Every year, tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds arrive on the tidal flats of the Great Sandy Strait — an internationally significant Ramsar wetland between the mainland and K'gari (Fraser Island). They come at the end of an astonishing journey along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, some flying from breeding grounds as far away as the Arctic.
When to go
The birds are present from about September to April, feeding hard on the rich mudflats to rebuild condition before the return flight north. Low tide concentrates them on the exposed flats; high tide pushes them onto roosts.
What you'll see
Look for bar-tailed godwits, red knots, whimbrels, sandpipers and the elegant pied oystercatcher. A pair of binoculars and a falling tide is all you need to watch from the shoreline around Hervey Bay and the strait.
Give them space
These birds are recovering from — or preparing for — flights of many thousands of kilometres. Keep clear of feeding flocks and roosts; every unnecessary flush burns energy they can't spare.