King Is Trip

Hi Everyone, After reading the King Is trip report from David Torr et al last September, I was inspired to visit the Island with my wife earlier this month for a week. The bird watching was very enjoyable with a wide range of birds to see including most of the Tasmanian endemics and four feral species viz Wild Turkey, Indian Peafowl, Common Ringneck Pheasant and Californian Quail. With little effort I was able to add Wild Turkey and California Quail to my list and several local subspecies such as Dusky Robin and Yellow Wattlebird (both kingi). I saw 80 species whilst part time bird watching over our seven day visit. To add to this enjoyment the locals were very hospitable, the weather was cool most days (20 to 22 Celsius) and at most sites we were the only visitors. Apparently 28 to 30C is a rare very hot day on the Island! Every day we enjoyed quiet walks along beautiful beaches, short bush walks from the many well catered day visitor areas and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Other highlights included watching Little Penguins return to their rookery on dusk at Grassy, visiting several light houses and the Currie Museum, and sampling the famous King Island cheeses. We flew from Melbourne Airport with Rex Airlines, hired a Honda Jazz and stayed at Baudin’s Cabins in Naracoopa (good meals at Baudin’s Restaurant). Also we had meals in Currie at the Club (yummy fresh locally caught flake!), Café, Bakery and Take Away where the food was all very good. Everything was characteristically hassle free and prices were generally quite reasonable. So if you’re looking to beat the heat and crowds this summer, and have an enjoyable bird watching holiday, I’d highly recommend King Island. Regards Martin Woodward