Australia's Big 5

Sydney & Southern Highlands - Shared Tour

Day 1: Southern Highlands. After a pickup from Sydney late morning, head south towards the Southern Highlands, known for it's mix of private farmland and pristine bushland locations. Learn about the importance of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor; a critical parcel of woodland vegetation providing migration routes for native species between the southern Blue Mountains World Heritage area and Morton National Park further south. Enjoy the afternoon spotting wildlife at several locations. The area hosts an abundance of birds - from the universally-loved Kookaburra to a host of colourful parrots, including Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Galah, Yellow-tailed and Glossy Black Cockatoo, and even Emu - as well as some of Australia's most iconic animals, such as Echidna.

Explore some of the rivers flowing through the region at dusk, providing the opportunity to see one of Australia's most curious creatures, the Platypus. Contribute to current projects underway to map the location and movement of Platypus in the area and provide more complete data to assist decision-makers supporting the local Platypus population in the future. After dinner at Australia's oldest continuously licensed Inn, go spotlighting with special flashlights, looking for the nocturnal species in the region including Brush-tailed Possums and Common Wombats, before returning to Sydney mid-late evening.

Accommodation: Grace Hotel (Signature Superior Room) | Meals: LD

Tasmanian Wildlife Encounter - Shared Tour (Departs Monday)

Day 2: Hobart & Bonorong Night Tour. Upon arrival at Hobart airport no later than 3.00 pm, transfer to accommodation in the CBD. At 4.30 depart for Bonorong sanctuary for a 2.5 hour behind the scenes night-tour, with the opportunity to get close to many of Tasmania's endemic animals and learn more about this important rescue facility.

Accommodation: Ibis Styles | Meals: B

Day 3: Maria Island. This morning, travel to the seaside village of Triabunna and board a ferry to cross the Mercury Passage to Maria Island. This unique island national park sits just off Tasmania's east coast. Enjoy a day of peaceful walking amongst historic ruins, across sweeping bays, rugged fossil cliffs and imposing mountains.

This island sanctuary provides an opportunity to view its resident wildlife, including Common Wombats, Cape Barren Geese, Tasmanian Pademelons, Forester Kangaroo's and even the Tasmanian Devil in their natural environment. Later this afternoon, continue your journey along Tasmania's sunny east-coast to Bicheno in the Freycinet area.

Accommodation: Bicheno at the Bay | Meals: B

Tasmanian Wildlife Encounter - Shared Tour

Day 4: Freycinet Peninsula. After the breakfast, travel to Coles Bay and embark the award-winning 4-hour Wineglass Bay cruise. Cruise the spectacular coastline of Freycinet National Park from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay. Be enthralled by the stunning granite coastline, including the dramatic pink peaks of the Hazards range. Discover a coast dotted with sparkling white sand beaches, including Cooks and Bryans beaches, only accessible by water or a full day bushwalk.

Explore the inner passage of remote Schouten Island, home to Little Penguins and Short-tailed Shearwaters, before heading into the Tasman Sea towards Wineglass Bay. Look out for various hidden sea caves, blowholes and waterfalls amongst the sheer granite cliffs. Disembark the vessel in the early afternoon and visit the Friendly Beaches before your guide takes you to your accommodation. The rest of this afternoon is at leisure. At dusk we invite you to an informative tour on a private property to get close to the local colony of Little Penguins nesting and breeding in the dunes.

Accommodation: Bicheno at the Bay | Meals: B

Day 5: Bay of Fires. Today, continue the journey along the East-Coast and visit the stunning orange-lichen covered granite rocks of the Bay of Fires conservation area. Take the opportunity to wander around, explore the whitest sandy beaches and the turquoise waters. Travel to St. Columba Falls, the highest waterfalls in Tasmania and through lush and green valleys before arrival in Launceston, the second biggest city in Tasmania.

Accommodation: Verge Hotel  | Meals: B

Day 6: Launceston. This morning, enjoy a city introduction of Launceston and visit the stunning Cataract Gorge, where the South Esk river forces its way through sheer granite rocks before the tour ends at 11am at the Launceston transit centre. Fly to Melbourne in the afternoon.

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

Melbourne & East Gippsland Wildlife Journey - Shared Tour

Day 7-8: Melbourne. Explore the many historic and cultural attractions of the city; from the spectacular parklands and gardens that surround the city to the museums and festivals that are a continuing part of city life. Excellent restaurants are on every corner and cater to every taste. 

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

Day 9: Melbourne to East Gippsland (Monday). After departing Melbourne in the morning, venture 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. You will 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, you will assist in helping the wildlife guide in recording species for conservation purposes. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant with lunch also included. Accommodation is a homestead in a small town where you will stay for three nights.

Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead | Meals: BLD

East Gippsland Wildlife Journey - Shared Tour

Day 10 & 11: 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 you will 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.

You 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 – this area abuts a previously burnt area, so wildlife surveys here are particularly important. You will 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. You will spend a little time on a beautiful beach removing Sea Spurge, an invasive introduced plant. You'll also 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 12: 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, guests will 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 Hotel) | Meals: BL

Kangaroo Island - Shared Tour

Day 13: Cygnet Valley & Seal Bay. After an early morning flight from Melbourne to Kangaroo Island (via Adelaide), start at Cygnet Valley, exploring redgum forests, narrow-leaved mallee, and mixed farmland, home to Koalas, parrots, and bush birds. Enjoy a delicious home-baked morning tea along the way. Next, visit Stokes Bay, one of the island's most famous beaches, to spot shorebirds and seabirds along its beautiful white stretches. The area also offers regular wildlife sightings, including Tammar Wallabies, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Short-beaked Echidnas, and Rosenberg's Goanna.

Travel inland through productive farmland before enjoying an elegant seafood barbecue lunch on a private property in a redgum forest. The meal features King George whiting, halloumi, potatoes, fresh garden salad, and local wine. After lunch, head south to Seal Bay, to witness the transition of coastal mallee through heath into dunes. Encounter Australia's third-largest colony of Sea-lions on a privately guided tour, learning about their feeding and breeding behavior.

Accommodation: Kangaroo Island Lodge (Waterview Superior) | Meals: BLD

Day 14: Flinders Chase National Park. Venture to the west end of the Island where Flinders Chase National Park covers nearly 75,000 hectares (almost 200,000 acres), where the landscape is dominated by coastal mallee and the "bonsai Eucalyptus". Sustained winds over millennia have carved out a natural sculpture park from solid granite tors, with the highlight being the aptly named Remarkable Rocks. The high vantage point provides an opportunity to look for oceanic bird species (Pacific Gulls, Australasian Gannets and Short-tailed Shearwaters during the warmer months) as the low heath often reveals Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters, Southern Emu-wrens and seasonally, the incessant call of the Western Whipbird. Break for a delectable picnic lunch in the bush, featuring a range of locally sourced items and local wines. Fly to Adelaide late afternoon.