CAIRNS BIRDWATCHING ITINERARIES
Cairns, Daintree, Julatten, Atherton Tablelands and Tropical North Queensland's Wet Tropics.

Important considerations:
There are 13 Wet Tropics endemic bird species in our area and more than half of those are not found at sea-level but are found at higher altitudes.  Cairns, Port Douglas, Mossman, Wonga Beach and Daintree (including Cape Tribulation) are all at sea-level.
Most of the 430 bird species that can be found here are found on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range but not all. The western side of the range has considerably less rain than the eastern side and different species are found there. Cairns birdwatching is seasonal and influenced by climate vagaries.

Getting around. The public transport system in the Cairns birdwatching area is poor and for serious birdwatching think of it as being non-existent.  You can catch a bus to the tablelands or Daintree from Cairns most days. The bus fare from Cairns to Daintree for two people is similar to the cost of one day's car rental. The Wet Tropics area is not great in size and you can get around it comfortably in a conventional two wheel drive car. You can order a rental car to meet you at the Cairns Airport and you can leave it there when you fly out.

See driving tip to the right>

Where to go first. Drive north from Cairns. Northern places include Daintree - Wonga Beach (sea-level) and Julatten (northern tablelands).  The area north of the Daintree River has little to offer birdwatchers apart from Cassowary sightings at the Jindalba Walk at Cow Bay, but one or two days at Daintree/Wonga Beach is worthwhile.
The Daintree Village is on the south side of the Daintree River and the reputation that Daintree now has for birdwatching can largely be attributed to where Chris Dahlberg would take you out in a birdwatching boat at birdwatching time.     
There are many bird species that a boat is best for; Great-billed Herons, Little and Azure Kingfishers, Black Bitterns (summer), Shining Flycatchers, Papuan Frogmouths and reptiles.  A lowish tide is generally best. Work from Cairns or Port Douglas tide times and add 3 hours for Daintree Village.
Walking around Wonga Beach, the Daintree Village and along the first part of Stewart Creek Road can be fruitful. There is more detail about Daintree birdwatching here: Daintree>>
Good news. The Daintree Riverview Cabins and Camp Ground is in new hands and offers respectable accommodation.
After Daintree you can access the tablelands by the Rex Range which is the quietest and most northerly of the roads to the higher country. See The Tablelands>> to add to your Cairns birdwatching experience.

After a hard day's Cairns birdwatching it is time for the serious business of wining and dining.
Chris Dahlberg (Red Mill House), Lloyd Nielsen, Tim O'Reilly (O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat),
Denise Collins (Red Mill House), Tim's friend Paula and Ian Wauchope (PDDTA President).

Driving Tip: if you are driving on the left hand side of the road for the first time, after you pick up your rental car at the Cairns airport, go north. The airport is in the northern outskirts of Cairns and the traffic considerations are much easier driving away from the city than driving into it. By the time you come back to Cairns you will have a lot more experience and in any case you do not need to go into the city to return it. Places north include; Daintree (90 minutes), Cassowary House (30 minutes), Kingfisher Park (80 minutes), Julatten (80 minutes), Mossman (60 minutes) and  Port Douglas (45 minutes).

Cairns airport (green balloon) is north of the city. Red line is the Captain Cook Highway. See Driving Tip to the left.

* 430 Bird Species?
"When I wrote the book "Birds of Queensland's Wet Tropics and Great
Barrier Reef "about 12 years ago, the number of species recorded for the
entire Wet Tropics area which runs from Cooktown south to Townsville,
totalled 430 species. This included those northern species which just
reach the northern boundaries around Cooktown, some southern species
which just reach the southern boundaries about Townsville, some inland
species which occasionally reach the drier western boundaries, seabirds,
vagrants and so on."
Lloyd Nielsen 4 May 2008.

The 12 Wet Tropics endemic birds are:
Mountain Thornbill, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Pied Monarch, Bower's Shrike-thrush, Fernwren, Chowchilla, Grey-headed Robin,  Bridled Honeyeater, Macleay's Honeyeater, Golden Bowerbird, Atherton Scrubwren and Victoria's Riflebird.