AUSTRALIAN PIED OYSTERCATCHER, FROM MV EYE SPY, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

   We can ID this oystercatcher as an Australian Pied Oystercatcher by its black color with white breast and belly, bright orange-red bill, red eye, pink legs and prominent white mark between the folded wings and the breast. 

   The Australian Pied Oystercatcher is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 712.

WELCOME SWALLOW, FROM MV EYE SPY, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

RED-NECKED WALLABIES, ROAD ON THE WAY DOWN FROM O'REILLY'S, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

WHIPTAIL WALLABIES, ROAD ON THE WAY DOWN FROM O'REILLY'S RAINFOREST RETREAT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

VIEWS FROM ROAD ON WAY DOWN FROM O'REILLY'S RAINFOREST RETREAT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

AIRPLANE & SCULPTURE, O'REILLY'S RAINFOREST RETREAT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

   On Feb. 19, 1937 a Stinson Model A airliner disappeared during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney, carrying 5 passengers and two pilots.  Both pilots and two passengers were killed in the crash.  One of the surviving passengers died while attempting to get help.

   After the aircraft was discovered to be missing, Bernard O'Reilly believed it hadn't had enough height to clear the mountains. He hiked into the mountains to look for it on Feb. 28.  He camped overnight and found the wreckage on March 1, along with two surviving passengers - Joseph Binstead who was uninjured and John Proud who had a broken leg.  On seeing O'Reilly they asked to shake his hand and asked what the cricket scores were.

  The plane at O'Reilly's is a replica plane used in the Australian TV movie "The Riddle of the Stinson" (1987) about the plane crash.  The sculpture shows O'Reilly finding the two survivors. 

   

PIED CURRAWONG, O'REILLY'S RAINFOREST RETREAT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA