Tag: Pelican

Herron Point

Sunset at Herron Point campground

Herron Point campground is a basic nature-based campground on the shore of Harvey Estuary in the Peel region, only an hour drive from Perth. It is a prime spot to go crabbing, enjoy wildlife, photography or just relaxing. Being so close to Perth and easily accessible, it is a very popular place.

Facilities and costs

Facilities are very good and include flushing toilets, bins and non-drinking water. The only inconvenience we found was related to the layout of the campground and the actual sites. Caravan sites are literally next to each other, with no privacy at all. So, we booked a tent site, which had more privacy, better views (sites A to D) and some shade.

Herron Point campground facilities

The issue with the sites is the barrier that separates the actual site from the parking lot. As we rely on our vehicle for all our cooking and kitchen needs, we needed it close to the tents. It took a few maneuvers every time to park as close to the barrier as possible and we did plenty of exercise jumping over the barriers every time we needed to go from one side of the vehicle to the other (maybe, hundred times a day? 😊).

Family camping at Herron Point campground

Apart from that, it is a nice campground with a caretaker on site, who looks after the campground. The price is also very reasonable, being $20 per site per night, for up to 4 adults and 4 children on each site. And you can bring your dog there too. Being so easily accessible, it goes without saying, that it is a very popular place, especially during the holidays and the crab season. We stayed there over Australia Day long weekend and saw hundreds of people (campers and day users alike) go blue swimmer crabbing. The campground is managed by the Shire of Murray and must be booked online in advance.

Crabbing is popular day and night

Shallow waters of Harvey Estuary are ideal for catching blue swimmer crabs. And they are in abandunce there! Despite the number of people crabbing day and night there, there is still enough (but make sure, you know the rules!)

Photographer’s paradise

“Photography is about discipline”, Brian said, and I dragged myself out of the swag at 5.30am and didn’t regret. Scenes like these ones feed my soul and nourish me. Early morning is the time when nature awakens and is full of energy. It is the time to connect with it, so that it can fuel you for the rest of the day.

Sunrise at Herron Point

Herron Point is a popular place with photographers. It is no surprise – sunsets and sunrises are amazing there! All you need to do is to be there at the right time :).

Sunset at Herron Point

Having a go at astrophotography with just a phone, while trying to photograph a windmill (the icon of Australian outback):

Abundance of wildlife

Flocks of pelicans, seagulls, egrets, cormorants, terns and are putting quite a show every morning as they fly over Harvey Estuary.

Off the shore you can see Carnaby’s black cockatoos, Splendid Fairy-wrens and Common Bronzewing among others.

Splendid fairy-wren male on a branch
Common Bronzewing

Welcome Swallows are very quick when they fly but sometimes they do sit and pose nicely :).

If you are lucky, you can spot a Bandicoot. We were lucky :).

Bandicoot

To sum up

There are so many good things about Herron Point. Although, we prefer much quieter and more remote places, as a quick getaway from home, Herron Point is a good choice. And if you are into crabbing, or photography, this place is definitely worth visiting.

Fauna of Kimberley

Kimberley fauna is unique, diverse and fascinating. The first thing that comes to mind when talking about fauna of Kimberley is crocodiles! There is no surprise. There are plenty of them in Kimberley and they can be extremely dangerous to humans.

Crocodiles

There are two types of crocodiles found in Australia (and both are in Kimberley) – saltwater or estuarine crocodiles and freshwater or Johnston’s river crocodiles. Saltwater crocodiles are big (up to 7 meters long) and are dangerous to humans and we’ve only seen from the far distance (at El Questro). Contrary to their name, they live in fresh waters too, up to 200km away from the coast and can attack in less than a second.

Saltwater crocodile seen from Branko’s Lookout at El Questro

Fresh waters crocodiles are much smaller (not more than 3 meters long), have smaller teeth and narrow snout. They live in creeks, rivers, billabongs and are often seen sunbathing on the shore. While they are non-aggressive, they can bite if disturbed, so it is still safer to admire them from a distance.

Windajana Gorge is one of the best places on the Gibb River Road to see fresh water crocodiles.

We also saw freshwater crocodiles in Emma Gorge along the Gibb River Road.

Lake Argyle is home to an estimated 30,000 fresh water crocodiles (and yes, you can still swim there – we did!). So, that is another place to see them and taking a cruise is the best way to see crocodiles (and many other interesting animals and birds).

Among other interesting creatures that we saw in Kimberley were olive python, rock wallabies and sugar glider.

Kimberley Fauna – more than crocodiles

Olive pythons are the second-largest Python species in Australia. They can grow up to 3.5 meters long and the sub-species in Pilbara region can grow up to 5 meters long (we saw one rather large olive python in Millstream Chichester NP). Olive pythons are found in northern parts of Australia. They can often be seen near creeks but also in woodlands, open forests and savannah. We were lucky to spot one in Silent Grove campground near the creek (Actually, we were shown the python by fellow travellers, for that we are very grateful).

Olive python

Sugar glider is a small nocturnal gliding possum, found in the northern parts of Australia in eucalyptus woodlands. It feeds on gum and the sap of eucalyptus trees. This little cute Sugar Glider was on the Eucalyptus next to our camping spot in Silent Grove campground. We were lucky enough to watch it feeding on the nectar of the Eucalyptus tree flowers for 2 days we spent there (although not lucky enough to see it flying).

Rock wallabies are yet another type of unique animals we saw in Kimberley – in Lake Argyle. We took a morning cruise and were shown the whole colony of them, sunbathing on the rocks.

Birds of Kimberley

The Kimberley region, comprising 420,000 square kilometres has diverse landscape, ranging from rugged ranges, savannas and pristine coastlines. The diversity of the landscape means great variety of the birds.

Australian Pelican (Left: Lake Argyle, right – Roebuck Bay)

Pied Heron near Lake Argyle
Great Egret at Lake Argyle
Brown Goshawk, Hann River, Gibb River Road
Black-fronted Dotterel, Windjana Gorge, the Gibb River Road
Double-barred Finch Silent Grove, the Gibb River Road
Great Bowerbird Silent Grove, the Gibb River Road
Little Corella. Silent Grove, the Gibb River Road
White-faced Heron, Galvans Gorge, the Gibb River Road
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater. Pentecost River, The Gibb River Road
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, the Gibb River Road
Zebra finch, Purnululu NP
Budgerigar, Purnululu NP

Whistling Kite, Purnululu NP (above)

Masked Lapwing, 80 Mile Beach (above)

Black Falcon, Derby
Red Kite, Roebuck Bay

Grey Butcherbird, Stanley 24 hour rest area, 80 Mile Beach, West Kimberley (above)

Crested pigeon (right) and Grey Butcherbird (left), Stanley 24 hour rest area, 80 Mile Beach

Red-winged parrot, Stanley 24 hour rest area, 80 Mile Beach (above)

Little Friarbird, Stanley 24 hour rest stop, 80 Mile Beach

Lake Argyle

Lake Argyle, located 70km south of Kununurra in the Kimberley region in the north east is Western Australia’s largest and Australia’s second largest fresh water man-made lake. Holding as much water as 19 Sydney harbours, it has a surface of over 100 square km and more than 70 islands. The lake was created in 1973 by construction of a dam to direct the Ord River (once the fastest flowing river in Australia) which enabled development of the agricultural industry in the Ord Valley.

Famous 35-meter Infinity Pool at Lake Argyle Caravan Park, where we stayed

Wildlife and the speed boat cruise

Lake Argyle is home to an estimated 30,000 fresh water crocodiles (and yes, you can still swim there – we did!), 150,000 waterbirds, 26 species of fish and some unique animals, like rock wallabies.

Rock Wallabies

Fresh water crocodiles

One of the best ways to see all these animals, birds and fishes is to take a cruise. During our 2-hour morning cruise on a speed boat we only covered 25% of the lake, which gave us an idea of just how vast the lake is.

Hikes and walks

Lake Argyle has some amazing walks, hikes and drives around it. Dead Horse Springs and Spillway Creek (4 and 10km respectively from the Caravan Park) were nice spots for watching birdlife.

Dead Horse Springs (below)

Great Egret (above left). Pied Heron (above right)

Spillway Creek (above)

Pannikin Bay Sunset Lookout (via a short but quite rocky 4WD only track) offered magnificent views of the lake. The changing colours of the lake and bushes were mesmerizing to watch.

Pannikin Bay Sunset Lookout (above)