A continuation of my travelogue through inland Queensland Australia.

Outback Queensland.

Hughenden

A farming community as you begin to travel west toward the interior of Queensland.

We stopped for supplies and I was taken by the number of whistling Kites flying at least 50, constantly picking insects from the sky. I took a few shots trying to get the minimalist feeling of this landscape with a big bright sky. These photos taken 18th July 2025 at about 1:30pm.

Who could resist recording the more industrial aspect of the place, particularly when distorted by heat haze. This rail car was about 1km distant.

White Mountains National Park

A less visited area that we had to ourselves on a couple of nights. A gentle bush, more open and light than the rainforests along the coast.

Sunset at our campsite. Canns Creek was a droving camp before the area became national park. Its 17km off the highway along a dirt road/track, one of the reasons it was quiet. Suited us and we stayed for a few days.

Noisy Friarbird. Also found in Southern states. Note the head is bald, whereas the helmeted Friarbird sports a feathery cap.

Pale-headed Rosella, catches the evening light. They are rarely seen outside the the foliage except when flying to another tree.

Nobbi (*Diporiphora nobbi*) A small lizard, body length to 8 cm, tail to 19 cm (total length to 27 cm). Found in drier forests, Nobbi Dragons feed mainly on insects.

Grey-crowned Babblers, feeding on arboreal termites. They dig them out of the nest with their beaks.

Insect eating Sundew. This one is about 3cm across. The sticky exudate traps small insects which then dissolve.

Pied Butcherbird, Portrait. This ones not yet mature, eventually it’s face and neck will become black.

Cloncurry and Clem Walton Park.

Further inland (heading west) is the town of Cloncurry, the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A little further west is a reservoir with a surrounding park you can camp in, Clem Walton Park. Again, there were countless Whistling Kites whirling around, which would pick small fish out of the water on the fly. There were also some wrens here I have been wanting to photograph for a long time.

Zebra Finches. A portion of a flock of around 40. Quite common, often seen when driving.

A Great Crested Grebe catches a fish in the evening light.

Purple-backed Fairy-wren. (M) A recent re-name as a distinction from Variegated Fairy-wren that is very similar but occurs only along parts of the Eastern coastline, where as The Purple-backed can be found over most of the continent.

A rare moment when the Male and female are close to each other. These birds never stop hopping around and are hard to find through the camera. Imagine looking through a long tube, that only allows you to see 100 or 200mm in focus, then try to follow these birds pressing a shutter only when they are not obscured.

A small portion of the sky filled with Whistling Kites. I tried to capture the whole scene but the birds render too small so you will need to imagine these all around you, and overhead.

A Whistling Kite carries its catch to a nearby tree where it will be eaten whole.

Old Mary Kathleen Uranium mine.

Another tourist destination but rewarding.

Those are full size trees at the bottom of the pit. This was taken with a 14mm wide angle lens to get the whole thing.

A closer look inside the pit. It is permanently flooded.

Yes, the colours are natural. Its famous for its intense blue water. The colour changes relative to the direction sunlight reflects off the surface.

We chased around a flock of Spinifex Pigeons for about half an hour. Finally, as we were at the carpark about to leave they let us closer.

A Mistletoebird visits while we were eating lunch.

Cloncurry township.

We hired a cabin for the night and right outside the front door these:

It was time to drop Bridget at Mt Isa airport while I drove south solo. I wanted to spend some time photographing the mine at Mt Isa but the wind was too strong and the air full of dust so I got out of there. A couple of hundred km down the road was a free camp almost empty of campers. Hundreds of Galahs were playing in the strong wind.

An empty rock attracts a bird, then another make two.

Now we are four, but that’s the limit, ok?

Sunset from camp that eve. 25th July 2025 at 6:36pm.

Next morning sitting patiently while I did my thing was this magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagle.

On my drive through open drier country I slowed to dodge stock on the road, there are no fences here. That’s when I noticed this little guy in the remnant roadside vegetation. I grabbed my camera and headed in.

A white-winged Fairy-wren. (M) like most wrens shy, quick and hard to photograph.

Destination today; Lake Machattie. Where I found a secluded spot on the side of the river at Cuttaburra Waterhole. I watched various bird species feed as the light faded. In this image (I just grabbed the nearest camera for this) I see Pelicans cooperating to fish. They make a ring around their prey then at the same instant all dive their heads to create a barrier. I am not sure which bird gets the catch or whether they share it.

Meanwhile overhead, Caspian Turns dive randomly into the water to catch their dinner.

Following mornings sunrise, Cuttaburra Waterhole Queensland. 28th July at 7:30am.

I Leave the Waterhole and head toward Birdsville QLD. Along the way I come across an unexpected hot spring . Of course, I stopped because even an old fence post is interesting out on these planes.

The ponds were as warm as a hot bath some distance from the spring head itself. Nonetheless plants grew in it.

Resident Straw Necked Ibis. One of many here. 100+

Some of the Straw-necked Ibis take flight

See what I mean about fence posts, even they are rare here. Actually, I quite enjoy the minimalist billiard table landscape. Somehow its calming.

Along these roads you can find Australian Pratincole. They prefer the open plains.

Masked Woodswallow. Found just outside Birdsville QLD.

Diamantina River Birdsville. Yet again a sky full of Whistling Kites. Must be a good year for them. 27th July 2025 at 7:38pm

Underfoot? Hopefully not! A King brown snake, not far from Birdsville and the only close encounter with a snake on the trip.

Crimson Chat (F) South East of Birdsville by just a few hundred kilometers. Near Windora QLD.

Budgerigar. Seen in flocks most places inland.

Widgeegoara Queensland

Apostle Birds. Intelligent, inquisitive and communal.

White-necked Heron. Ok, you say they are seen all over Australia, but what a superb post.

More driving off the fuzzy edge of the billiard table. At least there are trees somewhere ahead. I am getting more south, I can see green.

Moving south into NSW I arrive after heavy rain. This closed most of the outback roads meaning the parks and other bookings I had were cancelled.

All the blue and Orange marked are closed. As on 29th July 2025.

The last stop in NSW before driving home to Melbourne

Lake Cargellico, and the only place available was in the RV site on the township outskirts. Fortunately, I was able to squeeze into a tiny site on the edge of the lake but too late in the day for any bird photography. Its further south and cold at night.

Lake Cargellico, NSW. Dusk on 31st July 2025. An edit enriched surface, some Photoshop play.

I drove the remaining distance to Melbourne stopping again at Winton Wetlands as I did on my way out. Hours driving leads me to think about what just happened. I see that time moves on and great moments are interspersed with lesser ones, as they are layered into memory.

I think about the pre-trip plans and expectations I put on myself as a photographer, why didn’t I take more? Why didn’t I make more serious landscape photos, rather than the snaps I took most of the time? I came to realize I embarked on a road trip and that’s a different head space to a planned shoot at a predetermined location. This time it was as much about looking as it was about photography. It was time for me to absorb into the magnificent countryside of this extraordinary continent, and that’s OK.

I cant over emphasis the companionship of my partner Bridget when it comes to birds and finding them. She is far better at spotting them than myself. There were several occasions where she was in the right place at the right time to photograph species I did not see. Bridget enriches my own birding experience. Thanks Bridget.

And, thankyou reader for looking through these Queensland road trip blogs. I hope you found them interesting.

(f you missed part one, click on blog at the top of this page.)

Queensland Australia part two

Queensland Australia part one