Where: Head for the town of Chiltern, just off the Hume Highway south of Albury-Wadonga. It's a 275 km drive straight up the Hume from Melbourne. The park is bisected by the highway and both the southern and northern sections are worth exploring (click on the map). Camping is permitted by arrangement with the DNRE (5726 1234) at Cyanide Dam or Magenta Mine but, be warned, in winter it is very cold! The cabins at the local caravan park may be a better bet and they are cheap. By way of explanation - this area was a major goldfield last century, hence the names.

Not a brilliant photo but it's a Regent Honeyeater

Birding: In my experience, the best birding can be found around Donkey Hill, the White Box Track, Klotz Track, Bartley's Block and the Magenta Mine. (Bartley's Block is an old paddock located on the west of the Old Howlong Road, which runs directly north from the town of Chiltern. It's about 2km out of the town.) That said, just about anywhere in the park can be excellent. Look for the Regent Honeyeater around Klotz Track, Green Hill Road and Ryan's Road. The key is to found flowering eucalypts, this also goes for the Swift Parrot. Spotlighting is generally well worthwhile, as this is a very good place for Squirrel and Sugar Gliders, Brush-tailed Phascogales and Feathertail Gliders if you are very lucky as well as Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, Boobook and Australian Owlet-nightjar. Bartley's Block is a good site for Turquoise Parrot as is Klotz' Track and White Box Road.

Chiltern is a great spot for a number of other more widespread species including Painted Buttonquail, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, Little and Noisy Friarbirds as well as Crested Shrike-tit, Restless Flycatcher, Speckled Warbler and Yellow Thornbill. In summer you may find White-throated Nightjar, Rainbow Bee-eater and White-throated Gerygone but you won't find the Regent Honeyeater or Swift Parrot. Below is my combined list from 4 visits over 4 years. You'll see why I love this park!