Melaleuca is as far from anywhere else in Tasmania as it is possible to get. Situated in the far south-west, there are no roads into this outpost. The nearest neighbours are on the even more remote Maatsuyker Island – population two.

Most people arrive in Melaleuca by light plane, but landing on one of the shortest air strips in Tasmania, lovingly chiselled out of the button grass by the legendary Deny King, is not everybody’s cup of tea. The alternative ways of getting there involve either a two to three-day voyage through the notorious Southern Ocean or a seven-day hike carrying more than 20 kilograms of provisions in a backpack.

During the summer months, Melaleuca is home to the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot, but they are not the only birds of note. Ground parrots, honeyeaters, emu wrens and the bird with the most melodious voice in the world, the grey shrike thrush, all call Melaleuca home.

There are nearly as many tiger snakes as birds and encounters with these shiny, black reptiles are very common. They can appear anywhere, anytime – underfoot, halfway up a tree, on top of a button grass tussock and, notably, on one of my trips to the southwest, in a sleeping bag. A keen eye and vigilance are needed.

Surrounded by rugged mountains, vast button grass plains and imposing hills, every minute of every day is a feast for the eyes and food for the soul. It is scenery that you cannot get tired of.

Mt Rugby dominates the skyline to the north. It seems to change its appearance daily. Despite nearly 20 trips into this area, its beauty still has the capacity to stop me in my tracks.

There may be a more beautiful, rugged and wild place in the world, but I haven’t found it.

Before Covid, when the world was normal and we welcomed travellers from around the world to our little island, many of those travellers came to Melaleuca. They often came to with a list. They were more often than not only here for a few hours and their list mostly contained birds that they wanted to see. Birds that are rare, elusive and beautiful. Most lists contained the orange-bellied parrot (OBP), the common but very elusive ground parrot, and the tiny, secretive southern emu wren.

Sadly, most of those travellers returned home without seeing everything on their list. It’s just a matter of time and timing. Most birds and other animals are more active at the beginning and end of the day. Most travellers are only here in the middle of the day for a few hours. Time and timing.

To see everything Melaleuca has to offer, one has to stay for a while. I have been fortunate enough to have spent many months living and working at Melaleuca either with the OBP program, as a Parks and Wildlife caretaker or as a bushwalker.

. . .

If you follow the golden rule of always carrying your camera wherever you go, whatever you are doing, then you will get the opportunity to capture all Melaleuca has to offer and more. But you still need to get lucky.

Getting a good photograph of something special is not always about being a good photographer, it can also be about having the time and getting the timing right.

Ground parrot

I have spent months, literally, trying to get a good photograph of a ground parrot. Most of my pictures showed their rear end as they flew away to hide in the button grass. And then one evening, ambling along and day dreaming, I happened upon one sitting in the grass. Instead of flying away as they normally do, this particular bird was so engrossed in his night-time feeding that he glanced my way and then went back to his dinner – quietly stripping grass seeds while balancing precariously on the grass stems.

Wallaby and honeyeater

One morning I woke before dawn – a beautiful, still, clear morning – and headed off to try to get a shot of a southern emu wren. In perfect conditions I searched for two hours without success. Then, as I was returning to the hut, downcast and thinking only of breakfast, a yellow throated honeyeater flew down from a nearby tree and landed on the back of a wallaby. The wallaby continued to graze, unperturbed, as the honeyeater pulled out bits of fur for its nest. I clicked away merrily, all thoughts of my emu wren search gone.

Tiger snake and ringtail possum

A call from a bushwalker to come to the camping ground one afternoon resulted in the image of the tiger snake eating a ringtail possum. The snake had climbed many metres up a Melaleuca tree and bitten the adult and two young possums in their dray. When the three possums fell to the ground, the snake climbed down and proceeded to eat one of the trio. We watched, transfixed, for more than an hour as the snake ingested the small mammal and then slowly and laboriously crawled away.

Tiger snake

Snakes are everywhere at Melaleuca. If you spend time living there you get to know individuals and will often see them on a daily basis. This lovely tiger snake moved around our house every morning and posed beautifully when I approached him with the camera.

Southern emu wren

The southern emu wren is a tiny bird and getting a good look at them can be very difficult. But patience can be rewarded and eventually this male popped his head out to see what I was doing loitering around his home.

Spotted-tail quoll

Spotted-tail quolls are common at Melaleuca. Although normally nocturnal, they do sometimes wander around during the day and this healthy specimen came along the track while I was in a bird hide identifying orange-bellied parrots. He sat on the edge of a pond in the afternoon sun and had a good scratch before wandering off.

Craig Searle is an eighth-generation Tasmanian who proudly hails from convict stock. A teacher for 31 years, he retired in 2011, having spent the last part of his career as an outdoor education specialist. He has a passion for wilderness, remote places and lighthouses and has spent two winters on Maatsuyker Island. He lives in Scottsdale with Debbie, his wife and partner in a lifetime of adventures.