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| Karajina National Park |
After leaving Cape Keraudren (see last post) we
travelled south to the De Grey River, where we intended overnighting, but
unseasonally heavy rain had turned the place into a quagmire. A brief excursion turned up the distinctive buff-breasted Pilbara race of Blue-winged Kookaburra but not that of the Black-tailed
Treecreeper.
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| Blue-winged Kookaburra - Pilbara race |
We moved on to Karijina National Park - regarded as one of
Australia’s finest reserves - in the Hamersley Range, for a three-night stay.
We put up with a generator the first night as the only spot left was in a
generator zone (this place is popular) but moved camp the next day to a
generator-free area. There are a series
of camping areas, very nicely arranged and maintained.
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| Dale Gorge - Fortescue Falls |
The change in weather over just 24 hours as we moved south
and inland was quite radical. The balmy winter days of the tropics are over. We
have returned to decidedly cold nights.
After the rains, the desert woodland here, a mix of eucalypt
and mulga with plenty of spinifex and tussock grass, is looking lush and
vibrant - a stark contrast with the drought-stricken woodlands of western
Queensland.
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| Karijina - good-looking woodlands |
Dale Gorge, near the camping ground, is typical of the
marvellous gorges and escarpments that have given this national park its reputation.
They are awe-inspiring; the pictures tell the story. We walked both the rim and
bottom of the gorge.
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| Dale Gorge |
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| Dale Gorge - pool reflections |
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| Dale Gorge - Circular Pool |
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| Dale Gorge |
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| Dale Gorge - Fern Pool |
A small colony of Little Red Flying-Foxes was roosting in
the gorge at the Fern Pool. Among them were a couple of Black Flying-Foxes.
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| Black Flying-Fox |
With so many shrubs in flower, it was surprising there are
not more nomadic desert honeyeaters about; just plenty of Singing,
Spiny-cheeked and Brown Honeyeaters, and Yellow-throated Miners.
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| Singing Honeyeater |
It was nice to find a group of Painted Finches on the Dale
Gorge path. The red-bellied form of the Plumed Pigeon was also here.
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| Painted Finch |
.JPG) |
| Plumed Pigeon (red-bellied race) |
Other birds about included Western Gerygone, Western
Bowerbird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Inland Thornbill and Red-capped Robin.
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| Red-capped Robin |
A Ring-tailed Dragon
Ctenophorus caudicinctus was found in the spinifex.
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| Ring-tailed Dragon |
A bit of night-time dinner-making in the night bush.
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