Thursday 21/10/2022 – 24/10/2022 Hacienda La Pacifica
Liberia Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province, COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
Hacienda La Pacifica was our base in the area for our four-night stay and the site of our daughter, Beth’s Costa Rican wedding to Pablo on Saturday.
Wednesday 23/10/2022 Station El Pilon – Rio Celeste – Sendero Misterios del Tenorio – Poza Catarata – La Laguna Azul – Los Teñideros – Catarata Río Celeste
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Guatuso, Alajuela Province
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
Our afternoon hike required a drive of around an hour from Hacienda La Pacifica (Canas) to get us to Tenorio Volcano National Park. After paying our entry fees of US$13 we headed off through the forest on a paved track. We were advised that the last attraction was closed as the bridge was washed out.
Wednesday 19/10/202 Selvatura Park
Monte Verde, Guanacaste Province
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
We headed out before 8:00am this morning in an attempt to avoid as many people as we could, as often when we have recently encountered other people they seen more intent on getting their Instagram shots before walking off to the next Instagram-worthy stop. Lots are also engrossed in loud conversations and walking at a pace that would ensure they scared off any wildlife, so they would see very little.
Tuesday 18/10/2022 pm Children’s Eternal Rain Forest – Salida del Mirador – Quebrada Cuecha
Bajo del Tigre, Monte Verde
Puntarenas and Alajuela Provines, COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
We were determined to get in some more sightseeing today after a short walk through Curi-Cancha Reserve this morning, Children’s Eternal Rain Forest being our choice. This claims to be the largest private reserve in Costa Rica and is so named because it was initially founded by donations from children in 44 countries around the world.
Tuesday 18/10/2022 Curi-Cancha Reserve – Quebrada Maquina
Monte Verde
COSTA RICA
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Felipe Ureña-Araya, Pablo Ureña Vega, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
After Sue, Beth, Pablo and Felipe had returned from their morning 8km run we headed out for a short local walk in the nearby Curi-Cancha Reserve. The rest of us had remained at our Airbnb on the edge of Monte Verde doing a spot of bird watching from our second-storey outdoor balcony. From here there were views across some open grassland and forest as far as the Pacific Ocean. I had the good fortune to observe two toucans fly across the grassland and land near the high point of a tree 100 and something metres away. Needless to say, I snapped off a number of photos at the 500mm end of my zoom lens and was very happy with the results. We also saw about half a dozen other species in close proximity. With the sun behind us and a thin cloud cover, there was plenty of bright, soft light to get great shots.
Saturday 15/10/2022 Mistico Park – Arenal Hanging Bridges
Tabacon, Provincia de Alajuela
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
This is a much more developed rainforest walk than El Silencio, which we completed yesterday. Here every step is on the fenced concrete path. There are about 16 bridges to cross which provide views through and above the forest canopy as well as passage across the creek gullies. We were to learn later that the fences were constructed using a steel skeleton over which chicken wire mesh was modelled to shape before several layers of concrete were moulded to form a continuous structure with no obvious joints. This must have taken a very long time to create! The end result was impressive and blended into the surrounding environment.
Friday 14/10/2022 El Silencio – Mirador El Silencia trail around the base of Arenal (less touristy) – Rio Desague
La Fortuna, Alajuela
Tabacon, Provincia de Alajuela
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
El Silencio Nature Preserve is found about 15 minutes drive out of La Fortuna west of Arenal by the Rio Desague. It consists of a series of trails through the heavy rainforest, views of Arenal Volcano and a side trail that takes you over a lava flow. The research Sue had done suggested this was a less touristy type of experience which we concurred with. The earthen trails were supported by wooden board-supported steps on the steeper sections, there were basic signs at track junctions to get your bearings and a couple of steel footbridges across the creek. This was a big contrast to our next experience at Mistico Park – Arenal Hanging Bridges.
Thursday 13/10/2022 Rio del Toro – Blue Falls – Catarata del Toro
Toro Amarillo
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
Our last waterfall visit to this area around Bajos del Toro in central Costa Rica was part of a package deal that included yesterday’s Cataratas Las Gemelas – Pozo Azul – Catarata la Celestial – Blue Falls walk. It involves a short walk through the lush rainforest to one of Costa Rica’s largest waterfalls. The walk to the plunge pool involves a very worthwhile 80m descent where there are great views of the waterfall towering overhead, its aqua plunge pool and the deep canyon falling away below along the Rio del Toro.
29/10/2022 – 31/10/2023 Chilamate Rainforest Eco Resort
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
Nestled amongst trees at the edge of the forest we found ourselves at our final Costa Rican destination for this trip, Chilamate Rainforest Eco Resort. This family-run sustainable eco-lodge is located just off the highway in Sarapiqui about two hours north of San Jose. It is a private reserve consisting of 20 hectares of rainforest with monkeys, many species each of frogs, birds and insects.
Friday 9/04/2021 Wollongong Botanic Gardens
Wollongong, NSW
Participant: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
This was a short excursion to Wollongong Botanic Gardens to try out my new camera on birds. The Canon EOS R5 is a very sophisticated camera, after many hours of reading the user guide and trying to figure out the various options I needed to do some field testing. What better than picking a pretty local with a reliable presence of birdlife.