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Highlights from Hervey Bay’s 2026 Humpback Whale Season
Each winter, the sheltered waters of Hervey Bay become a gathering place for Humpback Whales travelling along Australia's east coast. Some arrive as curious young whales, approaching vessels to investigate their visitors. Others pause with a newborn calf, taking time to rest before continuing their journey south. The 2026 season...
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Spotting Platypus in Tasmania with Elleke Leurs
With its unique and bizarre anatomy and egg-laying habits, the platypus initially bewildered the scientific community. Today, Tasmania remains one of the premier destinations to observe this remarkable creature thriving in its pristine, natural habitat. Premier Travel Tasmania guide Dr Elleke Leurs unravels the deep mysteries surrounding this iconic Australian...
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Species Feature: Australia's Flying-foxes
Australia's woodlands and coastal forests are home to some of the world's most impressive megabats, including the Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto), Spectacled Flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), Little Red Flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus), and the island-endemic Christmas Island Flying-fox (Pteropus natalis). Distributed across northern and eastern mainland Australia and...
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Walking in Darwin’s Footsteps with Chris Darwin
Few people can tell the story of Charles Darwin's journey through Australia quite like Chris Darwin. A great-great-grandson of the legendary naturalist, Chris has spent more than three decades guiding in the Blue Mountains, where Charles Darwin travelled during his visit to New South Wales in 1836. On Sydney Bespoke...
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Species Feature: Pink Cockatoo
The exquisite Pink Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) is widely regarded as one of Australia's most spectacularly beautiful avian species. Endemic to the arid and semi-arid inland regions of the continent, its broad distribution spans the dry woodlands and timbered grasslands of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia....
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Four Mile Headland Revisited with Ben Brown
Long before Maria Island earned its national park status in 1972, the land bore the heavy footprint of early agriculture, with large areas of native habitat cleared for sheep grazing and ambitious winemaking ventures. While much of the island has retained its natural wilderness, key coastal areas continue to suffer...
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Species Feature: White-bellied Sea-Eagle
The striking White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is one of Australia's most magnificent raptors. Distributed widely across mainland coastlines, offshore islands, and major inland waterways like the Murray-Darling river system, this majestic bird of prey shares a deep, symbolic connection with coastal communities. Celebrated as a powerful guardian of the waterways,...
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Vision Walks Eco-Tours Joins Australian Wildlife Journeys
Award-winning operator Vision Walks Eco-Tours has officially joined Australian Wildlife Journeys, marking a significant milestone for the Byron Bay-based company and further elevating its position as a leader in immersive, sustainable tourism experiences. Vision Walks Eco-Tours is renowned for its deeply engaging nature experiences that connect guests with the landscapes,...
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Reflecting on the 2026 Bremer Canyon Season
The 2026 Bremer Canyon season, which ran from mid-December to mid-April, served as a powerful reminder that this remote, undiscovered stretch of the Southern Ocean remains one of the most unpredictable wilderness areas on Earth. For the team at Naturaliste Charters, the value of the season lies not only in...
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The Great Green Awakening: Flinders Ranges Transformed
There are moments in the Australian Outback that feel like the land is holding its breath. At Arkaba in the Flinders Ranges, the last few years have been a patient wait for a drink. This season, that wait ended in spectacular fashion, with the best rains recorded across the region...
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Protecting Tasmania’s Wildlife with Elleke Leurs
Celebrated for its pristine wilderness, the island state of Tasmania faces a growing challenge in protecting its diverse wildlife. "Tasmania should be considered as one large national park, because we have the luxury of an abundance of wildlife much greater than most places. And unfortunately, with the growing infrastructure, roadkill...
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Platypus Spotting: Tips for Elusive Encounters
Of all the animals in the Australian bush, none are quite as paradoxical as the Platypus. They are iconic, yet notoriously elusive. Famous, yet frantically shy. For many wildlife enthusiasts, seeing a wild Platypus is the ultimate prize - a testament to patience, stealth, and being in the right place...
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Best Wildlife Tours in South Australia: From Coast to Outback
When it comes to wildlife, South Australia is the quiet achiever that loudly delivers. From the ancient, red-dirt backbone of the Flinders Ranges to the turquoise waters of the Eyre Peninsula, the landscape shifts dramatically - and so does the wildlife. You can wake up to the call of a...
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Conserving the Tasmanian Devil on Maria Island with Ben Brown
In the early 1970s, Maria Island was declared a national park, with a bold purpose: to provide sanctuary for Tasmania's rare and endangered wildlife. "The idea was to create a safe place for rare and endangered wildlife from mainland Tasmania," explains Ben Brown, General Manager of The Maria Island Walk....
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Whale Shark vs. Shark: Busting Myths of the Gentle Giant
The skipper yells, "Go, go, go!" and the adrenaline spikes. You slide off the marlin board, mask down, expecting a rush of chaos. But the second your head breaks the surface, the world falls silent. Out of the infinite blue comes a shape so large it defies logic. It isn't...
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Fish Hotels & The Murray River: A Conservation Conversation with Tony Sharley
"Nearly 3 million snags were removed from the Murray River. That is the equivalent of taking a reef out of an ocean." The Murray River is a deceptive beauty. From the bank, watching the River Red Gums reflect in the calm, olive-green water, it appears pristine. But Tony Sharley knows...
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"The Greatest Job on Earth": A Conservation Conversation with James Boettcher
"I think it's the greatest job on earth." When James Boettcher says this, you believe him. As the founder of FNQ Nature Tours, he spends his days in the 180-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest, but his passion isn't just for wildlife - it's for connecting people to it. In a new, in-depth...
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Species Feature: Common Brushtail Possum
Few Australian animals are as familiar (or as divisive!) as the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). This adaptable marsupial has become a fixture of both bushland and suburbia, equally at home in towering eucalypt forests or the rafters of a backyard shed. For some, it is a delightful visitor, a...
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Species Feature: Australian Tree-kangaroos
When most people picture a kangaroo, they imagine an animal bounding across the open plains. But in the cool, dense rainforests of Far North Queensland, two unique species have adapted to life in the treetops: The Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) and the Bennett's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus). These remarkable marsupials are...
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Learning about the River Red Gum with Max Rush
The River Red Gum is essential to the Murray River ecosystem. "They're such an important cornerstone species," explains Max Rush, a guide with Murray River Trails. "Their flowers feed many birds and insects, and the hollows in the giant old gums provide habitat for hollow-nesting birds and possums." These trees...
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Species Feature: Bottlenose Dolphin
Gliding effortlessly through coastal waters, the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops spp.) is one of Australia's most familiar and beloved marine mammals. Known for their intelligence, sociability, and playful behaviour, these sleek marine mammals are a common sight along Australia's coasts, especially in bays, estuaries, and sheltered reefs. Bottlenose Dolphins are among...
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Species Feature: Eastern Osprey
Graceful, powerful, and unmistakable in flight, the Eastern Osprey (Pandion cristatus) is a distinctive raptor found along Australia's coastal fringes. With a sharp eye for fish and a unique aerial hunting style, this coastal bird of prey is an integral part of marine ecosystems across northern and eastern Australia. Once...
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Fish Hotels for the Future: A Regenerative Project on the Murray
Australia's largest freshwater fish, the mighty Murray Cod, has long been a symbol of life along the Murray River. But decades of environmental change, habitat loss, and overharvesting have pushed this iconic species into vulnerable territory. Now, Murray River Trails is taking bold action to reverse that trend. Through the...
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Frankland Islands Reef Cruises Launches New Eco-Friendly Vessel
Travellers heading to the idyllic Frankland Islands can now enjoy a smoother, faster, and more sustainable journey thanks to a brand-new vessel, Wantaim, launched by Frankland Islands Reef Cruises. Replacing the Turtle Islander, this sleek 14-metre Naiad Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) brings a range of upgrades designed to make the...
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Species Feature: Tasmanian Pademelon
Hidden among Tasmania's misty forests and button grass plains is one of the island's most endearing native marsupials - the Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii). This compact, ground-dwelling wallaby is found nowhere else in the world and plays an important role in Tasmania's ecosystem. Tasmania provides a stronghold for this species,...