In 1912, an Irish family began dairy farming in what is now Lamington National Park. When the National Park was established several years later they found that there was more money in providing meals and accommodations to the visitors who had began flocking up to the rainforest to experience nature. Today the fourth generation of O'Reillys is still providing nature, meals, and shelter to people wanting to see the fabulous scenic views and natural history that Lamington Park has to offer.
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| Accommodations have improved tremendously since the primitive early days |
Since the beginning, bird lovers have been drawn to O'Reillys, and O'Reillys make sure they don't leave disappointed. A daily "flight show" of birds of prey is entertaining.
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| Handler with Barn Owl |
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| Barking Owl |
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| Black Kite |
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| Wedge-tailed Eagle |
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| Wedge-tailed Eagle with guest |
Each morning there is a free guided bird hike with one of the interpreters. He arrives with a small package of food to start his walk and birds mob him for a handout. They gather in front of the restaurant well before he shows up and it is obvious this scene has been playing out for many years. It is easy to tell when the show begins, even if you are not present, as the screams from surprised guests when the O'Reilly birds land on their heads carries well.
One of the most interesting groups of birds here is the bowerbirds. The most spectacular is one which has become the symbol for O'Reillys, the Regent Bowerbird.
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| Male Regent Bowerbird |
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| Female Regent Bowerbird |
The bowerbirds are famous for the male's construction of a bower in which to lure the female. A tremendous amount of effort is spent in collecting items to decorate the area. Most of the male's waking hours are spent in improving and maintaining this courtship bower. No nesting is done here-only the courtship of any females in the vicinity. The males are meticulous in their placement of colorful objects. Studies have shown that any rearrangement of the males decorations by biologists causes the male to begin placing the objects back to their original place. The bowers of the Regent Bowerbird are placed deep in the rainforest and difficult to find. The bowers of the Satin Bowerbird are much easier to find, sometimes even being placed in areas with a lot of human traffic.
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| The bower of a Satin Bowerbird. Blue is the color of choice. Before human trash became available, flower petals and more natural objects were used by the birds. |
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| Satin Bowerbird at its bower |
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The Satin Bowerbird does not have the gaudy colors of the Regent Bowerbird, but nevertheless has a beautiful shiny bluish black plumage.
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| Here we have the reason for all this avian effort-the female Satin Bowerbird |
There always seems to be something new to see, either out on the trails or around the lodges themselves.
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| Crimson Rosella |
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| Pied Currawong |
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| Eastern Spinebill |
Every day it was birding overload but then in the evening you would look out your window and as clouds rolled in either above or below you, the previous sky would disappear only to be replaced by a completely different one. You would forget birds, grab your camera, and start clicking away again.
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