North Queensland Wildscapes Phototours with Paul Curtis

04/05/2026

Photoyarn 147
Ellis and Cairns Northern Beaches
Locals and visitors to Cairns in north Queensland have a playground of sand and seas at their feet in the beaches north of Cairns. In contrast to the mudflats fronting Cairns itself golden beaches swaying palms dot the beaches and bays between the Cook Highway and the Coral Sea. If ever you are in need of a photographic fix or just a plain chill on a quiet beach here are a few random examples of scenery taken over recent months and years.

08/04/2026

Photoyarn 146
The Wild River Cascades
I have written about the Wild River in north Queensland before. Just the name must invoke a degree of curiosity. I heard about the Wild River Gorge decades ago when I was living in Brisbane when it was a national park proposal and even when I moved north it still took me years to find my way in there. So, it’s only been in the last few years that I have had a chance to explore the area and find some scenic treasures tucked away off the beaten path. The area subject to this trip is what I call the lower cascades. It’s a bit of a rough drive and a bit of off-track walking but the remoteness is what makes it even more special. The area is moderately protected under state forest and even from the drone the distant landscapes seem wild and wonderful. I walked in and spent a night in a place I scouted out a few years ago. It was October so water levels weren’t high but that just means I’ll have to return when the cascades are thundering. Now sounds like a good time!

04/04/2026

This is a short compile of some of the aerial video taken through Western Australia's Pilbara and Ningaloo coast. My videos usually get neglected in favour of the traditional stills so I put together the bits I had which capture the scenery in quite a different way.
Link below.

During our too brief photographic tour around North-western Australia I captured some aerial video moments to embellish my ground shots with some different p...

24/03/2026

Photography workshop in Cairns
I'll be running a short intro to Landscape/Outdoors photography through the Cairns Photography Group on Saturday 2nd of May at Yorkeys K**b beach (northern end picnic area). Numbers are limited to allow time for one-on-one assistance. We'll have a couple of hours to talk about the basics of digital photography and composition and have opportunities to look at subjects in different ways to suit your own styles and how to get the best out of your camera. Come along with questions and ideas. Details in the attached link. I look forward to catching up with some of you.

22/03/2026

Photoyarn 145
Stannary Hills Dam
Just before set off on our big Western Australia trip I bought myself a new drone. Weight and space were going to be limited so I was looking at my camping and photography kit critically. This was my excuse to pick up the latest in medium sized drones – a Mavic Air 3S. Not wanting any nasty surprises I went on a short trip to put it through its paces and get the hang of a different screen and features. The new in-camera panoramic features are quite handy and easy to use. I was due for a return trip to the Stannary Hills countryside west of Irvinebank in north Queensland. This area is steeped in history and great for birdlife around the permanent water source. Reflections were the order of the day. I knew the weather and light would be good so here’s the results of some ground and aerial photography. As usual we had the place to ourselves. Contact Boonmoo station to inquire about camping.

20/03/2026

Photoyarn 136 pt 12 and final
One of our hoped for targets in our wanderings through Western Australia was wildflowers. August was the beginning of the season and we hoped that somewhere we would find some fields of colour after our time in the red gorges. We plotted our southern return drive through the township of Mullewa which was apparently a wildflower hotspot. However, due to various distractions along our drive we didn’t get there until around 5 pm and then it was a bit of a panic to find some flowers. Just out of town we found a good spot just as the sun was hitting the horizon so it was a bit of fast shooting from the hip as it was quite windy and we needed some good light. We hoped the following morning might give us another and better opportunity – but we woke up to rain – which persisted for most of the day. So, apart from a few brief detours it was back to Perth, drop of the car, say goodbye to my fellow photogs as they flew back home – and then start the next part of my adventure as wife Di flies in as the others fly out.

17/03/2026

Photoyarn 144
Bob’s Lookout
There’s nothing like beautiful morning light to brighten up normally dull western landscapes. While off on another adventure I passed by Bob’s Lookout on the Desailly Range, north-west of Cairns and on the road to Cape York. I wanted to start walking at my destination further up the road early but I talked myself into stopping for a few minutes to take in this wild scenery in great light. Certainly glad I did. The grasses were turning red at this time of year and positively glowed at dawn.

16/03/2026

Photoyarn 136 pt 11
Through the Pilbara
Heading back towards Perth on our 2-and-a-bit week whirlwind photo trip through northern Western Australia. We did as you do – stop everywhere interesting we could given our fairly tight schedule. The highway went past a little Nat Park called Collier Range. Couldn’t find out much about it so no expectations. Except that we drove past it just near sunset. So some unplanned time was spent trying to do a small part of it justice. We spent the night just down the road at a dusty roadhouse, camping out the back. We enjoyed a drink and some nice meals before we hit the road south. Our next distraction was just outside Meekatharra. Much of our driving was spent looking at Google Earth where we had reception to see what the surrounding country was like. The highway went through the middle of some amazing salt pans – so we lingered longer. We were to pay for it down the track. I had an interesting encounter with a Wedge-tailed Eagle.

12/03/2026

Photoyarn 143
Ecotone
“a region of transition between two biological communities”
Hard up against the rainforests of the wet tropics in north Queensland are eucalypt communities supporting quite different plants and animals. Often there is an abrupt change to drier eucalypt forests but sometimes there are areas known as wet sclerophyll forests where tall Rose Gums grow. These beautiful trees create a wonderful habitat for the larger possum species – and are also very photogenic for the photographer sub-species. For many years I have been tracking down these ecotones where the tall trees grow but often are difficult to photograph usually because of a messy understory of shrubs and weeds. Well we found a good one (see Photoyarn 141) and resolved to return and explore further. It was not far off a 4wd track and possessing a pleasant understory of ferns and low grasses between the tall trunks. An easy walk in. The following morning we were distracted a bit from our trees by the swirling mists of the lower Quandong Creek valley.

08/03/2026

Photoyarn 136 pt10
Hancock Gorge
What a great place to (almost) end our journey. I had read widely and studied photographs of Karanjini but as usual you can never be prepared for what you’re going to see. For a start the brochures all rated the walks as difficult requiring considerable experience and effort. I thought many of the destinations might be beyond me with carting all my usual gear. I was surprised to see that there were old(er) folks and families with small kids venturing into these tricky places. It was great to see the excitement in kids faces as they challenged themselves (and their parents) in wading through deep pools and clinging to the sides of cliffs. However it meant early morning starts and night-time returns were required to capture scenes without hordes of people. Kerry left his precious hat in the gorge so Steve offered to quickly duck back down to the gorge to find it in the dark. We spent 2 nights in the vicinity of Hancock Gorge and ticked off all the iconic places – the Spiderwalk, Kermit’s Pool, Handrail Pool and the Amphitheatre. We left feeling that collectively we had captured the essence of this small part of the park and saved more for later.