Make sure you don’t miss the exciting natural events on show at El Questro Gorge, Emma Gorge and the whole El Questro Wilderness Park with our nature diary.
Click on each month to see who is dropping in:
January
- The showy, white flowers of the Boab tree are in full force. Individual flowers only last for one night.
- King Brown hatchlings are about 25cm long.
- Brolgas commence their elaborate mating dance.
- Average rainfall 225 mm.
February
- Wettest month. Access roads are flooded and El Questro generally isolated.
- Frilled neck lizards hatch.
- Brolgas are starting to nest.
- Death Adders give birth to 20 live young.
- Breeding season of the Magpie Goose starts.
- Average rainfall 240mm.
March
- The pendulous, red flowers of the Freshwater Mangrove appear periodically.
- Brolgas are hatching.
- Breeding season of the Black Cockatoo commences and lasts for most of the year.
- Estuarine Crocodile eggs are hatching.
- Average rainfall 110 mm.
April
- Country dries out with the end of the Wet Season.
- Flowering Banksias are found around Zebedee Springs.
- Turkey Bush starts to flower.
- Breeding season of Jabiru starts.
- Average rainfall 38 mm.
May
- The yellow flowers of the Kapok Bush start to appear.
- Silver Leaf Grevillea blossoms.
- The pink Rosella flower begins to grow.
- The papery Everlastings begin flowering in Pindan country.
- The deciduous Boab begins to drop its leaves.
- Acacias are beginning to flower.
- Average rainfall 29 mm.
June
- The striking red flowers of the Kimberley Rose tree are flowering.
- The creamy-green flowers of the Blue Grevillea are starting to show.
- Bauhinias start to flower.
- The White Dragon tree starts to flower.
- The Caustic Bush, a Grevillea, is flowering.
- Average rainfall 4.8 mm.
July
- Rosella flowers develop into a deep red succulent fruit.
- The striking orange flowers of the Needle Leaf Grevillea are starting to appear.
- The flowers of the Caustic Bush develop into round woody seed pods.
- Average rainfall 1.6 mm.
August
- The creamy yellow flowers of the Prickly Grevillea develop into woody fruits.
- Needle Leaf Grevillea is still flowering.
- Bauhinia flowers are slowly developing into large, pendulous seed pods.
- Freshwater Crocodiles nest in sandbanks close to water and lay up to 20 eggs.
- Average rainfall 1.3 mm.
September
- Turkey Bush flowers seen only fleetingly.
- The Needle Leaf Grevilleas cease flowering.
- Cabbage Gums are starting to flower.
- The end of the ''cold'' nights. Temperatures are slowly rising.
- Average rainfall 14 mm.
October
- The creamy white flowers of the Cabbage Gum are in full swing.
- First thunderstorms. Temperature and humidity rises.
- End of the Dry Season. El Questro closes its gates for the Wet Season.
- Freshwater Crocodile hatchlings emerge.
- The first leaves appear on the Boab.
- Average rainfall 25 mm.
November
- The build up. Very hot and humid. Rainfall increases.
- Spectacular lightning shows.
- The last Cabbage Gums flower.
- Pandanus are flowering.
- The growling and hissing of mating Estuarine Crocodiles can be heard.
- Olive Pythons lay clutches of 10-20 eggs.
- Average rainfall 84 mm.
December
- Christmas Mistletoe flowers mainly in December, hence its name.
- Boabs are starting to flower.
- Frilled neck Lizards lay clutches of 10-20 eggs in soft soil.
- The female Estuarine Crocodile lays up to 70 eggs in a mound close to water.
- The green leaves of the Boab are fully developed.
- Average rainfall 176 mm.
