Hay Point
5 Mackay
9 Cape Hillsborough National Park
10 Seaforth
12 Travellers Rest Caravan Park
15 Proserpine
Carmila Beach
This unspoilt coastal paradise is located about 100km south of Mackay. Habitats here include an estuary, pristine wide beaches, an excellent patch of coastal scrub and the vine rainforest hugging the coastline, surrounded by the sea of sugar cane on the other side. This is a good wader spot; they favour a roost at the creek mouth.
To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) turn east at the service station in Carmila and drive 6km along Carmila Beach Rd to the coast. When you get to the T-junction, turn left to go to the estuary with a boat ramp and a small park. Facilities here include a carpark, toilets and picnic tables. Turning right at the T-junction gets you to the popular beachside camping grounds. In terms if facilities, only the toilets are provided. Individual campsites are relatively private, and each has its own beach access. The first site along the beach can be accessed by a conventional vehicle but then the track turns into deep, loose sand and a 4WD is required.
Over 130 bird species are on the Carmila Beach birdlist. Key species are Orange-footed Scrubfowl, White-browed Robin, Yellow Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Black Butcherbird and Large-tailed Nightjar. Other birds of interest include waders, Brown-capped Emerald-Dove, Spectacled Monarch, Eastern Reef Egret, Little Tern, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Fairy Gerygone, Olive-backed Sunbird and Tawny Frogmouth. Rarities include Wandering Tattler, Grey Plover, Black-naped Tern, Black Bittern, White-eared Monarch and Barred Cuckoo-shrike.
Before turning into Carmila Beach Rd from the highway, check the riverbed near Carmila. Brolgas are often seen standing in the riverbed or foraging on the adjacent pasture. Screen the powerlines along Carmila Beach Rd for the presence of White-breasted Woodswallow, Sacred Kingfisher, Australasian Figbird and Nankeen Kestrel. Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and Pheasant Coucals may be moving across the road from one field of sugar cane to the next.
Waders are the main attraction of Carmila Beach. Take your scope and walk to the creek mouth to observe them on the sandbars. The best time is on the incoming tide when they are being pushed closer to the shore. At high tide they fly away to the other side of the creek, too far to see properly.
Our most successful visit to this site was at the end of March 2017. We found many waders already in breeding plumage. There were decent numbers of Far Eastern Curlews, Whimbrels, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwits, Great Knots, Red-necked Stints, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Greater Sand Plovers and Lesser Sand Plovers. In smaller numbers were Terek Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpipers, Red Knots, Grey Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones and Sooty Oystercatchers. On the beach near the creek mouth, a pair of Beach Stone-curlews was roosting under a small bush. Other birds on the beach included Little Terns, Caspian Terns, Little Egrets, Striated Herons and two Eastern Reef Egrets.
Far Eastern Curlew
In the park by the carpark, White-browed Robins and Wonga Pigeons were calling constantly the whole morning. The pigeons had a flimsy nest in a casuarina near the beach. Tawny Frogmouths were roosting low in a tree by the toilet block.
In the mangroves near the boat ramp, there were plenty of Dusky Honeyeaters, Brown Honeyeaters and Varied Trillers. Black Bittern flushed from the mangroves and disappeared on the opposite side of the creek. Bushland along the beach produced White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Rainbow Bee-eater, Leaden Flycatcher, Helmeted Friarbird, Little Shrike-thrush and Tawny Frogmouth.
On the opposite end of Carmila Beach, scrub along the camping grounds allowed us good views of Orange-footed Scrubfowl. At night, Large-tailed Nightjars were calling. Other birds here included Yellow Honeyeater, Oriental Dollarbird, Rufous Fantail, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Pale-headed Rosella, Blue-winged Kookaburra and Australasian Pipit. Radjah Shelducks are frequent visitors in the campsite.
When travelling on Bruce Hwy, Flaggy Rocks Café 8km south of Carmila is a compulsory stop. They are famous for their fantastic smoothies and friendliness towards the birdwatchers. Two lagoons are located behind the café. On their banks, Plumed Whistling-Ducks are typically piled up densely. Magpie Geese are also with them. Buff-banded Rails come up to the café tables. In the surrounding trees, look for Yellow Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Channel-billed Cuckoo and Spangled Drongo.
Hay Point
Hay Point is located 40km south of Mackay. It is best known for the largest coal-lading port facility in the world. This site is good for the waders and waterbirds. The waders often roost on the breakwater wall or feed on the Salonika Beach. Waterbirds congregate at Lake Barfield near the Salonika Beach.
To get there, turn east into Hay Point Rd from Bruce Hwy (A1) and after reaching the coast take High Water Islet Dr leading to the Esplanade that will take you to the breakwater wall to see the waders. If you want to reach Lake Barfield, turn south into McCarthy St from the Esplanade. This road later changes name to Pacific Dr and runs along the lake. There are no designated carparks or defined observation areas, just find any useful vantage points on your way. There are no facilities in the area.
Over 100 bird species have been recorded at Hay Point. Key species are Radjah Shelduck, Magpie Goose, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Great Crested Grebe, Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Bar-breasted Honeyeater. Other birds of interest include waders, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Yellow Honeyeater, Spectacled Monarch and White-browed Robin.
Radjah Shelduck
