Excursion to Blackdown Tablelands

[Baccus]

The other day we went on a little day field trip to Blackdown Tablelands roughly a 2hr one way drive from my house. There has been no real rain to speak of out that way and the creeks and waterfalls where either dry or greatly reduced. Sadly we saw very little actual wildlife and even birds where almost non-existant. Many times we stopped on various walking tracks or along the 4WD track and just listened and where surrounded by deadly silence, not even a cicada called. This lack of creatures may have been down to the fairly recent controlled burns the rangers had been doing the past month or so but even in regrowth areas wildlife was missing apart from the occasional butterfly. The various waterways too seemed devoid of life, no matter how hard I looked I saw no fish or snails. In fact the only waterlife I did spy where water skaters, water boatsmen, tadpoles and some odd caddis type creature that had made a narrow tube like home out of something that seemed shell like. We where not eaten alive by mosquitos so I am guessing that something is keeping them in check but for the life of me I could not see anything that I would normally expect to see in a permanent water source. Many of the creeks etc I saw where also quite devoid of any plant life which could also explain the lack of other watery wildlife.

First View on the approach to Blackdown Tablelands

 

First port of call was Horseshoe Lookout and Goodela and Yaddamen Dhina

Along the way I saw some sweet little Sundews

Some moss, some type of Fissiden?

Further along we went to Mook Mook (at least some of the way didn't fancy another 1.2 km walk)

Look carefully and you will see the tadpoles, some of them where HUGE

Sort of lost track of which walk these where along......after 5km the mind goes a little blank, especially after the hell climb back up from the base of Rainbow falls.

The base of Rainbowfalls

The COLD water was a welcome relief to sore hot feet and our feet stayed semi-frozen at least halfway back along the 2km walk.

Lookout at Mitha Boongulla

 

There where wildflowers out, but not in abundance and quite a few of these quite little dragons.

The upshot, if visiting Blackdown Tablelands it is worth it, but take lunch snacks and plenty of cold drinks. Also have spare water on hand to wash hands with ease at any of the parking areas aside from Horseshoe Lookout. A 4WD is a must to get to and from Mitha Boongulla, most of the track is tame but there are a couple of hair raising, butt clenching spots. And I would not attempt it in summer, the heat alone will kill and the chance of wild storms very real. Also before going up the range ensure your car is up to it, we met a couple at the information booth at the top that had boiled their radiator during the drive up the range.

I shall leave you with this is it a spider or an ant.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OzShrimp]

Some beautiful photos, that mook mook place looks really nice.

 

much in the water ?

[Baccus]

Honestly in the water I only saw Water skaters, Water Boatsmen, and Tadpoles. I expected to see maybe some snails or at least evidence of them having been in the vicinity but nothing.

On the way you do cross over the Dawon River (home of Dawson River Rainbow fish and Notopala snails along with plenty of others) and some other creeks that seem to permanently hold water and could contain more aquatic life than witnessed up at Blackdown Tablelands.

[OzShrimp]

would have been a nice trip anyway 

[fishmosy]

Awesome field report. 

[Baccus]

I think our next outing will most likely be down towards Agnes Waters/ 1770 / Miriam vale. We seem to have an abundance of national parks in our general area but some are only accessible by boat, some only have the odd 4WD track and many have no walking tracks, while others don't even 4WD tracks in or around them.

[fishmosy]

The wife and I holidayed in 1770 some 6 years ago. Beautiful part of the world, can't wait for your report. 

[KeenShrimp]

Thank you for posting the stunning photos @Baccus?

[Shrimp Aqua]

Hello Baccus, loved your pics and report,  Many years ago myself and a couple of other ANGFA members at the time did a field collecting trip to Rocky.  Along the way home we stopped at a creek called Machine Ck. this is south of Gladstone and we collected a rainbowfish there which must have been the first changeover from  M. Duboulayi to M. Splendida Splendida is was a pastel blue body colour with really long finage for a rainbow trimed with red and only relatively small probably max lth of 90mm. Also on the opposite side of the road bridge where it was the uppermost point of tidal flow we found a green gobie, i was always going to go back but never have.  We had no interest in shrimp those days ,never know what we may have found, this all occured back in the early 1980's, it might worth looking at on your trip to Agnes Waters.

[Baccus]

That is interesting about Machine Creek and which part you explored? I know there is a Machine creek at Mt Larcom and near Ambrose both places I travel through regularly on my to Tannum Sands. Or did you happen to get to Machine Creek closer to the coast? Somewhere near the narrows? I would be interested in heading towards the Narrows but am leary of muddy water with crocs in residence.

The little green gobies sound interesting, I hope I can find them and that they are hopefully compatible with fresh water.

[Shrimp Aqua]

Hey Baccus, we only explored the creek each side of the highway, if i remember correctly one side was fresh the other side if you walked downstream a little it was the end of the tidal influence, Just remember this was over 30yrs ago and i am now much, much older and you know what happens after you reach over the 70 mark. (what was i talking about oh yes i remember)

[Baccus]

The road has probably been changed a bit too since you where there, but I suspect that you may have gone down a road from Mt Larcom that leads to an area called the Narrows. Otherwise most of the bridges that you cross between Rockhampton and Tannum Sands are either dry or the banks to steep to get down easily and over grown and no where to easily pull over and leave the car.

If I can convince the other  half I might be able to go for a bit of an exploring drive with possible collection of critters this weekend. Do you remember anything else about the green gobies? I know there is a neon blue goby that is native to fast moving streams somewhere along the Queensland Coast (I think I saw somewhere that they are up around Cairns and a no take species), but they are a far flung species across Indonesia and the Pacific.

[Shrimp Aqua]

Hello Baccus, The road i mention was the main Bruce Highway,   If there is no tidal flow to the point of reference i mention on the down side of the bridge then perhaps it was another creek i am confused with, i do know we also sampled colosseum creek, sorry i am so vague i will contact one of the others who were with me at the time, perhaps they can remember. Soon as i know i will let you know.

[fishmosy]

4 hours ago, Baccus said:

The road has probably been changed a bit too since you where there, but I suspect that you may have gone down a road from Mt Larcom that leads to an area called the Narrows. Otherwise most of the bridges that you cross between Rockhampton and Tannum Sands are either dry or the banks to steep to get down easily and over grown and no where to easily pull over and leave the car.

If I can convince the other  half I might be able to go for a bit of an exploring drive with possible collection of critters this weekend. Do you remember anything else about the green gobies? I know there is a neon blue goby that is native to fast moving streams somewhere along the Queensland Coast (I think I saw somewhere that they are up around Cairns and a no take species), but they are a far flung species across Indonesia and the Pacific.

The gobies are Stiphodon. Definitely a no take species in Aus unfortunately - although Bob aka Northboy reckons there are a lot more around than people seem to think.