Australian
Natural Adventures
Birding
in Australia
Custom
Australia, New Zealand & Pacific tours and travel
AUSTRALIA
NORTH AND SOUTH
A
15-DAY TOUR TO TASMANIA AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY’S
TROPICS
Our Australia
North and South 15-day tour is a birding tour
that has enough additional activities to interest anyone with a passion
for natural history. Although we focus on seeing as many birds as
possible, we won’t be rushing past those kangaroos, scenic areas,
botanical wonders, and historical sites. We’ve even included
some shopping time – even dedicated birders have families back
home. Although we expect to see as many birds as the most dedicated
bird tour, our hours are more reasonable, and our pace more relaxed.
In addition to our feathered quarry there’s a good selection
of mammals, including both Australian monotremes – Platypus
and Echidna – several kangaroo species, wombats, possums and
carnivorous marsupials, including a special effort to observe Tasmanian
Devils in the wild. We’ll also see two both of Australia’s
crocodile species, marine mammals, superb world-class Aboriginal rock
art, and some of the best sunsets you’ll ever have the opportunity
to photograph. In addition to the things we’ll see our guides
will fill us in on the nature of Australia, from her Gondwanan days
through convict history to recent conservation efforts. In short,
this is a tour for anyone who wants to see Australian wildlife, and
come to know its natural history.
We have two 2007 tours, one starting
in Australia May 19, and the other September 28. However, we strongly
recommend arriving in Tasmania a day early. We can also arrange for
travel elsewhere in Australia either at the start or end of the tour,
whether it be for birding, general natural history, or just sight-seeing.
As a full service tour company we can arrange your international and
internal air, and strongly recommend that we do so to ensure a smooth
flow of your tour. We have been arranging air travel to and within
Australia for many years, and we take considerable pains to ensure
you receive best airfare pricing available. Should you prefer to make
other air arrangements we must see your proposed schedule prior to
booking to confirm the applicability of the flights. No responsibility
can be taken, or refunds made, for missed portions of the tour due
to air arrangements not made by us.
Day 1
Arrive from mainland Australia at Hobart airport, where you will be
met and transferred to your hotel near H
obart’s
historical waterfront. Hobart and nearby Port Arthur Historical Site,
about 1.5 hour scenic hours south, are an important record of early
Australian convict history, and we recommend arriving a day early
to enjoy the area. Tours to Port Arthur can be arranged for you (optional
extra). Tasmania produces Australia’s best shellfish and cold
water fish, and these are the focus of the welcome dinner tonight,
accompanied by excellent Tasmanian wines. At dinner tonight we meet
our guide and discuss our upcoming two weeks birding, nature and scenic
journey from the very bottom to the top of Australia. This austral
journey will take you from the Roaring Forties, at 43oS,
to the tropics at 12oS, from Antarctic albatrosses to lily-hopping
jacanas. (D)
Day 2
This morning we take a half day flight to the South-West World Heritage
area (weather permitting). This provides a great chance 
to
see specialties such as the elusive Ground Parrot,
Southern Emu-wren, Striated Fiel
dwren
and Beautiful Firetail and most importantly the critically
endangered Orange-bellied Parrot on its breeding
grounds. On our return from the southwest we visit Mount Wellington
for spectacular aerial views and a wonderful walk through a fern glade
with giant tree ferns, providing our first chance to see the endemic
Scrubtit and Pink Robin. We then
travel to Bruny Island and scenically beautiful Adventure Bay, one
of Australia’s most important historic places. Here we learn
about the historic significance of the area, both Aboriginal and early
European, and visit coastal and cool temperate rainforest to see a
range of Tasmanian endemic flora including Gondwanan relics. Tonight
a visit to a Little Penguin/Short-tailed
Shearwater rookery finishes our first birding day. (B,L,D)
Day 3
T
his
morning after breakfast we will explore Inala, a privately owned 500
acre refuge. Inala is home to a number of threatened birds and home
to all of the Tasmanian endemics. Birds we are likely to see include
the endangered 
Forty-spotted
Pardalote, Strong-billed, Black-headed
and Yellow-throated Honeyeaters and Tasmanian
Native-hen. We then join a 3 hour eco-cruise for the opportunity
to see a variety of seabirds, Australian Fur Seals
(the fourth rarest in the world), and the possibility of whales (Humpback
and Southern Right Whales are the most common)
and dolphins. This afternoon after a late lunch we visit Bruny’s
southern coastline to view the second oldest lighthouse in Australia.
This area also is prime habitat for Tawny-
crowned
Honeyeater, Olive Whistler and Yellow-tailed
Black Cockatoo, and offers a chance to see the Tasmanian
subspecies of the Short-beaked Echidna, one of the
world’s only three living monotremes. After dinner back at Inala
we take another night trip to look for a range of Tasmania’s
nocturnal marsupials and birds, including Eastern Quoll,
white morphs of the Bennetts Wallaby and Brush-tailed
Possum, Tawny Frogmouth and Southern
Boobook Owl. (B,L,D)
Day 4
We leave Bruny Island after breakfast and travel to Mount Field National
Park, just west of Hobart. Our time here includes a visit to a spectacular
waterfall, and we explore an alpine environment carved by glaciation.
Mt Field is a particularly scenic area, with a variety of habitats,
from deep tree-ferned rainforest to alpine tundra. This area also
provides a second chance for Pink Robin, Scrubtit and Black
Currawong, among others, and there is also a very good chance
of seeing Platypus, another monotreme, in the wild.
Our accommodation tonight is close by the park.
(BLD)
Day
5
We head north today, watching for species such as Banded Lapwings
and the endangered Tasmanian subspecies of the Wedge-tailed
Eagle, one of the world’s largest. There will be more
opportunities to view platypus, and the option (included) of taking
a cave tour to search for some wonderful cave fauna including glowworms,
endemic Tasmanian cave spiders, cave crickets and the mountain shrimp,
believed to be a “living fossil”. We also visit a rehabilitation
centre that specializes in Tasmanian devil research. Our destination
today is a National Park on the north coast where Common Wombat
and Forester Kangaroo can be found during
the late afternoon.
(B,L,D)
Day 6
We explore part of Tasmania’s northern coastline this morning,
where there is a chance of viewing a vari
ety
of Southern shorebirds. This can be your opportunity to become familiar
with those rarities that pop up occasionally at h
ome.
Local reserves and streams offer good birding and wildlife opportunities,
including the chance for Blue-winged Parrot. Late
afternoon finds us on the remote and wild west coast. As dusk approaches
we settle into a hide to wait for wild Tasmanian Devils
to come in to feed. This is a truly wonderful and amazing experience,
as the devils squabble over their meal just feet away. The evening
also provide the chance to see the Spotted-tailed Quoll,
another carnivorous marsupial related to the Tassie devil. As with
all wildlife experiences, weather or other factors may influence our
sightings tonight. However, we will stay in this area for another
night as a safeguard in case we are unsuccessful tonight. (B,L,D)
Day 7
After some birding around our accommodation well take a river cruise
along the Arthur River in the Arthur Pieman Conservation reserve.
The cruise takes us through temperate rainforest and ecotonal forest,
offering good wildlife opportunities, including Azure Kingfisher
and White-bellied Sea-eagle. Our time here allows
us to explore this remote and seldom-visited area of Tasmania. If
necessary we visit the devil hide once again; otherwise we visit the
coast for shorebirds, look for missed birds, better views or just
to enjoy them once again, and then have an easy night enjoying our
remote location. (B,L,D)
Day 8
A long day today. We spend the morning slowly making our way to Launceston,
visiting some wildlife reserves and National Parks en route, taking
birding opportunities as they arise. We are tracing the southern edge
of Bass Strait, and even with our earlier pelagic trip some additional
seabird opportunities will arise. We depart Launceston late afternoon
for Melbourne, an hour across Bass Strait. After dinner at the airport
we take our mid-evening flight the entire height of Australia to Darwin,
arriving about 1.30am, and transfer to our hotel. (B,L)
Day 9
There’s time to sleep in this morning after our late night.
We have some laundry and shopping time, then head out to do some local
Darwin area birding. Expect to see our first Northern Territory species
such as the colorful Red-collared Lorikeet and Pied
Imperial-pigeon with Bar-shouldered and
Peaceful Dove the most common. The pre-historic looking
Orange-footed Scrub-fowl can be seen around city
parks and gardens while the ubiquitous Black Kites
soar overhead. Our local guide will determine the best opportunities
for this afternoon. We have left dinner open tonight for you to try
some of Darwin’s local restaurants. (B)
Day 10
After an early breakfast our first stop are mangroves for waders and
mangrove birds such as Collared Kingfisher, Red-headed
Honeyeater, Mangrove Robin, Yellow
White-eye and if we are lucky, Chestnut Rail
(we may do this the afternoon before, depending on tide time.) In
nearby monsoon forest target species include Rainbow Pitta,
Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, Yellow Oriole,
Large-billed and Green-backed Gerygone.
Howard Springs, a little to the south, is also a good spot for these
species plus freshwater fish, turtles, butterflies and Agile
Wallaby. Azure and Little Kingfisher are
other possibilities along with Little Shrike-thrush,
Spangled Drongo and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher.
Orange-footed Scrub-fowl can be found if not already seen around the
city. Other birds we look for are Forest Kingfisher,
Helmeted Friarbird, White-gaped
and Dusky Honeyeaters, Northern Fantail
and Osprey. In the cool of the afternoon, the Agile
Wallabies graze near the city and there’s a chance of seeing
a Dingo lurking nearby. Rainbow Bee-eater,
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher and Northern Fantail can
be found here while Bush Stone-curlew and Beach
Stone-curlew are resident. In the evening we join in a favorite
Darwin pastime of watching the sunset over the Timor Sea. At dusk
Large-tailed Nightjar call and emerge from their
day roost and with the spotlight we may also see the usually vocal
Barking Owl. (B,L,D)
Day 11
We leave Darwin this morning for Kakadu National Park, three hours
to the east. We’ll first stop at a nearby lagoon to look for
waterbirds, waders, cuckoos and raptors. It’s then on to Fogg
Dam, now a wildlife reserve, where Forest and Red-backed Kingfishers
often perch on the wires while farmed Water Buffalo are usually seen
from the road. What is now Fogg Dam was originally a natural swamp
attracting Magpie Geese and other waterbirds; in
the 1960s it was converted to rice fields complete with the dam. Not
surprisingly, the local waterbirds appreciated the increase in food
and permanent water in this often dry area, and their numbers increased
dramatically. After some years the growers gave up, and the area was
declared a sanctuary. This is an excellent area for waterbirds including
Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Pied Heron,
Glossy Ibis, Brolga, White-browed
Crake, Comb-crested Jacana and a variety
of egrets. A nearby walk may produce a variety of honeyeaters including
Brown, Bar-breasted, Rufous-banded
and Rufous-throated with flycatchers such as Lemon-bellied,
Broad-billed, Leaden, Shining
and Restless (Paperbark form). Brush
and Little Bronze-cuckoo are often present. We may
see Clamorous Reed-warbler, Tawny Grassbird
and Golden-headed Cisticola in the reeds while Whiskered
Tern fly over. Crimson Finch and flocks
of Chestnut-breasted Mannikin are sometimes seen
feeding here. From a bird hide overlooking the wetland, a scan of
the horizon may find Black-breasted Buzzard and other
raptors such as Spotted and Marsh Harriers.
The calls of highly nomadic Varied Lorikeet may bring
their presence to our attention as they fly over. A walk in the monsoon
rainforest should increase our bird list with additions such as Rose-crowned
Fruit-dove, Emerald Dove, Grey Whistler,
Rufous Whistler, and Yellow Oriole.
A lunch stop at a river crossing includes a search for the stunning
Mangrove Golden Whistler. Saltwater Crocodiles
are often seen as the tide exposes the muddy banks. A short detour
to a nearby Billabong could be rewarding with Grey Goshawk,
White-browed Robin and Black Bittern
possible and Black-tailed Treecreeper likely on the
way. Channel-billed Cuckoo is often heard before
being located in this area. Australia’s rarest raptor, Red
Goshawk, is sometimes seen in this area as well as Square-tailed
Kite a possibility. We arrive at our hotel late afternoon
where there is a pool available for swimming. After dinner we go night-spotting
for species such as Barking Owl, Tawny Frogmouth, Large-tailed and
Owlet Nightjar. (B,L,D)
Day 12
We may have time for a short walk before our departure this morning.
As we travel east Brolga may be feeding on the floodplain, Black-breasted
Buzzard and Spotted Harrier are seen here occasionally and Brown
Falcon may be perched on the poles beside the road. A nearby
wetland in Kakadu National Park is our next stop where we view waterbirds
from the bird hide. Plumed and Wandering
Whistling-ducks, Radjah Shelduck, Black-necked
Stork, Magpie Goose and Green Pygmy-goose are among the thousands
of birds to be seen feeding here. As we continue into the park a visit
will be made to the Visitor Centre, with its extensive displays, multi-visuals,
videos and additional information for our Kakadu experience. Partridge
Pigeon is sometimes seen feeding in this area. After lunch at the
center, we head north to Ubirr, taking in the spectacular Arnhem Land
escarpment along the way. At Ubirr we view several fascinating Aboriginal
rock art sites; the art work here is equal to any in the world, and
ultimately dates back many thousands of years. In additional to the
artwork we take one of Kakadu’s most interesting short walks
to look for sandstone species such as Chestnut-quilled Rock
Pigeon, Helmeted Friarbird (Sandstone form),
White-lined Honeyeater and Sandstone Shrike-thrush.
We’ll also look for Short-eared Rock-wallabies
emerging from their shelters in the late afternoon. It will be dark
when we arrive at Cooinda Lodge to check in and enjoy dinner. Barking
Owl may be seen feeding around the lights at the resort. (B,L,D)
Day 13
We depart Cooinda early this morning to visit Nourlangie Rock. This
area is also famous for its Aboriginal rock art, and offers a reasonable
chance of Black Wallaroo. Banded Fruit-dove
is our target bird species, plus any others missed or just glimpsed
at Ubirr. A short climb to the lookout gives good views of the Arnhem
Land escarpment. Other species to look for here are Red-tailed
Black Cockatoo, Variegated Fairy-wren, Weebill,
Little Woodswallow and Great Bowerbird.
If time permits, we may visit a nearby Billabong for the chance of
Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Grey Goshawk,
Little and Azure Kingfishers, White-browed Robin with Bar-breasted
and Banded Honeyeaters. A visit to a nearby lookout
can also be good for Banded Fruit-dove if fig trees are fruiting,
and White-lined Honeyeater as well as other sandstone species may
be seen. If time permits we can also do a one mile circuit walk to
search for Varied Lorikeet, Red-winged Parrot, Blue-winged
Kookaburra, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Olive-backed
Oriole, Rufous-throated and Banded Honeyeaters which are
reasonably common, along with the White-gaped, White-throated
and Brown Honeyeaters. If the wonderful birds of
this morning were not enough, our highlight today will be the late
afternoon cruise at Yellow Waters lagoons to view Saltwater and Freshwater
Crocodiles in their natural habitat and see many waterbirds,
including Nankeen Night-heron, Black-necked Stork
and Little Kingfisher, with a chance of seeing Great-billed Heron
and Black Bittern. During this two-hour cruise there is no time that
birds are not within close view. (B,L,D)
Day 14
This morning we leave Kakadu and head southward, continually on the
lookout for raptors including Black Falcon and Red
Goshawk as well as the beautiful and endemic Hooded Parrot.
Gouldian Finches also like to feed in the same habitat
as the parrots, often accompanied by other finches
such as Masked, Long-tailed and
Double-barred. Other species to look for are Northern
Rosella, Cockatiel, Diamond Dove,
Red-backed Kingfisher, Crested Pigeon, Red-winged
Parrot, Great Bowerbird and a wide variety of honeyeaters. If time
permits after lunch we will visit a dam to search for Chestnut-backed
Button-quail, Partridge Pigeon and Northern
Rosella. At a small creek White-throated Gerygone,
Black-chinned, Rufous-throated, and Banded Honeyeaters
may be seen as they come in to drink. We continue on to Katherine
for late afternoon arrival. (B,L,D)
Day 15
This morning we explore the Katherine area for the chance of Australian
Bustard, Square-tailed Kite, Black-breasted Buzzard, Red
Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Black Falcon, Yellow-tinted
and Black-chinned Honeyeaters, as well as another
chance of Hooded Parrot. Eventually we head north back to Darwin,
birding along the way. We arrive back in Darwin late afternoon. As
most flights leave Darwin around midnight, we have a choice of staying
overnight in Darwin, or heading to our next destination tonight. Regardless
all participants enjoy a final dinner and tour summary tonight, before
saying farewell to our guide and the friends we have made over the
last two weeks. (B,L,D).
TOUR COST INCLUDES:
• 15 nights accommodation (hotel, lodge and resort style)
• specialist bird/naturalist guiding for day and night tours
as outlined above
• meals as listed in the itinerary
• transport including airport transfers where indicated
• eco-cruise on Bruny Island
• National Park entry fees, boat cruises and other third party
aspects of the tour, unless noted as an optional extra
Does not include international or
internal airfares, visa or passport fees, alcoholic or carbonated
beverages or items of a personal expenditure such as laundry, phone
calls etc. Tipping is not expected in Australia at hotels, restaurants,
bars etc, but a gratuity is welcomed by your birding guide. Travel
insurance is highly recommended.
As this tour is aimed at birders and
their traveling companions, there are many aspects of the tour that
will appeal to non-birders. However, no partial refunds or price reduction
will be given for any birding activity or time not taken by any participant.
photographs copright Tourism Tasmania
