Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (Cobourg Peninsula) June 26 - 28 2021
 
  Not a cockatoo with four wings. Just one following another. Trying to escape the camera.

But a fleeting glimpse of the elusive red tail feathers.

The flock seem to move along the coast among the she-oaks.

     
  Not far from the campsite the old soak. Not quite deep enough in the middle to hold water now.

We've had what can only be described as a rest day. Pottering. Brief strolls to make sure the beach and the sea are still there.

     
  Another day. A slow drive down the east coast. Slower than the first time.

We still haven't seen banteng cattle, or timor ponies, or samba deer. Though we've seen lots of cattle dung.

     
  Slower than previously means exploring some of the tracks away from the main drive.

On the map in the Ranger Station this track crosses the peninsula to the main road. The shortest distance between the coastal track and main road.

There's a junction in the corner of the plain and a short bit of the thick bush before a small rise to harder ground and open forest. The other track from the junction rejoins the coastal track a little further south.

     
  In the denser bush on the cross peninsula track (we walked a little) we catch some flycatchers.
     
  We tend to associate jabirus with water, but we disturbed this one on the edge of the plain.

And of course when we looked, at the southern end of the plain, the detour track runs alongside a billabong.

     
  Each flock of black cockatoos we see seems to be bigger than the last.

Fascinated by the mix of yellow and red in the tail feathers of the one flying.

     
  We stop for lunch at Kuper Point.

Nervous about smoke in the distance.

Until the compass tells us it is on the eastern side of the estuary, not our side.

     
  We find "the marker" about 50m north of the last creek before Stewart Point.

It has an "H" on one face, an "M" on another, and absolutely no indication of its purpose. There is also a "6M" on a bit of metal that has presumably fallen off the post.

It can only be a marker post for something. The similar post at the soak near the campsite has no letters so left me a bit uncertain as to how deliberate it was.

     
  Not far into the bush. The marker is on the seaward side of the track, we venture inland, perpendicular to the track (and the sea).

A most unlikely find (for us). About 30m away high in a tree. The wonderfully camouflaged tawny frogmouth. Unusually (we think) alert. Sufficiently upset at our intrusion to move its head and look at us.

     
  The waterhole we are searching for is unfortunately dry. A little damp still, but no water.

The birds we expected to see drinking are not to be seen - apart from a small flock of pigeons which dispersed rapidly.

     
  To the trees.
     
  An evening, about midnight, stroll out to the reef near the campsite.

A spring tide. Very low.

The sand between shore and reef exposed. We walked to the edge of the reef.

     
  Some brain coral.
     
  Fish that we are totally incapable of identifying.
     
  The angel (?) fish very cooperative.

The lobster moved too fast for us.

     
  A spongy wavy in the water thingo?
     
  And the best pic of a blue crab was the one taken without knowing it was there.
     
  Then back to colourful fish watching.

A quick half hour. Back to bed. Then a sleep in.

     
Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (Cobourg Peninsula) June 28 - July 1 2021
     
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