FNQ is not some acronym from yoof culture or some obscure quango, it is the common geographical abbreviation for Far North Queensland, a vast, tropical region in Australia covering over 270,000 square kilometres. Cairns is the gateway hub for the region and that is where we went for our third tropical birding trip. The tropical rainforest and mountainous terrain provide a home for a huge variety of fauna – most of which is not seen anywhere else in the world. Cairns is also the gateway for the Great Barrier Reef which is the world’s largest coral reef system and according to CNN one of the Seven Natural Wonders Of The World. Reefs and fish aren’t our thing we were there primarily for the wildlife that could be seen from dry land.

 

 

We elected to stay well away from the tourist strip at the Lake Placid Rainforest Retreat. It was to my mind the best caravan park we’ve ever stayed at. The amenities, the accommodation, the staff  and the overall friendliness made for a delightful stay. The icing on the cake was the sheer amount of wildlife at the park. I’d seen animals that I’d never seen before without stepping foot outside of the caravan park. Absolutely bloomin’ brilliant! Here in Western Australia Bush Stone Curlews are quite shy and although I’ve seen them I’ve not managed to get a “good” photograph of one. There were about half a dozen of them wandering around the campsite in the evening and it was possible to get close to them. Then there were the Australian Brushturkeys. They’ve got a face only a mother could love, but they are so full of character. These were wandering around all over the place. If you are interested in butterflies then it would be your idea of heaven. There were so many different types flitting around the bush.

 

 

 

We were already talking of visiting again before the trip had finished.