos of this handsome bird so include this illustration from The Complete Guide to Australian Birds by George Adams

Tomorrow we head to the Gold Coast in Queensland

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Caves Beach

May 6, 2025 Don Reid 7 Comments

Australia 3.1

With Sydney ‘done and dusted’ the road trip could begin…

Wednesday – Sydney to Caves Beach

The first leg of the road trip was a short one – about 140km – so we stretched our stay at the Sydney Park Royal right up to checkout time of 11am. That gave us time for another substantial breakfast of fruit with yoghurt, egg and bacon with trimmings and an apple danish with coffee – back home it’s corn flakes or porridge so hotel breakfasts are a treat, and we like to make the most of them to see us through the day.

After packing up we checked out, retrieved our rental car from the valet parking service and with the destination address loaded onto google maps we set off through Sydney following the map’s “blue line” until we reached the Pacific Highway which wound through suburbia (looking uncannily like parts of Joburg) onto the Pacific Motorway. From there it was an easy drive to the turnoff to Swansea and Caves Beach.

We were too early for checkin at 3pm so looked for a coffee shop – the first one we found was closing at 2.30pm and as it was 45 minutes to go, we thought that would give us plenty of time for a coffee and slice of something nice. But that’s not how the young lady at the door saw it and insisted that we would have to do take aways if we wanted coffee and cake as they were closing! We have experienced this before, but it is still a mystery why businesses in Aussieland are often so inflexible and bound by strange rules.

Somewhat aggravated, we googled and found a bakery a few minutes away – it turned out to be a place that did not invite a sit down, but the takeaway quiches and other goodies proved to be excellent.

Next stop was the house Stephan had rented at Clipper Close, Caves Beach – we had the lower floor of a large double storey home and settled in quickly.

After chilling for a good while we set off for a walk, heading through the garden gate and down to the beach, which stretched for kms to the north and south.

In the distance we could see a rocky headland and what appeared to be the caves after which the town is named, so set out southwards in that direction.

There were interesting things for the kids and us to explore along the beach – rock pools with small fish, tiny crabs, bluebottles and gulls aplenty.

Minute crab – no more than 1cm long, Caves Beach New South Wales

Approaching the main swimming beach we could now see the caves formed in the rocky headland and spent some time exploring them.

The wind was blowing strongly as we walked back, peppering our lower legs with beach sand and by the time we got back to the house our faces and arms felt sticky from the fine sea spray in the air.

Triplist –

My triplist was gaining momentum with numbers of birds seen on the way to the beach – on a small pond and in the bushy fringes. Mostly birds that I have seen on previous trips but good to make their acquaintance once again.

**Australasian Swamphen**
*Porphyrio melanotus*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Dusky Moorhen**
*Gallinula tenebrosa*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Maned Duck**
*Chenonetta jubata*, Caves Beach New South Wales (taken with Iphone)

**Pacific Black Duck**
*Anas superciliosa*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Common everywhere, the Magpie is nevertheless a fascinating bird that makes you wonder ‘who is looking at whom?’

**Australian Magpie**
*Gymnorhina tibicen*, Caves Beach New South Wales

And you can’t help loving the Willie Wagtail with its side-to-side waggle of the tail announcing its identity from afar

**Willie Wagtail**
*Rhipidura leucophrys*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Birds I did not manage to photograph but new to the triplist :

Great Cormorant over the beach
A pair of Australian Ravens on the beach
Common Myna (urgh)

Thursday – Caves Beach – a Rainy day

Awake at 7am to overcast weather (getting later each morning as our body clock adjusts), we spent the first hour or two sipping coffee/tea and enjoying the freshness of the morning after a few hot muggy days.

Later the rain came down and the wind increased – no one wanted to do anything energetic, so the day passed with plenty of chilling through teatime and lunchtime with an extended snooze in the afternoon. By late afternoon, the rain had subsided, and I ventured out to explore the area between the house and the beach, in the process discovering a small lake concealed by a ring of trees.

A small pathway between the trees led to the water’s edge where several Black Ducks, Moorhens and Coots were paddling about serenely. In the trees a pair of Willie Wagtails were hopping about while Cormorants, Herons and Egrets flew overhead.

**Little Black Cormorant**
*Phalacrocorax sulcirostris*, Caves Beach New South Wales

I had left my camera at the house, so headed back to fetch itand persuade Stephan to join me to investigate further. We did a full circuit of the lake and added a few more species to the list.

Triplist –

Around the house – no photos taken due to the rain

Nankeen Kestrel flying past
Australian King Parrot – ditto
New Holland Honeyeater
Crested Pigeon
Masked Lapwing

At the lake –

**Eurasian Coot**
*Fulica atra*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Australasian Grebe**
*Tachybaptus novaehollandiae*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Chestnut Teal**
*Anas castanea*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Little Pied Cormorant**
*Microcarbo melanoleucos*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Other stuff:

We found a few Brown Rabbits near the house – a species introduced from Europe in the 1800’s

**Brown Rabbit**,
Caves Beach New South Wales

Tomorrow, we continue our road trip up the east coast to Nambucca Heads

The Plan (Repeat from Part 1)

Day 5 – Nieuwoudtville: Botanical wonders, Glaciers and Farms

Hantam Botanical Gardens

Glacial Pavement

Boereplaas

Matjiesfontein

Day 6 – Nieuwoudtville to Clanwilliam

The Plan (Repeat from Part 1)

Day 3 – Welbedacht Nature Reserve to Nieuwoudtville

Day 4 – Nieuwoudtville: Quiver Trees, Flowers and a Waterfall

The Plan

Day 1 – Getting there

Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Day 2 – Chilling in Welbedacht Nature Reserve

Mackay : The Wettest place we have experienced!

The Botanic Gardens

Birds of the Botanic Gardens

The Beaches

The Suburbs

Birds of the Beaches and the Suburbs

Oriental Dollarbird

Torresian Crow

Pied Butcherbird

Torresian Imperial Pigeon

Yellow Honeyeater

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Sahul (Olive-backed) Sunbird

Little Friarbird

Black-fronted Dotterel

Australia 3.1

Mackay : The Wettest place we have experienced!

The (Very Wet!) Wetlands

The Birding

Photography

Wandering Whistling Duck

Comb-crested Jacana

White-browed Crake

Pied Stilt

Royal Spoonbill

Scaly-breasted Munia

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Munia)

Magpie Goose

Brolga

Australian Pipit

Bar-breasted Honeyeater

Plumed Whistling Duck

Black-necked Stork

A Couple of Cuties

Golden-headed Cisticola

Red-backed Fairy Wrens

Australia 3.1

Wednesday – Some shopping and a slow trip to Brisbane

Thursday – Brisbane – Gardens and the Museum

Friday – Brisbane to Mackay

Footnote on modern travel

Australia 3.1

Sunday – Nambucca Heads to Gold Coast

Monday – Gold Coast : Sea World

Tuesday – Gold Coast : Surprise Low and a Spectacular High

The Low

The High

Australia 3.1

Friday – Caves Beach to Nambucca Heads (In the rain)

Saturday – Nambucca Heads (Mostly in the rain!)

Australia 3.1

Wednesday – Sydney to Caves Beach

Thursday – Caves Beach – a Rainy day

Adventurous Birding, Atlasing and Travel