Information board at the entrance to the velodrome
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 1000, 40mm, f10 and 1/100 SEC])

Cycling on an old, grass-covered velodrome - Corunna Point NSW, May 2024

BirdsinCanberra June 9, 2024

I had a big smile on my face and I was feeling exuberant while whizzing around a historic grass-covered track. The course was still damp from the previous day’s rain, and more clouds threatened. Despite that, I was having a natural high because this abandoned course was still usable over 130 years after it was made, and I was using it. I was riding my Trek Checkpoint SL6 gravel bike around the old Corunna Point Velodrome and loving it.

Little Egret wading in the late afternoon sun at Merimbula
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Fur Seals, beautiful water birds and gorgeous scenery - South Coast NSW, June 2022

BirdsinCanberra July 22, 2022

The afternoon sun was getting low in the western sky when we finished walking along the boardwalk at Merimbula. This walk took us from the bridge over Boggy Creek in the centre of town, along the side of Merimbula Lake. The tide was low with mudflats and sand exposed. A group of egrets were wading through the still waters of Merimbula Lake and among them was a lone Little Egret. The sun was on the other side of the birds so they were not in an ideal position but the Little Egret raised its head to look in the direction of the sun and I was able to get a photograph when its eye glinted in the sun and there was a rim lighting effect on its white plumage. That was at the end of day one of our trip to the south coast of New South Wales. We needed a coastal fix to recharge our batteries from an early, cold winter in Canberra. We spent four days along the south coast, looking at sites from Eden up to Narooma. It was a wonderful trip to a beautiful part of the world. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Brayshaw’s Homestead looking north to the grey clouds
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1000 SEC]

Wildlife along a wet Settlers Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 6, 2022

Walking along trails of green grass under grey clouds that occasionally drizzled rain while at other times opened to reveal glorious blue skies helped refresh my son and I. The fresh wind moistened by humidity and light precipitation was never too strong, just enough to keep us cooled while we walked along the Settlers Track in Namadgi National Park. The birdlife was around but hard to see, but there was other wildlife and natural subjects to photograph. The two well-preserved former settler’s homes seemed out of place among this natural beauty, but the lack of activity around them emphasised that they were from a time past. While we enjoyed admiring the natural surrounds of these abodes their isolation reflected a different time, and it was nice to know that we would be hopping into a car and driving back to our home with its modern connectivity to the world. Still it was invigorating to feel the surrounding world of trees, creeks and animals for a few hours. I hope that you enjoy the pictures below.

Chestnut Teal male swimming on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day morning
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 286mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Ducks and other beautiful harbour wildlife - Sydney Harbour, December 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 1, 2022

Many decades ago I grew up in Sydney, where I spent a lot of time playing on and under the harbour, and ducks were not something that I remember in that body of water from my childhood. However, on Boxing Day 2021 I was on Sydney Harbour in my trusty Riot Brittany 16.5 blue kayak photographing an Australasian Darter on Shark Island’s rocks when I heard a long splash in the water behind me. In the initial milisecond after hearing the disturbance in the water my mind’s processing of that noise made me think it was a shark but when I quickly looked around I was relieved to see that a pair of Chestnut Teals had just skimmed to a landing on the surface behind my kayak. I was not really expecting to see teals on Sydney Harbour. As I wrote above, I had grown up around the harbour, where I had done a lot of paddling, snorkelling and scuba diving and I don’t recall seeing ducks on the harbour. Now I was back there on a vacation so I was surprised to see the Chestnut Teals calmly swimming past my kayak on the harbour. Those awesome birds were just one example of the natural beauty that can still be found around the busy shore of Sydney Harbour. While the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House are the world famous icons of the harbour city, I am glad that the wildlife is still there, surviving among the human activities in a busy harbour. While it was only a few days, I really enjoyed the short time back in Sydney, having an opportunity to kayak on and snorkel in Sydney Harbour. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Juvenile Azure Kingfisher that made the trip much more than worthwhile(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Juvenile Azure Kingfisher that made the trip much more than worthwhile
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Drifting past an Azure Kingfisher and other lovely birdlife - Kayaking and photographing on Durras Lake, May 2021

BirdsinCanberra June 5, 2021

A flash of stunning blue to my right caught my attention against the mottled green of some small Casuarinas. I was pretty sure of what I had seen but I now had to hope that my presence hadn’t scared this beautiful bird away. The small channel that I was in was not wide and it was very shallow so it was easy enough to smoothly reverse my kayak back past an overhanging Casuarina tree branch in the water to let the wind carry me back along the channel. My heart was beating when I saw the speck of blue perched so still on a branch. With a bit of manoeuvring, I had my blue, sea kayak pointed at the bird while the wind drifted me closer. I cursed the foliage that was blocking a clean shot but I was also excited beyond words to be finally getting some pictures of a gorgeous Azure Kingfisher. That experience took a fantastic day to an even higher level. I had already seen some lovely birds on Durras Lake while also taking in the natural beauty of the Murramarang National Park that rimmed the lake and now I was photographing an Azure Kingfisher. The two hour long early morning drive from Canberra to Durras Lake on the southern coast of New South Wales had been worth it. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Corang Arch with the sun setting behind it(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 320, 16mm, f/13 and 1/100 SEC]) — Corang Arch with the sun setting behind it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 320, 16mm, f/13 and 1/100 SEC])

Stunned by the natural beauty around Corang Arch, The Budawangs - April 2021

BirdsinCanberra May 1, 2021

In the end, the sun was setting faster than we realised so we had to walk quickly with our large packs to get to the iconic Corang Arch while we still had enough light for photography. On arrival we could see that the golden rays of the late afternoon sun were already striking the harsh cliff face that was composed of rocks formed when water bathed them in ancient waters. Despite that final rush we were thrilled to get to this intriguing arch, to admire it with the sunset and see the escarpment as the day’s light sunk in the distance. This was why we had been hiking for about four hours and it was worth it. Corang Arch is a natural rock arch in the Budawang National Park, colloquially shortened to just the Budawangs. In April 2021 Bigfigtree and myself decided that we wanted to photograph this beautiful arch. Neither of us had been hiking for a while but this goal made us want to try. We were so glad that we did because the experience left us both feeling enriched, with some great photography to be had and some interesting animals. For me, beyond the impressive landscape, I finally took a photograph of my first snake. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Acacia Tree Hopper climbing up a wattle stalk(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC]) — Acacia Tree Hopper climbing up a wattle stalk
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])

Animals beside a dirt road between destinations in March 2021

BirdsinCanberra April 20, 2021

I think we all know what it is like when a plan does not turn out as expected. That happened to me on a weekend in March 2021 but I had a whole new experience so I was not that upset. I found myself photographing beside Mount Franklin Road when I should have been following it to my planned destination. Canberra had experienced some heavy rain the weekend before so I checked the ACT service page to see if there was any news on the status of Mount Franklin Road, was it open or closed. Unfortunately, there was no information so I had to take my chances. That Sunday, 28 March, I drove towards my objective to the south-west of Canberra, ever hopeful that the dry weather over most of the week would mean that the roads were safe and open. The first, and clearest, indication that was not the case was when I turned onto Brindabella Road where a sign post gave the status of the surrounding dirt roads and Mount Franklin Road was closed. Being incredibly optimistic, and having already traveled half-way to the destination, I pushed on, only to find that the Mount Franklin Road was indeed closed, with a locked steel gate across it to emphasise that point. However, there was still bush around and the closed road meant that I could walk along its dirt surface without fear of being run-over by a car, so I grabbed my camera bag to go for a hike in order to see what subjects there were. I ended up having a fantastic morning, mainly with macro subjects. At times I found myself lying in dewy grass, my head buried in a shrub trying to get the right angle for a shot and thoroughly enjoying the experience. I also had a chance to use my drone to shoot some pictures of the Murrumbidgee River in flood. I hope that you like the pictures below.

Emerald Moth at night around Blue Waterholes(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — Emerald Moth at night around Blue Waterholes
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

Natural beauty of the Long Plain, Kosciuszko National Park in March 2021

BirdsinCanberra March 17, 2021

My good mate and fellow photographer BigFigTree said he wanted to try to get some atmospheric shots of the wild Brumbies on the Long Plain in Kosciuszko National Park, and that there was a spare seat in his car if I wanted it. I jumped at the chance so we decided to do the trip over the Saturday and Sunday of the Canberra Day Long Weekend. I am so glad that he invited me because it opened my eyes to a whole wilderness just on the outskirts of Canberra that is so beautiful. We had a great couple of days, stopping to take photos, camping beside the beautiful Blue Waterholes and just moving at a slower pace. Our Brumby photographs did not turn out well but we found so many other subjects. He is a great photographer and I would recommend checking out his Flickr feed, linked above. It really was a fun two days and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC]) — White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Nature and natural beauty of Shoalhaven Gorge - January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 31, 2021

Shoalhaven Gorge is a stunningly beautiful gorge just a few hours from both Sydney and Canberra. I had paddled up the Shoalhaven River in July 2020 but I had not gone as far into the gorge as I wanted. So, jumping ahead to January 2021 I was fast running out of time to paddle the gorge before I needed to return to work. My initial plan was to do a two day trip with an overnight stay in the gorge but for a number of reasons I could not make that a reality. In the end, I was left with the option of waking at 4AM to drive almost three hours in order to paddle 13km up the river and 13 km back down, to then drive another almost three hours to be back in Canberra that night with my family. It had to be done. And, I am glad that I did paddle in the gorge, the beauty of the location and animals that I saw made the trip more than worthwhile. I watched a White-bellied Sea Eagle fly along the river and I also had to chase away a Lace Monitor from my stationary kayak were just two of the encounters that will stay with me. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Speckled Warbler in a tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC]) — Speckled Warbler in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])

Speckled Warbler, Orange-winged Sittella and, at last, frogs! - Photographing at Cuumbeun Nature Reserve on Sunday, 4 October 2020

BirdsinCanberra October 11, 2020

Heading east out of Canberra towards the coast most of Canberra’s residents will use the Kings Highway. We all know that highway well as it winds its way to the refreshing coastal waters during a Canberra summer. I also decided to go for a drive one Sunday morning in October but with the intent to stop much closer to Canberra. I probably expect that most people who drive that road think that the bit of natural bush land on the southern side of the highway just after it climbs out of Queanbeyan is an uncleared development waiting for Queanbeyan to expand. I also had not really given it much thought until I became curious as to what the land was and whether I could photograph on it. The land is part of the Cuumbeun Nature Reserve, which is open to the public. It is a 709 hectare reserve only created in 2001.

Australian Pelican in the Kangaroo River facing the morning sun(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/200 SEC]) — Australian Pelican in the Kangaroo River facing the morning sun
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/200 SEC])

Australian Pelicans, cormorants and stunning scenery - Kayak photography in Kangaroo Valley in July 2020

BirdsinCanberra July 14, 2020

In early July I went on my first overnight kayak camping trip and I was fortunate enough to experience it in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley over two days, with about 26 km of padding on the first day and 23 km on. the second. I paddled down the Kangaroo River, past Tallowa Dam and into the Shoalhaven Gorge. Because it was the middle of winter the days were short so I did not have long periods of good light for photographing, especially in the gorge where the high sides prevented the sun light getting through, projecting deep shadows onto one side of the gorge. Despite that I really enjoyed the experience and learnt some good lessons for next time, I also felt more comfortable photographing from my new kayak because it was weighted down with camping gear acting like ballast. While I missed some shots, like a White-bellied Sea-eagle, I was still happy with the shots of birds I was able to get from the water. I also felt there was a lot of opportunity to get to areas not readily accessible from a land route, especially the sunken forest with the dead trees sticking out of the river. I have included a video below but I must admit it was not the video I was hoping to create. I did have my drone with me but I did not use it because I felt I was always missing the right light or worried about the wind. I am hoping to do more trips like this but maybe when it is a tad warmer and definitely when the days are longer so there is more opportunity to photograph. While there may not be many photographs below I hope you like the ones there are.

A Pied Cormorant sitting on a wharf pylon(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/10 and 1/500 SEC]) — A Pied Cormorant sitting on a wharf pylon
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/10 and 1/500 SEC])

Seabirds, New Holland Honeyeaters and wonderful shorelife - Photographing around Sydney in December 2019

BirdsinCanberra February 23, 2020

Being in Sydney over Christmas in 2019 was a chance to get away from the smoke in Canberra. It was also a great opportunity to photograph the shore life around the south-eastern side of Sydney Harbour, including the birdlife. Strangely, it was hard to find too much birdlife so I am not sure if the December weather patterns and bushfires had made it harder on Sydney birds than usual. However, I did enjoy photographing some Crested Terns and a Pied Cormorant, although they were at a distance from me so the shots are not the best. I also had the opportunity to do macro photography of some cool insects I found around the place. The weather was mostly pretty good with reasonable light, although there were some gusty winds at time. Still it was nice to enjoy the photographic opportunities I had. I hope you like the pictures below.

A Crested Tern looking for food in the rough water(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC]) — A Crested Tern looking for food in the rough water
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])

Little Wattlebird swings with the wind while a Crested Tern flies against the wind - Photographing at the Royal National Park on Saturday, 13 July 2019

BirdsinCanberra July 19, 2019

The Royal National Park, just south of Sydney is the oldest national park in Australian and the second oldest national park in the world behind Yellowstone National Park in the US. My son and I had been planning to visit the park so we could walk the trail to the Figure 8 Pools. The day of our visit was one of the windiest days in Sydney. The sky was reasonably clear but the wind was blustering through the area. At one stage on the rock platform, I almost felt I was going to be blown over by the wind. When we were able to get out of the wind the weather was actually very nice. Despite the gusting conditions I was able to see some birds. The strong wind made it challenging to take photographs as I was always being buffeted, hence why I have a number of iPhone shots below. The photographs are not the best but it was a very beautiful day. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Very happy with this picture of a New Holland Honeyeater(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC]) — Very happy with this picture of a New Holland Honeyeater
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])

Love the beauty of New Holland Honeyeaters and Eastern Yellow Robins are awesome as well - Photographing at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Sunday, 9 June 2019

BirdsinCanberra June 21, 2019

I can understand a fascination with clouds and I only wish I was a better photographer so my photographs could really convey the beauty contained in the clouds on that Sunday morning at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. There were clouds and fog, normally not good for photographing but with clear patches of sky and strong winds the clouds could be floating sculptures one minute then alien jellyfish eating mountains the next. Sometimes the clouds and fogs sandwiched the landscape between them, giving the mountains an otherworld sense appearing briefly from a magic cloud bank. There was also a mist rising from the ground, helping to encase the shrubs in wisps of mystery. But there were clear patches of vegetation where I saw some beautiful birds. I think I have taken my best photograph so far of a New Holland Honeyeater, it was like the bird knew I was photographing it so was happy to pose. The morning was just a wonderful start to the day. The drive into Tidbinbilla set the tone of the visit when I had to stop the car so I could start photographing the clouds. My mood was further boosted when a very kind indigenous ranger saw me arrive early at the Dalsetta Car Park and pulled in with his ute to offer my a lift up to the top of the ridge, as he thought I was going to photograph the clouds from up there. He was a friendly guy and we had a brief chat about photography. He had taken some photos of a previous thick fog which filled the whole valley. It is just a wonderful start when you have a friendly person greet you as they want to give you a hand. It was a wonderful morning and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle perched at the top of the tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC]) — The Wedge-tailed Eagle perched at the top of the tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC])

Two perching Wedge-tailed Eagles as well as a Scarlet Robin - Photographing at Namadgi National Park on Saturday, 8 June 2019

BirdsinCanberra June 19, 2019

I will be honest, this was not the walk we had planned for Namadgi National Park, I got my Boboyan Roads mixed up so we turned onto Old Boboyan Road when we should continued along Boboyan Road. I am not upset because we will do the originally planned walk very shortly and I was also able to see two Wedge-tailed Eagles. I saw one of them in the distance through a mess of tree branches, I was amazed I had picked out this awesome bird of prey which was perched motionless on a far away dead tree. I was even happier when I could get photographs from a better vantage point further along the trail. My son and I both enjoyed the trail, despite the weather not being great, cloudy with the temperature hovering around 6ºC (about 43ºF). In addition, I was undeniably happy to get some OK shots of the eagles considering the bad light as well as the distance to the birds. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A female Golden Orb Weaver(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — A female Golden Orb Weaver
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

A magnificent female Golden Orb Weaver at the centre of her web - Photographing at Namadgi National Park on Saturday, 27 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra May 2, 2019

I made a special car trip to hike two kilometres by myself, along a bush track, so I could stand on a rock ledge, in the middle of a cool night at Namadgi National Park, just to take a photograph of the night sky. I think my passion for my hobby is bordering on obsession but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Standing on that ledge, with a clear night sky revealing the millions of stars in a truly black night sky was jaw dropping in its vastness. My photographic ability could not do the scene justice but I enjoyed the opportunity. I also took my macro light with me to take pictures of any little creatures I saw. I enjoyed the dark, where the extent of what I could see was so constrained, making the world seem so small but then contrasting those limits with the boundless heavens above me. There was a tranquility to the night but also a new world where the sound of a kangaroo hopping over the the woodland floor carried much further. It was a really wonderful experience. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A curious Australian Pelican that swam past me, probably hoping for a feed(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC]) — A curious Australian Pelican that swam past me, probably hoping for a feed
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])

An inquisitive Pelican as well as a feeding White-faced Heron on an interesting rocky shore - Photography at Nielsen Park Reserve on Saturday, 13 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra April 18, 2019

The Australian Pelican is a beautiful bird, with one of the largest bills in the world. They are reasonably common in Sydney Harbour but I was not expecting one to swim past me while I was spending an early Saturday morning photographing at Nielsen Park. I had gone with the intent to photograph Bottle and Glass Rocks, with the subsequent plan to see what other subjects were on the rocks. I had just found my location for my composition of the rocks when a pelican landed on the water. It completed distracted me from my landscape shots but it was so worth it. Indeed, the whole morning was just one enjoyable opportunity after another. Whether I was photographing a bird or seeing a shot in a cluster of Little Blue Periwinkles it was just a beautiful way to welcome Saturday. I hope you like the shots below.

The male Golden Whistler has a one of the archetypal bird calls of the Australian bush

Walking in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Sunday, 29 September 2018 - hearing and seeing a Golden Whistler

BirdsinCanberra October 1, 2018

I dragged my poor, suffering son out again to join me in a walk along two of the trails at the lovely Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, just south of Canberra. The two trails I chose were Cascades Trail and Lyrebird Trail, two connected trails in the west of the park, starting from Mountain Creek car park. Both trails meander through some very dense vegetation, and that Sunday’s nice weather had brought a few people out to the trails, so I was not able to photograph many birds. I was not too disappointed as I did get to photograph a Golden Whistler and just walking along the trails in the warm spring sunshine with my son really made my day.

Some of the water birds inside the sanctuary at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

A walk around Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Saturday, 1 September 2018

BirdsinCanberra September 3, 2018

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a large national park about 30 minutes drive south of where I live. It is situated in a valley with the Tidbinbilla River running through it. I convinced my son to come with me on Saturday to go for a walk around the fenced-in sanctuary that sits in the middle of the reserve. This is a predator proof area centred on a wetlands habitat giving wild native fauna communities a chance to live without the threat of feral animals. The native fauna have the run of the sanctuary while humans are confined to well maintained paths. We had an enjoyable morning seeing so many wild birds, platypus and even a turtle. My son is not really into wildlife but agreed he would like to go back again, which is good as I bought an annual pass :-)