| Arrival Suggestion and Flights to Sydney: United, Qantas and Air New Zealand have daily flights to Sydney Australia from the USA and participants “lose” one day crossing the international dateline on their flight over. We suggest that you arrive a day or two before the scheduled departure date to have time on your own in Sydney (Sydney Botanical Gardens for birds and Grey- headed Flying Fox or iconic attractions such as Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc). Alternatively, Qantas now offers an LAX-Brisbane direct flight on most days of the week for clients joining this southern section in Brisbane. Day 1: Brisbane to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park Elevation is 3000’ and we can expect our first species of bowerbird here. Stay at O’Reilly’s inside Lamington National Park. http://www.oreillys.com.au/ It’s on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. During the drive, the dry eucalyptus forest changes to temperate rainforest. Arrive at O’Reilly’s around mid-afternoon ( in time for afternoon tea!) . We’ll have the rest of the afternoon to settle in or take private walks around the lodge. Our guide will be there to accompany anyone who wishes to bird in the area this afternoon. The welcome dinner is in the on-site restaurant. Accommodation: O’ Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park. Day 2. Lamington National Park at O’Reilly’s This is a World Heritage Site and we will be among a rich mix of birds: 7 species of pigeon and dove, eight species in the parrot family, Noisy Pitta, Azure Kingfisher, 7 raptors. Possible endemics include Regent Bowerbird, Green Catbird and Albert’s Lyrebird. Stay at O’Reilly’s Spend a full day birding around the lodge grounds, in Lamington National Park and nearby eucalyptus forests. Species we can expect to see today include Regent and Satin Bowerbird, Green Catbird, Logrunner, Eastern Whipbird, Yellow-throated and White-browed Scrubwren, King Parrot, Crimson Rosella and Eastern Yellow Robin. We’ll also look for elusive species such as Albert’s Lyrebird and we should be able to view a Satin Bowerbird at his bower with his chosen blue decorations. Red- necked Pademelons commonly graze in the grounds around the cabins and Mountain Brushtail Possums (Bobuck) visit a fruit table adjoining the dining room after dark. There will also be an optional evening spotlighting walk Tawny Frogmouth and other marsupials such as Common Ringtail Possum (orange subspecies pulcher). Accommodation: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park as for last night. Day 3. From O’Reilly’s to Adelaide. Depart O’Reilly’s after breakfast and return to Brisbane airport for our flight to Adelaide. On arrival in Adelaide, we will transfer to our accommodation in Adelaide. Dinner at the hotel and free time after dinner to prepare for the two nights on Kangaroo Island. Flying to Kangaroo your checked luggage, not including your carry-on, can’t exceeds 15 kilo (around 30 pounds). You’re welcome to leave excess luggage in safe storage while you are on Kangaroo Island. Accommodation: Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, Adelaide. Days 4 and 5. Kangaroo Island After breakfast, we return to Adelaide Airport for our flight to Kangaroo Island. During the two days we will cover a range of habitats birding and wildlife viewing. Waterbirds include possibilities of a variety of ducks (Musk Duck, Australian Shelduck, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Chestnut Teal), Hoary-headed and Australasian Grebe, White-faced Heron, Purple Swamphen, Australian Pelican and Black Swan. Bush birds include a variety of honeyeaters (Brownh- headed, Crescent and New Holland), Superb Fairy Wren, Striated Pardalote, Rainbow Lorikeet and endangered Kangaroo Island subspecies of the Glossy Black Cockatoo. We will bird Flinders Chase National Park, which covers the entire west end of the island to view a breeding site for Cape Barren Goose and Cape du Couedic for New Zealand fur seal. Flinders Island is known for an abundance of koalas and Kangaroo Island subspecies of western gray kangaroo. Tammar wallaby, which is extinct on the adjacent South Australian mainland, and Short-beaked Echidna can also be found here. Accommodation: 2 nights at Kangaroo Island Lodge, Kangaroo Island. Day 6. Adelaide to Hobart, Tasmania Travel back to Adelaide and fly to Hobart on the island of Tasmania off the southeastern shore of Australia. Tasmania has over a dozen endemic bird species and a number of rare mammals. Day 7. Hobart to Bruny Island. Visit Mount Wellington for spectacular views on a clear day and a wonderful walk through a glade with giant tree ferns, This will be our first chance to see the endemic Scrubtit and Tasmanian Scrubwren as well as Pink Robin. Then travel to Bruny Island, birding en route. 13 of the Tasmanian endemic birds are found on little Bruny Island, The island is designated an Important Bird Area because it supports the world's largest population of the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote. Also it’s home to a third of the world population of the Swift Parrot and a quarter-millionbreeding pairs of the Short-tailed Shearwater. Bruny inforrmation: http://www.inalabruny. com.au/tours.html Accommodation: Bruny Island (2BR cabins with each couple or single having their own room. Day 8. “Inala” and Bruny Island. Take an early morning birdwalk at “INALA”, our guide’s privately-owned 500-acre wildlife reserve on south Bruny Island. It’s a refuge for a number of threatened birds and home to Tasmanian endemic birds. Bird species you are likely to see here include endemics such as the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote, Strong-billed, Black- headed and Yellow-throated honeyeaters, Tasmanian Native- hen and possibly also Swift Parrot. This afternoon, visit Bruny’s southern coastline to view the second oldest lighthouse in Australia. Search for species such as Tawny- crowned Honeyeater, Olive Whistler and Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo. Also a chance to see the Tasmanian subspecies of Short-beaked Echidna. Tonight after dinner you will visit the Little Penguin and Short tailed shearwater rookery to view these species at their burrows. Accommodation: Bruny Island cottages. Day 9. Eco-cruise and Bruny Island. Join a 3 hour eco-cruise (11.00-14.00) where you will have the chance to visit a fur seal haul-out. This trip also provides opportunities to see some spectacular coastline, a range of seabirds including a chance of albatross (usually Shy Albatross at this time of year), and possibly dolphins or whales. This afternoon, explore a number of different habitats: coastal beaches where there is a possibility of finding Hooded Plover, Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers and Kelp Gull. In rainforest areas we’ll search for Scrubtit and Tasmanian Thornbill, both endemics. Also a good chance to see some interesting flora, including Tasmanian endemic species and Gondwana relics. Another night trip after dinner for the chance to see a range of Tasmania’s nocturnal marsupials including Bennett’s Wallaby and Common Brushtail plus two endemics: Eastern Quoll and Tasmanian Pademelon. Night birds possible: Tawny Frogmouth and Southern Boobook. Accommodation: Bruny Island cottages. Day 10. Bruny Island to Mount Field. Leave Bruny Island after breakfast and travel to Mount Field National Park. It’s northwest of Hobart on Tasmania. The area has habitats from fern gullies with waterfalls to cool temperate rainforest plus an alpine environment which has been carved by glaciation. A good chance to see the endemic Yellow Wattlebird as well as Crescent Honeyeater. Also a chance of seeing Platypus. Accommodation: B&B near Mount Field National Park (depends on group size but probably Rosie’s B&B, New Norfolk). Day 11. Mount Field to Cradle Mountain area. Leave the National Park and travel towards Cradle Mountain National Park today. We’ll stop en route to take a private tour to a wildlife rehabilitation and research centre which specializes in research on Tasmanian devils. This is a good chance to see a range of Tasmanian wildlife "up close and personal" and learn more about the Facial Tumor Disease that is threatening the Tasmanian devil population. Then travel to Mountain Valley Wilderness Lodge where wild Tasmanian devils and Spotted tailed quolls come to the veranda to feed at night after dark. A good chance for photographing these elusive creatures. Accommodation: Mountain valley Wilderness Lodge near Cradle Mountain. Day 12. Cradle Mountain. Spend the day exploring the Cradle Mountain NP area in the Tasmanian highlands. Options include a walk around a glacial lake to see some ancient rainforest species and Gondwana relics, and a visit to the information centre. Also the chance to visit the replica of “Waldheim”, the home of the Austrian Gustav Weindorfer whose love of the area inspired the establishment of this park. There are some amazing Tasmanian endemic plants and Gondwana relics in this area, such as Pencil and King Billy pines, Myrtle and the famous Fagus (Nothofagus gunnii) which is Tasmania’s only deciduous tree, and we will include a visit to various sites to see a variety of these plants. This is also a good area to view wombats and the endemic Black Currawong. Accommodation: Cabin style near Cradle Mountain. Meals Included: Breakfast lunch and dinner Day 13. Cradle Mountain to Narawntapu National Park. Leave the Cradle Mountain area after breakfast this morning and travel northwards for the chance to see more Tasmanian wildlife, including common wombat and Forester kangaroo (a Tasmanian subspecies) in the wild - in this location they can usually be found in daylight during the late afternoon. Then onto our accommodation near the National Park. Accommodation: en-suite room at a B&B near the National Park. Day 14. Depart Launceston and return to USA. Travel to Launceston this morning after breakfast, visiting some wetlands en route if time allows, where there is a chance to view a number of waterbirds and other wetland species such as Little Grassbird. Depart from Launceston airport. |
| Detailed Itinerary |
| For More Information or to Register for this Trip, call Charles at 888-203-7464 or directly at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com. |
| 14 Days Birding and Enjoying Wildlife in Southern Australia |
| More on Key Sites at a Later Time and More Details Below |
Southern Australia
Birding and Wildlife
Trip Details
Birding and Wildlife
Trip Details