Trekabout Photography Workshops - 13 Day South West Queensland Outback Wide Open Spaces, Birds and Wildflowers Adventure Tour and Workshop
Workshops, Tours, Adventures with Accredited Professional Photographer Mark Rayner and the Dream Team
14 Day South West Queensland Outback Wide Open Spaces, Birds and Wildflowers Adventure Tour and Workshop
Creating Adventure through Photography
Creating Adventure through Photography
When : Saturday 7 September to Friday 20 September 2024 - SORRY FULLY BOOKED
Where : Wagganba Station, Charlotte Plains, Cunnumulla, Eulo, Thargomindah, Kilcowera Station, Thallon, Surat - Outback Queensland
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South West Queensland is synonymous with wide open spaces, isolation and birds. Lots of birds.
Where : Wagganba Station, Charlotte Plains, Cunnumulla, Eulo, Thargomindah, Kilcowera Station, Thallon, Surat - Outback Queensland
Please check back for additional dates or subscribe to the Trekabout newsletter to stay up to date.
South West Queensland is synonymous with wide open spaces, isolation and birds. Lots of birds.
Springtime in the Outback
Join me as I take you to the real Queensland Outback. We'll stay at working cattle properties and a few country pubs along the way.
There will be dust.
There will be the odd fly.
Accommodation will be modest.
But, there will be birds. Lots and lots of birds.
There will be stunning outback sunsets.
There will be incredibly clear outback night skies.
And you'll enjoy country style home cooked meals and of course good country hospitality.
This will truly be an outback adventure!
South West Queensland in Pictures by Dorianne McGillivray
Day-to-Day Program
Day 1
Leave your vehicle safely parked at Morayfield.
We depart at 9:00am for St George for an overnight stop. We'll have couple of location shoots along the way to break up the trip.
Overnight St George
Day 2
After breakfast in St George we're heading west on the Adventure Way.
We'll stop at "Rayner Place" in Bollan yes, you read correctly, and take a walk along the banks of Wallam creek.
After checking in at Charlotte Plains we'll head down to the hot artesian bore. There's plenty of birdlife around the connecting water channels but you won't want to miss a chance to have a soak in one of the porcelain bath tubs overlooking the ponds.
Robyn, our hostess will have an awesome camp oven dinner ready fro us when we get back to the shearers quarters.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Day 3
Full day exploring Charlotte Plains, historic woodshed, hot springs, birds etc.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Leave your vehicle safely parked at Morayfield.
We depart at 9:00am for St George for an overnight stop. We'll have couple of location shoots along the way to break up the trip.
Overnight St George
Day 2
After breakfast in St George we're heading west on the Adventure Way.
We'll stop at "Rayner Place" in Bollan yes, you read correctly, and take a walk along the banks of Wallam creek.
After checking in at Charlotte Plains we'll head down to the hot artesian bore. There's plenty of birdlife around the connecting water channels but you won't want to miss a chance to have a soak in one of the porcelain bath tubs overlooking the ponds.
Robyn, our hostess will have an awesome camp oven dinner ready fro us when we get back to the shearers quarters.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Day 3
Full day exploring Charlotte Plains, historic woodshed, hot springs, birds etc.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Day 4
Full day exploring Charlotte Plains, historic woodshed, hot springs, birds etc.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Day 5
Today we head west to Thargomindah.
We'll stop off at Lake Bindegolly to see what the bird hide has to offer before moving on to Thargomindah
A highlight will be a night shoot at the heritage park in Thargomindah photographing old windmills and oil pumps against the Southern Cross.
Overnight in Thargomindah
Full day exploring Charlotte Plains, historic woodshed, hot springs, birds etc.
Overnight in Charlotte Plains.
Day 5
Today we head west to Thargomindah.
We'll stop off at Lake Bindegolly to see what the bird hide has to offer before moving on to Thargomindah
A highlight will be a night shoot at the heritage park in Thargomindah photographing old windmills and oil pumps against the Southern Cross.
Overnight in Thargomindah
Day 6
After a hearty country breakfast we depart Thargomindah turning south for Kilcowera Station.
Overnight Kilcowera Station
After a hearty country breakfast we depart Thargomindah turning south for Kilcowera Station.
Overnight Kilcowera Station
Charlotte Plains Station was originally a property of approximately 155,920 hectares (385,280 acres) and was established in in the 1860s. By 1914 there were more than 67,000 head of sheep on the property producing nearly 1500 bales of wool. In 1923 the property was purchased by the Nagel family, which 96 years later still own the property to this day, with Robyn Russell the current custodian. The station is now somewhat smaller, covering 29,000 hectares – still half the size of Singapore!
Sheep shearing remains at the heart of Charlotte Plains and they now run both Merino Sheep for wool along with Dohne Rams for meat. Also recently introduced to the station are Aussie White Sheep, which shed their wool and are somewhat hardier in dry conditions. The wool averages 19-20 micron, and the farm continues to sheer the sheep in the historic original woolshed.
To provide much needed water for the property, in 1892 a bore was sunk into the Great Artesian Basin at a depth of 561m. Originally providing more than 11 million litres per day when sunk, by the 1970s this had decreased to just shy of 2 million litres per day. The flow has never been turned off. A network of bore drains distribute the water over more than 180km across the property, providing water for sheep and animals.
The water exits the borehead at approximately 42C, which combined with the minerals absorbed by the water in the underground basin make it quite relaxing to soak in. In 2019 Charlotte Plains upgraded their baths at the borehead, with a series of porcelin baths and a shower now overlooking the surrounding pools.
Sheep shearing remains at the heart of Charlotte Plains and they now run both Merino Sheep for wool along with Dohne Rams for meat. Also recently introduced to the station are Aussie White Sheep, which shed their wool and are somewhat hardier in dry conditions. The wool averages 19-20 micron, and the farm continues to sheer the sheep in the historic original woolshed.
To provide much needed water for the property, in 1892 a bore was sunk into the Great Artesian Basin at a depth of 561m. Originally providing more than 11 million litres per day when sunk, by the 1970s this had decreased to just shy of 2 million litres per day. The flow has never been turned off. A network of bore drains distribute the water over more than 180km across the property, providing water for sheep and animals.
The water exits the borehead at approximately 42C, which combined with the minerals absorbed by the water in the underground basin make it quite relaxing to soak in. In 2019 Charlotte Plains upgraded their baths at the borehead, with a series of porcelin baths and a shower now overlooking the surrounding pools.
Day 7 and 8
Two days in bird heaven. We'll explore the waterholes and lakes and the natural outback bush searching for many species including Crimson Chat, Purple-backed Fairy Wren, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Mulga Parrot, Red-browed Pardalote to name but a few.
Kilcowera Station backs onto Currawinya National Park providing a huge safe haven for wildlife and birds.
Overnight Kilcowera Station
Two days in bird heaven. We'll explore the waterholes and lakes and the natural outback bush searching for many species including Crimson Chat, Purple-backed Fairy Wren, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Mulga Parrot, Red-browed Pardalote to name but a few.
Kilcowera Station backs onto Currawinya National Park providing a huge safe haven for wildlife and birds.
Overnight Kilcowera Station
Day 9
Sadly, today we begin our trek back east. But, not before we have some photography fun along the way. We're heading for the old shearing shed in Currawinya before making our way back to Eulo.
Overnight at Eulo.
Sadly, today we begin our trek back east. But, not before we have some photography fun along the way. We're heading for the old shearing shed in Currawinya before making our way back to Eulo.
Overnight at Eulo.
The 80,000 ha of Mulga Rangelands which comprise both places is mainly within the Bulloo River Catchment. The region's environmental processes are determined by irregular rainfall and other episodic weather events that rarely follow predictable annual cycles. The Mulga region of South West Queensland includes some of the driest parts of inland Australia with an average rainfall of just nine inches.
They believe that maintaining the health of the soils, the native vegetation, and the native and domestic wildlife is vital for our country if they are to have a sustainable industry both on a personal and national level.
Unlike agricultural regions further east, healthy native vegetation is critical to the pastoral industry in the outback, providing valuable fodder for fattening cattle and sheep.
A conservative stocking rate of one beast to 100 acres is used to facilitate the management of the native vegetation and to keep a reasonable level of groundcover over the entire property.
Of course there are times when the elements are extremely unkind such as the decade between 2000 and 2010, when much of the country went through the worst drought in living memory. Many properties were completely destocked by the end of that drought, including Kilcowera and Zenonie.
Kilcowera Station is a member of the award winning Outback Beds network and has also received the Tourism Queensland Judges Commendation in 2010 and 2011 for Hosted Accommodation in the outback.
They believe that maintaining the health of the soils, the native vegetation, and the native and domestic wildlife is vital for our country if they are to have a sustainable industry both on a personal and national level.
Unlike agricultural regions further east, healthy native vegetation is critical to the pastoral industry in the outback, providing valuable fodder for fattening cattle and sheep.
A conservative stocking rate of one beast to 100 acres is used to facilitate the management of the native vegetation and to keep a reasonable level of groundcover over the entire property.
Of course there are times when the elements are extremely unkind such as the decade between 2000 and 2010, when much of the country went through the worst drought in living memory. Many properties were completely destocked by the end of that drought, including Kilcowera and Zenonie.
Kilcowera Station is a member of the award winning Outback Beds network and has also received the Tourism Queensland Judges Commendation in 2010 and 2011 for Hosted Accommodation in the outback.
Day 10
Today we're heading for Thallon to photograph the famous painted silos. The Siloart trail has around 46 silos in all all throughout Australia and Thallon's was voted the best. With a favourable sky we'll do another night shoot here after dinner against an amazing starry backdrop.
Overnight at Thallon
Day 11
We head north today along the Carnarvon Highway, with lunch at a local vineyard in St George, for Wagganba Station, a private cattle property and your home for the next 3 days.
Overnight Wagganba Station
Day 12
Before breakfast we'll head along the creek looking for birds. Common species around here include Restless Flycatcher, White-plumed Honeyeater, Variegated Fair-wren, Superb Fairy-wren, Zebra Finch and Plum-headed Finch to name but a few.
After breakfast we'll head exploring the property checking some of the dams for waders and keeping and eye out for the elusive White-winged Fairy-wren.
Back to the homestead for lunch and a rest before we head out to the escarpment for sunset.
After dinner we'll take advantage of moonless sky for our first astro shoot back at the 'Big Dam'.
Overnight Wagganba Station.
Day 13
Early morning free time to have a little sleep in or chase the birds frequenting the homestead. You may spot Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Red-rumped Parrots or even a Blue Bonnet.
Breakfast at 8:00am and then we're off exploring more of Wagganba Station.
We'll have a great session behind the old shearing shed which has a healthy population of Striated Pardalots, Zebra Finches and Plum-headed Finches.
Overnight Wagganba Station.
Day 13
After breakfast we'll say our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts and head east again passing through small country towns including Glenmorgan, The Gums and Tara. Plenty to keep us busy as the countryside continues to change on our way back to Morayfield.
Workshop ends.
Today we're heading for Thallon to photograph the famous painted silos. The Siloart trail has around 46 silos in all all throughout Australia and Thallon's was voted the best. With a favourable sky we'll do another night shoot here after dinner against an amazing starry backdrop.
Overnight at Thallon
Day 11
We head north today along the Carnarvon Highway, with lunch at a local vineyard in St George, for Wagganba Station, a private cattle property and your home for the next 3 days.
Overnight Wagganba Station
Day 12
Before breakfast we'll head along the creek looking for birds. Common species around here include Restless Flycatcher, White-plumed Honeyeater, Variegated Fair-wren, Superb Fairy-wren, Zebra Finch and Plum-headed Finch to name but a few.
After breakfast we'll head exploring the property checking some of the dams for waders and keeping and eye out for the elusive White-winged Fairy-wren.
Back to the homestead for lunch and a rest before we head out to the escarpment for sunset.
After dinner we'll take advantage of moonless sky for our first astro shoot back at the 'Big Dam'.
Overnight Wagganba Station.
Day 13
Early morning free time to have a little sleep in or chase the birds frequenting the homestead. You may spot Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Red-rumped Parrots or even a Blue Bonnet.
Breakfast at 8:00am and then we're off exploring more of Wagganba Station.
We'll have a great session behind the old shearing shed which has a healthy population of Striated Pardalots, Zebra Finches and Plum-headed Finches.
Overnight Wagganba Station.
Day 13
After breakfast we'll say our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts and head east again passing through small country towns including Glenmorgan, The Gums and Tara. Plenty to keep us busy as the countryside continues to change on our way back to Morayfield.
Workshop ends.
This photo safari will fill up very quickly. Limited to a maximum of 6 photographers you are assured of comfort and personal access to photography guidance.
Please get in quick and book your spot today.
Cost: $ 7490.00 per person
Includes :
- Accommodation for 13 nights
- All Meals
- Transportation in air-conditioned 4x4 transport starting in Caboolture and ending in Caboolture (or collection enroute)
Exclusions :
- All incidental personal items.
- Alcohol
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended and remains your responsibility.
This workshop is limited at 6 participants to ensure a high level of comfort and a high student/tutor ratio.
The workshop requires a minimum 3 bookings to proceed
A $1000.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your position.
(please note a 3.2% handling fee applies to credit card payments)
Final payment must be paid 14 days prior to the workshop.
To book please call Mark on 0459 221678 or email