Australian Wildlife Conservation Safari

Kangaroo Island Conservation Connection - Private

Day 1: Cygnet Valley & North Coast. After a pickup from the morning flight, visit the Cygnet Valley to explore the Eucalyptus forest and learn about the innovative habitat restoration at Cygnet Park, which has transformed former farmland into diverse bushland. Next, meet Dr. Peggy Rismiller, a world expert on the Short-beaked Echidna, who has spent nearly 30 years studying these ancient creatures through methods like radio-tracking and environmental analysis. Dr. Rismiller's work extends beyond echidnas, covering tiger snakes, goannas, and environmental management. She's also a consultant for international zoos and a role model for women in science.

After lunch, join theKangaroo Island Marine Adventures team for a trip on the ocean, contributing to the 'dolphin watch' citizen science program. Learn about the visual recognition system used to track dolphin movement between pods. If weather permits and dolphins are present, have the chance to snorkel with bottlenose dolphins in the open ocean, making for a truly memorable experience.

Accommodation: Kangaroo Island Lodge | Meals: LD

Kangaroo Island Conservation Connection - Private

Day 2: Seal Bay. Start the day with an exploration of the island's iconic Glossy Black-Cockatoo, a species isolated by climate change and dependent on drooping sheoak woodlands for food. The population on Kangaroo Island faced challenges, with numbers dwindling to 158 in 1995 before rebounding to 454 in 2020. Learn about the significant issues these birds face, including habitat loss, predation by Common Brush-tail Possums, genetic isolation, and a gender imbalance skewed towards males. The visit includes a walk through their feeding habitat, where Tammar Wallabies, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, and other wildlife also reside.

Afterwards, visit Stokes Bay to scan for shorebirds and explore nearby koala habitats. Following lunch, the tour continues to Seal Bay Conservation Park for a private tour of the Australian Sea-lion colony. Learn about the threats to these rare sea-lions, their feeding habits, and unique breeding biology, as well as the conservation efforts in place to protect them.

Accommodation: Kangaroo Island Lodge | Meals: BLD

Day 3: West Coast. The day begins with a visit to a private wildlife refuge in the island's northwest, managed by Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife. Learn about the crucial conservation work led by Pat, Heidi, and their team, focusing on threat reduction, long-term monitoring, and supporting landholders in protecting bushland and threatened species. Explore bushland survey sites and see shelter tunnels built to protect small mammals and birds, including the endangered Kangaroo Island Dunnart. There's also an opportunity to view wildlife footage from cameras set up in the area.

After a picnic lunch of marinated poached chicken, fresh salads, cheeses, and South Australian wines, head to Flinders Chase National Park, covering nearly 75,000 hectares. The park's landscape features coastal mallee and striking granite formations, with Remarkable Rocks as a highlight. The day ends at Admirals Arch, to spot fur seals and sea-lions, and gain insights into the island's early human occupation, including Indigenous survival practices. Take a flight from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide.

Accommodation: Mayfair Adelaide (Deluxe King Room) | Meals: BL

Arkaba Safari

Day 4-6: Arkaba Conservancy. Following a transfer from Adelaide, arrival is at the 60,000-acre Arkaba Conservancy, set amidst ancient mountain ranges. A three-night stay is centered on wildlife conservation and biodiversity, with a core focus on supporting the mission to restore the property's natural heritage through immersive activities.

The central element of the stay is Hands-on Conservation. Genuine insight into biodiversity restoration is gained by participating in fieldwork. This includes activities such as tracking radio-collared feral cats using telemetry, setting up trip cameras to monitor key sites, or assisting biologists with land surveys to identify vegetation critical to endangered species.

Thrilling expeditions, like the Ridge-top Safari Drive and Dundee Track, are conducted in open-top 4WD vehicles. These drives provide crucial wildlife viewing across diverse habitats, specifically aiming to spot species of conservation interest. Highlights include viewing Common Wallaroos on rocky outcrops and the chance to encounter colonies of the endangered Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby on the Elder Range.

Arkaba is a renowned haven for bird enthusiasts. Riparian vegetation along creek-beds is alive with parrots, corellas, and honeyeaters, while open spinifex grasslands host grasswrens and Black-shouldered Kites. The seasonal Arkaba Hide offers a subtle vantage point for viewing species like Elegant and Mulga Parrots. Complementing the drives, Short Guided Walks with expert field guides enhance the conservation focus, offering tailored insights into local species and seasonal opportunities across the stunning landscape.

For bird enthusiasts, the property is a haven. Recovering riparian vegetation along the creek-beds hosts a multitude of colorful parrots, corellas, and honeyeaters, while open spinifex grasslands provide habitat for grasswrens and hovering Black-shouldered Kites. The Arkaba Hide, available seasonally, offers an ideal, subtle vantage point to view species like Elegant and Mulga Parrots coming to drink.

Short Guided Walks with expert field guides further enhance the conservation focus, offering tailored insights into local species and seasonal opportunities across the stunning landscape.

Accommodation: Arkaba Homestead | Meals: BLD

East Gippsland Wildlife Journey - Shared Tour

Day 7: Arkaba to Mellbourne. Take a transfer from Arkaba to Adelaide in the morning and fly to Melbourne with the evening at leisure. The many attractions of the city vary from the spectacular parklands and gardens that surround the city, to the museums and festivals that are a continuing part of the city life. Excellent restaurants are on every corner and cater to every taste.

Accommodation: Savoy Hotel on Little Collins (King Deluxe Room) | Meals: B

Day 8: Melbourne to Gippsland (Monday). Depart Melbourne in the morning, venturing east to the beautiful Lakes District in Gippsland. This region is protected by the International Ramsar Convention and is a key habitat for waterbirds such as Black Swans, Chestnut Teals, Australian Shelducks, Musk Ducks, as well as Fairy Terns.

Shortly after, board a ferry to Raymond Island that provides sanctuary to a host of native animals. Assist in helping a wild koala research project on the island. Data collated will include tree species preference, behaviour, identification of individuals and evidence of koalas drinking stemflow.  Take walks through local forest, with Koalas, echidnas, Swamp Wallabies and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, parrots, honeyeaters and seabirds all sighting opportunities. Driving through lush eucalypt forests, pristine estuaries and white sandy beaches, assist in helping the wildlife guide in recording species for conservation purposes. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant with lunch also included.

Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead | Meals: BLD

East Gippsland Wildlife Journey - Shared Tour

Day 9 & 10: Platypus, Rainforest Birds & Wilderness Coast. The diverse forests and wilderness coast of East Gippsland are the reason that wildlife is so abundant. Over these two days, visit both dry and wet forests, visit the famous Snowy River, and walk beside a wilderness creek where the landscape changes dramatically from the sunny, dry slopes to the near-rainforest of the gully. Your Wildlife Guide provides detailed information of the formation of these mighty forests, and helps you search for Lyrebirds, parrots, goannas, wallabies and honeyeaters. Birds and reptiles are abundant, but other human visitors are few.

Walk into a large lowland (warm temperate) rainforest in search of birds including Topknot Pigeons, Superb Lyrebirds, Brown Gerygones, Black-faced Monarchs and Platypus and Swamp Wallabies. Then walk through a heathland and along a forest-lined river. Search for White-bellied Sea Eagles, Hooded Plovers, Gang-gang cockatoos, Turquoise Parrots, Azure Kingfishers and Jacky Lizards, before visiting a quiet beach with a complex dune system, where beach and ocean-going birds are frequently seen along with Australian Fur-seals.

Nearby rocky headlands along the coast provide the opportunity to peer into rock pools, walk past wind-sculpted coastal shrubs and view the expanse of the 90 mile beach. Spend a little time on a beautiful beach removing Sea Spurge, an invasive introduced plant and remove fishing "ghost" nets that have washed in from the sea. The idea is to stop them washing back out, where they trap and kill sea creatures. On one night, go spotlighting searching for night creatures including Greater and Yellow-bellied gliders, possums, bandicoots and other nocturnal creatures. Dine both days at classic Aussie pub over looking the mouth of the Snowy River.

Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead | Meals: BLD

Day 11: East Gippsland to Melbourne. Depart East Gippsland after one last visit to the beach at the Mouth of the Snowy River. On the way back to Melbourne, a visit to Krowathunkoolong Keeping Place, an informative Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Bairnsdale, provides an opportunity to learn about how the Aboriginal people have lived amongst these captivating landscapes for thousands of years. Following this, venture to a river in Bairnsdale to spot Grey-headed Flying-foxes in their daytime roosts, before arriving in Melbourne. 

Accommodation: Savoy Hotel on Little Collins - King Deluxe Room | Meals: BL

Daintree Afternoon & Nocturnal - Private

Day 12: Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation. Depart Melbourne in the morning before arrival into Cairns around midday, heading north to the ancient Daintree Rainforest, a 180-million-year-old ecosystem spanning 120,000 hectares and home to Australia's highest diversity of rainforest mammals. The journey offers breathtaking views along the Great Barrier Reef Drive, one of Australia's most scenic coastal highways. Upon arriving at Daintree National Park, you'll enjoy afternoon tea before embarking on a serene Daintree River Wildlife Cruise aboard a solar-powered vessel. This eco-friendly cruise provides opportunities to spot Saltwater Crocodiles and many of the region's 420 bird species, including kingfishers, cormorants, and Brahminy Kites.

Continuing to Cape Tribulation, explore a rare location where the rainforest meets the sea, guided by an expert wildlife guide. The evening includes a memorable dining experience in the rainforest, followed by a night walk to observe nocturnal wildlife. Gain insights on the 3,000 plant species and various crepuscular and nocturnal animals, such as the Daintree River Ringtail Possum and Northern Long-nosed Bandicoot, enhancing your unique experience of the Wet Tropics. Arrive back in Cairns at 10:30 pm.

Accommodation: Pullman Cairns (Deluxe Harbour View Room) | Meals: BLD

Atherton Tablelands - Private

Day 13: Atherton Tablelands. In the morning, have the opportunity to spot wild Platypus in a historic town on the Atherton Tablelands. This iconic wildlife experience allows you to learn about the elusive behaviour of these unique creatures and capture memorable photos. The tour takes its time here, often making a second visit if necessary. After lunch, cool off with an optional swim at Lake Eacham, an extinct volcanic crater surrounded by pristine rainforest.

Mid-afternoon, you will visit the Tolga Bat Hospital, a renowned wildlife experience on the Atherton Tablelands. Learn about the conservation of bats and their habitat through rescue work, education, and research. Get up close with flying-foxes and discover the fascinating world of microbats.