Nature’s calendar of events

Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Queensland’s parks feature an amazing line up of spectacular natural events and seasonal attractions.

Regardless of what time of the year you visit there is always something to see, and one visit will never be like the next! Here’s a few of nature’s seasonal highlights and where to see them.

Season	Month	Wildlife spectacle	Details	Location
Summer/ Autumn	January–March	Sea turtle hatching	Sea turtle hatchlings emerge from nests and clamber across the beach to the sea.	Central Coast Mon Repos Conservation Park Capricornia Cays National Park
Summer/ Autumn	January–March	Waterbirds breeding	Waterbirds, such as brolgas, magpie geese and jacanas, and ducks, such as Pacific Black ducks and whistling ducks, nest and lay eggs during wet season when food in wetlands is abundant.	Outback Queensland; Around Townsville; Around Cairns; Cape York Peninsula Currawinya National Park Townsville Town Common Conservation Park Hasties Swamp National Park Keatings Lagoon Conservation Park Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park (CYPAL)
Autumn	March–April	Easter bilby arrives	The bilby, a small endangered mammal, is promoted as the Aussie symbol for Easter to raise awareness for bilby conservation.	Outback Queensland Dry grasslands of western Queensland Diamantina National Park Currawinya National Park
Winter	May–August	Albert’s lyrebird breeding	Male lyrebirds call, mimicking other rainforest sounds, to attract and impress potential mates.	Around Brisbane Lamington National Park Tamborine National Park
Winter/ Spring	June–September	Manta rays congregating	Manta rays congregate around Lady Elliot Island for cleaning by cleaner wrasse and are curious about scuba divers.	Southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, along reef edges and cays, such as Lady Eliot Island
Winter/ Spring	June–October	Cassowaries nesting	Female birds lay eggs and males incubate eggs for 50 days then raise the chicks for nine to 18 months.	Around Cairns Djiru National Park Daintree National Park (CYPAL)
Winter/ Spring	June–mid-November	Humpback whales migrating	Humpback whales migrate north to give birth then return to southern Antarctic waters for summer.	Around Brisbane; Sunshine Coast; Mackay/Proserpine; Central Coast; Around Townsville, North Queensland coastal waters from Point Danger to offshore Cairns Around Fraser Coast: Great Sandy Marine Park
Winter/ Spring	July–November	Magpies breeding	Magpies nest in tall trees and are protective of their chicks, often swooping on ‘invaders’ to their territories.	Parks throughout Queensland, in grassy open areas
Winter/ Spring	August–September	Wildflower viewing	Spectacular wildflower displays splash colour among massive granite outcrops in spring.	West of Brisbane Girraween National Park
Winter/ Spring	August–September	Wildflower viewing	Spectacular wildflower displays splash colour across the coastal heathlands.	Sunshine Fraser Coast Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park Mooloolah River National Park Burrum Coast National Park Noosa National Park K’gari (Fraser Island), Great Sandy National Park Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park
Winter/ Spring	August–November	Black flying foxes breed	Flying foxes give birth during the flowering season, when food is abundant, and carry their young on their backs.	Coastal areas and near coastal parks throughout Queensland
Spring	September	Migratory koels (storm birds) calling	Migratory koels, storm birds, give their distinctive calls when they arrive from the north, often heralding the spring storms.	Around Brisbane; Sunshine Coast South East Queensland coastal lowland parks
Spring/ Summer	September–February	Beach stone-curlews nesting	Beach stone-curlews nest on sandbanks, sandpits or islands in estuaries, coral ridges, among mangroves or in sand surrounded by grasses.	Central Coast; Mackay/Proserpine; around Townsville; around Cairns; Cape York Peninsula coastal and island parks
Spring/ Summer	September–March	Migratory shorebird viewing	Migratory shorebirds (waders) arrive from the northern hemisphere to spend the southern summer feeding in wetlands and at off-shore islands before departing around March.	Around Brisbane; Outback Queensland; Central Coast; Around Townsville Moreton Bay Marine Park Currawinya National Park Great Sandy Marine Park Bowling Green Bay National Park Great Barrier Reef islands
Spring	October	Koalas mating	Koalas mate in open forests; young are born 35 days later and remain in the pouch for next 6 months.	Around Brisbane; Central Coast; around Townsville Daisy Hill Conservation Park Magnetic Island National Park
Spring/ Summer	October–March	Manta ray viewing	Manta rays can be seen regularly from North Stradbroke Island’s rocky headlands.	Around Brisbane Naree Budjong Djara National Park
Spring/ Summer/ Autumn	October–April	Seabirds nesting	Seabirds, such as terns, nest in dense breeding colonies, incubating their eggs in shallow scrapes in the sand for about one month; young seabirds live in crèches, reliant upon parent birds for up to four months.	Coastal parks and islands throughout Queensland Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park Capricornia Cays National Park Whitsunday Islands National Park Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park
Spring/ Summer/ Autumn	October–April	Wedge-tailed shearwaters nesting	Thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters arrive at NorthWest Island in October to nest; fledglings leave their burrows and adult shearwaters leave the islands around April.	Central Coast Capricornia Cays National Park
Spring	October–November	Freshwater crocodile hatching	Freshwater crocodile hatchlings emerge from nests near water’s edge in rivers and swamps.	Inland waters of Outback Queensland; Central Highlands; Central Coast; around Townsville; around Cairns
Spring/ Summer	October–December	Coral spawning	Mass spawning of corals on the Great Barrier Reef occurs over a few nights, usually 4–6 days after the full moon.	Central Coast; around Townsville; around Cairns Offshore islands and reefs
Spring/ Summer	November–January	Sea turtle nesting	Female sea turtles come ashore on beaches and islands to lay eggs in sandy nests.	Central Coast Mon Repos Conservation Park Capricornia Cays National Park
Spring/ Summer	November–February	Rainforest canopy flowering	Flame trees, lacebarks, white ash, wonga and bower vines flower pink, red and white, adding colour to the rainforest canopy and carpeting the forest floor.	Around Brisbane; Sunshine Coast Lamington National Park Conondale National Park Kondalilla National Park Mapleton Falls National Park Bellthorpe National Park Mapleton National Park
Spring/ Summer	November–February	Bat cave tours	Ranger-guided tours of Bat Cleft Cave to view thousands of little bent-wing bats during breeding season.	Central Coast Mount Etna Caves National Park
Summer	December–February	Cicadas emerge	Cicadas (insects) emerge from their ‘shells’ and sing to attract mates, providing the shrill background drone of the Aussie summer.	Parks throughout North, Central and South East Queensland
Summer	December–February	Richmond birdwing butterflies in flight	Vulnerable butterflies may be spotted during flight period, colourful males hover around rainforest creeks and clearings.	Around Brisbane; Sunshine Coast: Burleigh Head National Park Lamington National Park Conondale National Park Parklands Conservation Park Bellthorpe National Park Mapleton National Park Kondalilla National Park Mapleton Falls National Park
Summer	December–March	Bunya nuts drop	Bunya pines drop cones containing edible seeds known as bunya ‘nuts’. Heavy crops occur about every three years. Aboriginal people gathered for bunya festivals that coincided with this natural event.	Around Brisbane: Bunya Mountains National Park
Summer	December–March	Glow worms	A colony of thousands of glow-worms found in the cave's roof at Natural Bridge can only be seen after sunset. The best bioluminescence displays are usually during the warmer, wetter months of the year.	Around Brisbane Springbrook National Park
Summer/ Autumn	December–April	Estuarine crocodile nesting	Estuarine crocodiles lay their eggs and guard their nests on creek/river banks for 90 days until hatchlings emerge.	Coastal and inland parks from Gladstone to Cape York, and offshore islands.