January Outing - Breakfast with the Birds, Cunningham's Gap, 20th January 2018

It is traditional for our club to have an early start to the January outing due to the hot, summer weather. This year we are changing our venue to a more shaded and cooler destination, so we are going to the higher, cooler area of Cunningham’s Gap! This will be our year to check the forest and rainforest birds instead of the water and field birds!

View from the lookout over the Fassifern Valley

Meet: at the Crest Car Park, Cunningham's Gap; 6 a.m. for a 6.30 a.m. walk start. Please be careful pulling into and exiting The Crest Car Park. If you can car pool, please do so. It will save on car parking spaces.

Activities: We will check the rainforest circuit first, then back to the car park. We should be finished this part of our walk by 8 am. For those not interested in bird watching it is an easy, pleasant walk and there should be plenty of fungi and flora to see in the rainforest at this time of year. We will then drive to the West Gap Creek picnic area, for a cuppa or breakfast if you so desire, and more bird watching here and along the track across the creek for some distance back towards the top. A big percentage of our walk should be in shade or part shade, so we will call a stop to this walk to return to our cars when we have had enough. We will be able to then cover a variety of habitat from rainforest, open area at the picnic tables, and eucalypt forest with understory along the lower track. (Toilet facilities available at both The Crest Car Park and the West Gap Creek Picnic Area.)

Bring: Breakfast, morning tea, snacks, hat, insect repellant, sunblock and water to carry on the walks. Although there are picnic tables it would be advisable to bring your chairs so you can seek the shade. For use along the way or at the break bring binocs, cameras and some identification books.

Upon arrival – Please sign the Attendance Book and pay your Excursion Fee of $2 per participant.

Directions: Drive west on the Cunningham Highway from Ipswich/Yamanto, etc., pass through Aratula township and head up the Range to the top, just past the crest is the Cunningham’s Gap Crest Car Park on the right. Again, please be careful pulling into and exiting both The Crest Car Park and the West Gap Creek Picnic Area.

Be aware: There could be ticks and leeches.