Inala Kimberley Tour - Kununurra to Broome 4-14 August 2024

Inala Nature Tours Kununurra to Broome July 2022 Trip Report

Guides: Angus McNab & Catherine Young

18 July 2022 - Day One

Arrive Kununurra.

With everyone making their own way to Kununurra today (some arriving with the Inala Top End Tour). We met up at the hotel for a welcome dinner, excited for the adventure to begin tomorrow!

19 July 2022 - Day Two

Kununurra to Parry's Creek, Wyndham

After a leisurely breakfast we headed to Mirima National Park on the outskirts of Kununurra. This park is known as the mini Bungles for the spectacular rock formations. Angus spotted a juvenile Brown Goshawk perched on the cliff side which gave us wonderful views as it drifted across the valley. A walk to a high point gave amazing views over the township of Kununurra and gave super long distance views of Double-barred Finches and flocks of Galah.

A quick stop gave us lovely views of star finches and a red-backed kingfisher, but the Yellow-rumped Munia didn’t want to be seen. At Ivanhoe crossing we were greeted by a 'tata' lizard (Horner's dragon) and enjoyed spectacular views of Australian pelicans and little black cormorants sitting in the middle of the river. Driving across the causeway gave wonderful views of some amazing scenery! On to the sewerage ponds where the plumed and wandering whistling ducks kindly say next to each other to allow a good comparison. Other highlights included black-fronted dotterel, Rajah shelduck, White-throated Honeyeater, Peaceful and Diamond Doves, while others like the Pied Heron and Caspian Terns kept their distance.

Lunch was had under the mango trees at a cafe, we were entertained by scavenging White-quilled Honeyeaters and a lone Red-shouldered Parrot. A quick discussion about including the resident chicken on the list was had before we continued on.  our next stop produced an embarrassment of mistletoe birds, both male and female were visible for all. A flowering Darwin Woolybutt (Eucalyptus miniata) attracted Little and Silver-crowned Friarbirds as well as Rufous-throated Honeyeaters and an Olive-backed Oriole. But the star of the show was a Black-breasted Buzzard that glided past us, obviously on a mission to get somewhere.

Back on the road, we headed north west and made a stop at a magical Billabong. BIrds were abundant, Brolgas, all the egrets, herons, darters, ducks, geese, grebelets, Whiskered Terns, and a single Estuarine Crocodile were just some of the animals seen. It was hard to know where to look. Many photos were taken in the beautiful afternoon light, before we had to make a move to our accommodation.

20 July 2022 - Day Three

Wyndham to Emma Gorge, Gibb River Road

For those coming from the Top End Tour, the late starts have ended, the time zone change means the sun is up early and so are we! Blue-winged Kookaburra were highly vocal and not a call the group was familiar with, but a 6 am walk down along  creek provided a chance for a nice quiet walk and opportunity to get our ear in to calls. Bar-shouldered Doves, Paperbark Flycatchers, Double-barred Finches were chirping and as we headed towards the creek the deeper vocalisation of waterbirds became apparent. However, it was the small birds, particularly finches that caught our attention. Long-tailed, double-barred and Star finches were present but it was confiding Masked Finches that took the show. A pair of Jacky Winter were a nice little addition in the carpark.

As 7:30 rolled around we headed out on a Cultural tour with guide Alfie. Three stops, at the information signs, Telegraph Hill, and Margalu Billabong taught us much about local plants and animals, traditional stories about remaining humble, and how to make Boab custard. Pictorella Mannikins were a highlight spotted during the tour, whilst other birds were spotted including Cockatiel, Eurasian Coot, all the egrets, and Nankeen Night-heron that hadn’t appeared to move from the day before.

Our drive to Wyndham was filled with birds and many stops to look at Zebra FInches, Brown Goshawk, Rufous Songlark, amongst others. In town we visited the giant crocodile and many tasted crocodile at lunch. As temperatures rose, so did we, heading to the an amazing lookout over the mangroves and town with a few birds, Fairy Martin, Yellow-throated Miner still active in the heat. To finish we headed to Wyndham Jetty and mangroves. Checking out Fiddler Crabs and Mudskippers we heard the calls of Mangrove Gerygone. This tiny little bird evaded view for a while, long enough that we found Lemon-bellied Flyrobins, watched them before resuming our search for the Gerygone. Eventually our little friend showed itself. Foraging in the mangroves, the small bird flitted onto the mud, grabbed some food and then continued to stay within view for a few minutes. The day was concluding and we made our way towards our glamping experience , coming close to but not quite running over a lone Spinifex Pigeon.

21 July 2022 - Day Four

Emma Gorge to Drysdale River Station

A quiet morning was not an option today as the friarbirds and red-collared lorikeets fed in trees all around the tents. Walking up the gorge we came across Brown Honeyeaters, Silver-backed Butcherbird and admired the fish and water striders in the creek. A close encounter with a common tree snake near the restaurant created a bit of excitement as Cat tried everything short of yelling “snake!” across the compound, to get everyone’s urgent attention. The snake casually cruised around and showed us how good they are at climbing by scaling a nearby pandanas, pausing at head height for a few close up photos. We then headed to the main township to have lunch on the river. On the way we stopped at some springs to admire the Livistona palms (Livistona nasmophila). Here we also had good views of Red Winged Parrot and Leaden Flycatcher.

Stopping for a photo opportunity at the Pentecost river crossing we also had great views of Spinifex Pigeon (Kimberley subspecies). Just shy of Ellenbrae station, we pulled over to change a burst tyre. First for the trip.  The birding at this stop left a lot to be desired with just a small group of Grey-crowned Babblers to entertain us. A later than expected drive to Drysdale gave us bonus sightings of Boobook, Barn Owl, Bridled Nailtail Wallaby and Brown Quail.

22 July 2022 - Day Five

Drysdale River Station to Mitchell Plateau

After the late night, everyone hoped for a sleep in, but it wasn’t to be. An early breakfast and early start had us heading down to the Drysdale River in search of anything and everything, always hoping for a (Northern) Crested Shrike-tit, which have been recorded from this area in the past. Walking the river bed and edges, the shallow water provided good opportunities for many birds to drink. Great Egret, Little Pied Cormorant, Magpie-lark, and Double-barred Finches were obviously thirstier than the Blue-winged Kookaburra, Peaceful and Diamond Doves, Striated Pardalotes, Red-backed Fairywrens and Long-tailed Finches which didn’t come down to drink. Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and Red-collared Lorikeets flew above the canopy making all kinds of noise. As checkout time approached we walked a short distance upstream to find a small group of Purple-crowned Fairywrens! They did their thing moving through the Pandanas along the creek line as we watched from a short distance.

Under the shade of a tree we had morning tea and caught up on the bird list of the day before. Some repairs to tyres were required so we bade our time around the store, tyre fitters and restaurant until lunch, as hundreds of Little Corella fed on seeds in the driveway, Australian White Ibis sat on communication towers, and Silver-backed Butcherbird and Great Bowerbird waited for us to leave crumbs.

An afternoon flight to the Mitchell Plateau was slightly cramped as we squeezed into two small six seater planes. The short flight to the plateau had some bumps but was relatively smooth and had us quickly at our destination of the Mitchell Plateau Lodge. An amazing three course dinner was definitely a shift in meals and well enjoyed. For a few brave explorers a short night walk provided a calling Australian Boobook, four species of frog, and the opportunity for a great nights sleep

23 July 2022 - Day Six

Mitchell Plateau/ Mitchell Falls

An early morning walk before breakfast was much cooler than some had expected. The birds were singing but without the loud constant noise of the friarbirds it seemed quieter than our first morning of glamping at Emma Gorge. Making our way through the savannah woodlands Brown Honeyeater began calling and were by far the most common bird of the day. Torressian crows, also referred to as big black blobs (BBBs) were seen as were Red-winged Parrots, Magpie-larks, and Peaceful doves starting their mornings.

A quick breakfast, and with Shoalair guide Juliet we headed towards Mitchell Falls for the scenic flight that would drop us at the start of the walk. For many their first helicopter ride was to be a magical experience! The falls were flowing, the vegetation green, and the landscape vast. Landing above the falls we had a short walk down the main vantage points where everyone enjoyed the scenic views. Our walk back to the national park campground, around 3.5km proved challenging but rewarding! Making our way through the spinifex, speargrass, melaleucas we trekked past big merten falls, making stream crossings, spotting (more) Brown Honeyeaters, ar-breasted honeyeaters, and three goshawks circled whilst we enjoyed a lagoon. Lunch was held below Little Merten Falls, a stunning waterhole, falls and swimming spot. Many birds visited for lunch, including Varied Triller, Silver-crowned Friarbird, Yellow Oriole, and of course Brown Honeyeater. A few swam, and everyone enjoyed relaxing in the shade of the surrounding rainforest trees.

To finish the walk we ventured above Big Merten Falls, and into the habitat of the Black Grasswren. The heat of the day was upon us at 1:30 as we scanned the spinifex and rocky habitat for the small bird. Surprisingly we stumbled upon a freshly deceased Northern Quoll that may have succumbed to breeding pressures. Although sad to see, it is also good to know they are still active in the area despite the abundance of the Cane Toad. Nearing the end of the hike, Gillian noted that we only wanted to see one grasswren, we didn’t need to be greedy….not long later Cat called that she could hear a grasswren. We stopped and searched and up it popped, 2-3 fleeting views as it sat upon its rock looking down upon us. As the Grasswren left, a small number of Purple-backed Fairywrens showed up. A great way to finish the walk and lift the spirits. The short drive back to camp saw us farewell Juliet and we headed back to camp for a restful afternoon break.

After a relaxing afternoon we had an amazing dinner and a few of us went for a night walk. Just seconds after starting a Tawny Frogmouth appeared! Sitting only 3m above us we were in a great spot to get some nice photos before heading off to see a number of frog species. Cane Toads, Eastern Rocket Frog, and Northern Laughing Tree Frog kept us entertained along the creekline before heading back to camp. Dodging some cattle on our return journey we arrived at camp with an Australian Boobook looking down at us. A great way to end the night!

24 July 2022 - Day Seven

Mitchell Plateau to Drysdale River Station.

After a few big days we had a short sleep in, heading to join the Silver-backed Butcherbird at breakfast. It certainly knew what time the dried fruits were produced. It was then time to head back to the airport and make our way to Drysdale Station. 

The late morning was spent relaxing in the shade of a big tree, and a long morning tea gave us time to do some washing and prepare for the days to come. The afternoon was to be spent  in search of the mythical ‘Northern’ Crested Shrike-tit. This section of creekline is truly beautiful and the afternoon reflections were something to behold. Maybe 50 Rainbow Bee-eaters were trying to find a place to rest as Little Woodswallows flew higher up. Bar-shouldered Doves, Peaceful Doves and Diamond Doves were similarly looking for roosting sites for the night whilst a Whistling Kite was content sitting on the nest. As the sun lowered a Barking Owl said a quick hello, calling from a large tree nearby, which was our signal to leave before it got dark.

After hours we headed back down to the Drysdale River to search for the Barking Owl. It didn’t take long and the owl joined us high in a Melaleuca. A number of frogs were also present, the tiny Crinia species, larger Striped Rocket Frogs and the soon to be described Desert Tree Frog. Baby Freshwater Crocodiles were shy, showing us only their eyes as we tried to find a better look in the shallows but it wasn’t to be.

25 July 2022 - Day Eight

Gibb River Road: Drysdale River to Mt Hart Station

This morning we made a quick trip to look for the Horsfield Bushlark that Bob and Jenni spotted a few days earlier. Although we did not track it down, there were plenty of other things to look at including our first Grey Shrike-thrush for the trip and great views of Jacky Winter for those who missed it at Parry’s. With a big day of driving ahead of us we got on the road right after breakfast today. A short morning tea stop allowed us to stretch our legs and do a little birding along the river edge. It was a noisy spot on arrival, Paperbark Flycatchers, Striated Pardalotes, Red-collared Lorikeets, Silver-crowned Friarbird, White-quilled Honeyeater, and Little Corella are never quiet really. Unfortunately we had to make another unscheduled stop a little down the road to change a tyre.  At first it seemed we had stopped in a birdless wasteland but a couple of stick insects pretending to be grass provided some entertainment and proved there is something interesting to be found everywhere if you stop to look. Now tyre changing experts, we were back on the road in no time (well 20 minutes).

Mt Barnett presented an opportunity to fuel up with diesel and ice cream, while lunch was in the shade with a family of Long-tailed Finches, noisy Great Bowerbirds and some Australian Magpies. Stopping at Over The Range, Nev fixed us up with some new tyres and we met the adorable puppy Buddah. A male Mistoebird also serenaded us while we waited, making it unexpectedly one species we have seen every day of the trip. Winding through the ranges towards Mount Hart, we found spectacular views around every corner. While admiring the views at a lookout Angus spotted a couple of White-quilled Rock Pigeons hiding in a rock crevice. As we waited one tottered out and ran along the ledge before weaving it’s way back into the grass, although it seemed in no real hurry, we had to get back on the road.

In the late afternoon we turned off the Gibb and onto the Mt Hart ‘driveway’. At the turn off we saw a fire climbing the sides of Leonard River Gorge in Miluwindi Conservation Park. Proceeding up the driveway we transversed many river crossings and stopped at some, giving us glimpses of some Northern Rosellas, Brown Quail, and Red-winged Parrots as well as fantastic views of Common Bronzewing perched on the side of the road.

26 July 2022 - Day Nine

Mt Hart to Fitzroy Crossing

This mornings pre-breakfast walk was unusually quiet but watching the doves warming up in the first rays of light made up for it. Back along the road towards camp we stopped for some Northern Rosella’s and while trying to get better views, flushed a Little Button-quail and heard a Golden-headed Cisticola. Eventually the Rosella’s cooperated long enough for everyone to get a good view before we had to rush off back for breakfast. Back on the Gibb River Road we saw the extent of last night's fire, burning a huge area and coming right up to the road side with many logs still smouldering this morning. Today we also crossed back into Boab country. These iconic trees had been largely absent since we headed north to Drysdale station. Just before passing Queen Victoria’s head (a pass through the Napier Range) we pulled over for a pair of Black-breasted Buzzards. In the excitement Cat lost her radio which we found smashed on the road - a small sacrifice for excellent views of the Buzzards.

Mid-morning we turned off the Gibb River Road for the final time and headed south along Fairfield-Leopold Downs Road towards Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek National Park. After lunch we followed the trail up the gorge stopping for Sandstone Shrike-thrush, Freshwater Crocodile, Stick-nest Brown Paper Wasps (Ropalidia revolutionalis) and to look at the Devonian fossils that adorn the gorge walls. Known locally as Bandiln͟gan, this area is a highly spiritual place for Bunuba people and the Wandjina creation spirits are at rest here. There was certainly a restful feeling about the cool, shady walk.

Heading further south we passed the ruins of Lillimooloora Police Station and headed on to Tunnel Creek National Park. Opting to keep our feet dry, we walked the short distance to the tunnel entrance and rested in the shade watching Common Crow Butterflies and Northern Fantails. The tunnel itself is the oldest cave system in Western Australia, running through the same soft Devonian limestone layer that we saw fossils in at Windjana Gorge. The tunnel is also famous as the hideout for Aboriginal leader and "outlaw" Jandamarra in the late 1800’s. Late in the afternoon we pulled into Fitzroy Crossing where the Agile Wallabies came onto the lawns to welcome us.

27 July 2022 - Day Ten

Fitzroy Crossing to Broome via Dangu Geikie Gorge and Derby

A not so early start met a nice hot breakfast before our 8am cruise along the Fitzroy River. We left an hour before we were due to start as, fairly regularly something appears that can delay our travel time. This was to be the case, Budgerigars! A small flock were flying by and spotted by the second vehicle. Having not yet seen them this trip we stopped and watched the emerald green gems fly across the sky, perching on the grass, dead trees and telephone wires. Other birds were present, Zebra Finch, Masked Woodswallows, Trillers, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos called in the distance, before we had to leave. Agile Wallabies were a hazard as we drove, the fresh morning meant many sat just off the roadside in the long grass, trying to cross the road at ill opportune moments.

The gorge was stunning! Tranquil, sunny, colourful, and relaxing. Our driver and guide old us many stories of living locally, traditions of local people.There were many birds, including an Australasian Darter. It wasn’t a super birdy trip but there were Black-fronted Dotterel, Australian White and Straw-necked Ibis, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Black Kites, and White-faced Heron. Freshwater Crocodiles were basking in the sun, avoiding the 18 degree water which is apparently too cold…Colgate, a local Crocodile with exceptionally white teeth, showed his pearly whites as we cruised by, and heard stories of the Old Man.

Our next stop was Derby, two hours drive, two long, smooth, flat, fairly unexceptional hours.  Lunch was had at the Big Boab, an enormous tree on the side of the highway. Derby was a bustling metropolis after where we had spent the last week, so we stopped for ice-creams and toilets. A huge fallen Boab kept us questioning what happened to it, we also wondered why the kites were circling…the answer was food. Some local people were throwing food into the air that was quickly caught by the kites. A Brahminy Kite was also spotted way way up high, the first real indication that we were near the coast.

Derby Jetty wasn’t showing a lot of exposed mud but enough to get a few birds out and about, the first call heard was one we hadn’t heard for a while, SIlver Gull. There was an Australian Pelican, Striated Heron, Dusky Gerygone, Sacred Kingfisher, Little Egret that were very different to what we’d been seeing on the Savannah.

Not to leave the Savannah entirely, we stopped in at the Sewage Treatment Plant, to really end everyone’s holiday on a high, but spent more time at the wetland adjoining the treatment plant. Many Brolgas were visible, practising some dance moves, and making a lot of noise at our approach, many didn’t approve and moved on, whilst others stayed standing in the grass. The wetland was busy with Pied Stilts, Masked Lapwings, Black-fronted Dotterels, Golden-headed Cisticolas, Toressian Crows, Magpie-larks, and Australasian Swamphens, all looking resplendent in the afternoon sunlight. With 2 hours to go we headed off with a stop in at the Derby Prison Tree and continued on to Broome, another long smooth ride.

28 July 2022 - Day Eleven

Depart Broome

Today we all went our separate ways, on to other tours, weddings or back home. Thank you all for coming on this adventure with us and we hope to see you all again soon!