Family with Teens Wildlife Adventure

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

Day 2: Spend the day at lesiure before your afternoon flight to Melbourne.

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

East Gippsland - Shared Tour

Day 3: 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 Wilderness Coast & Snowy River - Private Tour

Day 4 & 5: 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 6: 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 and onto your flight to Hobart.

Accommodation: Movenpick Hobart (Superior Room) | Meals: BL

The Maria Island Walk - Shared Tour

Day 7: Casuarina. After a morning pickup in Hobart, transfer to Triabunna for a cruise across Mercury Passage to Maria Island, arriving at its pristine sandy isthmus. These untouched beaches host a variety of bird species, including Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers, Crested Terns, and Hooded Dotterels.

Lunch is served overlooking the azure waters of Shoal Bay, followed by a walk to the tranquil Casuarina Beach camp. The afternoon includes a trail through tall eucalypt forests leading to the striking Haunted Bay, known for its vivid lichen-covered granite rocks. Along the return, keep an eye out for Short-beaked Echidnas, Pademelons, wallabies, and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.

In the evening, enjoy a gourmet Tasmanian dinner, followed by a sunset beach stroll with a glass of wine to reflect on the day's experiences.

Accommodation: Wilderness Glamping at Casuarina Beach Camp | Walk length: approximately 8km  | Meals: BLD

Day 8: White Gums. Awake to the chatter of Yellow Wattlebirds and enjoy breakfast before embarking on a scenic walk along five pristine beaches. Observe Bottlenose Dolphins surfing and White-bellied Sea Eagles soaring while passing by exotic shells. Traverse grassy tussocks and sand dunes to reach Bloodstone Beach, retracing the steps of French explorer Nicholas Baudin from 1802.

Visit the historical Point Lesueur probation outpost before continuing to White Gums Camp. Take a swim or observe a variety of bird species, including the rare Forty-spotted Pardalote and several honeyeaters, as well as Common Wombats, Bennett's Wallabies, and Forester Kangaroos. In spring, cuckoos may be seen nesting in other birds' nests. Conclude the day with relaxation among fellow walkers and a candlelit dinner featuring fine Tasmanian food and wine.

Accommodation: Wilderness Glamping at White Gums Camp | Walk length: approximately 13km | Meals: BLD

The Maria Island Walk - Shared Tour

Day 9: Mt Maria or Bishops and Clerk. Today, local guides lead inland to explore the lush, majestic forests and the world's largest stand of giant Tasmanian Blue Gums. Spot Common Wombats and the endangered Swift Parrot, which nests in tree hollows along the east coast of Tasmania in August. For panoramic views of Tasman Island, Freycinet, Schouten Island, and Ile Des Phoques, climb Mt Maria or Bishop and Clerk, where remnants of the last glaciation, including dolerite boulders, are visible.

In the evening, arrive at Darlington's World Heritage–listed settlement and stay at the colonial Bernacchi House. Conclude the day with a banquet featuring fine wine, while observing Bennett's Wallabies and Tasmanian Pademelons in the surrounding garden.

Accommodation: Bernacchi House | Walk length: approximately 9-17km | Meals: BLD

Day 10: Darlington. The final day begins with a hearty breakfast, followed by a walk around the northern tip of Maria Island. The trail passes through a variety of spectacular woodlands and forests before reaching the dramatic sea cliffs of Fossil Bay. These massive limestone cliffs contain a prolific array of fossils from a 280-million-year-old seabed, including fully formed shell fossils.

Returning to Darlington, it is common to observe grazing Common Wombats, Forester Kangaroos, Bennett's Wallabies, Cape Barren Geese, and Tasmanian Native Hens, while Flame Robins can often be seen darting in pairs. Before boarding the boat back to mainland Tasmania and Hobart, enjoy a celebratory farewell lunch to reflect on four unforgettable days exploring this remarkable island. In the late afternoon, take a flight to Sydney.

Meals: BL

Optional Extension: 4 Day Tasmanian Wildlife Journey

Price for this extension starts at $3,340.00 AUD per person based on two rooms twin/share. 

Day 11: Mt Field National Park. Meet an expert local guide and venture into Mount Field National Park, the oldest National Park in Tasmania. The landscapes are diverse, ranging from lush eucalyptus temperate rainforests to alpine moorland. Guides will provide interpretation along the rainforest walk to Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Tall Trees, featuring some of the tallest trees in the world. 

Day 12: Tasman Peninsula. Board an award winning cruise, to explore waterfalls, sea cliffs, archways and deep sea caves that host an abundance of marine wildlife including Australian Fur Seals, migrating Humpback Whales (seasonal) as well as Common and Bottlenose Dolphins. As the cruise ventures into the Southern Ocean taking in the historic and famous Tasman Island, pelagic bird species can be spotted including Shy, Wandering and Black-browed Albatross, Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters, Australasian Gannets and White-bellied Sea Eagles. After lunch, check into accommodation for the night nestled between a beautiful beach and forest. Explore the Tasman Peninsula in search of wallabies, possums, White-bellied Sea Eagles and Black-faced Cormorants. Accom: Fox & Hounds, Port Arthur

Day 13: Freycinet, Wineglass Bay & Bicheno. Upon leaving the Tasman Peninsula, take a scenic drive passing coastal fishing villages along the stunning east coast, before arriving at the renowned Freycinet Peninsula; with its exceptional beauty, pristine white sandy beaches and granite coastline. A stop at the internationally significant RAMSAR wetland, Moulting Lagoon, provides the opportunity to observe important breeding grounds for various waterfowl and wetland birds, and a destination for migratory birds. Take an interpretative walk to the world famous Wineglass Bay, bound to provide spectacular photo opportunities. In the evening, join the rare chance to observe Little Penguins, as they make their way from the ocean to their burrows and rookery. Accom: Bicheno by the Bay

Day 14: Hobart. After a relaxed morning continue back to Hobart and transfer to the Hobart Airport or accommodation.