Birdwatching tours take flight

An avid bird photographer has plans to launch a birdwatching tour business to showcase the stunning wildlife and natural landscape to visitors of the Roebourne region.

Traditional owner and resources worker Tracey Heimberger took up wildlife photography seven years ago after the death of her husband as a way to heal, and is now turning her hobby into a career.

Ms Heimberger spent the past seven months working to get the business off the ground and said she planned to be ready to start running tours this week.

“The tours will involve walking tours to start off with and then tag-alongs in four-wheel-drives. So the walking tours will be in Roebourne and we will meet at the Ganalili Centre and we will go on the walking trail. We are very lucky because we’ve already got an actual walking trail,” she said.

Ms Heimberger said she was glad to be able to share her passion with others and hoped the tours would raise more awareness about the Roebourne area.

“We will be targeting visitors to the area who want to do birdwatching and also nature photographers,” she said.

“I just can’t describe it, it’s so good. So I think, originally, the idea that I set out to do something relaxing and calming is going to be something really fulfilling now.

“I hope that people realise that Roebourne is a beautiful historic place to visit and also that people have greater care and respect for different areas when they visit them, including helping look after wildlife.”

Ms Heimberger said there were no other birdwatching tours in the region and she was looking forward to providing the service for tourists and locals alike.

“My favourite bird in this area is the spinifex pigeon, then I think I would have to go for budgies, we’ve got so many around at the moment,” she said.