Australian Natural Adventuresnature travel, wildlife tours, adventure travel and general travel to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
Custom Australia Tour for NANCY GASEN AUSTRALIA continues
Day 10 – Cairns / Brisbane / Lamington
National Park Day 11 - Lamington National Park Day 12 – Lamington National Park /
Brisbane / Sydney Day 13 - Sydney Day 14– Sydney / Adelaide Day 15–Adelaide / Kangaroo Island Day 16– Kangaroo Island Day 17– Adelaide / Sydney / Los Angeles
/ South Carolina
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Canungra to stretch legs before continuing to travel on up the winding
road to some 3000 ft above sea level. The road crosses the Sarabah
range and travels through both the Canungra and Kerry Valleys, affording
exceptional scenery. On arrival at the end of the road is O'Reillys
Mountain Guest House, renowned for its abundance of birdlife, splendid
scenery and many trails through this lush 
sub-tropical
rainforest. There will be time to check in, refresh and relax and
look around this delightful, family-owned lodge before heading down
to a friendly lunch. At check-in you will be able to arrange just
which activities you would like to participate in that afternoon.
During dinner one of the owners will describe the options (all included)
for the next day, and this evening. Just indicate which you want to
do on the list. 
before
breakfast (if you wish) as this is one of the best regions for endemic
birds in Australia. Species including Satin and Regent Bowerbirds,
Crimson Rosella, Scarlet-backed Fairy Wren, Superb Blue Fairy Wren,
Rainbow Lorikeet, Pied
Currawong, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brush Turkey, Wonga Pigeon, Paradise
Riflebird and King Parrot are found within walking distance of the
lodge. After breakfast you can enjoy several of the walks including
the canopy walk amongst the tops of the trees with the birds. On the
guided walks your naturalist guides will point out the unique plant
and animal life along the trail, through both open country and rainforest.
A stop will be made to enjoy a 
picnic
lunch at the creek or under a fig tree, opposite the undulated cliff
face that forms the Lamington Plateau. Over the next two days you
can take several different walks and excursions, all naturalist guided,
or by yourselves – all trails are well-marked and easy walking.
Late afternoon birding down one of the many tracks may provide views
of Alberts Lyrebird or Noisy Pitta. As dusk falls the sunset from
your room's verandah or from the garden setting can be quite spectacular.
As the evening approaches Pademelons - small rainforest wallabies
- emerge to feed on the lawns; Sugar Gliders and Common Ringtail Possums
feed in nearby trees and a Boobook Owl or Tawny Frogmouth may be seen.
In the evening activities will be set by the lodge such as audio-visuals,
visiting the glow-worms, and spotlighting for nocturnal creatures.
wildlife.
At 3pm transfer back to Brisbane Airport for your flight to Sydney,
arriving mid-evening, and transfer to your hotel, the 
originally built for the important Australian wool trade. Your hotel’s
location is ideal, as close by is the Circular Quay area, home to
the many ferries that cross the harbor, the Sydney Harbour Bridge
itself, and the beautifully designed, and placed, Opera House. There
are many small restaurants around the Quay, and is a wonderful place
to eat and watch the evening light over the Opera House.
11.30am.
The Rocks is the historical part of Sydney that dates from the earliest
settlement, and has many historical buildings including one of the
first in Australia (appropriately built by convicts). The rest of
the day is free to explore this vibrant and friendly
city. In addition to great shops to buy the needed souvenirs and gifts,
just a pleasant walk is the 
Harbour
is on a ferry. While there are tours that utilize the ferries, usually
with lunch or morning tea, the cheapest way to do this is to simply
buy a return ticket to one of the up-harbour places such as Homebush
(where the Olympics were held). You’ll see a map of all the
places they go at Circular Quay. The ferries have a snack/meal bar,
and you can just get an easy lunch or snack there, sit back, and enjoy
the ride. The ferry to Manly goes in the other direction, and as it
passes the Entrance, where the harbor enters the Pacific, can get
interestingly rough at times. This ferry will pass the Opera House
and various other landmarks, and is also a good run. Late this afternoon
taxi to the airport for your flight to Adelaide.
trees,
then travel through some of the best wool-producing areas on the island
to a conservation park on the north coast. Here we walk through the
habitat of Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies and the endangered
Glossy Black Cockatoo. For lunch enjoy a delicious seafood barbeque
served with 
fine
South Australian wines before heading to a colony of Australian Sealions.
At Seal Bay Conservation Park a walk among Sealions on a beautiful
sandy beach may reveal watching pups nursing or playing in the surf.
Old bulls bear the scars of territorial disputes, as your guide explains
when he tells us about their unique breeding biology. In the afternoon
we visit Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park including D'Estrees Bay
- where ospreys nest, and kangaroos come out late in the day to feed.
After this you are dropped off at your accommodation for the next
three nights, the delightful Kangaroo Island Lodge. This evening take
a shorter trip to look for wildlife at night, including the tiny Fairy
Penguins which return to their burrows each evening from foraging
in the sea.
platypus and many birds including the rare Cape Barren Goose. At Cape
du Couedic on the south-west tip is a New Zealand furseal colony which
is rapidly expanding. These animals can be observed at rest on the
rocks or 
frolicking
in the surf under Admirals Arch - a spectacular coastal grotto. On
the headland above is Cape du Couedic Lighthouse which plays an important
role in navigation. Further down the coast are the Remarkable Rocks,
huge natural granite sculptures on the cliff top. Lunch today is a
picnic in the bush before exploring more of the Island. Depending
upon the day you might take a walk to a secluded cove, or watch for
a platypus by a quiet pool. You return to the eastern end of the island
via Vivonne Bay, one of the few protected bays on the south coast,
and take the short flight back to Adelaide and your hotel.
Uluru
extension
New
Zealand Tour