Another great video you two. I would never have the will power to stay behind while Nimal goes to try for the parrot, you have massive staying power there Karen.
We knew that the parrots were happy in that area but the wind that day was horrendous. My travel tripod is hopeless in the wind & my camera was really playing up. Add in a crappy night sleep and I just had no energy to go that day... but anticipated a better outcome the day we were leaving (which luckily turned out to be the case). It was great to see flocks of these parrots in the area. They are so flighty!! The little juvenile was the only one that hung around for us. ~ Karen
@@shaunferguson8782 it's new to us.. but it's where people who own land rent out sites to campers. Most are just tent or caravan sites. Most don't even have a toilet. Some have glamping stuff like this one (that's why we chose it) but really it all seems to be pretty rough accommodation but provides either camping away from the crowded "free camps" or an alternative to a caravan park. The bonus it seems is that the Hipcamp places are in locations where other accommodation is not available. There's really nothing around Mt Arapiles unless you want to drive all the way from a bigger town or (as we discovered later) there is a free camping spot that looked pretty good near the National Park but it's shared by lots of other people.
Just when you had given up hope. Amazing Hip Camp and was not to sure about the toilet situation. Did not mind the bath room situation. No one was there to see you. Great vlog Karen and Nimal.
Thanks! 😀 The Hipcamp would have been great if the weather was like the day we left! but..... I'm not sure those toilet facilities would have ever looked any better 🤣 ~ Karen
Oh oh oh! These parrots of the Neophema genus are SO cute, what with their huge eyes and tiny bill! We hope to see at least one of the rep's... Did I tell you we managed to buy our Aussie-tickets, after a lot of trouble? We missed our coveted flights on our planned departure date of Wed Sept 4, but I managed to move the 69-day itinerary forward one day without too much domino bricks falling badly down the line, so we got the right flights on Sept 5 instead. Arrival Darwin around 3 PM the 6:th. Then it's off to the races. I'm so busy/stressed right now, booking lodgings. We were too late for some of the important places, but one could be moved around and the other (Inala on Bruny Island) sadly only had 2 nights when we wanted 3. It was almost fully booked those few days we could be there. 2 is better than nothing, I'll look for some other lodging, either on Bruny Island or close to the ferry (Kettering, is it?). Fingers crossed. Not all the dates in the last part of the trip are set in stone. For now the Victoria part is planned Oct 22-28. It's a bit too short for my taste, so maybe we'll be able to get one day more somehow. We'll see. Inala is Oct 30-31. Ah, well, I need to get back to work. At least the NT-loop plus the few days in Darwin are fully booked, incl the car. As is the Cape York visit, we'll stay at the Portland House Sept 19-22 with departure Mon 23. Arrival to Cairns ca 3:45 PM, then get a rental car then drive straight to Julatten for a 2-night stay at Kingfisher Park Birdwatcher Lodge. We'll arrive late. That was the one that was fully booked on our more convenient dates (like Sept 24-26).
Wow your trip to Oz sounds amazing!! You are really getting around!! Lots of extreme destinations we have never seen yet but it will be so worth it 😀 We have Cairns & Julatten on our trip list this year too (probably July I think). I will have to look up the Kingfisher Lodge. Sounds good! When you're in Melbourne, we can offer a trip to the Western Treatment Plant if you'd like to join us?? Great time to be in Victoria in October... lovely Spring conditions (hopefully). You'll love Bruny Island in Tassie!! So many endemic birds to see just in that one area. We have plans on getting back there & staying at least 4 nights. So excited for you!! We have never been to NT. We were going to pick that as our trip up north this year but we've decided on FNQ instead as there are more Lifer birds to see in that area. ~ Karen
Yes! Nimal regularly uses Ebird.org to add his bird checklists. It's an online database of bird observations around the world. Great database that you can observe where birds are being seen in what area ~ Karen
When it comes to this trip, I would have to say that there were two issues when it comes to safety. The Hipcamp we stayed at had a scary moment on the night we arrived. Some guy turned up on the Friday night at the land next door to where we were staying. He was driving eratically & was shooting a gun out the window (didn't include that in the video as we didn't film it... but I didn't sleep at all that night which is really the reason why I didn't go birdwatching the next day). That was so scary!! As for Quades Road where the birds were, it was 4wd only as the sand was really deep. We didn't see a single person anywhere around the area so I wouldn't want to be there by myself just in case the car got stuck in the sand (though you could park & walk all the way in which probably wouldn't be a huge issue but fairly far). Saying all that though.... if you stayed at caravan parks or airbnbs, I would say it's safe. Some of the remote areas where these birds are seen can be a bit dodgy though so I'd make sure you weren't too far away from your car. Nimal always goes off searching for birds by himself but we stay in contact by phone at all times. ~ Karen
@naturephotographychallenge i note that nimal was at braeside today acvording to e bird. I was there at about 11am and sat for a while watching the blue billed duck.
@@loisr1560 yes we were both there 😀 didn't stay too long but it was nice to see the baby pink-eared ducks on the log. I didn't see the blue-billed duck though ~ Karen
I was disappointed with your "hip camp" My late father in law ,Dud Foweraker,said all you need to go camping was "a few damn biscuits in a bag, and a hip hole in the sand". He was an old school conservationist and bird expert. So you haven't really hip camped. Otherwise great video as usual.
Let's go go go...! 😂😂😂
🤣 indeed!
Im not into that kind of dunny😂😂gr8 for the parrot sighings❤❤
Yeah not really our choice either 🤣 It was in need of a major update... like a door for starters!
Another great video you two. I would never have the will power to stay behind while Nimal goes to try for the parrot, you have massive staying power there Karen.
We knew that the parrots were happy in that area but the wind that day was horrendous. My travel tripod is hopeless in the wind & my camera was really playing up. Add in a crappy night sleep and I just had no energy to go that day... but anticipated a better outcome the day we were leaving (which luckily turned out to be the case). It was great to see flocks of these parrots in the area. They are so flighty!! The little juvenile was the only one that hung around for us. ~ Karen
Also what's a 'Hipcamp' besides the fact it's a shed with a bed in the middle of no where?
@@shaunferguson8782 it's new to us.. but it's where people who own land rent out sites to campers. Most are just tent or caravan sites. Most don't even have a toilet. Some have glamping stuff like this one (that's why we chose it) but really it all seems to be pretty rough accommodation but provides either camping away from the crowded "free camps" or an alternative to a caravan park. The bonus it seems is that the Hipcamp places are in locations where other accommodation is not available. There's really nothing around Mt Arapiles unless you want to drive all the way from a bigger town or (as we discovered later) there is a free camping spot that looked pretty good near the National Park but it's shared by lots of other people.
Aaahh ok thanks Ive never heard of it.@@naturephotographychallenge
Just when you had given up hope. Amazing Hip Camp and was not to sure about the toilet situation. Did not mind the bath room situation. No one was there to see you. Great vlog Karen and Nimal.
Thanks! 😀 The Hipcamp would have been great if the weather was like the day we left! but..... I'm not sure those toilet facilities would have ever looked any better 🤣 ~ Karen
excellent upload 👍🎇🔥
Thank you! 😀
Oh oh oh! These parrots of the Neophema genus are SO cute, what with their huge eyes and tiny bill! We hope to see at least one of the rep's... Did I tell you we managed to buy our Aussie-tickets, after a lot of trouble? We missed our coveted flights on our planned departure date of Wed Sept 4, but I managed to move the 69-day itinerary forward one day without too much domino bricks falling badly down the line, so we got the right flights on Sept 5 instead. Arrival Darwin around 3 PM the 6:th. Then it's off to the races.
I'm so busy/stressed right now, booking lodgings. We were too late for some of the important places, but one could be moved around and the other (Inala on Bruny Island) sadly only had 2 nights when we wanted 3. It was almost fully booked those few days we could be there. 2 is better than nothing, I'll look for some other lodging, either on Bruny Island or close to the ferry (Kettering, is it?). Fingers crossed.
Not all the dates in the last part of the trip are set in stone. For now the Victoria part is planned Oct 22-28. It's a bit too short for my taste, so maybe we'll be able to get one day more somehow. We'll see. Inala is Oct 30-31.
Ah, well, I need to get back to work. At least the NT-loop plus the few days in Darwin are fully booked, incl the car. As is the Cape York visit, we'll stay at the Portland House Sept 19-22 with departure Mon 23. Arrival to Cairns ca 3:45 PM, then get a rental car then drive straight to Julatten for a 2-night stay at Kingfisher Park Birdwatcher Lodge. We'll arrive late. That was the one that was fully booked on our more convenient dates (like Sept 24-26).
Wow your trip to Oz sounds amazing!! You are really getting around!! Lots of extreme destinations we have never seen yet but it will be so worth it 😀 We have Cairns & Julatten on our trip list this year too (probably July I think). I will have to look up the Kingfisher Lodge. Sounds good! When you're in Melbourne, we can offer a trip to the Western Treatment Plant if you'd like to join us?? Great time to be in Victoria in October... lovely Spring conditions (hopefully). You'll love Bruny Island in Tassie!! So many endemic birds to see just in that one area. We have plans on getting back there & staying at least 4 nights. So excited for you!! We have never been to NT. We were going to pick that as our trip up north this year but we've decided on FNQ instead as there are more Lifer birds to see in that area. ~ Karen
❤wouldnt get me in a tent too bloody old😂😂
haha! It has to be a kind of glamping now for me! All the creature comforts and definitely a comfy bed ~ Karen
Hi guys, how do you know where all of the birds you search for are? Is there a particular site / app you use?
Yes! Nimal regularly uses Ebird.org to add his bird checklists. It's an online database of bird observations around the world. Great database that you can observe where birds are being seen in what area ~ Karen
Are these places safe for solo travellers . My freinds are not into birds or photography so I would be going on my own.
When it comes to this trip, I would have to say that there were two issues when it comes to safety.
The Hipcamp we stayed at had a scary moment on the night we arrived. Some guy turned up on the Friday night at the land next door to where we were staying. He was driving eratically & was shooting a gun out the window (didn't include that in the video as we didn't film it... but I didn't sleep at all that night which is really the reason why I didn't go birdwatching the next day). That was so scary!!
As for Quades Road where the birds were, it was 4wd only as the sand was really deep. We didn't see a single person anywhere around the area so I wouldn't want to be there by myself just in case the car got stuck in the sand (though you could park & walk all the way in which probably wouldn't be a huge issue but fairly far).
Saying all that though.... if you stayed at caravan parks or airbnbs, I would say it's safe. Some of the remote areas where these birds are seen can be a bit dodgy though so I'd make sure you weren't too far away from your car. Nimal always goes off searching for birds by himself but we stay in contact by phone at all times. ~ Karen
@naturephotographychallenge i note that nimal was at braeside today acvording to e bird. I was there at about 11am and sat for a while watching the blue billed duck.
@@loisr1560 yes we were both there 😀 didn't stay too long but it was nice to see the baby pink-eared ducks on the log. I didn't see the blue-billed duck though ~ Karen
I was disappointed with your "hip camp" My late father in law ,Dud Foweraker,said all you need to go camping was "a few damn biscuits in a bag, and a hip hole in the sand". He was an old school conservationist and bird expert. So you haven't really hip camped. Otherwise great video as usual.
i'm not sure the Hipcamp community know about the 'hip hole in the sand' rule 🤣