Fauna of the Forests

Sydney & Southern Highlands - Shared Tour

Day 1: Sydney. On arrival in Sydney, you will be transferred by private vehicle to your downtown accommodation. 

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available*

Day 2: Southern Highlands. After departing Sydney late morning or early afternoon, you'll journey to the tranquil Southern Highlands to encounter Australia's iconic wildlife, including eastern grey Kangaroos, Red-necked and Swamp Wallabies, Common Wombats, Emus, and Platypuses, along with vibrant bird species like Eastern Rosellas, Crimson Rosellas, King Parrots and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. You'll explore private farmland and pristine bushland, learning about the Great Western Wildlife Corridor's importance in connecting native species between the southern Blue Mountains and Morton National Park.

A visit to Fitzroy Falls will provide you with spectacular views and birdwatching, with a chance to spot the Superb Lyrebird, renowned for its incredible mimicry and fascinating mating display. At dusk, you will have the chance to search for the elusive Platypus, contributing to local conservation efforts. After dinner at Australia's oldest licensed inn, you will embark on a nocturnal spotlighting adventure to see Brush-tailed Possums, Wombats, and with some luck Tawny Frogmouths, before returning to Sydney in the late evening.

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available*

East Gippsland - Private Tour

Day 3: Melbourne. After taking a flight from Sydney, explore the history and attractions of the city. 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: Flexible Options Available*

Day 4: Gippsland Lakes. After departing Melbourne, you will head east to Gippsland's Lakes District, a RAMSAR-protected region vital for waterbirds like Black Swans, Chestnut Teals, and Fairy Terns. Upon arrival, take a ferry to Raymond Island, which is a natural sanctuary for native animals, and where you will help set up a wild koala research project. This involves tracking tree preferences, and behaviours, and identifying individual koalas, with the data aiding local conservation efforts. In the afternoon, you will explore the island's forests, spotting koalas, echidnas, kangaroos, and various birds including parrots, honeyeaters and seabirds. The journey continues through eucalypt forests, estuaries, and beaches, with opportunities to assist in recording and monitoring of endangered Little Tern nesting sites.

Overnight Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead

Day 5: Mountain Forests. After a relaxing breakfast, you will travel into the rugged mountain forests of East Gippsland. This is one of the few regions in the world that has a large unbroken chain of forest stretching from the Alps to the sea. The abundance of wildlife is due to the diversity of these forests; from giant Alpine Ash forests, native cypress pines, Mountain Plum Pines to Shining Gum and Cut-tail Gums, many of the trees are hundreds of years old. You will visit both dry and wet mountain forests, visit the famous Snowy River, and walk beside a wilderness creek where the landscape changes dramatically from dry slopes to fern-filled rainforest. Your Wildlife Guide will help you search for animals such as wallabies, Satin Bowerbirds, Superb Lyrebirds, cockatoos, parrots, goannas and abundant honeyeaters. Finish the day with a classic Aussie dinner at the Homestead.

Overnight Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead

East Gippsland - Private Tour

Day 6: Wilderness Coast. Today you will start with a walk into a large lowland (warm temperate) rainforest in search of birds, Platypus and Swamp Wallabies. Then walk through a heathland and along a forest-lined river – this area abuts a burnt area, so wildlife surveys here are particularly important. Search for White-bellied Sea Eagles, Hooded Plovers, Gang-gang cockatoos, Turquoise Parrots, Azure Kingfishers and Jacky Lizards.

Visit a quiet beach with a complex dune system and frequently see beach and ocean-going birds, and Australian Fur-seals. After lunch, take a walk on the nearby rocky headland, peering into rock pools, walking past wind-sculpted coastal shrubs looking at the expanse of the 90-mile beach. Spend a little time on a beautiful beach removing old fishing nets or rubbish – they wash up from the sea, and sometimes wash back out, where they trap and kill sea creatures. Dinner tonight is a picnic in the bush overlooking the beach (weather permitting). On the way back to the Homestead, search the plains for Red-necked Wallabies, Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Bare-nosed (Common) Wombats.

Overnight Accommodation: Snowy River Homestead

Day 7: Snowy River. You will 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.

Overnight Accommodation: Flexible Options Available*

Kangaroo Island - Shared Tour

Day 8: Adelaide. Connect with your flight to Adelaide and then onto Kingscote.

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available.*

Day 9: Cygnet Valley & Seal Bay. The day begins in the 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, where you can 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, where you'll witness the transition of coastal mallee through heath into dunes. Here, you'll 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

Day 10: 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 millenia 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.

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available.*

Day 11: Launceston. Connect with your flight to Launceston in Tasmania.

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available*

Tasmanian West Coast Wilderness - Shared Tour

Day 12: Launceston. Meet your local guide at 1 pm to start your journey to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain National Park. En route, stop in Sheffield to see the famous murals. Travel through lush rolling farm pasture before reaching the alpine bush of the Cradle Valley. Enjoy an introduction to this captivating alpine environment before settling in at your accommodation for the night.

Accommodation: Cradle Mountain Hotel

Day 13: Cradle Mountain. Today you will be mesmerised by the beautiful alpine landscapes of Cradle Mountain, where in many places, dolerite cracked into vertical columns has resulted in spectacular sculpted mountains and cliffs. On a clear day, the rugged grandeur of Cradle Mountain is reflected in the tranquil waters of Dove Lake, or you may experience the drama of its craggy peaks through swirling mist. Your guide will introduce you to the many endemic fauna and flora species of the region, including the magical forests of Pandani, Sassafras, and King Billy Pines, and species such as echidnas, Pademelons and wombats. In the afternoon, travel towards the rugged west coast and the quaint fishing town of Strahan.

Accommodation: Strahan Village

Tasmanian West Coast Wilderness - Shared Tour

Day 14: West Coast Wilderness Railway. This morning, be transferred to Queenstown where you board the nostalgic West Coast Wilderness railway. Join a four-hour Rack and Gorge tour and take a heritage steam train journey through remote rainforest to the incredible King River Gorge, turning at Dubbil Barril before returning to Queenstown. In the afternoon, continue the scenic journey on the road and visit a mining pit and waterfalls before you arrive at Derwent Bridge on the picturesque Lake St Clair.

Accommodation: Strahan Village

Day 15: Lake St Clair. Depart the Cradle Valley and travel towards the rugged Tasmanian west coast. Pass old but still active mining towns such as Roseberry and Tullah. In Zeehan, visit the very informative West Coast heritage centre. The centre offers a unique insight into the history of the West Coast of Tasmania and gives visitors a comprehensive experience and understanding of the heritage of the area, adding value and significance to your visit to this beautiful region of Tasmania. Arrive in Strahan in the later hours of this afternoon.

Accommodation: Derwent Bridge Chalets

Day 16: Mt Field National Park. After a hearty breakfast your guide will take you into Mount Field National Park, the oldest in the state. Be mesmerised by the lush forest landscapes, from eucalyptus temperate rainforest to alpine moorland. Explore the green forest canopy where you can crane your neck to see some of the tallest flowering trees in the world. This cool temperate rainforest allows you the opportunity to search for some of Tasmania's 12 endemic bird species including Scrub Tit, Black Currawong and Tasmanian Thornbill along with the Platypus. After lunch, return to Hobart in the late afternoon where the tour concludes at around 4 pm.

Optional Extension: 5 Day Tasmanian Wildlife Encounter

Day 17: Hobart. At 4.30 pm, you will arrive at Bonorong Sanctuary for a 2.5-hour behind-the-scenes night tour where you have the opportunity to get close to many of Tasmania's endemic animals and get a lot of information first-hand.

Day 18: 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 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.

Day 19: Freycinet Peninsula & Penguins. After breakfast, travel to Coles Bay and embark on 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, join an informative tour on private property to get close to the local colony of Little Penguins nesting and breeding in the dunes.

Day 20: Bicheno & Bay of Fires. Today, continue your 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, and explore the whitest sandy beaches and the turquoise waters. Travel on to the St. Columba Falls, the highest waterfalls in Tasmania and through lush and green valleys before arriving in Launceston, the second biggest city in Tasmania.

Day 21: Bicheno & Bay of Fires. This morning, enjoy a city introduction to Launceston and visit the stunning Cataract Gorge, where the South Esk River forces its way through sheer granite rocks before the tour ends at midday at the Launceston transit centre.

Please note this section of this itinerary is an additional cost.