Mount Archer is a 604 metre mountain that is a backdrop to Rockhampton. A steep road from Frenchville leads to the national park at the summit. This is the view west over town with the Fitzroy River on the left of the image.

The view north east towards the mountains of Shoalwater Bay. Volcanic plugs can be see in the middle distance.

The grey nomads were envious of the wombats.

Nurim circuit elevated boardwalk – the tree on the right provided morning tea for a flock of red-tailed black cockatoos.

A pair – the female on the left has a yellow and red striped tail and the male has solid red and black tail feathers.

Cycads in open woodland

Scaly-breasted lorikeet

Beak performance

Cocky jokes had everyone smiling

Tail feathers in flight of the female Red-tailed black cockatoo

White-winged triller at Mount Archer

Murray Lagoon on the western side of the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens

Royal spoonbills

Being spoonbills – they don’t give a fork.

Yellow-billed spoonbills

During breeding season, the facial skin is outlined in black and the black-tipped outer wing plumes are evident

Intermediate egret

Pelicans and grey teals at Murray Lagoon

I have driven past the turnoff to Port Curtis for over 40 years and never ventured there off the Bruce Highway. Today seemed the perfect day to check it out. The road follows a low causeway across salt pans both natural and constucted for the salt industry.

Evaporative salt pans with the view north to Mount Archer.

At times, the side of the road is a muddy area with mangroves lining channels of the Fitzroy River mouth.

There are two salt companies operating here.

The workers here are seasoned veterans.

If they get sick here, they rub salt on themselves, then they are cured.

The truck operator was called Brian.

Port Curtis

A swallow welcomes us to Port Curtis…

…but you have to be wary of some of the locals.

Australasian pipit

Brahminy kite patrolling the Fitzroy River delta

The hypersaline ponds

Salt deposited in dead mangrove trunks

Mount Larcom from the Port Curtis mudflats

Red-eyed figbird at Bororen

A floral gem of Central Queensland – the Leichhardt bean (Cassia brewsteri)