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Video Time-Lapse Series: How does season affect waterholes in Cape York?

The Condition of Lagoons in Cape York Over 2 Years

Quite often, people ask me what Cape York is like at certain times of the year: wet, dry, cold, hot?  Before taking on Cockatours, I worked as an ecologist in central Cape York for 5 years and we monitored everything from feral pigs and sea turtles to the micro-biotic communities living in the water!  This video shows two lagoons, side-by-side, and how season affects them and what an intervention method like fencing results in!  It’s quite wild really!

In Cape York, Australia, exclusion fencing is used to protect significant wetlands from feral pig damage. Fencing also protects cultural sites and promotes the regeneration of the waterhole, including freshwater fish and turtle species. Often unfenced waterholes won’t last as long into the season.  Pigs cause the isolation of small parcels of water through digging which increases water temperature and evaporation rates.

This video shows two lagoons fenced near Coen in Cape York. One is protected from pig access.  The other allows pigs, but excludes cattle and horses. This method allows us to observe the impact of pigs on a waterhole and we can gauge if pig control in the area is successful. If it is, the lagoon that excludes pigs, should look the same as the lagoon that allows pigs (if there are any).  See if you can guess which one excludes pigs!

View more of our videos here at our Gallery.

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We honestly believe our tours are some of the best tours in Australia! Our Cape York and Gulf Savannah tours are extensively researched and field tested to bring you the best tours you could imagine! We are adventurers and travellers at heart but also perfectionists, and we want you have to have the holiday of a lifetime! They are relaxed tours, not tick-n-flick! We believe these tours are the most comprehensive, best value tours for all of these regions. I’ll buy you a coldy if I’m wrong!

Our tours are camping  orientated to be more authentic and our camp gear is high quality. Our tour trucks, ‘Zeus’ & ‘Herc’, are equipped with comfy seats, fridges and powerful AC! We are super excited with the tours we’ve produced for 2023 & we can’t wait to share the adventure with you! We aim to make our tours senior friendly and we craft each tour with that in mind!

We also run leadership development camps for youth, speak in schools and do photography tours and lessons. Customised bookings, bus hire and bucks & hens parties are also welcome!

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