NSW Road Trip 2025, Part 2: New England National Park Region

 

Eastern Pygmy-Possum

Following our visit to the Snowy Mountains and other southern NSW sites, we headed north to the New England National Park area. We had originally planned to stay at the National Parks and Wildlife Service-owned chalets at Pt Lookout, where we had a pleasant stay in 2019. However, the bookings were cancelled as a result of fallen trees in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred. We had been taken aback by the huge rises in tariffs for the chalets since then, so were happy to settle for a more sensibly priced cabin at Two Styx, a property just 4 kilometres down the road from the chalets.

Pt Lookout - Nothofagus forest (above), view (below)

The scenery as usual was stunning. From the vistas of mountains and forests stretching to the horizon in all directions from Pt Lookout, to other-worldly Nothofagus forests, rushing mountain streams in far more vigorous shape than 7 years ago, and lush woodland-studded farmland. Two Styx is a large, partly forested cattle property on the boundary of the national park.

Two Styx - cabin (above), forest edge (below)

I drove up to the cabins one evening and looked around unsuccessfully for spotted-tailed quolls, which we’d seen so well in 2019. I noted that the authorities had gone to great lengths to quoll-proof the buildings. I continued the short distance up the road to the lookout and walked the loop trail with my thermal imager. I was delighted to find at least 3 or probably 4 Eastern Pygmy Possums, only one of which was close enough to co-operate with the camera.The possums were feeding on small banksia flowers.

Eastern Pygmy-Possum

I also found four Eastern Ringtail Possums, both at the lookout and further down the road towards Two Styx. Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby and Swamp Wallaby were common.

Eastern Ringtail

I found a couple of Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii) in one of the buildings on Two Styx. What I had previously recorded as Brown Antechinus in South-East Queensland is now split as Subtropical Antechinus, and there remains confusion about the distribution of these two species and the similar Buff-footed Antechinus in the region. As well, the Dusky Antechinus I had seen occasionally in Lamington National Park is now split as the Black-footed Antechinus.

Brown Antechinus

One of the more common birds around Two Styx was Forest Raven, which has an isolated population on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range in a relatively small area of northern NSW.

Forest Raven

Flame Robin was common both in the forest and farmland. Red-browed Treecreeper was seen at the same spot where I’ve noted them on two previous visits.

Flame Robin

Red-browed Treecreeper

A juvenile Red-browed Finch (below) almost came to grief by smashing into a cabin window. After a couple of hours of tender loving care, it recovered and flew off.

Superb Lyrebird was heard briefly and distantly a few times – very different from February 2019, when they were very vocal and seen commonly about Pt Lookout. Bassian Thrush was present in good numbers as usual.

Bassian Thrush

We ended our road trip (March 5-March 23, 2025) with an overnight stay at Deepwater, south of Tenterfield. I spent a bit of time along the first few km along the road to Emmaville, and along Deepwater River.

Deepwater River

Nice birds here included the chrysoptera race of Varied Sittella, White-throated Needletail, and big numbers of Whitge-winged Chough.

Varied Sittella 

White-throated needletail

White-winged Chough