Posts from Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours
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Species Feature: Red Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is Australia's largest marsupial and an iconic symbol of Australia. Known for their impressive leaps and strong legs, these animals are found across much of Australia's arid and semi-arid interior. It thrives in diverse vegetated habitats, particularly in grasslands and shrublands interspersed with mulga woodlands,...
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12 Threatened Australian Species You Can See In the Wild
Australia is home to a remarkable array of wildlife, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. However, numerous species are currently facing critical threats and are classified as endangered. In this article, we explore some of Australia's most vulnerable creatures that you can observe in their natural habitats....
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Best Places to See Platypuses in the Wild
Encountering Australia's wildlife in its natural habitat is a magical experience. Observing animals in the wild, where they explore freely and behave naturally, offers a unique and unforgettable connection to nature. One of the most sought-after wildlife experiences in Australia is spotting the elusive platypus in the wild. This semiaquatic,...
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Best Places to See Koalas in the Wild
When it comes to Australian wildlife, there's nothing more thrilling and rewarding than witnessing them in the wild - that is, in their native habitat. Untouched and undisturbed by humans, this is where we can spend time in nature observing animals doing what they want. Observing Koalas in the wild...
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Tourism Meets Science: Four Ways Visitors Can Contribute to Research
As pressures increase from factors such as climate change, extreme weather events, urban or industrial development, plastics pollution and debris, it has never been more important for the tourism sector to unite with academic researchers to measure the impact of these pressures and the health of our ecosystems. Several tourism...
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Best Places to See Kangaroos in the Wild
Experiencing Australian wildlife in their natural habitat is both thrilling and rewarding. In these untouched environments, you can immerse yourself in nature and observe animals as they go about their daily lives. One of the most iconic experiences for travelers to Australia is encountering kangaroos in the wild. Let us...
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May 3 is Wild Koala Day: 5 Reasons We Love Seeing Koalas in the Wild
With its fluffy ears and spoon-shaped nose, the Koala is one of Australia's most adored animals. In Australia you can still see Koalas in the wild, and we aim to keep it that way. The Koala is distributed across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, however, clearing of...
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Watch 'Our Story: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours' with Roger Smith
Video produced by Gravity Films. Video footage courtesy of Blair Wickham, Mungo Lodge, Simon Mustoe, Koala Clancy Foundation, Tourism Australia, Destination NSW, Visit Victoria and NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. Suggested tour: Private Mungo Outback Journey Duration: 4 days/3 nights Type: Groups, private charter Departs: On request Be captivated...
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An East Gippsland Education with Hayley Forster
All Echidna Walkabout tours focus quite heavily on wildlife spotting so, for Hayley Forster, joining the guiding team was a natural fit. "I majored in Wildlife and Conservation Biology in my Environmental Science degree, and am very passionate about Victorian wildlife and ensuring that our native forests stay put," she...
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Storyteller Series: Roger Smith from Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours
Roger Smith remembers clearly, when he was a child, seeing a mob of kangaroos hop into a grove of trees in the middle of a paddock. "I thought I'd sneak out straight across the paddock," he says. "And if they ran away, I'd see them. But when I got there,...
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Make Your Australian Holiday More Meaningful with Citizen Science
In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the public's interest in protecting the environment and nature from human pressures. As a result, travelers are increasingly seeking opportunities to contribute to the well-being of the planet during their holidays. One way to fulfill this desire and make your...
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High Flows Rejuvenating the Murray Floodplains
Australia’s longest and most famous river is currently experiencing high flow, sparking to life hundreds of thousands of hectares of floodplain vegetation that hasn’t been inundated for decades. This natural event is currently producing spectacular scenery and images for guests on the Murray River Safari and will allow the dry...
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Tree Planting Day Hosted by Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours
Australian Wildlife Journeys founding member Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours recently hosted a tree planting session as part of a Tourism Australia Thought Leadership Day on Sustainability in Victoria's You Yangs region. In the space of two hours, the group planted more than 400 trees to support Koala habitat restoration for...
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Exploring the You Yangs with Norm Jurrawaa Stanley and Nikki McKenzie
For Norm Jurrawaa Stanley and his wife Nikki McKenzie, everything is tied to connections. “When I take guests to the You Yangs we look at traditional life and how it compares to our life today. We talk about our connection to culture, and what our connection to the country looks...
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Birdwatching Across East Gippsland with Martin Maderthaner
The spring and summer months are the favourite time of year for birdwatching in East Gippsland for Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours guide, Martin Maderthaner. “It’s an active time for birds, and it’s a very exciting time to be in the forest. The birds are all singing, and competing with each...
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Top 5 Conservation Travel Stories from Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours
Blog repurposed with permission from conservationtravel.com.au Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours and the Koala Clancy Foundations’ remarkable achievements over the past 24 months are linked to efforts by thousands of committed wildlife conservationists and to climate activist organisations around the world. After 24 months of uncertainty, we look back at 5...
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Koala Recovery Experience with Kirby Leary and Janine Duffy
This year, the Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours team, together with hundreds of volunteers, is aiming to plant 50,000 trees across the Melbourne and East Gippsland region... and 2022 is set to be even bigger. Some of the many hundreds of volunteers. Image: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours “Our tree total is...
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Tracking Powerful Owls with Martin Maderthaner
When you ask long-standing Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours guide, Martin Maderthaner, to describe the hoot a Powerful Owl makes, he doesn’t hesitate. “It’s a very loud and deep hoot, a double hoot, really,” he explains. “It’s a commanding sound and you immediately know it’s coming from a large bird, a...
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Species Feature: Koala
The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is one of Australia's most iconic animals. They are so unique that they have their own genus as well as their own family! Where are Koalas found in Australia? Koalas are found across south-eastern Australia, which includes South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland,...
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Species Feature: Platypus
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an iconic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia. Where are Platypuses (also Platypi) found in Australia? Platypuses are found in freshwater systems along the eastern and south-eastern coastline of Australia, including the island state of Tasmania. They are often sighted floating along the...
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Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change at Mungo National Park with Roger Smith
When you ask Roger Smith, co-founder of Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours along with Janine Duffy, about climate change at Mungo National Park, he cites an example. “To help people understand the impacts of climate change in a certain area, I usually profile a creature,” he says. “I’ve been visiting Mungo...
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Post Bushfire Surveys with Janine Duffy
Janine Duffy, founder of Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours along with Roger Smith, knows a thing or two about Southern Emu-wrens... but then she knows a thing of two about hundreds of wildlife species. “If it’s native and it’s wildlife, I love it,” she says. “I joke that my favourite animal...
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Australia wins Lonely Planet's Best In Travel 2021 Community Restoration award
Following catastrophic fires last summer, a number of Australian tour operators like Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours are developing effective and interesting ways to get visitors involved in helping rebuild the native wildlife and their habitat. Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours' Janine Duffy was featured in Lonely Planet's video annoucing that Australia...
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New Tour Helps Aussie Tiger Quoll In Far North Queensland
MEDIA RELEASE 17 June 2020 The Tasmanian Tiger died out 80 years ago, but their cousin: the poorly-known Tiger Quoll, still survives in small numbers in Far North Queensland. A new 4 day tour has been designed to help this threatened Aussie marsupial, by getting Aussies to visit, enjoy the...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: April 2020
Rainbow Lorikeet - Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours Image credit: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours (via Facebook: @echidnawalkabout) Recommended tour: Great Ocean Road (3D/2N) Australian Sea-lions - Australian Coastal Safaris Image credit: Australian Coastal Safaris (via Facebook: @auscoastsafaris) Featured tour: Port Lincoln Wildlife Encounters (2D/2N) Common Wombat - The Maria Island Walk...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: March 2020
Killer Whale - Naturaliste Charters Image credit: Naturaliste Charters (via Facebook: @bremercanyonkillerwhaleexpeditions) Recommended tour: Bremer Canyon Killer Whale Expedition Eastern Grey Kangaroos - Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours Image credit: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours (via Facebook: @echidnawalkabout) Recommended tour: Great Ocean Road (3D/2N) Emus - Australian Coastal Safaris Image credit: Australian...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: February 2020
Kangaroo Island Kangaroo - Exceptional Kangaroo Island Image credit: Exceptional Kangaroo Island (via Facebook: @exceptionalkangarooisland) Exceptional Kangaroo Island came across a couple of local Kangaroo Islanders who seemed to be getting into the spirit of Valentine's Day! Recommended tour: Kangaroo Island In Style (2D/1N) Killer Whale - Naturaliste Charters Image...
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Support Australia's Wildlife Affected by Bushfires through Travel
The combination of the mobility of animals, ability to survive and in some cases thrive due to fires, means Australia continues to deliver compelling and immersive wildlife experiences post bushfire. One of the remarkable aspects of many eucalypt habitats across Australia affected by fire, are their ability to germinate and...
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Species Feature: Common Wombat
The Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is one of Australia's most endeared native marsupial species. Known for their playful nature and backwards-facing pouches, the Common Wombat is a choice encounter for many visitors to Australia! Where is the Common Wombat found in Australia? Common Wombats are found across south-eastern Australia, which...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: November 2019
Life on the Reef - Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo Image credit: Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo (via Facebook: @exmouthdiveandwhalesharksningaloo) The Ningaloo Reef provides magical marine encounters throughout the year! Recommended tour: Deluxe Whaleshark Swim (full day) - available from March 4 until August 31, 2020. Figbird with Young -...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: October 2019
Red-bellied Pademelons - The Maria Island Walk Image credit: The Maria Island Walk (via Facebook: @mariaislandwalk) Extinct on mainland Australia, these cute creatures are widespread in Tasmania and Maria Island! Recommended tour: The Maria Island Walk - available until April 30, 2020. Whale Shark - Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: September 2019
Rainbow Lorikeet - Australian Coastal Safaris Image credit: Australian Coastal Safaris (via Facebook: @auscoastsafaris) South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula region is home to a diverse range of birds, none more stunning than the Rainbow Lorikeet! Featured tour: Port Lincoln Wildlife Encounters (2D/2N) Common Wombat - The Maria Island Walk Image credit: ...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: July 2019
Grey-headed Flying-fox - Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours Image credit: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours (via Instagram: @echidnawalkabout_) The Grey-headed Flying-fox is one of many wildlife sightings available in the East Gippsland region of Victoria. Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours offer multiple tours which visit this region. Recommended tour: East Gippsland Wildlife Journey...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: May 2019
Buffalo - Lords Safaris Image credit: Lords Safaris (via Facebook: @lordssafarisnt) Lords Safaris encountered some Buffalo out on the Mary River floodplain, north of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. These tours are conducted using airboats, which offer great access to a diverse range of wildlife including Saltwater Crocodiles,...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: April 2019
Here are some amazing April images across the Australian Wildlife Journey group! Flinders Ranges Sunrise - Arkaba Conservancy Image credit: Brooke Saward (via Instagram: @worldwanderlust) The Flinders Ranges region of South Australia is famous for its stunning landscapes as well as it's wildlife diversity. As part of the Arkaba Walk...
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Koalas In Funny Positions
May 3 is Wild Koala Day! A day to celebrate Koalas living in the wild! It is also about protecting their forests and planting new forests to replace what has been taken by land clearing and over-development. Koalas are undoubtedly one of the most adorable animals on the planet and...
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Q&A With Guides: Janine Duffy
Janine Duffy, along with Roger Smith, founded Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours in 1993, with the organisation becoming internationally-recognised in wildlife in the wild conservation travel, and winner of the 2014 World Responsible Travel Award. We recently sat down with Janine recently to find out more about her passion for wildlife...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: March 2019
Take a look at some of our favourite posts from our members in March 2019: Short-beaked Echidna - The Maria Island Walk The Short-beaked Echidna is found across Australia, including Tasmania and surrounding islands. A tour group completing the Maria Island Walk recently came across this one who was taking...
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Koala Tree Planting Update
Thanks to international tourists, 3,000 Koala trees will be planted this year near Melbourne. Koala Clancy Foundation – an initiative of Echidna Walkabout - has secured two huge Koala tree planting opportunities around the You Yangs, west of Melbourne. The two projects will increase Koala habitat in the region by...
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Australia's Top 10 Most Beautifully Coloured Birds
Australia is home to a some of the world's most iconic birds - 828 individual species, according to a 2008 study (Christidis and Boles). Some Australian birds are known for their audible abilities; some for their size, and others for their spectacular colourings. Let's take a look at what birds...
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Our Favourite Member Photographs: February 2019
Take a look at some of our favourite posts from our members in February 2019: Orca - Naturaliste Charters Image credit: Michael Haluwana (via Instagram: @aeroture_aus) Naturaliste Charters get you face-to-face (literally!) with Orcas in the Bremer Canyon region of Western Australia! The season operates from January through to April,...
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Help Australia's Marsupials by Taking a Tour!
Wildlife-based tourism is growing rapidly as more people travel the world. However, not all animal experiences are created equal. It’s widely agreed that the only sustainable and ethical experiences are those where humans simply observe animals going about their daily lives in their natural habitat – no touching, no feeding,...
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Australia's Top 11 Quirkiest Birds
Australia is teeming with fabulous quirky birds – birds with extraordinary songs, birds that break eggs with stones, birds that run like the wind, and birds that dance like no one is watching (ironically, these birds are dancing precisely to be watched). “Some Australian birds have evolved to have amazing...
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Facts You Didn't Know About Kangaroos!
Kangaroos are macropods and there are over 50 species of macropods (a general term for kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, potoroos and bettongs) found in Australia – and a few more in Papua New Guinea. Most macropods have hind legs that are bigger than their forelimbs, big feet and a muscular tail....
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How to Help Conserve Australia's Birds on Your Next Trip
From the flightless Emu and paternal-nesting Southern Cassowary to the raucous Laughing Kookaburra and screeching pink and grey Galah, Australia’s 800 or so bird species are as varied, unique and intriguing as the environments they inhabit. With close to half of Australia’s bird species found nowhere else on Earth, sightings...
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Lizard Spotting on Safari across Australia
From Saltwater Crocs to the world’s most venomous snakes, Australia houses more reptile species than any other country on the planet. With more than 600 known species distributed throughout Australia, lizards are the most diverse – and arguably underrated – members of the group. Everywhere you go in Australia you...
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Species Feature: Short-beaked Echidna
The Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of Earth’s oldest mammals, believed to have shared Earth with the dinosaurs, up to 110 Million years ago! The Short-beaked Echidna, Long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus) and Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), make up the only three monotremes. Monotremes are egg-laying mammals which, similar to birds and...
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Species Feature: King Parrot
Across the cooler coastal and mountain forests of eastern Australia, a highlight for many wildlife lovers is to see the magnificent scarlet underside and red head of the male King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis). This species resides all the way from Cooktown near the top of Queensland to Southwestern Victoria. Australian...
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Removing Ghost Net from East Gippsland
On our last 4 day Wildlife Journey to East Gippsland, we watched delighted as a family of female and juvenile Australian Fur Seals played near the rocks at Cape Conran. It was our last full day, the sun was warm, the beach was deserted and we had walked out along...
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Powerful Owls of East Gippsland
In February 2014 a bushfire ripped through Raymond Creek Falls in the Snowy River National Park, East Gippsland. This area was a highlight of our 4 day Wildlife Journey to East Gippsland and had shown great promise as a birdwatching site – the combination of dry Brittle Gum heathy woodland...
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Sunsets & Koalas - New Tour Launches
In the southern part of Australia, the summer time signals an extended period of hot try weather. Whilst the coastal areas are a little more moderate, the temperature can reach over 40 degree celcius (or 104 degree fahrenheit). To conserve energy and reduce bodily temperatures, most Australian marsupials will rest...
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The Curious Sex Tales of the Koala - Wild Koala Day May 3
The cute face and innocent eyes of a koala hide a mischievous sprite, with one of the most interesting sex lives in the animal kingdom, worthy of a national Wild Koala Day in their honour! Here are five amazing facts, sure to raise some eyebrows! Female Koalas have 3 vaginas...
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Five Amazing Facts about Koala Joeys
1. Baby koalas are called Joeys. All marsupial babies are called joeys – kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, tasmanian devils, possums & bilbys. The meaning/origin is unknown – it’s possibly just a diminutive used at that time for any small animal. Joey as a baby marsupial was first recorded in use in...