Last November, I went on a trip for three days to the Iron Range National Park. This park is located near the northern end of the Cape York Peninsula. A 4x4 vehicle is required for the drive but the main north/south road is in good condition unless it rains. The road that branches to the east and eventually reaches the Lockhart River is more difficult. We were delayed for a couple of hours on our return journey due to a road train that had become stuck in one of the river crossings.
The Iron Range NP was long on my wish list of places to visit. The forest of the park is really an extension of New Guinea into Australia. Many plants and animals are found only in these rainforests in Australia although they may be more widespread further to the north. For my friend and I, the real attraction was the chance to look for a Green Tree Python, the most beautiful of the pythons in Australia.
Here is a Google Earth Map that shows the location of the Iron Range:
The drive to the park passed through dry, open eucalyptus forest. The grassland understorey is burned at the end of the dry season to improve the feed for cattle. Notice anything in the first photo below??? (hint, right centre)
The Iron Range itself was a mosaic of rainforest and eucalyptus woodland:
Some parts of the park were covered with heath lands:
... beach area near Lockhart River, an aboriginal village.
My visit coincided with the end of the dry season. I saw a few butterflies but most were in very poor condition. I don't know how some of these could still fly!
We found this Red-banded Jezabel (Delias mysis) at night while searching for reptiles. This is a common butterfly in northern Queensland but they tend to remain high where they are hard to photograph.
Scarlet Jezabels (Delias argenthona) are also common in the north.
I was very happy to see this Australian Harlequin (Praetaxila segecia), our one and only metalmark. This species is restricted to Cape York. Its behaviour was much like the Harlequins that I observed at Taman Negara. It was nervous and frequently flew from shrub to shrub in the forest interior.
This is a Black-eyed Plane (Pantoporia venilia), another Cape York endemic (left) and a White-banded Plane (Phaedyma shepherdi), a species widespread in coastal eastern Australia.
Hamadryad (Tellervo zoilus) are members of ithomiinae. They are distasteful to birds and they have a rather slow flight in the forest understorey.
This Lurcher (Yoma sabina) was at the end of its life but it was exciting to me. It was another specialty of the far north and my first sighting of the species.
I believe that the Delias mysis is ssp. waterhousei (male). It is only found in the northernmost part of Cape York. There are two other ssp. found in Australia, the nominate ssp. D. m. mysis is found further down the Queensland coast, and D. m. aestiva is found in Arnhem Land. I think that this species is called Union Jack in Australia, is that right? (There are 13 ssp. of tis species in all)
There are two ssp. of D. argenthona in Australia ( and a third in southern Papua New Guinea). The one you have seen is the nominate ssp. The other, D. a. fragalactea is found in Northern Australia, in a large area around Darwin.
CherHern, I would strongly recommend that you do not get too close to the Death Adder or the King Brown. Both are considered in the top 10 of most dangerous snakes in the world, I believe!
Australia, Cape York, Iron Range NP
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