Morning at Jabiru Safari Lodge.

Posted on by Thor

Terry went on an early morning jeep safari with the other avid birders at Jabiru Safari Lodge in Australia. That left my morning open to sketch the lodge. I was seated right next to the lake as I sketched. I started hearing splashing noises behind me and was surprised to see a wild boar skinny dipping in the lake. He would dip his head under the water and let it roll off his back. He splashed around for a good ten minutes or so before he got out shook off his coat and started walking down the trail towards me. When he finally noticed me sitting there, he took off with a grunt and darted into the woods with a few nimble bounds. I’m glad he was more startled than I was because if he chose to charge, I would have been screwed. I was wide awake and thrilled. What a way to start the day!

When the jeep got back Terry and I had breakfast on the patio. Terry was excited by all the species of birds that had been spotted. The expert birders could pick out birds by their calls and knew how to spot them at great distances. Over breakfast Terry noted the birds she had seen on her Australian bird list. She had purchased a bird book in Sydney‘s Royal Botanical Gardens and already most of the birds pictures were checked off.

The Jabiru Safari Tents had all the comforts of home.

Posted on by Thor

As the sun set, we settled into our Jabiru Safari Lodge Tents in the Australian outback. I tried to keep it zipped up to keep the bugs out. There were also Emu’s on property so I wanted to keep them out as well. The tent had two twin beds along with lights on the bed stands. I find it hard to fall asleep in a tent since you can hear every bug and animal. There was the sound of something prowling about but when I stuck my head out to look, I didn’t see anything in the dark. The shower behind the tent was open air and ants liked to stop by probably for the moisture.

Terry relaxed and read her Vogue magazine while I sketched.  Most of the day, Terry went on a birding trip with several birding experts who were staying in the tent next to ours. One of them had seen more birds in one year than anyone else. That title must be based on the honor system because sometimes birds are so far away that you couldn’t be 100% sure of its identity. I think birders should be required to sketch every bird they identify.  That would cut down on the numbers and guarantee that the birder took the time to look at every feature of plumage and structure. Perhaps I will sketch every bird I see in a year. Whatever the number, I have a good chance of seizing the title of the most birds sketched. I wouldn’t kill them like Audubon, but sketch them on location if they cooperate.

Glamping at Jabiru Safari Lodge in Australia.

Posted on by Thor

Terry became quite obsessed about seeing as many of Australia‘s indigenous birds as she could. To beef up her bird list, we went to Jabiru Safari Lodge (Pickford Road | PO Box 1364, Mareeba, Queensland 4880, Australia ) where we camped in the outback. We as usual, got lost on the drive there. A wrong turn sent us into a herd of cattle. A few phone calls eventually got us to the site. There were two huge tents set up on permanent wooden platforms. By the time we arrived, the sun was setting making the trees light up a bright orange. I immediately sketched the new domicile while Terry went for a hike. The tent came complete with a working shower out back, and a small refrigerator and fans to cool us down. It was definitely a step up from the tiny pup tent I took on my cross country bike trek as a teen.

In this part of the country there are large round jar shaped structures found everywhere. They are the homes to termites and some are more than six feet high. There were several right in front of our tent. What makes this area unique is that a large man made lake has been created that is a magnate for tons of migrating and local birds.  There is a lodge right on the water where you can relax and have a drink as the sun sets. Barn swallows have nests in the rafters and the parents are always busy sweeping in to give food to the chirping chicks in the nests.