Wildlife of FNQ

By Jen.

We had sufficiently explored north of the Cairns area, so it was time to start our journey south again through Far North Queensland (FNQ). This was another turning point; we will no longer be heading north on our circuit around Australia. First on the list was the Babinda Boulders. This is a section of Wooroonooran National Park that centers on a river that cuts through granite. While calm that day, it can turn into a vicious torrent of swirling water, which has claimed many lives. In aboriginal folk lore, a woman who lost her husband died there and her vengeful spirit calls young men to her to drown them. Despite its negative history, it is a beautiful place.

A colorful pigeon that was acting injured in front of us (probably to lure us away from a nest).

When Jonathan was researching a place to stay the night before, he came across a comment about a tea plantation “across the way” that had tree kangaroos in its trees. Well, of course, I had to look into that! Turns out, this tea plantation is the only reliable place you can see tree kangaroos. Ironically, it was very near a place we had been earlier, so I was upset we had missed. I thought about just heading on south, but decided I didn’t want to regret missing the tree kangaroos, so I had Jonathan drive us back around the mountain range (for probably the 8th time) on the winding road to Nerada Tea estate. Sure enough, when we arrived, there was a group of tourists who had already spotted the tree kangaroo.

They only look slightly like kangaroos, and are the only ones in the kangaroo family that can move its back feet separately.

Cutey, isn’t it? This is a Lumholtz tree kangaroo (there is a Bennett’s tree kangaroo that is even more elusive).

To make the trip across the mountain ranges even more worthwhile, we picked up a few more points of interest along the way. Malanda Falls Conservation Park was a pleasant surprise. The falls themselves weren’t that interesting, but the park was peaceful and full of wildlife.

The river before the falls was full of turtles of all sizes.

We must have seen at least 20.

Mother and nursing baby! There were tons of these miniscule wallabies. I think these are called swamp wallabies, but that is just me taking a guess. They were maybe a foot tall.

We eventually crossed back over to the coast and renewed our hunt for cassowaries, largely classified as the most dangerous bird in the world!

While we were at the beach in search of a cassowary, this kookaburra landed between me and the van. I managed to get really close!

After the stroll down the beach, with no success, we decided to head back up the road and onto our next destination. However, on the way out, we saw one! He was walking alongside the road.

A beauty, isn’t he?

He walked back into the rainforest right by the van!

They are massive 90kg birds and can stand (leaning back) to 2 meters tall. They are normally pretty chill, but if you get between it and its chicks, or if it finds you as a menace, it will act like it will attack with its beak, then jump up and slice at your neck and/or stomach with its massive claws. We were observing it safely from the comfort of the van.