1. eco
travelling in australia magazine // 029
Buy indoor plants, they are natural air filters
028 // travelling in australia magazine
Buy in bulk to save on unnecessary packaging
h a p p e n i n g s Chelsea Sneyd discovers migrations, hatchlings and blooming good times.
Nov (peak)
Gorgeous Chicks
Lord Howe Island
NSW
Lord Howe Island is
really big on birds.
Just seven miles long
and two wide, the
island is home to
half a million birds,
many being endemic
to Lord Howe.
If you’re visiting
during nesting
season, you’re likely
to encounter more
than a few of the 185
species, from masked
boobies to fleshy-
footed shearwaters.
Considered one
of the greatest
seabird islands in
the world, Lord
Howe’s abundance of
birdlife attracts keen
ornithologists from
across the world.
November is peak
season for laying of
eggs and feeding of
demanding chicks.
www.lordhoweisland.
info
aug – Apr
Clucky Snappers
NT, WA, Qld
Some say that females
can get snappy
when pregnant,
but what about
those crocodilian
Aussie mums!
Just 1 per cent
of hatchlings are
thought to reach the
ripe old breeding
age of 12; and this
despite croc mums
being considered the
most attentive and
protective of all!
Australia’s salties nest
between November
and April, whereas
freshwater crocs
prefer late August
and early September.
You can see their
big, mud-and-
grass-mound nests
in the Northern
Territory, north-west
Western Australia
and northern
Queensland.
Oct – May
Turtle time
Qld, NT, WA
Witnessing turtle
activity should be at
the top of your list,
as Australia is home
to six out of the
seven marine turtle
species that exist.
Laying and hatching
seasons overlap,
so pick the mid-
point and visit
Heron Island, Lady
Elliot Island or
Mon Repos Beach
between October
and March, with
the end of January
the optimal time.
The NT picks up
when Queensland
activity tapers off.
May to October
is the best time
and Casuarina
Beach the top spot.
Western Australia’s
season runs from
December to March.
Nov – Jan
Sealed and
Delivered
Tas, Vic, SA,
WA, NSW
Australia’s seal
populations have
been making a slow
recovery since the
cessation of sealing
activities in 1802.
The Australian fur
seal, New Zealand
fur seal and the
Australian seal breed
on our shores.
The best areas to
observe seals and
their pups are:
Phillip Island (SA),
Kangaroo Island
(SA), Tenth Island
(TAS), Perth (WA),
Jurien Bay (WA),
Albany (WA) and
Esperance (WA).
Almost all pups are
born within a period
straddling November
to January. This
seasonally friendly
birthing season
means visiting seal
colonies when it is
nice and warm.
Nov – Dec
Crabby Crowd,
Christmas Island
WA
The Red Crab is as
Australian as they
get: determined,
brave and willing
to walk kilometres
just to get lucky!
During the wet
season (November
to December)
Christmas Island
appears blanketed
by a moving carpet
of red, as crabs
venture from the
depths of the forest.
Christmas Island
residents try to make
the crab’s journey
as safe as possible by
closing down roads,
issuing public notices
and constructing
crab-crossings. They
know this event is
unique, and have
come to accept that
co-existing with
crabby neighbours
is all just part of
island life.
www.christmas.net.au
Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec
Coral Orgies
WA, QLD
Once a year,
perfectly timed, male
and female coral
species transform
inky night seas into
a kaleidoscopic
wonder. A well-
known event along
the Great Barrier
Reef, it also occurs
along Ningaloo
Reef and the coral
reefs fringing the
Northern Territory.
Infusing the currents
with a rich soup of
nutrients, divers
have been known
to describe it as a
“snowstorm of sex”,
where millions of
sperm and eggs are
thrust into the ocean.
Success depends on
the moon and water
temperature, but
a balmy 27 degrees
hits the spot.
Jun – Nov
Blooming
beautiful!
WA
From desert to
daisies, Western
Australia’s wildflower
blossoming transforms
rough terrain into a
carpet of colour.
The sweet fragrance
of 12,000 species
of wild flowers wafts
across 2.5 million
square km of terrain.
The blooming delight
unfurls in June,
washing the landscape
with colour right up
until November.
Walking is by far the
best way and there are
some 40 nature trails
in the Perth Hills and
Swan Valley alone!
Most spectacular of all
though is the world-
renowned Bibbulmun
Track, which passes
through jarrah
forests, ancient karri
and tingle trees and
coastal heathlands.
www.wildflowerswa.com
Jun – Nov
Whale of a Tale
east and
west coast
Once Australia’s
economy relied
on the fortunes
of whale hunters;
today increasing
fortunes come simply
from watching the
whales pass on by.
The annual whale
migration takes place
along east and west
coasts. Minke and
Humpback whales
travel thousands of
kilometres from
Antarctica to the warm
Whitsunday region
and Kimberley Coast,
to bear their young.
Best whale-watching
times are late morning
and afternoon. The
SpiritofHerveyBay (www.
spiritofherveybay.
com) offers so
mething different.
The vessel has
underwater viewing
windows set into
its hull, allowing
passengers to see
the whales as they
dive beneath!
Mar – Jun
Seeing Spots, Ningaloo Reef
WA
Thebiggestfishinthe
tankhaveapenchantfor
cruisingNingalooReef.
Eachyearthemigration
ofadolescentmale
whalesharksupthecoast
bringstheminclosestto
shorenearExmouth.
Whereallthefemales
are,no-onequiteknows,
astheonlyfemaleever
seen(apregnantone)
metanunfortunateend
inaTaiwanesefishery.
Amongtherarest
andmostmysterious on
earth,thesecreatures
canreachstaggering
proportions.Theyare
totallyharmlessthough
-unlessyouhappento
beplankton–making
snorkellingwithwhale
sharksoneofAustralia’s
must-doexperiences.
Stunningin
appearance,they’re
decoratedwithsmudgy
whitespottedlinear
ridges;notwowhale
sharkshavingidentical
markings.It’sthis
individualsenseofstyle
thatmakesitpossible
toidentifyandtrack
theircomingsand
goings,andafascinating
WhaleSharkPhoto-
identificationproject,
calledECOCEAN,has
used“citizenscientists”to
helpbuildaglobalimage
libraryofwhalesharks.
Thedatabasenow
containsover15,000
photostakenbydivers
andholiday-makers
worldwide-representing
around1400individual
sharks.Married
withelectronictagging
data,theresearchhas
helpedshedlighton
themovementand
behaviorofthiselusive
creature,revealing
somesurprisingfacts.
Althoughwhalesharks
arenormallyseengliding
alongjustbeneaththe
surface,theyareableto
transformintobus-
sizedmissilesthat
hurtleheadfirstlike
kamikazefighterpilots,
soaringdown,then
upagain,inaseries
ofgravity-defying
aquabounds.
www.whaleshark.org
Pic: tourism QLD Pic: chrismas island tourismPic: tourism wa Pic: tourism qld Pic: tourism qld Pic: tourism wa Pic: tourism NSW Pic: tourism NSWPic: tourism NT