Around Australia 2026 Part 11 – Eyre Peninsula (South Australia)

White-bellied (Western) Whipbird

After farewelling the Nullarbor we continued east to Eyre Peninsula for a 3-day stay in Streaky Bay, one of our favourite places with its wonderful coastal scenery and great seafood. Black-faced Cormorant and Pied Cormorant were in good numbers together on the town jetty.

Black-faced (L) & Pied Cormorant

Onwards southwards to Lincoln National Park for 2 nights at Taylors Landing campground, with loads more great scenery and plenty of wildflowers. We had the place to ourselves.

Taylors Landing

On the way in were several roadside families of Emu - adult males accompanied by between 4 and 8 juveniles each.

Emu family

A pair of Southern Scrub-Robins were in residence at the start of a walking track that heads off from the campground entrance.

Southern Scrub-Robin (above & below)

We were here in 2024 when White-bellied (Western) Whipbird was vocal around the camp. This time the birds were further afield – 800 metres to the north – but way more co-operative, finally offering decent photographic opportunites.

White-bellied (Western) Whipbird

This taxon is now lumped with the Black-throated (Western) Whipbird in WA. However,distinct calls, plumage and habitat suggest another split is on the cards. The SA bird would be more appropriately called Mallee Whipbird.

White-bellied (Western) Whipbird

Not far from the whipbirds were a pair of Hooded Plover, these beaches being a stronghold for this threatened species.

Hooded Plover

We enjoyed a 3-night stay in a foreshore caravan park in Port Lincoln, another town we like visiting. Purple-crowned Lorikeet was active in flowering shrubs around the park. Again, wildflowers were in bloom everywhere. We finished our visit to SA with overnight stays in Whyalla and Peterborough.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

 

Around Australia 2026 Part 10 – Nullarbor Plain, South Australia

Naretha Bluebonnet

After leaving Cape Arid on the WA South Coast we overnighted again in Esperance before tackling the long drive across the Nullarbor. We camped overnight at Ten Mile Rocks, 80 km east of Norseman, then behind the Cocklebiddy Roadhouse before crossing the South Australia border. We spent our first night in that state camped at Border Village. Fuel there was 3.32/litre – by the far the highest diesel cost of the trip to date. The mallee around the village (below) was green and vibrant following local rain with wildflowers everywhere.

Along with loads of White-fronted Honeyeaters.

White-fronted Honeyeater

Causing them grief were a pair of Australian Hobbies.

Australian Hobby

Then it was time to tackle the Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area. We turned off the Eyre Highway on Koonalba Road, negotiating 15 km of rough (for the caravan at least) road before reaching the historic and quaint Koonalba Homestead for a pleasant 2-night stay.

Nullarbor Plain meets Great Australian Bight

Bumpy road to Koonalba

Koonalba Homestead

Koonalba sunrise

We drove a further 6 km north to check out the Koonalba Cave (below) on our first morning.

Chief target at Koonalba was a Nullarbor endemic, Naretha Bluebonnet. It wasn't until leaving on our last morning that I finally connected with 4 birds, 5.5 km south of the homestead. They were a sight for sore eyes.

Naretha Bluebonnet (above & below)

I saw the other Nullarbor endemic, Nullarbor Quail-thrush – single birds 2 km and 3.5 km north of the homestead. Ground Cuckoo-shrike was regular about our camp; it was interesting to note 5 or 6 birds roosting together in the same tree and position each night.

Ground Cuckoo-shrike roosting

Ground Cuckoo-shrike

Shingleback (below) was commonplace.

So were the burrows of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats ( below)  although no wombats were seen.

Rabbits were abundant, explaining the high density of Wedge-tailed Eagles.

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Red-backed Kingfisher and Mulga Parrot put in appearances around the old homestead buildings.

Mulga Parrot

Red-backed Kingfisher

We moved further east to Nullarbor Roadhouse for an overnight stay. Here I focused on 6.5 km of track heading north from the old Eyre Highway, just east of the roadhouse, which I had visited previously. I found 2 more Nullarbor Quail-thrush in the afternoon, and another 6 the next morning. A couple finally allowed themselves to be photographed, albeit poor images. Plenty of Crimson Chats were around.

Nullarbor Quail-thrush female & (below) male

Dingo was nice to encounter on the track. Another dingo hung about the roadhouse looking for food scraps.

Dingo

Slender-billed Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill and Brown Songlark were common around both the roadhouse and Koonalba. We continued eastwards from the roadhouse to overnight in the Penong Caravan Park.

Brown Songlark

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Around Australia 2026 Part 9 – Esperance & Cape Arid

Southern Right Whale - female & calf (foreground)

Following our visit to Cheynes Beach, we continued eastward for a three-day stay in the delightful South Coast town of Esperance. Near our van in the Bushlands Caravan Park on the town's outskirts was a pond with loads of calling frogs, chief among them Spotted-thighed Frog and Western Banjo Frog. The first Western Wattlebirds for the trip put in an appearance. 

Western Wattlebird

We had a look at Pink Lake and Lake Warden, with a flock of 30 Cape Barren Geese seen among large numbers of Australian Shelduck in a flooded paddock between the two lakes.

Cape Barren Goose

Here also was the trip's first Western Spinebill. 

Western Spinebill

We continued eastwards to Cape Arid National Park for a two-day camp (a planned third day was cut short due to weather). This was one of our favourite spots from the 2014 lap around Oz and it didn't disappoint this time. The coastal scenery is mind-blowing (images below) and the campsite, Yokinup Mia Mia, is beautifully positioned among sweeping heath plains ablaze with wildflowers. 

This has to be one of the best sites in Australia for Southern Right Whale. Yes they can be seen in numbers elsewhere (eg Great Australian Bight) but as with our last visit, you get extremely close to the whales along the park's rocky coastline, not far from where the Thomas River meets the sea. 

Southern Right Whale breeching

We had six whales – three adult females with calves in toe, in view in relatively close proximity whenever we went down to the rocks. One adult with calf seemed to change direction and head towards us when we arrived and settled on the rocks on a couple of occasions. The animals could be seen rubbing up against the rocks underwater, evidently trying to remove barnacles. We saw them often playing – with one animal breaching occasionally - and although not as lively as Humpbacks, they were something to behold.

Emu was a frequent visitor to the beach and camp tracks, with an adult male and six chicks among those present. 

Emu male with chick

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo was common, feeding on the seeds of old banksia cones but also tearing up some of the many cones in flower. 

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

A beachwalk in Yokinup Bay failed to turn up Hooded Plover but a pair of Sanderlings were nice.

Sanderling

Pacific Gull (below) was common on the beach. Cape Arid has the last surviving population of Western Ground Parrot, now relumped with Eastern Ground Parrot. The areas where they occur were not accessible on this trip, with main access roads closed due to wet weather.