I went out with my friends Sarah and Graham a couple of days ago. They have a big 4 wheel drive vehicle which lets them get into beautiful areas where I cannot usually go. Thanks Sarah and Graham - it was a great trip!
We first took a quick look at Inskip Point. We hoped that we might see some interesting birds that had been brought in by the ex-tropical cyclone. When we got out there it looked like everyone else from around the district had had the same idea - vehicles and people everywhere! There were a few terns roosting on the point but even those were being disturbed!
Some of them did come back in for a few moments and I was able to get this photo of Little Terns in partial breeding plumage.
Then we drove off to follow the road through the National Park down to where Seary's Creek flows into the bay. If I had thought about it I could have taken enough photos for a whole post about the kind of roads/tracks that go through the Park. Parts of the road were covered with areas of deep dry sand. Other parts had steep rocky drops over low parts that were covered with water. It would be impossible to drive this road without a 4 wheel drive vehicle - and a good driver too!
We stopped and walked around for a while where the track crosses the Creek. The land all around here is very low lying and when the tide is full in it is very swampy.
The Creek flows slowly through this area. The water in the Creek is stained with tannin and the color when we were there was very dark.
( I have kayaked from Tin Can Bay up to this point on the creek 3 or 4 times. The first time I came here I had looked very carefully at the maps and still managed to miss the passage up through the mangroves. The next time I left more time to explore around the mangroves. I was still very unsure of where I should go but then looked down into the water and realized the clear waters of the bay had changed into tea colored water! I had found the creek! I then paddled upstream until I came to the little bridge which is the crossing for the road.!)
These are Mangrove Ferns. I have read about them but these were the first ones I have seen. They grow from here through northern Australia and up through parts of SE Asia.
The only bird we saw was this Little Egret which was standing on the edge of one of the swampy ponds.
The road goes only a little way beyond this area. It leaves the Creek and goes over a small rise and comes out on the Bay right underneath the power lines that cross from the other side. It is interesting to look at things from this side. Those small white spots far down the bay are the boats I see when I am kayaking out from Mullens.
