Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski

of Proserpine and 70km northwest of Mackay. The areas sitting at the base of the Clarke Range are dominated by white gum/ironbark woodland and exotic pine plantations. Dense rainforest, tall wet eucalypt forest and hoop pine plantations grow on the slopes of Clarke Range.

      The forest is signposted from Bruce Hwy as ‘Cathu State Forest camping 12.4km’. Turn west into Cathu-Oconnell River Rd and then turn right into Cathu Forest Rd which will take you to the Jaxut camping area. The campground GPS coordinates are 20^o48’59’’S and 148^o36’29’’E.

      The first 2.5km of the road from the turnoff from Bruce Hwy is in a decent condition but a 4WD vehicle is recommended for the rest of the route. The road continues beyond the camping site and climbs steeply up the Clarke Range. A lookout is located 6km past the campsite at the altitude of 824m, allowing spectacular views of Whitsunday Islands and Conway National Park. Facilities include toilets and picnic tables as well as a short track along Pandanus Creek. See also the site map, downloadable here: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cathu/pdf/cathu-sf-map.pdf.

      Over 130 species have been recorded in the Cathu State Forest. Key species are Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Azure Kingfisher, Pacific Baza and Grey Goshawk. Other birds of interest include Wompoo Fruit-Dove, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow Honeyeater and Olive-backed Sunbird. Rarer species in the area include Squatter Pigeon, Noisy Pitta and Rufous Owl.

      On your way to the forest, stop near the Oconnell River; Azure Kingfishers are resident there. You can also expect White-necked Heron, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Oriental Dollarbird and, in the long grass, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Pheasant Coucal.

      Around the Jaxut camping area look for Fairy Gerygone, Varied Triller, Olive-backed Sunbird, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and Pacific Baza. During the night, you may hear or see Barking Owl, Southern Boobook, Spotted Nightjar, Bush Stone-curlew and even Rufous Owl.

      In the dry forest, you may get Rufous Whistler, White-winged Triller, Yellow Thornbill, White-throated Gerygone, Dusky Woodswallow, Fuscous Honeyeater, Forest Kingfisher and Squatter Pigeon (occasional sightings).

      The rainforest on the way to the lookout is worth investigating but the road is very steep and may be slippery. Bird species here include Superb Fruit-Dove, Brown-capped Emerald-Dove, Spectacled Monarch, Large-billed Scrubwren, Noisy Pitta, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Topknot Pigeon and Shining Bronze-cuckoo.

      Lewin’s Honeyeater

Conway National Park

      This beautiful 22,500ha coastal Park is located on the Whitsunday Coast, 900km northwest of Brisbane. The main feature of the Park is Conway Peninsula. It is covered with one of the largest areas of lowland tropical rainforest in Queensland. Huge hoop pines grow on the ridge and in wet gullies, rising above the rainforest canopy. Other habitats here include dry vine thicket, mangroves, open woodland with grass tree understory and paperbark/pandanus forest.

      To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) just north of Proserpine turn into Shute Harbour Rd (59) to Airlie Beach, 26km away. From there, continue for about 6km to the Park entrance through a day-use area where the Park facilities are provided (toilets, large shelters, picnic tables). There are several small carparks along Shute Harbour Rd allowing access to various walking tracks through the Park. Designated bush camping areas are provided. See also map of the Conway National Park, downloadable here: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/conway/pdf/conway-np-cp-map.pdf.

      Over 150 bird species are on the Conway National Park’s birdlist. Key species are Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, Large-billed Gerygone, Fairy Gerygone, Superb Fruit-Dove, Metallic Starling, Shining Flycatcher, Spectacled Monarch and Orange-footed Scrubfowl. Other birds of interests include Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Noisy Pitta, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Black Butcherbird, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Blue-winged Kookaburra, White-browed Robin, White-eared Monarch, Olive-backed Sunbird, Eastern Reef Egret and Mangrove Honeyeater. Rarities include Brown-backed Honeyeater and White-gaped Honeyeater.

Conway Circuit

      The main attraction of the Park, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, occurs in good numbers along Conway Circuit, in particular along the section between the carpark and the turnoff to the Wompoo Way, including Kingfisher Circuit.

      To get the Conway Circuit, from Bruce Hwy travel on Shute Harbour Rd for 12km towards Airlie Beach, then turn right into Brandy Creek Rd. Next, travel on unsealed Forestry Rd to the carpark. Conway Circuit runs through the Park as far as Airlie Beach, 27km one way. This walking track has been renamed; it used to be called Whitsunday Great Walk.

      Fruit-eating pigeons are the main bird group to be encountered in the rainforest. Look for Superb Fruit-Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon and Brown-capped Emerald-Dove. Spectacled Monarchs are very common here. Other birds in the area include Metallic Starling, Black Butcherbird, Noisy Pitta, Varied Triller, Dusky Honeyeater and White-eared Monarch. Four species of gerygones can be found here. Large-billed and Brown Gerygones are common but you may also come across Fairy Gerygone and White-throated Gerygone.

      Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, half-way in a termite mound nest

Conway NP Day-use Area

      The day-use area is situated along Shute Harbour Rd past the Whitsunday Airport. Coastal Fringe Circuit (1.2km) starts from this point and runs through the lilly-pilly regrowth, then mangroves and back in the rainforest with huge fig trees.

      Around the day-use area look for Little Bronze-cuckoo, Rufous Fantail, Spectacled Monarch, Fairy Gerygone, Lewin’s Honeyeater and Helmeted Friarbird.

      Along the track you may find Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Noisy Pitta, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Pale-headed Rosella, Large-billed Gerygone, Shining Flycatcher, Broad-billed Flycatcher and Brown Goshawk.

Mt Rooper Carpark

      This is small carpark without any facilities near a small wetland where Eastern Reef Egrets like to roost. The walking track from the carpark runs to Mt Rooper and further on to Swamp Bay. The first few hundred metres is open woodland with a dense understory of grass trees. Then the track forks, running through a dense lilly-pilly rainforest. The left fork leads to Swamp Bay, the right fork to Mt Rooper.

      Grass tree understory in Conway National Park

      Look for honeyeaters in the open woodland, especially for Little Friarbird, Yellow Honeyeater and Dusky Honeyeater. Lilly-pilly rainforest may produce a selection of fruit-eating pigeons. Noisy Pitta can also be found here. Other birds include Spectacled Monarch, Black-faced Monarch, Brown Gerygone, Large-billed Scrubwren and Channel-billed Cuckoo.

Conway Beach

      This location is not part of the National Park but it is a good wader site at the mouth of Proserpine River, adjacent to Conway National Park.

      To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) just north of Proserpine turn into Shute Harbour Rd (59) towards Airlie Beach. After approximately 5km turn right into Conway Rd and drive to the end of the road to two small coastal hamlets of Wilson Beach and Conway Beach.

      Stop on your way near the boat ramp on the river and check the mangroves and mudflats, looking for Black Butcherbird, Helmeted Friarbird, Black-faced Monarch, Collared Kingfisher, Mangrove