Wildlife Tours to Australia AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA)
Photo: Kookabura.
*Single room supplement.
(Costs are per person, full board, based on sharing twin-bedded rooms).
Tour Destinations :
- Lamington National Park
- Cairns, Mount Lewis
- Great Barrier Reef
- Daintree River
- Yookamurra Sanctuary
- Kangaroo Island
- Coorong Conservation Park
- Bookmark Biosphere Reserve
Tour Summary:
Australia (Queensland and South Australia)
Australia’s isolation from the rest of the world has allowed the evolution of a very different and remark-able flora and fauna. Marsupials flourished, whereas they declined elsewhere.Kangaroos, Wallabies,Koalas,Platypus, Possums, and many other mammals will be seen.
The birdlife is prolific – over 750 species have been recorded, more than 330 of which are endemic. This tour is carefully constructed to provide a measured pace, providing encounters with some of Australia’s finest wildlife and landscape areas. The variety of habitats and wildlife will be equally impressive. On arrival at Cairns, we will visit lowland rainforest, swamps and lakes, mangroves and mud-flats, and the Great Barrier Reef. The next stops will be the Daintree River and Kingfisher Park in the Atherton Tablelands. We then transfer to Brisbane by air, where we will visit the subtropical rainforests of Lamington National Park. We then fly on to the Adelaide region where we will experience some wonderful wetland sites and also Kangaroo Island, possibly the finest place in Australia to view mammals. Further south, we will take a seabird watching trip from Robe and visit the Yookamurra Sanctuary.
Finally, our visit to the semi-arid Flinders Range, north of Adelaide, will provide yet another contrast of landscape and wildlife communities.
Itinerary
Day 1 : London Departure
Depart in the late evening from London for Cairns.
Day 2 : Onward Flight
Arrive/depart Singapore in the evening.
Days 3, 4 and 5 : Arrival, Cairns Area, Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands
Arrive Cairns in the early morning.
Our base for the next three nights will be in Kuranda, 27km (17 miles) from Cairns. It is well positioned to provide access to lowland tropical rainforest, the mud-flats and mangroves of the coast and the Great Barrier Reef.
The Lodge grounds will provide excellent birdwatching, including Cassowary, Victoria’s Riflebird, Wompo Fruit Dove and Yellow-breasted Boatbill. Wildlife seen in the nearby forests may include kingfishers, cuckoo-shrikes, honeyeaters, doves, as well as the tiny and charming Musky Rat Kangaroo.
On Day 4 a visit to the Great Barrier Reef will provide a variety of seabirds, including Sooty, Bridled, Crested and Lesser Crested Terns. Great Frigatebird and Brown Booby are also regularly seen here. Turtles and Humpback Whales may also be seen, and there will be an opportunity for snorkelling amongst a kaleidoscope of fish.
On Day 5, the Atherton Tablelands, a fertile volcanic plateau south-west of Cairns will be visited. The epiphyte-laden forests lie within the Wet Tropical World Heritage Site and offer a host of good sites, such as, the Crater National Park, Hastles Swamp and Lakes Eacham and Barrine.
We will also visit the Cairns Esplanade for waders and Centenary Park for a surprisingly diverse collection of birds that might include Papuan Frogmouth and Red-necked and White-browed Crakes.
Days 6, 7 and 8 : Kingfisher Park, Mount Lewis, Daintree River
In the morning of Day 6 we will transfer to Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers’ Lodge. This is undoubtedly the best base for exploring the mountain forest areas of Mount Lewis to the north-west of Cairns. An amazing variety of birds will be seen here, including Pacific Baza, MacCleay’s Honeyeater, Superb Fruit Dove and Bush Thicknee. In the evening, walks with a spotlight may not only reveal elusive species such as Lesser Sooty and Barking Owl, and Papuan Frogmouth, but also mammals such as Agile Wallaby, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Striped Possum, Long-nosed Bandicoot and Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo. Bushy Creek, just a short stroll from the Lodge is an excellent site for viewing the elusive Platypus.
In the early morning of Day 7 we will take a cruise on the Daintree River. This will give a pleasant and relaxed view of species such as Black Bittern and Great-billed Heron. Saltwater crocodiles can also be spotted. Visits on Day 8 to the drier eucalyptus woodland and plains will give the opportunity to view species such as Australian Bustard, Great Bowerbird and Squatter Pigeon.
Days 9, 10, 11 and 12 : Lamington National Park
On Day 9 we will transfer to Cairns for the flight to Brisbane, transferring on arrival to our base for the next four nights. And the birds? Without undue exertion, you will be overwhelmed by the diversity.
The Lamington National Park is located on the high border (1,000 m/3,280 ft) between Queensland and New South Wales. It forms a vast area of mountain peaks, gorges and sub-tropical rainforest. Easy walks in the forest and along the streams will give access to a wealth of wildlife. Ancient Antarctic Beech trees covered in ferns and mosses, old Figs and Booyong trees cover the rugged mountain ranges.
Many bird species are found exclusively in this sub-tropical habitat such as Albert’s Lyrebird, Regent Bowerbird and Black-breasted Buttonquail. At night, we will look for the Marbled Frogmouth and Sooty Owl. Lamington is a good place for marsupials. Red-necked and Whiptail Wallabies and Red-necked Pademelons can be seen in the daytime. At night, possums and Sugar Gliders can be seen, and probably Dingoes. Around the Lodge, some birds, such as the King Parrot, will feed from the hand.
Days 13, 14, 15 and 16 : Adelaide Region
On Day 13 we will fly from Brisbane to Adelaide and take accommodation in the city. On the morning of Day 14 we will visit Penrice Salt Fields, just 15km (10 miles) north-west of Adelaide. This is one of the contenders for top wetland site in Australia. Up to 150,000 Banded Stilts and Red-necked Avocets should be on view as well as some superb land birds such as Elegant Parrot.
A visit will also be made to the Fleurieu Peninsula which lies 1½ hours drive to the south. We may view Black Falcon and Cape Barren Geese near Lake Alexandrina and the impressive Southern Right Whales just offshore of Victor Harbour. A visit to Waitpinga Beach in Newland Head Conservation Park should produce the exquisite and endangered Hooded Plover. We will then catch the late afternoon ferry from Cape Jervis to Kangaroo Island where we will stay for the next three nights.
Because of the lack of feral pests, this is possibly the best place to view mammals in Australia. We should see Tamar Wallaby, Brown Bandicoot, Koala, and possibly Platypus, Short-beaked Echidna and Western Pygmy Possum. Interest will also focus on sea mammals such as Australian Sea-lions and New Zealand Fur Seals. Bird species may include Western Whipbird, Bush Thicknee and Glossy Black Cockatoo. In the evenings, we will be able to view the delightful Fairy Penguins returning to their nesting burrows.
Days 17 and 18 : Robe
We will leave Kangaroo Island on the morning ferry and drive to Robe via the Coorong Conservation Park. The Coorong is a 145 km (90 miles) stretch of mallee covered sand dune separated from the mainland by several narrow shallow lagoons. Scarce and beautiful species such as the Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful Firetail and Orange-bellied Parrot may be seen. Alternatively, if time allows, we can visit the seasonally wet Bool Lagoon. This is a regular site for Pink-eared and Freckled Duck, Australasian Bittern and Brolga. We will stay at the Caledonian Inn, Robe.
On Day 18, we will take a pelagic birdwatching trip from Robe. This will be highly weather dependent but, if it takes place, it should be possible to have stunning close views of oceanic seabirds, including nine species of albatross. There is also a good possibility of seeing Humpback and even Blue Whale. Overnight Robe.
Day 19 : Brookfield Conservation Park
In the morning, we will travel to the Brookfield Conservation Park. Here in a 5,500ha (13,600 acres) reserve, we should see Western Grey and Red Kangaroos as well as Hairy-nosed Wombat. Bird species characteristic of mallee occur here, including Emu, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Mulga Parrot and Striped Honey-eater. In the afternoon, we will travel to the Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary, a short distance from Brookfield. Within the 11 km2 (4.2 sq. miles) of the reserve, all feral pests have been excluded and native mammals reintroduced. These include Greater Bilby, Numbat and Brush-tailed Bettong. We may also view nocturnal birds such as Australian Owlet, Nightjar and Tawny Frogmouth.
Days 20 and 21 : Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, Murray River
We will be based at a lodge which is sited by the River Murray and close to the giant Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. This will give the opportunity to combine well sited and comfortable accommodation with outback scenery and abundant wildlife. We will visit Waikerie Lagoon and other sites in the Murray catchment. The wetland and red-gum lined river offer a contrast to the surrounding arid area of mallee and mulga. We will make an excursion to Birds Australia’s Gluepot Reserve. This site supports breeding populations of several threatened or endangered species of bird and, hopefully, we would view some of these which include Pink Cockatoo, Malleefowl and Black-eared Miner. It is also a particularly good place to observe reptiles.
Day 22 : Adelaide, Return flight
After breakfast, we will make the four hour drive back to Adelaide. Stops for birdwatching will be made on the way. The return flight will leave Adelaide in the afternoon and arrive at Singapore in the evening. Departure from Singapore will be in the late evening.
Day 23 : Arrive London
Our flight to London will land in the early morning.