Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula
Innes National Park Visitor Centre, Yorke Peninsula
On the second day of our recent holiday on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, we drove to the Innes National Park Visitor Centre. All visitors and campers in this national park are required to buy an entry ticket before going into the park, either from the centre staff, or from the self-serve kiosk outside.
We briefly had a look around in the centre before heading off into the park for the rest of the day.
You can find out more information about the park and the area here. This site includes links to species lists of flora and birds, as well as details of camping sites, entry fees, suggested activities and more.
Rhino Head from Innes National Park Visitor Centre, Yorke Peninsula
In the carpark of Innes National Park Visitor Centre, Yorke Peninsula
Apostlebirds, Rankins Springs, NSW
Apostle Birds, Rankins Springs, NSW
On our one night stay at Rankins Springs last year we took out time from travelling home to drive around this mid western town. On previous occasions we had only stopped for a short time for a meal, or a cuppa. This time we made time to have a good look around.
I am particularly interested in the birds of any location I visit (see Trevor’s Birding site). One of the common birds in this area is the Apostle Bird. It is commonly seen in parks and gardens, along road side vegetation and flying across the road as you travel along.
Apostle birds are gregarious, usually moving around feeding in family groups of about a dozen or so, hence their name. They are often seen feeding on the ground. When it comes to nesting time the whole group will help make a bowl shaped mud nest in a convenient tree.
On our wandering around the town we visited several birding spots promoted by the locals for visiting birders. They have even produced a small pamphlet about the local birds, including a map to show where to see birds in the vicinity. Sign posts along the road direct visitors to these good birding sites. One of them was the dam shown below.
Further reading:
- Cocoparra National Park – just south of Rankins Springs
Dam near Rankins Springs, NSW
Please don’t wake the tiger
Tiger, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
During our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year we had good views of the tiger shown in the photo above. I was carrying my 19 month old grandson at the time and he delighted in growling like a tiger while pointing at the animal – much to the amusement of the many people nearby. I was amazed at how low his growl was, considering his age. We had a good laugh about it. Fortunately the tiger slept on.
On my trip to Nepal in 2006 I went on an elephant safari ride through the jungle in Chitwan National Park in the south of the country. Although there are tigers in this area, sightings are quite rare. By way of compensation for not seeing one, we had excellent views of several rhinos, as well as many other animals and birds.
Further reading:
- Travels in Nepal – an archive of articles about my time in Nepal
- Tigers in Nepal
Pittwater as seen from West Head Lookout, Sydney
Pittwater as seen from West Head Lookout, Sydney
On our trip to Sydney earlier this year we had a brief visit to West Head Lookout in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park north of the city. The morning had been cold and wet but after lunch it cleared enough for us to get out of the house for a few hours.
It had been nearly ten years since my last visit here. The photographic opportunities were limited due to the haze from the wind and rain earlier in the day. Still, I did manage a few nice shots, even if they are on the hazy side.
Pittwater as seen from West Head Lookout, Sydney
Pittwater as seen from West Head Lookout, Sydney
West Head Lookout, Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Barrenjoey Head from West Head Lookout
On our trip to Sydney earlier this year to visit family we spent an afternoon in the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. We stopped for quite a while at the West Head Lookout where we took in the extensive sights over the Hawkesbury River, Broken Bay, Barrenjoey Head and Pittwater.
We later took a short walk on one of the walking trails but ran out of daylight which is a shame as this is undoubtedly a beautiful part of the greater Sydney area. In fact, where I took these photos is less than an hour by car from the CBD of Sydney.
Click on any photo to enlarge the image.
Broken Bay from West Head Lookout
Broken Bay from West Head Lookout