• A young Godman’s Rock Wallaby on the homestead steps at our Kings Plains Reserve on Cape York last night. Sadly these beautiful small wallabies are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. They live in isolated small colonies near rocky areas in a relatively limited part of southern Cape York. The colony near our homestead is based on a couple of small hills immediately adjacent. Last year this colony was almost wiped out by a sudden influx of wild dogs and it was only an emergency baiting program that saved it. Dingo-domestic dog hybrids seem to be a major issue on parts of the Cape. They breed more often then dingos and their numbers seem to be supported through the tougher times by the availability of feral pigs as prey. Too many dogs seems to be making life very difficult indeed for many macropods. Image by Jan Carson #godmansrockwallaby #rockwallaby #macropod #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #wilddogs #farnorthqueensland #queensland #australia
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    A young Godman’s Rock Wallaby on the homestead steps at our Kings Plains Reserve on Cape York last night. Sadly these beautiful small wallabies are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. They live in isolated small colonies near rocky areas in a relatively limited part of southern Cape York. The colony near our homestead is based on a couple of small hills immediately adjacent. Last year this colony was almost wiped out by a sudden influx of wild dogs and it was only an emergency baiting program that saved it. Dingo-domestic dog hybrids seem to be a major issue on parts of the Cape. They breed more often then dingos and their numbers seem to be supported through the tougher times by the availability of feral pigs as prey. Too many dogs seems to be making life very difficult indeed for many macropods. Image by Jan Carson #godmansrockwallaby #rockwallaby #macropod #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #wilddogs #farnorthqueensland #queensland #australia
  • Tonight’s sunset looking over Kings Plains from a high chert ridge called Tandewarrah. Image taken by @saltyholt139 who then had the challenging task of getting back down the hill in the dark in totally trackless terrain. #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #savannah #savannasunset #queensland #northqueensland #australia #sunset
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    Tonight’s sunset looking over Kings Plains from a high chert ridge called Tandewarrah. Image taken by @saltyholt139 who then had the challenging task of getting back down the hill in the dark in totally trackless terrain. #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #savannah #savannasunset #queensland #northqueensland #australia #sunset
  • It’s fire time on Cape York! Our team is now furiously busy burning firebreaks both on the ground and from the air. A series of small burns now will hopefully preclude large uncontrolled fires later in the year. This burn is parallel to the Mulligan Highway that goes through Kings Plains. Sadly ill informed and unthinking arsonists start fires along the highway every year. Without our breaks these fires can burn for months, burn 100,000+hectares, and physically and emotionally exhaust those who have to fight them. Huge that to the Jabalbina, Normanby and Melsonby Rangers for helping us out! Image by @saltyholt139 #fire #bushfire #firemanagement #capeyork #queensland #australia
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    It’s fire time on Cape York! Our team is now furiously busy burning firebreaks both on the ground and from the air. A series of small burns now will hopefully preclude large uncontrolled fires later in the year. This burn is parallel to the Mulligan Highway that goes through Kings Plains. Sadly ill informed and unthinking arsonists start fires along the highway every year. Without our breaks these fires can burn for months, burn 100,000+hectares, and physically and emotionally exhaust those who have to fight them. Huge that to the Jabalbina, Normanby and Melsonby Rangers for helping us out! Image by @saltyholt139 #fire #bushfire #firemanagement #capeyork #queensland #australia
  • Great spot for a camera trap. Semi-deciduous monsoonal rainforest on our Kings Plains Reserve on Cape York. These rainforest pockets are widely distributed amongst the savanna on Kings Plains and provide a critical heterogeneity to the landscape allowing it to support a much wider range of wildlife. A few years ago there was a seasonal camp of around 20,000 threatened spectacled flying-foxes in this forest. Image by @saltyholt139 #rainforest #monsoonalrainforest #dryrainforest #cameratrap #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
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    Great spot for a camera trap. Semi-deciduous monsoonal rainforest on our Kings Plains Reserve on Cape York. These rainforest pockets are widely distributed amongst the savanna on Kings Plains and provide a critical heterogeneity to the landscape allowing it to support a much wider range of wildlife. A few years ago there was a seasonal camp of around 20,000 threatened spectacled flying-foxes in this forest. Image by @saltyholt139 #rainforest #monsoonalrainforest #dryrainforest #cameratrap #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
  • A Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko. Not uncommon but very very hard to find with its superb camouflage. They are found on most of our Atherton Tablelands reserves. Photo by Mark McCaffrey. #reptile #gecko #australianreptiles #australiangeckos #northernleaftailedgecko #leaftailedgecko #camouflageinnature #athertontablelands #queensland #australia
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    A Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko. Not uncommon but very very hard to find with its superb camouflage. They are found on most of our Atherton Tablelands reserves. Photo by Mark McCaffrey. #reptile #gecko #australianreptiles #australiangeckos #northernleaftailedgecko #leaftailedgecko #camouflageinnature #athertontablelands #queensland #australia
  • The bushfires destroyed many of the big old hollow bearing trees on our Kewilpa Reserve on the NSW North Coast. Kewilpa has been a haven for large forest owls in part because of the abundance of prey species that lived in these hollows. To make up for the loss of hollows nest boxes are being installed for a range of small mammals such as possums, gliders and phascogales to help maintain their populations. This program is currently limited by finance. We currently have a grant application pending that would pay for more of these artificial hollows to be installed. #owls #preyspecies #hollowsashomes #kewilpa #bungawalbin #bungawalbinfire #nswfires #bushfire #savingourspecies #nsw #australia
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    The bushfires destroyed many of the big old hollow bearing trees on our Kewilpa Reserve on the NSW North Coast. Kewilpa has been a haven for large forest owls in part because of the abundance of prey species that lived in these hollows. To make up for the loss of hollows nest boxes are being installed for a range of small mammals such as possums, gliders and phascogales to help maintain their populations. This program is currently limited by finance. We currently have a grant application pending that would pay for more of these artificial hollows to be installed. #owls #preyspecies #hollowsashomes #kewilpa #bungawalbin #bungawalbinfire #nswfires #bushfire #savingourspecies #nsw #australia
  • It’s orchid time in the deciduous vine thickets of our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. Protected from fire in super steep gorges and valleys, these rainforests transform at the end of the dry season from bare sticks to lush green forest with the forest floor covered by a glorious carpet of Cardwell Lilies. Around this time of the year the lilies start to yellow off while the fantastic pink-purple blooms of endangered Cooktown Orchids emerge through the forest. In some areas there are literally orchids everywhere. Image by @mountainousmolehill #rainforest #australianrainforest #deciduousforest #orchid #cooktownorchid #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
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    It’s orchid time in the deciduous vine thickets of our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. Protected from fire in super steep gorges and valleys, these rainforests transform at the end of the dry season from bare sticks to lush green forest with the forest floor covered by a glorious carpet of Cardwell Lilies. Around this time of the year the lilies start to yellow off while the fantastic pink-purple blooms of endangered Cooktown Orchids emerge through the forest. In some areas there are literally orchids everywhere. Image by @mountainousmolehill #rainforest #australianrainforest #deciduousforest #orchid #cooktownorchid #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
  • A Great Bowerbird bower in gallery forest on our Alkoomie Reserve on Cape York. This is definitely not a nest! Rather the males build and decorate these bowers to attract the females. The best are fairly conventional up in the trees. Nest building and child rearing is done exclusively by the females. Far too often the bowers are decorated with all sorts of modern rubbish so it is always good to find one far enough away from “civilization” that the decoration is entirely natural. Image by @saltyholt139 #bird #birds #australianbirds #bowerbird #greatbowerbird #bowerbirdbower #bower #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia #alkoomie
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    A Great Bowerbird bower in gallery forest on our Alkoomie Reserve on Cape York. This is definitely not a nest! Rather the males build and decorate these bowers to attract the females. The best are fairly conventional up in the trees. Nest building and child rearing is done exclusively by the females. Far too often the bowers are decorated with all sorts of modern rubbish so it is always good to find one far enough away from “civilization” that the decoration is entirely natural. Image by @saltyholt139 #bird #birds #australianbirds #bowerbird #greatbowerbird #bowerbirdbower #bower #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia #alkoomie
  • Drosera petiolaris is an insectivorous plant that gets much of its nutrients by trapping ants and other small insects with sticky secretions on its leafs. These ones were photographed on our Alkoomie Reserve by @saltyholt139 Alkoomie overlooks Cooktown and the Endeavour River. The type specimen for this species was collected in 1770 at the Endeavour River in Queensland by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on the first voyage of James Cook aboard HMS Endeavour. #dorsera #droserapetiolaris #insectivorousplant #alkoomie #alkoomiestation #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
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    Drosera petiolaris is an insectivorous plant that gets much of its nutrients by trapping ants and other small insects with sticky secretions on its leafs. These ones were photographed on our Alkoomie Reserve by @saltyholt139 Alkoomie overlooks Cooktown and the Endeavour River. The type specimen for this species was collected in 1770 at the Endeavour River in Queensland by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on the first voyage of James Cook aboard HMS Endeavour. #dorsera #droserapetiolaris #insectivorousplant #alkoomie #alkoomiestation #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
  • Getting ready for an Alkoomie sunset from the Dickson Range. The Dickson has an extraordinary diversity of vegetation from healthlands growing on laterite on parts of the top to spring fed rainforests on its flanks. photo by @saltyholt139 #alkoomie #alkoomiestation #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #rainforest #queensland #australia
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    Getting ready for an Alkoomie sunset from the Dickson Range. The Dickson has an extraordinary diversity of vegetation from healthlands growing on laterite on parts of the top to spring fed rainforests on its flanks. photo by @saltyholt139 #alkoomie #alkoomiestation #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #rainforest #queensland #australia
  • A Water Python on the “driveway” into our Kings Plains Reserve. A common and widely distributed python but still a beautiful animal. Photo by @saltyholt139 #snake #reptile #australiansnake #australianpython #python #pythonsofinstagram #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
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    A Water Python on the “driveway” into our Kings Plains Reserve. A common and widely distributed python but still a beautiful animal. Photo by @saltyholt139 #snake #reptile #australiansnake #australianpython #python #pythonsofinstagram #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
  • A Whistling Kite checking out our crocodile bait at Our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. Plenty of steak for all, although the croc didn’t turn up until it was.....well a bit riper after a few days in the sun! #whistlingkite #raptor #birdofprey #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia #bird #birds #australianbirds
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    A Whistling Kite checking out our crocodile bait at Our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. Plenty of steak for all, although the croc didn’t turn up until it was.....well a bit riper after a few days in the sun! #whistlingkite #raptor #birdofprey #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia #bird #birds #australianbirds
  • No swimming in the homestead waterhole! One of our crew thought he saw a croc in the waterhole at our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. While there are big crocs a fair way downstream, we really didn’t think we would find one this high up in the catchment in a river that dries to just a few waterholes. However, as we were about to install a pump we thought we had better find out. Tie a leg of a dead cow to a tree, surround it with motion activated cameras and wait. It took a few days before it got smelly enough for this 3-3.5 metre saltie to turn up. Sighting confirmed, all swimming off the agenda, steel mesh around the pump area. #lifeinthebush #crocdanger #crocodile #saltie #saltwatercrocodile #noswimming #dangerlurks #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #northqueensland #queensland #australia #australiancrocodile
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    No swimming in the homestead waterhole! One of our crew thought he saw a croc in the waterhole at our Caloola Reserve on Cape York. While there are big crocs a fair way downstream, we really didn’t think we would find one this high up in the catchment in a river that dries to just a few waterholes. However, as we were about to install a pump we thought we had better find out. Tie a leg of a dead cow to a tree, surround it with motion activated cameras and wait. It took a few days before it got smelly enough for this 3-3.5 metre saltie to turn up. Sighting confirmed, all swimming off the agenda, steel mesh around the pump area. #lifeinthebush #crocdanger #crocodile #saltie #saltwatercrocodile #noswimming #dangerlurks #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #northqueensland #queensland #australia #australiancrocodile
  • Another shot by @saltyholt139 looking across Kings Plains Lake to the Wet Tropics. Our Kings Plains Reserve sits at the junction of three bioregions: Cape York, Wet Tropics and the Einasleigh Uplands. This is reflected in its incredibly diverse flora and fauna. #wetlands #wetland #wettropics #wettropicsworldheritage #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
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    Another shot by @saltyholt139 looking across Kings Plains Lake to the Wet Tropics. Our Kings Plains Reserve sits at the junction of three bioregions: Cape York, Wet Tropics and the Einasleigh Uplands. This is reflected in its incredibly diverse flora and fauna. #wetlands #wetland #wettropics #wettropicsworldheritage #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #queensland #australia
  • Wildlife corridor complete!! Yesterday we finally bought the rainforest outlined in blue on this map. This completes a project over many years to build a corridor between the Herberton Range section of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the rest of the WHA. Together with our Misty Mountain and Cassowary Crossing Reserves, our new purchase has created a corridor for a whole array of endangered species to move through the area. We are in the process of revegetation parts of Misty Mountain to further widen the corridor with the help of @qldparks @tablelandsregionalcouncil and @wettropicsworldheritage #wettropics #worldheritage #wettropicsworldheritage #rainforest #wildlifecorridor #athertontablelands #northqueensland #queensland #australia
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    Wildlife corridor complete!! Yesterday we finally bought the rainforest outlined in blue on this map. This completes a project over many years to build a corridor between the Herberton Range section of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the rest of the WHA. Together with our Misty Mountain and Cassowary Crossing Reserves, our new purchase has created a corridor for a whole array of endangered species to move through the area. We are in the process of revegetation parts of Misty Mountain to further widen the corridor with the help of @qldparks @tablelandsregionalcouncil and @wettropicsworldheritage #wettropics #worldheritage #wettropicsworldheritage #rainforest #wildlifecorridor #athertontablelands #northqueensland #queensland #australia
  • The Kings Plains wetlands on Cape York with the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area behind. The wetlands have an almost unique history occupying the ancient course of the Annan River before it changed direction because of geologic warping and headed straight to the sea. Great capture by @saltyholt139 #wetlands #wetland #australianwetlands #capeyork#capeyorkpeninsula #northqueensland #queensland #australia #nature #conservation #environment
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    The Kings Plains wetlands on Cape York with the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area behind. The wetlands have an almost unique history occupying the ancient course of the Annan River before it changed direction because of geologic warping and headed straight to the sea. Great capture by @saltyholt139 #wetlands #wetland #australianwetlands #capeyork#capeyorkpeninsula #northqueensland #queensland #australia #nature #conservation #environment