August/September is a bit of a slow time birding wise in Thailand. It is also a period of unpredictable weather and so makes as an ideal time for a vacation elsewhere. Last year's trip to Southern Queensland was a huge success and gave us the aptitude for another visit to the land 'down under'.

We flew to Singapore in the evening and spent the night on some reclining massage contraptions (chairs) at this number one rated Airport of the world.

The flight from Singapore to Perth only took a little less then 5 hours but transported us into an entirely different zoological region.

Right at the airport I had my first lifers: Australian Raven and Laughing Turtle Dove (introduced) But best of all, we were met with delightful temperatures of a fast approaching Australian spring.

First 4 nights were spent with missionary friends who just had returned from Indonesia. They had both gone through major cancer operations and were adhering to strict vegetarian diets which they testified had improved their health markedly and there were no traces of the decease any more. They had lots of tales to tell and we enjoyed their company very much.

We did a short visit to the Tomato Lake in the Kewdale area upon arrival and right away I got one of my most wanted bird, the Blue-billed Duck. What a bird! Immaculate design. The next day we went for a visit to Kings Park. Had some great views of the city and enjoyed the nicely landscaped front of the park with views of the harbor. The Ringnecked Parrots seemed to be everywhere and so did New Holland Honeyeater and Red Wattlebird (this later almost became a nuisance, as it was very abundant in WA). What great birds to have in your garden! The Honeyeater proved to be our most common passerine showing up in virtually all habitats visited. Other very common Honeyeaters were Singing and Brown Honeyeater.

Through www.birdingpal.com I had been in contact with Peter Jacoby and he had arranged for a trip to many birding sites around Perth. He and his wife, Dianne,  picked me up and off we went for a day filled with birds (18 lifers). The well known site of Wungong Gorge some half an hours drive outside Perth produced some very attractive and sought after endemic Red-eared Firetails. Also the Red-winged Fairy Wrens were there as were some White-tailed Black Cockatoos flying overhead. We saw many flocks of these Black Cockatoos during our 2 weeks stay but I won't try to differentiate whether they are Short-billed or Long-billed as these differences seem to be very, very marginal (why not simply call them different geographical races?). At the Bungendore Park nearby the gorge we had a delightful walk that produced some great birds: Rufous Treecreeper, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Western Spinebill, Western Thornbill and a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Peter knows his birds well and helped to make my day around Perth successful in every way. Thank you Peter!

Well, one does not get very far without a car in this vast land. I had arranged with www.backpackerrentals.com to pick up a Holden Apollo for 40A$/day. The car held up beautifully and its big size and strong engine made for a smooth ride and comfort. The company does not have airport delivery and is a bit far away at Freemantle but if one wants a good deal it is worth it. The car was 10 years old but came with a 200 km/day mileage, something no one else could offer for that price. It also included full insurance.

It took us a few days to get used to the cold weather. Believe me, it is unheard of to sleep in sleeping bag, long johns and a heater on, back home in Bangkok but this was our plight in the cold night hours of Perth

We stuffed the car with our own sleeping gear and headed southbound towards Albany. Our first stop was to be the Dryandra Forest Park a couple of hours drive along the way. The park was easy to find thanks to the excellent instructions found on Frank O'connors very detailed website. Not too far from the park we passed a couple of streams crossing the road. Things looked so scenic in these areas that we stopped and were rewarded with views of a family of Australian Shelducks, Scarlet Robin and an absolutely stunning male Red-capped Robin. This must be the bird of the trip as far as I am concerned. We settled in a park cabin for 40 Aus$/night. The kids were excited being out in undisturbed surroundings and soon had a bonfire going. It didn't take long for the marshmallows to cook. The night was cold but we had brought our own heater, bought in a second hand store for almost nothing. Stars were bright and the burning wood in the fireplace gave a nice scent to the cabin. A simple meal of bread, cheese, salami and fresh vegetables tasted wonderful.

The forest here is quite alive with smaller birds and it didn't take that much work to find what I wanted. Had excellent views of Western Rosellas, many Rufous Treecreepers, Western Yellow Robin, Grey Currawong, Varied Sittella, Red-capped Parakeets, Dusky Wood Swallows and more. I had to search a bit for the Bush Thickknee but eventually found one.

Next day we drove to Stirling Range National Park. Along the way we did many stops to enjoy the landscape and also a large flock of Tawny crowned Honeycreepers along with a single Purple-gaped Honeyeater coming to the roadside for a drink. We saw Elegant Parrots by a field.

At the Caravan Park we were greeted by a Rufous Treecreeper, calling from the side mirrors of a parked vehicle. Purple-crowned Lorikeets were flying fast overhead and Regent Parrots were joining in at times. The campground adjoins the park and held several good birds. A pair of Restless Flycatchers were tending to a nest next to our caravan. I went looking for Blue-breasted Fairy Wrens but in vain.

The early morning gave me a long walk and I came upon a big flock of White-tailed Black Cockatoos feeding in the grass. I got real close to them as they almost appeared a bit 'sleepy'. Brown Honeyeater was a new bird for me and there were Yellow-plumed, White-cheeked and White-naped Honeyeaters around. A light phase of Little Eagle was in the air as well as lots of Dusky Woodswallows. The park was filled with blooming flowers in an endless array.

Then we went onwards towards Albany and stopped at Porongorup Park for a pick nick. This was our first taste of the tall Karri forests. Majestic, needle strait, trees reached tall to the skies giving a rather cathedral like appearance. My son, Jaime, 9, pointed out my first White-breasted Robin, a couple of Western Rosellas came close and Purple-crowned Lorikeets kept busy overhead. The whole area around the park was inviting for an overnight stay but time wouldn't allow.

We drove strait to Two Peoples Bay looking for lodging along the way. All resorts in that area was too pricey for us but we later found a very nice Caravan Park inside Albany. This park had Western Rosellas on the lawn and Red-capped Parrots in the trees, overlooking a wonderfully landscaped hilly farm and woodland.

Two Peoples Bay was our first taste of WA coastline. The Bay itself must be one of the most beautiful in the world. Absolutely gorgeous. I made no attempt to look for the skulky endemic Western Bristlebird and Noisy Scrub Bird but had my first Pacific Gulls and Sooty Oystercatchers. Due to time constraints etc we didn't go back to the Bay in the morning but I would gladly have given a couple of mornings in search for those birds. The place itself was simply fantastically beautiful.

Instead, we drove to the Gap and the Bridge and generally browsed around in the area. At the end of Frenchmans Bay we saw a large group of Australian Sea-lions bobbing their heads up and down like floating buoys. At Seppings Lake, we had some great looks of Red-winged Fairy Wrens and our first Musk Ducks. The later is a great diver with a Cormorant like tail, protruding, as it would head-dive for aquatic animals. By this time even my wife who is not a birder couldn't refuse to video some of the charming Blue-billed Ducks in the lake.

We decided to drive towards Augusta and Cape Leeuwin along the southern coastal route. Denmark was our first town. We stopped for our first and only meal out which had to be fish and chips and though not a very healthy meal, admittedly very tasty.

The drive kept going through stately wooded Karri forests and eventually ended at our destination, the little town of Pemberton. Here we found a great cabin at Pemberton Forest Stay a few kilometers away.

We did have a peak at the famous 'Treetop walk' near Walpole. Quite frankly, I would not consider paying a small fortune to walk along this man-made 'sidewalk looking' contraption, along with tons of other tourists. A better place to visit would be the Gloucester tree which offers a climb up all the 60 meters to the top. Also here, there is another outrageous charge but we found out that by backtracking a kilometer and entering the park via the Bibbulman track we were allowed to enter without paying. Well, we didn't try to scale the tree but several birds were very tame around the tree; Western Rosella, Red-winged Fairy Wrens, Common Bronzewing and Ringnecks.

We shared the large cabin with another two couples. An American man shared stories of his 4 months of crossing Australia's entire desserts single handedly.

The cabin was located right next to the Karri forest besides a creek and nearby farms. I had a wonderful morning walk along a graveled road lined with farmland and stands of trees, enjoying 50 some Straw-necked Ibises feeding in a field.

 A group of Splendid Fairy Wrens were next to our window and the male in full breeding color sure lives up to his name. Grey Shrike-thrushes were hopping along the ground. Red-winged Fairy Wrens in the low bushes, Grey Fantail with its Flycatcher like song lingered around. Also my only White-browed Babbler of the trip passed through the garden, thrilling my heart.

Following day we arrived at Augusta and Cape Leeuwin. What a windy place! Besides Australian Gannets, Crested Terns, Pacific Terns and the ever present Silver Gulls a pair of Yellow-nosed Albatrosses was at the Cape but that was all there was to be as far as seabirds go. Nevertheless, it was a great feeling being at the cross point of such great oceans as the South and Indian Ocean.

A search behind the asbestos fences by the Cape gave light to 4 Rock Parrots feeding on the lawn. 

Again, we stayed at a Caravan park and I must say I think these are great places to stay at. We paid on an average 50A$/night for a roomy van. All vans are fully equipped and restrooms and showers are always of high standard.

The road from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste is dotted with scenic beaches and caves (a visit to a cave is charged 16$/person) and we tried to find the Hooded Plover at a couple of places but failed to see one.

The Sugar Loaf at Cape Naturaliste had nothing but Silver Gulls so we went onward to Myalup a bit North of Brunbury. Here we met a small supermarket owner who invited us for supper. He had lived a very adventurous life and we all intently listened as he told his story while consuming a sumptuous meal of mixed stir fried vegetables, spring rolls and fried rice. We saw White-tailed Black Cockatoos several times during our drive from Augusta.

I had heard a lot about Rottnest Island and on our last day we took the ferry across. It was a gloomy, rainy and cold day but the kids were brave and fought the elements during their long bicycle ride around the Island. I quickly had 3 of my target birds: White-fronted Chats, Red-necked Avocet and Banded Plovers. The later were numbering several hundred. Later at the golf course, I found 3 Banded Lapwings and a Sacred Kingfisher showed up in some trees. The Island is a must for any visitor, very scenic and worthy of a visit in spite of the pricey ferry (45$/adult and 19$/child). We met a kind hearted man who donated the use of bicycles which I'd say are a must to enjoy all there is to see on Rottnest Island.

Before I returned the car I drove to Herdsmans Lake for an hour and there was a good number of ducks in the lake. New ones for the trip were Australian Shoveler and Great Crested Grebe.

This was our second trip to Australia and I heartily recommend a visit. Roads are good, traffic disciplined (some exceptions in the inner city), supplies abundant, lodging easy, nature spectacular, birds bountiful and weather simply perfect. I ended up with a trip list of 124 birds whereof 51 were new.

Trip list