This is it landing on the 'airstrip'.
It taxied towards us, turned round, the engines were stopped and the pilot got out to greet usand to stow our gear in the tail. We then hoicked ourselves in to the back but one seat (no steps, Pam needed a bottom heave!). Ruth greeted us with 'I hope you've got your raingear, it's gonna be wild and woolly down there'.
The flight down to far south west Tasmania took us over incredible scenery; sheer cliffs, forest, white sand bays with creaming surf and so many empty bays.We passed over some round salmon pens, one being towed away by a boat. The ride was turbulent all the way, some bits worse than others but, perfectly acceptable. Pam, the nervous flyer, actually said she'd really enjoyed it. Melaleuca airstrip was another white gravelly sand affair with much lying water.
Levered ourselves out again and made our way to the boardwalk leading to the Bird Hide - in the middle of nowhere. The whole area is geared to protect the breeding grounds of Orange-bellied Parrots, Australia's second rarest bird, (the first is Night Parrot, seen a few times in the last ten years so it must be surviving).Entering the comfortable hide, the pilot produced welcome coffee and jammy dodgers whilst we scanned the area around. Virtually the first bird we saw was the O B Parrot and then one landed on the feeding station. What a lovely little bird.
After adding New Holland Honeyeater, Green Rosella and Olive Whistler, we kitted up and braved the rain which at times, was very heavy, driven by strong squalls from the north. Ruth is a botanist so was able to name the flowering plants and trees - not that we can remember them all. One was the flowering cotton grass, very different from ours. Many Aussies have never seen it in bloom as it only does so for about two weeks a year.
Cotton Grass
An orchid sp
The pink flowers are melaleuca after which the place is named.
We wandered about getting wetter but, quite happy as there was lots to see, until it was time to return to the sanctuary of the hide for lunch. Green Rosellas chased the smaller Orange-bellied away, they strutted like real bully boys.
The Beautiful Firetail really is. Not a new bird for us.
We added two more endemics. The Black Currawong and the Dusky (should be dingy) Robin.
Another wet walk, a short one this time, down past the out of use home of a retired tin miner who first fed the parrots here. How on earth did he find the place? Tasmanian Scrub-wren scuttled about in the undergrowth and a Tasmanian Pademelon, well grown Joey in pouch, fed in the veggie patch.
Back to the airstrip with its lonely, fly buzzing dunny - on the distant left of the photo.
We departed at 2.30,to take advantage of a break in the weather fronts. The pilot announced at lunch that he wouldn't have flown down to-day with normal people! The flight back was shorter by ten minutes and smoother the further east we flew - sunnier and dry too. A couple of rough bits soon after take-off saw my bottom leave the seat and propel my head into the roof, gently thank goodness. Another smooth landing, goodbyes said and the plane + Ruth took off for Hobart, its home depot.
It seemed much warmer here - 21C. We sat in the car to have a drink of water and a TimTam (nicer than our Penguin which it resembles), seeing a Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Splendid Fairy-wren and more New Holland Honeyeaters.
Good to take our time and bird the way back to Nairana. I photographed a juvenile Tasmanian Native-hen, adults too wary although they're stupid like chooks and wander into the roads.
A very memorable day, thoroughly enjoyed by both of us although we are very tired to-night.
I lost internet connection part way through but didn't lose what I'd written, thank goodness - Bridge wouldn't have had anything to read with her porridge.Boat trip from Adventure Bay to-morrow......
I'll add a couple of photos of our cottage on the end, both taken into the sun, the second a view from the back verandah ( we have a side one too).
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