Kutini Payamu NP Day 3

We wandered around the camp site for a few hours in the rain and then drove to Portland Roads for lunch which we had heard was 5 star. It was good and we both had seafood. We sat with James who we’d met at Scrubby Creek Crossing on the OTT with his Suzuki and caught up on his travels. We also chatted with a couple from Tasmania who were travelling around Australia for a year. They had been to TI twice and found it moderately interesting.

We had hoped to take the tinny out but it was dead low tide so we couldn’t get the boat over the rocks and coral into the water.

Stewart from our camp site turned up and he fished with Russ for a while but no fish, although lots of bites. They both lost 2 good lures on the coral. They got about 20 oysters and as neither liked fresh uncooked ones, I got to eat them all!!

Russ kept thinking he should have put the tinny in but we only had an hour of fishing before it got dark and so he reluctantly decided to go home.

Back at the camp, we met John Griffiths and his 2 clients. John is from Gordonvale and knows Emily’s family and he was amazingly helpful in telling us where to see the eclectus parrot. We then drove down the road and eventually found this elusive bird poking her head just through the tree hollow, way back from the road.

John and his clients came up to our camp after dinner and found a cuscus and we told them about the long tailed nightjar we had been following in the afternoon. We walked around Rainforest camp and up to Gordon Creek and John told me about the research on vocalisation of Palm Cockatoos that shows that they don’t move beyond their territory. He said this proves that each population of Palm Cockatoos is quite genetically diverse and therefore important to preserve. He was very passionate about conserving wildlife. What a wonderful guy.

 

Russ was fishing in the coral shallows at Portland Roads. He saw a 3.5m croc swim by and then came in.

Two commercial fishing boats at Portland Roads

Our friend James and Suzi, the Suzuki that floats over river crossings.

That's the croc in the distance!