Araucaria Ecotours

Small-group educational wildlife tours from Brisbane,

Nature activities in the Scenic Rim (Southeast Queensland)

Environmental consultancies, books and other products and services

Australian Wildlife and forests day-tour 

See and learn about Australian animals and their ecology and behaviour on this zoologist-designed tour from Brisbane with Araucaria Ecotours.

Seek wild kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, fruitbats, birds and butterflies, and in warm months reptiles (mostly lizards, sometimes snakes or turtles). .

Leave Brisbane at 9.00am and head south to the mountains of the Scenic Rim.

At Tamborine Skywalk, we relax with a cup of tea or coffee or a cold drink with a biscuit on the verandah looking into the forest, before walking (safely!) into the rainforest canopy as well as through eucalypt woodland, looking for birds an other wildlife and discussing the various plants we see along the way and their importance to various animal species. In the warm months on sunny days we may see Australia's second-largest butterfly - the Richmond Birdwing.

If time permits we will also visit a waterfall in a steep valley harbouring eucalyptus forest. All walking is gentle: no steep slopes unless you opt (and time permits) to walk down to the base of the waterfall and up again instead of just viewing from above. We often see goannas (lace monitors) and kookaburras during our walk to the viewing platform.

We then visit a purpose-built cave (to take the pressure of wild colonies) at Cedar Creek Estate occupied by thousands of glow worms (these are not the larvae of fireflies, but of fungus gnats, and the light is not to attract a mate but to deceive and trap their prey: they are found only in Australia and New Zealand), and Frog Hollow, with several species of local frog.

After enjoying a delicious lunch looking towards a lake with ducks and other waterbirds (for a small extra fee you can also sample some local wines if time permits - the fee is deducted from the cost of any bottle you decide to purchase) we head to Coombabah, in the northern end of the Gold Coast (but a little inland from the coast itself). Here we see many kangaroos coming out of the forest after the mid-day siesta to graze on the grasses, and walk through tea-tree wetlands to eucalypt forest where we look for wild koalas.  There are no guarantees for the koalas but so far we've never failed to find at least one.

Your tour includes:

• Fully-guided tour (mini-bus and gentle walks) with expert zoologist/naturalist guides
• Travel (with expert commentary en route) to view kangaroos, koalas and other wildlife and forests
• Entry to SkyWalk (walk through the canopy of a rainforest)
• Entry to Glow Worms cave (a very well-made cave with with thousands of very real glow worms, and lights turning night into day so you can seen them glowing in the daytime)
• Morning tea and lunch (gluten-free, vegan etc. can be catered for)
  
• Entry to national parks
• Information sheet on Australian wildlife
• Child seat available for infant if needed