Part 1: Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October – Macquarie Marshes

Part 2: Friday 2 October to Wednesday 7 October – Binnaway area

On this trip we will be exploring the area around the little town of Binnaway in central NSW on the Castlereagh River. We’ll be based in a private property that is a native plant nursery a few minutes out of town.

The trip will take place over the October Labour Day weekend, which hopefully will give working people an opportunity to participate.

Binnaway is around six hours drive from Canberra. We’ll aim to arrive on the afternoon of Friday 2 October and leave early on Wednesday 7 October. People are of course welcome to arrive later or leave earlier.

The itinerary is loose at the moment but will likely include:

• A day exploring the property, which is a haven for honeyeaters.
• A day exploring the Binnaway region.
• Day trips potentially to Coonabarabran, the Warrumbungles and/or the Pilliga.

There is space to camp on the property. There is a small number of bedrooms in an unoccupied second house on the property which can be claimed by whoever gets back to me first. There is also affordable accommodation in Binnaway at the Railway Heritage Barracks: https://www.facebook.com/binnawayrailwaybarracks2395/

Binnaway sits near the boundary of the Great Dividing Range and the western plains and is on the Castlereagh River so there should be a good variety of birds. It will be spring so there should also be a good selection of returning migrants. It’s also wildflower season and our hosts are wildflower experts so we should get good tips on the best sites to visit.

The number of participants will be capped at 16.

But wait, there’s more! Before Binnaway I’ll be visiting the Macquarie Marshes, which are a huge Ramsar wetland in northern NSW. I’ll be camping at Willie Retreat, a cattle station on the edge of the marshes that offers powered ($40) and unpowered campsites ($30) and bathroom facilities: https://willieretreat2824.wixsite.com/willie-retreat

There’s meant to be good birdwatching at Willie Retreat itself, with Brolgas and Glossy Ibis and even sightings of Australasian Bittern and Australian Painted Snipe. However, staying there provides access to several other great activities in the marshes:

• It’s about 20 minutes’ drive from Burrima Boardwalk. Built by local landowners and conservationists, the 2km long boardwalk allows you to walk out into the marshes. It’s a great spot. I visited about four years ago and have been wanting to go back ever since. The cost per car is $25 but I think you can get multiple visits for that: https://burrimamacquariemarshes.com/
• Macquarie Marshes kayak tours. These guided paddling tours get you out into the middle of the marshes, which are normally inaccessible. The price for a 2 ½ hour paddle is $150: https://www.macquariemarsheskayaktours.com.au/
• NSW NPS Macquarie Marshes wading and walking tour. As the name suggests, this is a walk through the marshes themselves where you get wet… This activity costs $30: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/macquarie-marshes-wading-and-nature-walk

The kayak and wading tours are only held in spring. The wading tour is not offered every day and it looks like Tuesday 29 October is the only date that will work for us. It’s up to you to book accommodation and activities for yourselves but I’m planning on the following itinerary:

• Monday 28 Sept: drive to Willie Retreat, probably via Parkes (around 7 hours).
• Tuesday 29 Sept: wading/walking tour in morning, Burrima boardwalk in afternoon/evening and spotlighting.
• Wednesday 30 Sept: morning kayak tour. There is also an afternoon/evening one which I might do as well. There are only four participants in each session (six if we go as a group) so don’t leave booking until the last minute!
• Thursday 1 October: general birding including Burrima boardwalk.
• Friday 2 October: relocate to Binnaway via Gilgandra, which has some birding opportunities (around 3 hour drive).

You are very welcome to just do the Macquarie Marshes or the Binnaway half of the trip.

Of course, everything will depend on the fuel situation. We had to cancel the planned Easter camping trip to western NSW earlier this year due to fuel shortages and uncertainty. Hopefully we’ll have better luck this time. It probably makes sense to carpool if possible. I can fit one or two people and their gear in my ute, but you would need to work with my itinerary. I can also put people looking to carpool in touch with each other.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me on 0418 264 868 or at pickelbarrel@gmail.com