Around Australia 2026 Part 2 – Northern Territory

 

Northern Shriketit

After traversing Queensland (previous post) we spent our final night in that state on our around-Oz sojourn near the NT border outside Camooweal by the Georgina River (Lake Francis). This was our first free camp for the trip and the most delightful site. 

Camooweal camp (above & below)

We enjoyed the presence of several quite tame Brolga which were feeding on the bulbs of a waterlily that evidently is endemic to the Lake Eyre Basin. Large numbers of juvenile Nankeen Night-Heron were present.

Brolga

The next night was an enjoyable stay at Barkly Roadhouse, followed by another free night on the Barkly Highway at 41 Mile Bore. The arid desert scrub here (below) was in full flourish after heavy regional rains earlier this year.

Banded Honeyeater was surprisingly common this far south, feeding on the numerous flowering grevillea and maleleuca.

Banded Honeyeater

Diamond Dove was abundant. Just one flock of Budgerigar – about 30 birds – was seen.

Diamond Dove

Red-browed Pardalotes were vocal and co-operative.

Red-browed Pardalote

As was Purple-backed Fairywren.

Purple-backed Fairywren

A female Collared Sparrowhawk stood sentinel over a small waterhole, which was attended by hundreds of Zebra Finches.

Collared Sparrowhawk

A dead Spectacled Hare-Wallaby was on the road at the rest area. Another was found 5km to the west the next morning.

Spectacled Hare Wallaby

We continued on to a quirky cheap van park behind the pub at Dunmarra – a pleasant spot, although we had to wait for the publican to fetch some beer up the road at the infamous (horribly crowded and impersonal) Daly Waters pub. This was followed by 2 nights at the Mataranka Homestead van park – another crowded spot, but the hot springs were pleasant as always. It occurred to us that the number of travellers on the road seemed to have increased substantially – people evidently being more relaxed about the fuel security problems unearthed by the Middle East conflict.

Mataranka Hot Springs

A male Great Bowerbird put on a fine display at the back of the van, displaying its normally invisible purple neck feathers.

Great Bowerbird

We stopped at Central Arnhem Road to again unsuccessfully look for Northern Shriketit. I did see plenty of rubeculus race of Grey-crowned Babbler.

Grey-crowned Babbler

Then it was a pleasant 3 nights at Manbulloo Homestead van park outside Katherine. We stayed here before – a delightful spot. The Katherine River was in unusually full flow for this time of year. The resident Bustards were nicely visible as always, with 8 in one flock seen.

Australian Bustard

The distinctive northern (white-quilled) race of Blue-faced Honeyeater was common, this one showing its white quills.

Blue-faced (white-quilled) Honeyeater

We headed 50km south-west on the Victoria Highway to the Vince Connolly Limestone Creek rest area for an overnight stay. It was a short drive from here to the Gorrie/Dry River Road on the property Manbulloo, a new birding hotspot for the NT. The next morning I finally connected with the chief target – the rare Northern Shriketit. I first saw this spec ies near Mataranka in the late-1970s; to see it again and photograph it was a joy. The bird was not calling and with a flock of woodswallows and other birds; the site was a dry gully 13km from the road's intersection with the Victoria Highway.

Northern Shriketit

Other good birds came thick and fast. At least 60 Hooded Parrots in 3 or 4 flocks were seen.

Hooded Parrot

Masked Finch and Long-tailed Finch were common.

Masked Finch

A few Black-chinned (subsp golden-backed) Honeyeaters put on a show.

Black-chinned (golden-backed) Honeyeater

Black-tailed Treecreeper was quite common.

Black-tailed Treecreeper

Little Woodswallows were present, mixed with the more common Black-faced Woodswallows.

Little Woodswallow

Three Antilopine Wallaroos sat nicely on the road.

Antilopine Wallaroo

Also on the road but not so nice were what remained of of a road-killed Northern Nailtail Wallaby, with ID confirmed by the bicoloured tail.

Northern Nail-tail Wallaby

Our final 2 nights in the NT were at the Timber Creek van park. Again, large numbers of vans clearly indicated that northward travels were back in force. The Victoria River and surrounding escarpments were glorious.

Victoria River (above & below)

A Buff-sided Robin was found in creekside scrub behind the van park.

Buff-sided Robin

A large Freshwater Crocodile was sunning itself on a log. These reptiles are fed here.

Freshwater Crocodile

In the morning we visited Nackeroo Monument and Lookout, and Big Horse Creek campground on the banks of the Victoria River, where a pair of Purple-crowned Fairywrens performed nicely in the cane grass.

Purple-crowned Fairywren