Best time to visit currawinya national park?

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butters

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As the title suggest just after opinions from people who have been there of the best times to visit currawinya national park.

i have been there many years ago but I was more into birds than herps at that time.

Wanting to take the kids camping and some night time herping to see critters a bit different than around here.
 
I haven't been there specifically but a few places nearby. After rain is best. Otherwise depends what you're doing. Late spring is good for geckos and some dragon species.
 
Really want to show them levis in the wild and that's about the closest we are likely to see them. Mostly geckos was the target although they are keen to see any wildlife and just like it when I take them bush (as do I).
 
eyeshine the sand ridge country anywhere from october to march. No Moon and after light rain is ideal. Heavy rain out there and access can become difficult.
 
Thanks guys. I've been in the general area numerous times and seen levis out there but because of my work, kids school etc I have to plan in advance. So the range of October to March helps although I guess I was chasing a specific month as October to March works most places.

Coinciding with rain events would be ideal but very hard to plan for months ahead. It's a little easier to fit in with the moon phases.

I've never really gotten the knack of picking up eye shine. Sometimes it works for me, other times I don't see anything even though I know an animal is there.

We are doing a granite belt trip in the next few weeks which is always fun and do almost weekly trips locally.

is there anywhere better than currawinya that's a similar distance from Brisbane?
 
Hi Andrew,

Eyeshine is a little tough to get the hang of but very productive when you get the hang of it.....right light and right position are the keys
 
Hey butters,

I was in currawinya np at the start of november (the 9th) however I was only there for one night on a flying trip and it was quite cold and windy so definitely not a great herping night, because of the air temp there were no levis out and about however we still found plenty of ciliaris, and aI few beaked Geckos and box patterned.

I believe there are levis in lake bindegolly np however that is not a camping area and could perhaps form part of your contingency plan!

Have fun, the trick with eye shine is to look for something that seems different, often has a red tinge to it and doesn't 'sparkle' as Geckos don't reflect from multiple eyes like spiders do.
 
If you go there while it is dry the the wildlife is confined to near the fresh waterhole. While not that effective for reptiles, it makes it easier to see parrots and other birds. And it was in that park I found out you can get bloody close to an emu without seeing him.
OH - And while camping I did have this Mulga swim past the camp.
 

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Yes it's the right light and right position that I haven't quite got the knack of. I can find geckos using eye shine but I suck at it and yes have worked out that the green and blue sparkly ones are almost always spiders.

I have taken my work colleagues for a few night time herp trips and after pointing out to them that all those sparkly things are spiders they kind of lost it and wouldn't get out of the car!! Or rather they didn't believe me until one of them got me to stop, wandered over with a torch to have a look, then screamed like a girl and almost ripped the door off the cruiser trying to get back in.
They then proceeded to count what we could see from the car and once they got past a hundred they started abusing me. Now they won't go out after dark. I should have added they are pretty much all kiwis.
I still laugh just thinking about it.
 
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