My visit to the Burdekin Dam (report to come) concluded with a scenic drive from Ravenswood to Clare and back to Townsville up the highway with a stop at Horseshoe Lagoon near Giru. Green Path has covered the route before (see below) so here we can be brief.
Ravenswood and White Blow
Down the range
The scenic part of the trip starts right at the crest of the range with views like this:
From there the road winds steeply down to the coastal plains, to pass through scrubby cattle country and then canefields.
Horseshoe Lagoon
It looks good on the map, and even in real life, but Horseshoe Lagoon is overly tranquil, let’s say. The bird hide is just beside the road (there’s space to pull up but not much more) and at present it looks over a 20 metre swathe of dead vegetation to the open water (perhaps someone is halfway through clearing the weeds). And beyond? Lots of water, not many birds.
This was my third or fourth visit in eight years and the third or fourth time I have thought that it’s worth the short detour from the highway but doesn’t justify a longer trip. The Town Common and even Ross Dam are consistently more enjoyable for walkers and rewarding for birders.
Older posts about this route
My introduction to the coast road, and an outline of Ravenswood’s history.