Ellis Beach & the beaches just north.
Wangal Djungay (Double Island) just after sunrise, February 2019.
Ellis beach is one of my favourite places in the world. Watching the sun rise behind Wangal Djungay (Double Island) is something I never get sick off.
Wangal Djungay (Double Island) off Palm Cove is visible in many of the photos I take from north of Ellis Beach. You can read about Wangal Djungay in Yirrganydji cultural history here.
My granddaughter and wife hunting for muscles at Ellis beach.
I have been visiting it with my wife since before we were married to search for muscles in the sand. I now get to enjoy the same activity with my granddaughter.
As it turns out we are not the only ones that like the muscles there. This Sooty Oyster Catcher was picking them out of the sand and eating them. When my wife collects muscles she uses them in a pasta dish she makes.
Sunset looking up the coast road, December 2021.
Sunset is a great time to be at Ellis Beach and the small beaches just north of it. Such a magical spot to end the day.
Crested Tern, October 2021.
You can sit and watch the Crested Terns feed off shore diving into the water to catch fish.
Once fed they fly back to the shore to rest…..and pooh all over the rocks :)
January 2022.
As sunset approaches more and more birds return to the rocks. The birds on top of the furthest rock in the upper right are Crested terns.
Sunset, February 2019.
Then if you are lucky Mother Nature will put on a light show. Often the afterburn is better than the sunset at Ellis Beach, so stick around.
Looking up to the Tablelands from the beach, December 2021.
Cloud cover will play a big role in the type of sunset you will get at Ellis but even if it is a flop you may get to see a few interesting things while you wait that make it worthwhile.
October 2021.
Late afternoon each day turtles will feed along the shoreline and if you keep an eye out you will get to see them surface. Getting photos is not easy as they go back under really quickly….still trying very hard to get good photos.
An easier subject to spot on the beach are the many green crabs that skirt across the rocks. They seem to detect movement so even when you scare them away if you stop moving they soon come back out again.
Eastern Osprey, November 2022.
One of the beaches just north of Ellis is home to an Eastern Osprey that I first spotted back in 2020. Stunning bird, now if I only could have been there to get a photo of it diving to catch that fish :)
October 2022.
Along the coastline commercial planes will fly into Cairns as well as the odd helicopter which I am guessing is heading to Port Douglas.
October 2022.
Out in the distance along the horizon cargo ships make their way down the coast almost appearing to drop off the horizon.
Eastern Reef Egret, August 2021.
Along the shore line Eastern Reef Egrets hunt for food in the shallows before and after high tide hoping to find prey trapped in the pools of water.
Generally they stick to dropping down from the rocks in the shallows onto their prey.
Eastern Reef Egret, August 2021.
That said if there is food in the surf then they will venture out into it to hunt. Have not seen it too often but it does happen.
Beach-stone Curlew at Ellis Beach.
The Beach-stone Curlew is also a resident of Ellis Beach but in the past few years I have sadly not seen this fella about.
August 2021.
In 2021 during a slump in my motivation to take photos I started exploring the drains under the highway up the coast road north of Ellis Beach. Taking this long exposure with the motion trails was fun and generally not the type of photo I take.
October 2019.
I have spent a lot of time at Ellis Beach alone taking a break from it all and just relaxing. This photo from just north of Ellis beach in 2019 is the one I use for the blog banner.
January 2019.
Of all my times at Ellis Beach the best memories are of the times I have spent there with my wife. Even when the weather is terrible :)