16 Days / 15 Nights
Cairns to Mount Isa and the Channel Country
A birding and photography tour from Cairns to Mount Isa, travelling through the Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands, Georgetown, Karumba, Winton, Boulia and Birdsville.
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Far North Queensland to the outback
Rainforest birds, reef seabirds, gulf specialties and Channel Country grasswrens.
This 16 day / 15 night tour begins in Cairns and finishes in Mount Isa, combining Far North Queensland rainforest, coastal birding, Gulf Country and outback grasswren habitats.
The route includes Cairns, Michaelmas Cay, Etty Bay, the Atherton Tablelands, Georgetown, Karumba, Mount Isa, Winton, Boulia, Birdsville and the Bulloo Overflow.
- Cairns Esplanade, mangroves and Centenary Lakes
- Michaelmas Cay seabirds and Great Barrier Reef experience
- Southern Cassowary and Wet Tropics endemics
- Karumba mangroves, Mount Isa grasswrens and Channel Country birds
Tour itinerary
Cairns to Mount Isa itinerary
A 16 day / 15 night tour beginning in Cairns and finishing in Mount Isa, travelling from reef and rainforest habitats into Gulf Country and the Channel Country.
Cairns, Queensland
The tour begins in Cairns. Arrival flights into Cairns before the tour are not included.
Cairns birding
Explore Cairns sites including the Esplanade, northern mangroves and Centenary Lakes for shorebirds, fruit-doves, kingfishers, honeyeaters, fig-parrots, waterbirds and possible Papuan Frogmouth.
Michaelmas Cay and Great Barrier Reef
Take a reef trip to Michaelmas Cay for seabirds including terns, noddies, boobies and frigatebirds, with time at Hastings Reef for snorkelling. If tides are suitable, return to the Cairns Esplanade for more shorebird photography.
Etty Bay and Atherton Tablelands
Travel south for Southern Cassowary at Etty Bay, then continue to the Atherton Tablelands. Explore Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine, Mount Hypipamee, Hasties Swamp and Curtain Fig Tree for Wet Tropics endemics, rainforest birds and mammals.
Tablelands to Georgetown
Spend a final morning around the crater lakes before heading west toward Georgetown, looking for drier habitat species such as Australian Bustard, Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Black-throated Finch and Double-barred Finch.
Georgetown to Karumba
Follow up any missed Georgetown species before travelling west to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria. If time allows, scan mudflats and mangroves for local specialties.
Karumba to Mount Isa
Spend the morning following up birds around Karumba before the long drive south toward Mount Isa, the base for the next stage of the tour.
Mount Isa grasswrens
Spend two days birding and photographing around Mount Isa for Kalkadoon Grasswren and Carpentarian Grasswren, plus Painted Finch, Spinifex Pigeon, Spinifexbird, honeyeaters and Black-tailed Treecreeper.
Mount Isa to Winton
Follow up any missing Mount Isa targets before travelling south-east toward Winton, watching for Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Falcon and other outback birds along the way.
Winton, Opalton and Boulia
Search Lark Quarry or Opalton for Opalton Grasswren, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Hall’s Babbler, Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush and Spinifexbird, then continue toward Boulia for grassland and outback species.
Boulia to Birdsville
Search the grass plains around Boulia for Flock Bronzewing before travelling south toward Birdsville, checking suitable habitat for Bourke’s Parrot, Ground Cuckoo-shrike and Eyrean Grasswren.
Bulloo Overflow
Spend the day searching lignum around the Bulloo Overflow for Grey Grasswren, with chances for Yellow Chat, Grey Falcon and other Channel Country birds.
Return to Mount Isa
Follow up any missed birds such as Grey Grasswren, Inland Dotterel or Gibberbird before the big drive back to Mount Isa, where the tour concludes late afternoon.
Mount Isa, Queensland
The tour finishes in Mount Isa. Departure flights from Mount Isa are not included.
Cairns, Yungaburra, Georgetown, Karumba, Mount Isa, Winton, Boulia and Birdsville
Accommodation includes The Bailey Cairns, Eden House Retreat, Latara Motel, End of the Road Motel, Ibis Styles Verona, Winton Outback Motel, Desert Sands Motel and Birdsville Hotel.
Enquire about pricing
Please contact me for current pricing and availability. Airfare arriving into Cairns before the tour and airfare departing Mount Isa after the tour are not included.
Target birds
Birds to look for on this tour
Terek Sandpiper, Red-capped Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Greater Sandplover, Lesser Sandplover, Beach Stone-curlew, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Varied Honeyeater, Mangrove Robin, Torresian Kingfisher, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Little Kingfisher, Southern Cassowary, Spotted Catbird, Bridled Honeyeater, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Victoria’s Riflebird, Red-necked Crake, Chowchilla, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Pied Monarch, Australian Bustard, Black-throated Finch, Mangrove Golden Whistler, White-breasted Whistler, Yellow White-eye, Red-headed Honeyeater, Kalkadoon Grasswren, Carpentarian Grasswren, Opalton Grasswren, Eyrean Grasswren, Grey Grasswren, Painted Finch, Spinifex Pigeon, Hall’s Babbler, Flock Bronzewing, Bourke’s Parrot, Inland Dotterel, Gibberbird, Yellow Chat and Grey Falcon.
The exact bird list depends on season, tides, weather, road access, water levels and current bird activity.
