Melaleuca Circuit Walk, Burrum Coast National Park, Woodgate,QLD.

Melaleuca Circuit

We accessed the Class 2, 8.8 km Melaleuca Circuit walk from Burrum Point Camping Area. If you are not staying in the campground and don't have a 4WD, it is easier to access the walk from the Walkers Point Day Use Area at the eastern end of The Esplanade in Walkers Point, however, the full circuit is 12.3 km from there.

We entered the track behind the self-registration stand at Burrum Point Camping Area and did the walk counter-clockwise. We noticed straight away that not many people had used the track. Our camping neighbours had been in the campground for three weeks but had not done the walk as they were enjoying themselves fishing every day. The walk started in a dry paperbark forest before changing to coastal woodland.

Rufous Whistler with catch.

Banksia

Rainbow Lorikeets

We encountered a great variety of butterflies on the walk and we disturbed a large number of Large Grass Yellow butterflies as we walked along the track.

Swamp Tiger, Purple Crow, Varied Eggfly, large Grass Yellow. These are my photos but I had to use a free collage service due to damaging my computer and loosing my collage program.

Brown Ringlet, closed (L), open (R)

Evening Brown: colour variants. 

We emerged onto a salt pan and took the turn to the bird hide. We tried to approach the hide with stealth but nevertheless we startled some ducks as we peered out of the hide and I am unsure of what type they were. We did see a Black-necked Stork fly away from the mangroves.

It is only a short extension to the bird hide.

Bird Hide

We decided not to walk into Walkers Point and continued on the return side of the circuit. We passed some wetland areas and then the track ran parallel to the beach before entering the Burrum Point campground right next to our campsite. We managed a quick photo of a local guy who gets around in a hovercraft.

Masked Lapwing

We enjoyed this walk; especially because of all the butterflies we saw. If this is a longer walk than you usually do then keep in mind it is an easy Class 2 walk which makes it quite achievable.