Birding Tour Australia: Eastern Australia – From the Outback to the Wet Tropics

October 2026/2027

Australia, the island continent, is a remote landmass that drifted away from Antarctica tens of millions of years ago. Without significant volcanic activity and other mountain-building forces it is also the flattest continent, with the world’s oldest soils. Despite its lack of topography this incredible landmass is one of extremes. The Outback, the continent’s core, is a vast and hostile desert with unpredictable weather patterns that sometimes flush the landscape green. Along the edges more regular precipitation allows ancient rainforests, heathlands, and fire-resistant sclerophyll woodlands to grow. Due to its long isolation and harsh environments Australia is now home to birds of a different feather, including eight endemic bird families and a further seven shared only with neighboring New Guinea. About 300 bird species are endemic to Australia, making it second only to Indonesia in this regard. Throughout this country’s every extreme its amazing avifauna has shown the adaptability and resiliency to survive in even the most challenging environments. In addition, this avifauna is just dripping with charismatic species, from bowerbirds to parrots to fairywrens to kookaburras to cassowaries to lyrebirds. Throughout the course of this small-group tour we sample habitats ranging from the arid plains north of Deniliquin to the wet rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands in search of as many of these wonderful birds as possible, while also appreciating the many other unique plants and animals along the way.

The incredible birds and wildlife of eastern Australia: a virtual birding tour by Andy Walker (who guides our Australian tours). This presentation was part of the highly recommended SE Arizona birding festival hosted by the Tucson Audubon Society (also see their YouTube channel here).

Gorgeous Pink Cockatoos (formerly Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo) is another top bird possible.

Our journey begins at the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne, Victoria in southeast Australia, visiting coastal heathland for several localized habitat specialists such as Gang-gang Cockatoo and Beautiful Firetail. Farther north and west towards the interior, arid mallee vegetation and saline lakes provide habitat for the mound-building Malleefowl, the impossibly blue Splendid Fairywren, the gorgeous Pink Cockatoo, among a host of other species. On one evening we make a special effort to observe the monotypic Plains-wanderer in the dry plains north of Deniliquin in New South Wales.

The highly sought-after Plains-wanderer (a monotypic family) is one of the core targets on the tour. We undertake an exciting evening excursion to search for this rare species.

Following our time in New South Wales we will swing southeast through the sclerophyll forests of Chiltern and the temperate forests near Melbourne for targets such as Turquoise Parrot and Superb Lyrebird.

After an internal flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, Queensland, we drive up to the famous O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, nestled within a large tract of subtropical rainforest, for a totally new set of stunning birds such as Paradise Riflebird, Regent Bowerbird, Satin Bowerbird, Noisy Pitta, Albert’s Lyrebird, and Australian Logrunner.

On the last leg of our journey we visit the Wet Tropics of far northern Queensland to explore one of the world’s most ancient rainforests for key species such as Southern Cassowary and Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. We also take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, where the colors and diversity of the fish and corals rival those of the birds, with a chance to swim with Green Turtles. Evening spotlighting sessions on many of these nights should also produce a host of endearing and unusual nocturnal birds and mammals, which may include Papuan Frogmouth and Barking Owl. Other target birds in the north include Great-billed Heron, Australian Bustard, Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Great Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Fernwren, and Chowchilla to name a few.

The massive Southern Cassowary can be seen in northern Queensland.

During our time in Australia, we will also look for some of the country’s incredible and unique animals, including Platypus, Short-beaked Echidna, Koala, Red Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Common Ringtail Possum, Common Brushtail Possum, Musky Rat Kangaroo, and Common Wombat. The birds in Australia are incredible, but so are the mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that we will see; they combine to result in an awesome wildlife-filled experience. This continent is a naturalist’s dream!

Sometimes we do this tour in the reverse order shown in this itinerary. Please confirm the route for your tour with us before purchasing your flight tickets.

For those wishing to continue exploring Australia (and we fully recommend it), this tour can be combined with our Birding Tour Australia: Tasmania Bird Tour – Tasmanian Endemics and the Orange-bellied Parrot tour.

 Itinerary (18 days/17 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Melbourne

Non-birding day with your arrival into Melbourne airport, the rest of the day will be at your leisure. We will meet in our hotel near the airport for an evening welcome dinner together.

Overnight: Melbourne Airport Hotel

The gaudy Rainbow Lorikeet can be seen around Melbourne – they are a common garden bird!

Day 2. Melbourne to Geelong

Over the course of the day we will enjoy some of Australia’s common and widespread, yet beautiful and interesting birds, such as Magpie-lark, Rainbow Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Willie Wagtail, Laughing Kookaburra, and Australian Magpie.

We will drive around Melbourne to the world-famous Werribee Western Treatment Plant area along the coast. Included in the Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance in 1983, this extremely rich, huge area contains a network of sewage treatment lagoons, unmodified saltmarsh, creeks, and lakes, which host large numbers of both sedentary and migratory waterbirds. We will navigate a series of roads around this area, where water levels permit. Among a wide assortment of other species Freckled Duck, Pink-eared Duck, and Musk Duck will be top priorities, as well as the secretive Australian Crake and the highly localized Striated Fieldwren. The area is often great for raptors, and we may find Black-shouldered Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australian Hobby, and Brown Falcon.

We then continue southward along the coast to Geelong for the night. Along the way a few stops may produce Black-tailed Nativehen, Black-fronted Dotterel, Cape Barren Goose, and Banded Stilt. Maybe we will even spot our first Eastern Grey Kangaroo along the way!

Overnight: Geelong

The localized Rufous Bristlebird is our top target at Aireys Inlet.

Day 3. Geelong to Aireys Inlet, and finally to central Victoria

Composed of dense, low shrubs and scattered, twisted trees, coastal heathland occurs on impoverished soils with poor drainage. Despite the nutrient-poor soils, this habitat boasts a high diversity of plants as well as a unique community of birds that depend on them. We spend most of the morning exploring the scenic coastal heathlands of southwest Victoria, seeking out some of these species, such as Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful Firetail, and Rufous Bristlebird. Areas of taller vegetation may host the endearing Gang-gang Cockatoo, while a sea watch may yield Shy Albatross, Australasian Gannet, and other pelagic birds offshore.

As the day progresses, we drive inland into central Victoria for our first taste of box-ironbark forest, a habitat endemic to Australia. Because the component tree species in this habitat are such prolific flower and nectar producers, there is a correspondingly high diversity of nectar-feeding honeyeaters and lorikeets, including the normally scarce and local Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, and Purple-crowned Lorikeet.

Overnight: Inglewood

Day 4. Central Victoria to Ouyen

We will focus our morning birding around Inglewood and nearby Mount Korong. Excellent habitat here hosts scarce species like Red-backed Kingfisher (in some years), Southern Scrub Robin, Gilbert’s Whistler, Painted Honeyeater (along with a myriad of other honeyeaters) and Shy Heathwren.  We eventually continue to Ouyen in northwestern Victoria. Along the way we will likely stop at Lake Tyrrell, a salt-crusted and mostly dry lakebed surrounded by saltbush and samphire. Despite its unlikely appearance this low vegetation is home to several charismatic birds, such as Orange Chat, White-winged Fairywren, Rufous Fieldwren and Eastern Bluebonnet, which we will target during our time here.

Founded in 1921, Wyperfeld National Park protects a significant tract of semi-arid mallee woodland and heathland. Depending on local conditions we may visit this site as we are passing. High on our list of priorities here would be the appropriately named Malleefowl, Splendid Fairywren, and Southern Whiteface, and other birds of the dry Australian interior are also possible.

A top target while in mallee habitat will be Malleefowl.

In the late afternoon we will arrive in Ouyen in the mallee habitat. Due to the number of secretive and highly sought birds here we will spend two nights, giving us plenty of time to try and connect with some of the arid area’s great birds like Malleefowl, notable for incubating its eggs in large nesting mounds.

Overnight: Ouyen

Day 5. Birding Hattah-Kulkyne National Park

As one of Australia’s largest and most pristine mallee reserves, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park boasts a wide variety of bird species that are much more difficult to see elsewhere, such as Mallee Emu-wren and Striated Grasswren. We will spend the full day birding within and around the park and town. In addition to the species mentioned above we will be looking for one of the most spectacular parrots in all of Australia, Pink Cockatoo (see cover image). Hopefully the cockatoo will be accompanied by a rich and colorful supporting cast of dry-country specialties, such as Regent Parrot, Mulga Parrot, Crested Bellbird, and Emu. Possibly we will have our first look at the huge Red Kangaroo here too.

Overnight: Ouyen

The rare Mallee Emu-wren (it is considered Endangered by BirdLife International) can be found in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.

Day 6. Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, travel to Deniliquin, and Plains-wanderer night trip

We will have a short early morning birding session in the wonderful Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, where we will continue to seek out the area’s specialties, maybe including White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Chestnut Quail-thrush, and many more. As the morning progresses, we will head out of Victoria into neighboring New South Wales. We will likely stop at Lake Tutchewop along the way, which, depending on water levels, may hold the elegant Red-necked Avocet and the dapper Banded Stilt.

The fairywrens are sure to be one of the most-enjoyed birds of the trip, this is a Splendid Fairywren, one of many fairywren species likely on the tour.

We will have a long day today, because during the evening we will go out to search for the bizarre Plains-wanderer, the sole representative of an endemic Australian family, most closely related to the shorebirds (but its closest living relatives are thought to be the seedsnipes of South America!). Although this species is the star attraction of this site, we may also encounter other birds (depending on the state of the rainfall and vegetation), such as Inland Dotterel, Banded Lapwing, Stubble Quail, Little Buttonquail, Eastern Barn Owl, or Australian Owlet-nightjar on this nocturnal foray. We will return to our hotel late, likely around midnight or possibly later.

Overnight: Deniliquin

Day 7. Transfer to Wangaratta

After a late night we allow ourselves to sleep in before continuing our journey to Wangaratta via various sites in the Riverina bioregion, likely starting with Island Sanctuary. Targets on this more laid-back day include the vivid Superb Parrot, along with backup chances for the elusive Gilbert’s Whistler, and the striking White-backed Swallow as we aim to arrive in Wangaratta in the midafternoon. We will start looking for some of the birds listed for Day 8 if time permits.

Overnight: Wangaratta

Day 8. Wangaratta to Healesville

We will spend the morning birding in the beautiful woodland around the Warby-Ovens National Park which protects what is arguably the best flora and fauna assemblage of box-ironbark forest and woodland in Australia and forms an important link between the foothills of the Australian Alps with the plains of the Murray River. The trees which define this habitat produce an abundance of nectar when flowering, attracting birds from far and wide. The sounds of birds can be almost deafening during these times! Targets attracted to these blooms include Little Lorikeet, Black-chinned Honeyeater, and Painted Honeyeater. Elsewhere in the forest we search for the rainbow-like Turquoise Parrot, the bark-peeling Eastern Shriketit, the ground-dwelling Speckled Warbler, and more. We may even come across the unusual Short-beaked Echidna here.

After lunch we continue our journey southward to the town of Healesville near the city of Melbourne for the night. Here we will have a chance for some evening spotlighting for birds such as Greater Sooty Owl and mammals, possibly possums and gliders and wombats (if we’re lucky).

Overnight: Healesville

Parrots are sure to continually impress during this tour, this is Turquoise Parrot.

Day 9. Birding near Melbourne and conclusion of the “Outback” part of the tour

We spend most of the day at Bunyip State Park, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of Melbourne, birding wet sclerophyll forest and swampy heathlands. Within these mossy forests we hope to find

We will spend most of the day birding the tall, wet sclerophyll forests and swampy heathlands of this mountainous region. Within these mossy forests we hope to find several of Australia’s most charismatic and emblematic birds. Superb Lyrebird, an unrivalled mimic and the world’s largest songbird, will be chief among our targets. The forest and heathland communities are also home to Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Pilotbird, Olive Whistler, Eastern Whipbird, Flame Robin, Rose Robin, Pink Robin, Red-browed Treecreeper, Australian Rufous Fantail, and more. It is sure to be a wonderful end to the birding on this part of the tour. We will continue back to Melbourne, thus completing our circuit of Victoria, where we will spend the night in an airport hotel ahead of an early flight the next day.

Overnight: Melbourne

Rose Robin is one of the five gorgeous Australasian Robin species we can see outside of Melbourne.

Day 10. Transfer from Melbourne to Brisbane and to Lamington National Park

After an early morning flight we arrive in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, to continue our tour. We first stop at a few mangrove sites near the airport itself, searching for the endemic Mangrove Honeyeater and Mangrove Gerygone. Nearby wetland sites can hold the elusive Spotless Crake, and we could obtain our first sightings of Comb-crested Jacana, Red-backed Fairywren, and more while we search for them.

Gorgeous Regent Bowerbirds are often present around our rooms!

Afterwards we drive to the world-famous O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat at Lamington National Park. A colorful and interesting suite of birds attends the lodge gardens here, including Crimson Rosella, Australian King Parrot, Regent Bowerbird, Satin Bowerbird, Australian Brushturkey, and Wonga Pigeon. These birds are unusually tame and provide excellent opportunities for photography and our time here is always a major tour highlight.

Overnight: Lamington National Park

The Lamington area will offer us our first chance at seeing a bird-of-paradise; this being a Paradise Riflebird.

Day 11. Full day birding Lamington National Park

Situated in the heart of Lamington National Park, O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is well-known for its rainforest location, diverse wildlife, and interesting history. Using the lodge as our base we spend the full day exploring the verdant network of subtropical rainforest trails in search of several spectacular birds unique to the area. Albert’s Lyrebird, Australian Logrunner, and Noisy Pitta inhabit the forest understory, while birds in the mid-story and canopy include Paradise Riflebird, Topknot Pigeon, Black-faced Monarch, and Green Catbird. We will make a concerted effort to see all of these species during our stay as well as leaving time to enjoy the site’s good variety of mammals, a good number of which only come out at night.

Overnight: Lamington National Park

Day 12. Transfer from Brisbane to Cairns, birding the Cairns Esplanade

We will have a pre-breakfast birding walk into the forest near our accommodation once again, where we will keep searching for new and interesting species, maybe finding a cryptically plumaged Bassian and Russet-tailed Thrushes or the gorgeous and rather cute Rose Robin. After another sumptuous O’Reilly’s breakfast, we drive off the mountain and head back toward the city in time to make our flight farther north on our tour of the Australian east coast.

When we arrive in Cairns, depending on the tide time, we might make the short jaunt from our hotel to the Cairns Esplanade to enjoy its variety of shorebirds, from the hulking Far Eastern Curlew to the dainty Terek Sandpiper. We are sure to see plenty of Torresian Imperial Pigeons, Australasian Figbirds, and Metallic Starlings flying around near our accommodation.

Overnight: Cairns

A sighting of Beach Stone-curlew would be a highlight.

Day 13. Cairns birding and travel to Mission Beach

We will spend the morning birding at sites around Cairns, and may include visits to the Cairns Esplanade, Cairns Botanical Garden, and Cairns Centenary Lakes. We may also visit some sites a little further out of town, time permitting. A large list of species is possible featuring a wide range of birds. If the tidal situation is right, we can expect a lot of shorebirds, likely to include Great Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, and with luck, Beach Stone-curlew. In and around the trees along Cairns Esplanade, we may find Nankeen Night Heron, Bush Stone-curlew, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Varied Honeyeater, Yellow Honeyeater, and Hornbill Friarbird. Forested areas here may hold Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Australian Brushturkey, Brush Cuckoo, and Grey Goshawk.

After lunch we will commence our journey south towards Mission Beach. We will likely make a stop at Etty Bay along the way. Our main target in this area is the humongous and rare Southern Cassowary, the largest bird in Australia by weight (see picture in the introduction section).

Overnight: Mission Beach

Day 14. Birding near Mission Beach, travel to Lake Eacham

We will spend some time in the morning looking for Southern Cassowary. There are often other great birds to be found around Mission Beach, and we will try to locate these during the morning before departing and heading up into the Atherton Tablelands. Some other birds we might find while looking for the ancient dinosaur-like bird, might include Australian Swiftlet, Fairy Gerygone, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Spectacled Monarch, Black Butcherbird, Green Oriole, and Dusky Myzomela.

Seeing a bright male Golden Bowerbird in the forests is a sight to behold.

By mid-morning it will be time to leave the coast behind. We will spend the course of the next two days visiting a variety of sites on the Atherton Tablelands, a fertile plateau hosting several habitats from high altitude rainforest to drier eucalypt woodland. Although we will keep our itinerary flexible, based on our growing trip list, we will likely spend time birding the cooler wet forest of Mount Hypipamee National Park, Lake Barrine, and the Curtain Fig Tree for species including Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Grey-headed Robin, Chowchilla, and more. We can, with some luck, also find Victoria’s Riflebird and Spotted Catbird in the gardens of our accommodation at Lake Eacham, a wonderful spot itself.

Nocturnal activity is also often exciting here, and we will be sure to spend some time looking for a range of possums, gliders, and more, as well as for the diurnal Musky Rat Kangaroo. Here we will also have a search for the bizarre Platypus and unusual (and rather rare) Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo.

Overnight: Lake Eacham

Day 15. Birding in the Atherton Tablelands

The early morning activity around our accommodation is usually a wonderful experience and we will look for, and listen to Spotted Catbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Australian Golden Whistler, Grey-headed Robin, Superb Fruit Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Macleay’s Honeyeater, Scarlet Myzomela, and Forest Kingfisher.

One of the other birds-of-paradise possible on this tour – Victoria’s Riflebird.

During the day we will visit the wetter higher elevations of the Atherton Tablelands, possibly trying to locate the shy Chowchilla and other targets like Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill, Tooth-billed Bowerbird and Golden Bowerbird. We will also look for any wetland sites that might support Magpie Goose, Sarus Crane, Brolga, Wandering Whistling Duck, or Plumed Whistling Duck and potentially shorebirds and other waterfowl (depending on water levels here and in other parts of Australia).

In the afternoon we will make our way northward into the much drier part of the Atherton Tablelands, stopping at various sites, which may include Granite Gorge Nature Park and Mareeba town. There will be no shortage of potential targets, such as Australian Bustard, Squatter Pigeon, Red-winged Parrot, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Spotted Harrier, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Great Bowerbird, and Double-barred Finch. After a long day of birding, we will arrive at our accommodation.

Overnight: Mareeba

A bird of the dry country, we will be looking for Australian Bustards as we come off the Atherton Tablelands.

Day 16. Mareeba, Daintree River Cruise, and travel to Cairns

We will have a long day today. We will spend the early morning birding near to Mareeba and will make our way to the base of Mount Lewis. We will make a few stops along the way, for species such as Yellow-bellied Flyrobin and White-browed Robin. At the base of Mount Lewis, we will look for Lovely Fairywren, Superb Fruit Dove, Northern Fantail, and Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher.

In the afternoon we will start the journey down to the Daintree River, where we will have a late-afternoon boat cruise. By scanning the sandy banks and lush riverside vegetation from the comfort of our boat we will keep a sharp eye out for the bulky Great-billed Heron, family groups of Shining Flycatcher, the cryptically camouflaged Papuan Frogmouth, and flocks of the diminutive Double-eyed Fig Parrot – maybe even the rare Little Kingfisher.

We will stop for some dinner on our way back to Cairns, where we will arrive in the early evening and head to bed after what will have been a long and tiring, but excellent bird-filled day.

Overnight: Cairns

One of our most important targets in the ‘Wet Tropics’ will be this Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher – this migrant having recently arrived from Papua New Guinea.

Day 17. Great Barrier Reef trip

We will spend the final full day of the tour on an enjoyable and relaxing boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is an ecosystem of many superlatives that no words can do justice. After an early breakfast we board a boat that will take us out to experience this incredible reef system. Our first stop is Michaelmas Cay, a tiny islet that hosts an impressive number of nesting seabirds. Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, and Greater Crested Tern dominate, but Lesser Crested Tern, Black Noddy, and Black-naped Tern are also possible. Brown Booby and occasionally Red-footed Booby can be seen perched on man-made structures, while marauding Great Frigatebirds often soar overhead. We will spend some time here enjoying the spectacle. Weather and sea conditions permitting, we should be able to land on the cay to get close-up views of these seabirds. There is also the likelihood of snorkeling here, but for this part of our reef trip the focus is really on the birds, though we will also keep our eyes peeled for dolphins and sea turtles.

The birds around Michaelmas Cay are outstanding, but the underwater life is just as mesmerizing. It’s well worth jumping in, with a great chance of finding a Green Turtle amongst a myriad of kaleidoscopic tropical fish.

After lunch the boat usually moves across to Hastings Reef, where there will be an option to snorkel, scuba dive, or take a glass bottom boat tour, all three options giving a wonderful opportunity to observe the plethora of shockingly colorful life below the surface. When we return to shore in the middle of the afternoon we will amble back to our hotel, looking for any birds along the Cairns Esplanade as we go (tide dependent).

Overnight: Cairns

Day 18. Transfer to Cairns Airport, tour concludes

Non-birding day with your departure from Cairns Airport.

Overnight: Not included

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Birding Tour Australia: Eastern Australia – From The Outback To The Wet Tropics

Tour-Specific Information

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRALIA CAN BE READ HERE

TOUR OUTLINE

This is a comprehensive birding tour of eastern Australia. The first leg of our eastern Australian bird tour starts in Melbourne, Victoria. It makes a circuit around the southeastern Australian state (including a brief foray into southern New South Wales, where we will make a nocturnal trip for the monotypic and extremely rare Plains-wanderer) before returning to Melbourne. The second leg of the tour sees us flying from Melbourne to Brisbane in southern Queensland; here, we will visit the fantastic O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. After our birding in Lamington National Park, we will fly north from Brisbane to Cairns (Far North Queensland) for the third and final leg of the tour. From Cairns, we will make a circuit of the fertile and rainforest-clad Atherton Tablelands and the adjacent dry country lower down in the foothills. While in Queensland, our tour also includes a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef and a boat cruise along the Daintree River. We will finish up our eastern Australian birdwatching tour back in Cairns, where the tour will conclude.

This is our most popular Australian birdwatching tour. There are a lot of simply incredible birds possible on this eastern Australia birding tour (which also combines perfectly with our Tasmania bird tour, which many people choose to do). Top highlights include Southern Cassowary, Malleefowl, Superb Lyrebird, Albert’s Lyrebird, Brolga, Rufous Scrubbird, Regent Bowerbird, Satin Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Great Bowerbird, Green Catbird, Paradise Riflebird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Australian King Parrot, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Pink (Major Mitchell’s) Cockatoo, Superb Parrot, Shy Heathwren, Striated Fieldwren, Mallee Emu-wren, Superb Fairywren, White-winged Fairywren, Striated Grassbird, Australian Logrunner, Chowchilla, Painted Honeyeater, and Diamond Firetail. This Australian bird tour also offers some excellent and emblematic Australian mammals, such as Platypus, Short-beaked Echidna, Koala, Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, and Red Kangaroo. A high-quality list of reptiles, amphibians, and other critters can be enjoyed too. This is the best birding tour if you’ve never visited Australia before.

The Victoria section of this Australian bird tour may run in reverse to the order advertised in the itinerary, based on the availability of accommodation and local guides. On some occasions, we need to run the tour in reverse, e.g., starting in Cairns and ending in Melbourne with Brisbane in the middle. We will go to exactly the same places but just in the opposite order shown in the online itinerary. Please confirm the order of the route with us prior to purchasing your international flight tickets for the start and end of the tour.

DAILY ACTIVITIES, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, AND TOUR PACE

Our comprehensive eastern Australia birding tour moves at quite a fast pace. We will cover a lot of ground on this Australian birdwatching tour, with a big overland circuit of the western side of Victoria (starting and ending at Melbourne airport) and including a trip into southern New South Wales at Deniliquin. In Victoria, we will visit the towns of Healesville, Wangaratta, Ouyen, Inglewood, and Airey’s Inlet. We will take two domestic flights during our bird tour, Melbourne to Brisbane and Brisbane to Cairns. There will be less driving in Brisbane (southern Queensland) as most of our time will be spent on foot around O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, once we get there, after some birding in the Brisbane mangroves. In northern Queensland, we will take a boat trip onto the Great Barrier Reef, then make a circuit from Cairns south along the coast to Mission Beach, before coming inland and up onto the fertile Atherton Tablelands. After birding the tablelands, we will drop down to the dry north for a different set of birds, before finishing up back at Cairns after a boat cruise along the Daintree River. There is less driving in northern Queensland than in Victoria. This Australian bird tour will cover a wide range of habitats and a big trip list of 375 – 400 bird species should be expected.

In Victoria, we will have long drives of 4 – 6 hours on most days to get between different birding areas. In Queensland, we will have drives of 2 – 3 hours. We will usually have a pre-breakfast early morning birding session and then, after breakfast, do a little more birding in our local area before the heat increases and bird activity drops. We then move off to our next area. We will usually aim to make the drives across the middle of the day and break them up with lunch stops and restroom/coffee breaks.

The tour is generally considered easy to moderate in terms of physical exertion. However, the inland temperatures during the day, even during the spring period, could get high (see the “Weather” section below), so dehydration needs to be always considered a possibility, as does heat stroke and sunburn, etc.

In Victoria, we tend to make short and productive walks from our vehicle in a loop of up to 0.6 – 1.2 miles (1 – 2 kilometers/km), and we may make several of these a day. On a couple of occasions in Victoria, we are likely to make slightly longer walks of 2.5 miles (4 km). In Lamington National Park, we will spend most of our time on foot walking around the forest trails and roads (as well as mooching around the excellent retreat gardens). We will usually make a pre-breakfast walk of 1.2 miles (2 km), a post-breakfast walk of 3.5 – 5 miles (6 – 8 km), and then a late afternoon walk of a similar distance. All walks at O’Reilly’s are totally optional. If you’d rather sit in the garden soaking up the wonderful birds on offer, such as Crimson Rosella, Australian King Parrot, Regent Bowerbird, and Satin Bowerbird, that’s totally fine. In the tropical north of Queensland, we will make short walks of 0.6 – 1.2 miles (1 – 2 km) at different sites, and we might make several of these a day. We usually walk from our hotel to the quay to meet our reef trip boat, this is 0.6 miles (1 km). The trail at Mount Lewis is the hardest trail as it involves some incline and maneuvering around fallen trees and some rocks, but it’s still relatively easy, and we will take it at a slow birding pace. Walking in Victoria is often on fairly flat but rough (uneven) ground with rabbit holes and loose rocks, so care needs to be taken. In some areas, such as the mallee habitats, we will be walking in very spiky spinifex grass. Snakes should always be considered when on foot on the whole tour route.

We will make a few general nighttime trips for nocturnal birds and wildlife during the tour (weather permitting), as well as the specific Plains-wanderer trip (see details below). Most owling/mammal-watching sessions will last an hour or so, usually after dinner, and these are all optional.

TRANSPORTATION

We will use 12-seater minibuses on this tour; these will be collected in each city we arrive in and dropped back off there on our return. There will be limited baggage space, so please pack as lightly as possible for the tour (including within the seating area). We will have some long drives on the tour, particularly in Victoria (often on long straight roads). Some of the drives, particularly in Queensland, will involve long and windy mountain roads, so if you suffer from motion sickness, you might want to be prepared for that (e.g., the drive up to and down from O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, the drive up and down Mount Lewis, and as we climb up and drop off the Atherton Tablelands). When we make our Plains-wanderer trip, the group might get split into two vehicles with our local guides; these might be 4×4 Toyota Hilux / Landcruiser-type vehicles. See the “Plains-wanderer Trip” section below for more information.

We will make two boat trips on this tour, see the “Boat Trips” section below, and we will also take two domestic flights during this tour, see the “Domestic Flights” section below.

BOAT TRIPS

We will take a boat trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef. This is not a private reef trip, and there will be up to around 30 participants on the boat. This is one of the smaller boats that goes to the reef, and it is usually the first boat there, which means we will likely get to Michaelmas Cay prior to too much disturbance. The boat has a no-shoe policy, so footwear should be removed upon entering. We will be out on the water from around 07:30 hrs. to around 15:00 hrs.

The boat has toilets, and we will have meals (a morning snack and lunch) and drinks onboard. You will need to bring your own personal water supply for the day, though additional drinks can be purchased throughout the day whilst on the boat. We will get on and off the boat in Cairns Marina, so this is a dry boarding/disembarking. There are opportunities for diving and snorkeling while on this trip – which is highly recommended. The reef trip company does not supply towels; usually, our hotel in Cairns will allow us to take a beach towel for the day for a small deposit.

The boat has a medium-sized lounge with air-conditioning as well as a top deck with seating (no aircon here, but there is often a cooling breeze). It is very easy to get sunburnt on this trip, so please bring plenty of suncream, as well as sunglasses (strong glare) and a sunhat. Swimwear is best worn on the boat as a base layer, and the reef trip company will provide wetsuits (necessary in “stinger season” – which refers to jellyfish present at certain times of the year). The reef trip company provides snorkeling equipment (including a limited supply of prescription masks – for a deposit payable/held on credit card). The reef trip company provides a health and safety questionnaire on arrival, and it is essential that you fill this out with the correct information. The reef trip company’s word on the boat is final, and your health and safety is their (and our) paramount concern.

We will usually try and land on Michaelmas Cay to observe the breeding birds at close range; however, if tidal or weather conditions prevent us from doing so, we will try and circumnavigate the island in a smaller glass-bottomed boat. The exact activities of the day are totally weather and tide-dependent. If you suffer from motion sickness, you may need to take medication for this trip. If we do land on Michaelmas Cay, it will be a wet landing and re-entry, usually up to ankles, rarely your knees; the boat can usually land against the sandy beach.

We will also take a boat trip on the Daintree River during the tour; this is a small boat, like a speedboat. We will journey along the wide Daintree River and then enter smaller, narrower tributaries that take us close into the mangroves, where we are seeking the rarer and more secretive species. The boat has a pop-up cover for the sun, but this inhibits viewing, so we usually try not to use it. We will be exposed to the elements on this trip, so a sunhat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are essential (as well as potentially a rain jacket/poncho if the weather looks threatening). Note on the larger river section we might move quite quickly, so watch out for your hat blowing off! The boat trip is usually around two hours in duration and often starts at dawn or ends at dusk, mainly depending on the tidal situation. Do not dangle your hands out of the boat into the water – there are Saltwater Crocodiles here – see the “Safety” section below.

If you’d like further information on either of these boat trips, please contact us.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

This tour requires two domestic flights (Melbourne to Brisbane and Brisbane to Cairns). The costs for these flights are not included in the tour cost. Once we confirm the tour, we will purchase flight tickets for everyone in the group at the same time to ensure we are all on the same flights. The additional cost of flights will be added to your tour balance payment, which is due no later than two months prior to departure. Please refer to the Australia general information document regarding important information on baggage allowance (including carry-on allowance). We usually try and make our domestic flights with Qantas or Virgin Australia as we have found they offer the best service.

PLAINS-WANDERER TRIP

While in Deniliquin in New South Wales, we will take a nocturnal trip to look for Plains-wanderer. Depending on the local situation on the vast grass plains these birds inhabit, we may drive around looking for the birds, or walk around to try and locate them. We are usually out searching from dusk until around midnight on this night and return to our accommodation after 1 a.m. (the following day usually gets a later start than usual!).

Walking around at night can be particularly disorienting, so it is essential the group always stays together. Small torches/head torches are essential for seeing where you are putting your feet, and if you have any balance/walking issues, a walking stick/hiking pole is also mandatory. It is very easy to trip and fall in this environment, so extreme care must always be taken. A decent supply of insect repellant is recommended for this trip as it can be quite buggy in some years. This trip is totally optional and if you would rather sit it out, that is fine, though this is one awesome and unique bird, so we do recommend joining the exploration if possible.

On this evening, we usually buy some food from a local bakery or supermarket and create a picnic dinner to be eaten on site or in our hotel rooms prior to departure.

LUGGAGE

Please pack as lightly as possible for this tour, noting the expected weight allowance of the domestic flights detailed above (and in the general information document on Australia) and the limited space inside vehicles. A medium, soft-sided, and robust duffle bag is likely to work best for packing in the tour vehicles and on the planes we will use. You will be expected to load and unload your own bags into and out of vehicles and as we move around airports. A lighter bag is likely to get less tiresome as we move around a lot on this tour, with lots of loading, unloading and repacking required.

We recommend a daypack is used to keep items that you wish to use daily when in the vehicle or when birding in the field (such as binoculars, camera, notebook, field guide, personal supply of water, snacks, umbrella, rain jacket, extra layers of clothing, etc.).

ACCOMMODATION

In Victoria and New South Wales (for one night), we mainly stay in hotels or motels, and in some locations, we stay in caravan sites, utilizing motel-type rooms. We usually change accommodations every night for this section of the tour, except for when we are in Ouyen, Victoria, in the mallee, where we spend two nights. We try to stay in the best accommodation available along our route, but these might still be fairly basic in some remote locations. All accommodation has ensuite bathrooms. At Melbourne airport, we will stay in an airport hotel. Most of the accommodation has Wi-Fi. Some of the accommodation offers breakfast, and we often get these delivered to our rooms the night before or in the morning itself. In some locations, we will eat breakfasts in cafés in nearby towns.

In southern Queensland, we will stay at the wonderful O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat for two nights. This is more upmarket accommodation than everywhere else we stay on the tour. This accommodation has ensuite bathrooms and is set in wonderful grounds for birding. We will eat breakfast and dinner in the retreat’s dining room and will have lunches in the café. There is free Wi-Fi in the lodge (usually just in the reception, bar, and restaurant areas).

In northern Queensland, we will stay at a nice hotel on the Cairns esplanade at the start and end of our circuit (luggage can be stored here until our return). For our circuit of northern Queensland, we will stay in a couple of hotels/motels as well as the excellent Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges (top-quality birds and wildlife right outside our rooms). Our accommodation has been chosen for the best access to quality birding areas. All accommodation has Wi-Fi and private ensuite bathrooms. We usually eat meals in nearby towns, rather than at our accommodation, e.g., in nearby cafés or restaurants/pubs.

WEATHER

Because this eastern Australia birding tour covers a vast area, including spring in Victoria as well as tropical Far North Queensland, you should expect quite a temperature range, and suitable clothing will be required.

In Victoria and New South Wales during the time of our tour, nighttime temperatures could drop as low as 46 degrees Fahrenheit (^oF) (8 degrees Centigrade/^oC); however, we have occasionally had colder. Daytime temperatures in the south could peak at 59 ^oF (15 ^oC), and at higher elevations (e.g., the hills around Melbourne and along the Great Ocean Road), it could take a while to reach that temperature. If there is a southerly wind blowing, it can feel much colder with the wind chill (the wind will be coming from Antarctica!). Daytime temperatures in central and northern Victoria and southern New South Wales can reach 86 ^oF (30 ^oC); on occasion (particularly if there is a warming wind coming from the northwest), the temperatures can be hotter than this.

In southern Queensland (e.g., Brisbane), it will likely be around 86 ^oF (30 ^oC) and usually feels hotter than we will have experienced earlier in the tour, potentially a little more humid too. Up at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, we will be at around 3,300 feet (1,000 meters); therefore, the temperatures are lower (it can feel cold here at night), and during the day, it is likely to be around 68 – 77 ^oF (20 – 25 ^oC).

Northern Queensland (e.g., Cairns) will see similar temperatures to those of Brisbane, but it will be more humid, particularly when we are inside the forest. It will be a touch cooler on the Atherton Tablelands as we will be higher up, and it usually takes a while for the sun’s rays to warm us up – particularly at Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges, where we are situated in a bit of a bowl. At Mareeba, it will be a similar temperature to Brisbane and Cairns but much drier. It will be very hot at Michaelmas Cay (e.g., 95 ^oF / 35 ^oC), with no shade.

The sun is strong across Australia, and care should be taken to avoid sunburn and dehydration.

SAFETY

We do not recommend walking around Cairns at night on your own for personal safety reasons. We will usually walk from our chosen restaurant in Cairns to our nearby hotel in the dark, but we will do so as a group. Please do not leave valuables (or anything at any time) inside the vehicle when it is parked to help reduce the risk of anyone breaking into the vehicle. Please keep a close watch on your possessions (e.g., bags, wallet, optics, etc.) when we are out and about in the city.

During the Far Northern Queensland section of this eastern Australian bird tour (e.g., once we start the Cairns section of the tour), we need to take care due to the presence of Saltwater Crocodiles that can occur in or near the smallest waterbodies; they can also be found up to 0.6 miles (1 km) away from water. At times, we will be birding within habitats that crocodiles inhabit, such as rivers (including inland rivers – “crocs” can occur over 124 miles (200 km) from the coast), coastal mangroves, and wetlands. Please do not stand close to the water’s edge or go anywhere near water at night. Crocodile warning signs are often in place and should always be adhered to. Please refer to the Croc Wise website for more information. We usually only see crocodiles when on our Daintree River boat cruise, but we could come across them in other locations, so it is best to read the information and be prepared (and do not dangle your hands in the water on the river cruise!).

Other general safety information, as referred to in the Australia general information document, should be considered, e.g., regarding snakes, etc.

WHAT TO BRING: CLOTHING AND OTHER ITEMS

The following is a list of useful items to bring on this eastern Australian birding tour and should be read in conjunction with the Australia general information document.

1. A field guide to the birds of Australia. See the general information for our recommendations for this tour.
2. Hiking pole or walking stick to help on the tracks and trails. While probably not necessary for everyone, a walking stick is compulsory for anyone who is unsteady walking, as we feel this is a safety issue. We don’t want anyone slipping on the trails or anywhere else. Please discuss with us if you are unsure whether you will need one or not.
3. Torch (flashlight) and/or headlamp (headtorch), and spare batteries, necessary for when we are making nocturnal walks and when on our Plains-Wanderer
4. High-concentration DEET insect repellant or similar.
5. A flynet for your face is very useful in some years.
6. A small personal first aid kit. See the suggested items from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here.
7. Lightweight hiking boots are likely the best footwear for this tour. A set of sandals (flip-flops) and/or trainers would be useful for walking around some of the accommodations but are not suitable for birding time (consider snake bites, mud, slips, trips, falls, etc.).
8. Quick-drying birding clothes (in suitable colors) are the best for this tour, and a good selection of clothing layers (including sweater/jumper/fleece/coat) are also recommended for time at the higher elevations and due to the potential for cool or even cold mornings in Victoria and at elevation in southern Queensland.
9. Light rain jacket/poncho (and small umbrella) as rain could fall at any time and any location. Spring in Victoria could see rain showers or prolonged periods of rain if a weather system moves through. In Queensland, there is a slim chance of a tropical rainstorm (usually in the afternoon or at night, if at all). Thunderstorms (including hail) are not uncommon at the time of year we will be in Queensland.
10. Some of the places we stay have swimming pools, and we will have excellent and highly recommended swimming opportunities on the Great Barrier Reef, so swimwear is recommended. The reef trip company provides snorkeling gear.
11. A small hand towel or washcloth can be handy for cleaning and drying things when in the rainforest and also removing dust in drier areas. Not essential, but it can be useful.
12. A dry bag to keep valuable documents in, such as passports, cell phones, wallets, etc., as well as cameras, if it rains or is dry and dusty.

Download Eastern Australia – The Outback tour Information

DOWNLOAD AUSTRALIA GENERAL INFORMATION