Australian Outback Wildlife Tour

Tours depart from Brisbane (we can advise you of the best locations to stay the night before)
One night of camping sometimes included (all gear provided by us) on request

Up to four tours per year: two in each of autumn and spring

Join us to enhance your understanding of the 'true' Aussie Outback and experience wide open spaces, brilliant starry skies, and of course red kangaroos, emus, the beautiful Major Mitchell cockatoo, bright parrots, raptors and other outback wildlife

A SPECIAL OUTBACK TOUR in 2024:

Early September

Join in the Bilby Festival, see brigalow country, mulga country, the red sand dunes of the Channel Country, fossilised remains of Australia's largest dinosaur and more recent megafauna, a monument to a caterpillar, and of course red kangaroos, emus, colourful parrots ...

Please let us know ASAP if you are potentially interested

Visit here for details of our special outback tour in September

Our usual tour (spring and autumn only)

Come along with us way out west to the land of red sands, red kangaroos, emus, Major Mitchell cockatoos and other outback wildlife, Mulga country, Coolibah country (remember the jolly swagman?), semi-arid shrublands, wildlife-attracting waterholes, the Paroo River, and vast inland lakes (Ramsar-listed because of their importance to inland bird breeding)

NOTE: the itineraries suggested below can be altered depending on interests of our guests and local conditions - e.g. sometimes we don't go as far as Eulo and Currawinya, sometimes we don't visit Bowra, we don't always have a night of camping, and with sufficient notice we can visit other places such as Charleville or Longreach.

This is not a luxury tour. There are no five star or even four-star hotels out where we're traveling., and not all accommodation will have an ensuite bathroom, but all are safe and comfortable and very typical of the Aussie Outback. Of course we carry plenty of water, 2-way radios and spares of all essentials just in case we do have problems in a remote place.

Australian
outback: Currawinya National PArk

Although not luxury, it is also not an endurance test - we do our walking in the cool early mornings and late afternoons, and our purpose is not to cross wide distances but to experience the atmosphere of the outback and see the animals that live there. While driving we make plenty of 'comfort stops' as well as pausing to look at anything of interest along the way. We sleep in comfortable beds and enjoy some great meals, and you really get a taste of the 'dinkum' (genuine) Australian Outback, meet the locals (both human and otherwise) and absorb the vastness of the outdoors and majestic sunsets without crowds around you trying to do the same.

DAY ONE

The first day's travel usually takes us to St George. There are different definitions of 'outback' but this is where we feel it really begins - we leave behind cotton, wheat and other crops and head out into long stretches of free-range grazing country and natural semi-arid woodlands, and of course red sandy soils. We've usually seen a few emus, apostlebirds, black kites and outback parrots long before reaching St George, and we take a few breaks to stretch our legs and stroll around some interesting places.

DAYS TWO TO FIVE:

Our main destination is usually either Bowra (a top birding spot) or the Currawinya National Park. Here we will be right away from the forests of the coast and into red sands and outback vegetation such as mulga (Acacia aneura), poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea), gidgee (Acacia cambagei), semi-arid shrublands and other outback plant communities.

Currawinya
National Park in Australia's Outback

Being genuine outback, this is dry country, some of it bordering on semi-desert, yet it has a great variety of watered areas. The Paroo River, on the banks of which we sometimes (if our guests wish) spend a night camping, is lined with eucalypts that teem with birds when they are in flower. Two vast lakes - one saltwater ( Lake Wyara ) and one freshwater (Lake Numalla) are collectively one of the most important Ramsar-listed sites in Australia for outback waterbird breeding. Added to this are various waterholes which are great for sitting quietly nearby waiting for kangaroos and birds to come for a drink at dusk or dawn.

Much of the land is fairly flat or gently undulating, so the outcrop at the Granites, consisting of granite dating from 230 and 310 million years ago, provides a dramatic contrast.

outback scenes
from Currawinya National Park

We tend not to see many native mammals other than kangaroos (and sometimes echidnas, especially at Bowra), but there are emus in abundance, many other birds (brolgas, waterbirds, parrots, the beautiful Major Mitchell cockatoo, chats, honeyeaters, woodswallows ...) and a number of reptiles (sand goanna, shingleback skink, Central Australian bearded dragon, carpet python and others) that we come across fairly frequently.

Currawinya National Park is also the site of release of the captive-bred, cutely 'odd', and sadly endangered bilby. One lady at the David Fleay WIldlife Park, watching one of their bilbies, was heard to say "it sort of looks like ... like... no, there's nothing that looks like!" The lesser bilby became extinct after white settlement, and the greater bilby has been rapidly heading in the same direction, but the marvellous efforts of the Bilby Brothers and their supporters might just save it. The release site is off-limits to the public, but we can view a sample of the cat-proof, fox-proof, rabbit-proof fence that surrounds their home.

On some of our visits we camp by the Paroo River. We bring tents, but we ourselves prefer sleeping in comfortable hammocks, from which we can note the movements of the stars, hear animal voices through the night, see pelicans sail down the river by moonlight, watch the sun rising over the Paroo and be ready for the dawn chorus. Our tours are small-group and flexible to cater for our guests' interests, so let us know if you'd like a night of camping

caming by the
Paroo RIver in the Australian outback

One or preferably two nights will usually be spent at Bowra, a former cattle station now owned by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and regarded as a birdwatching 'hotspot', with over 200 species sighted, including several rare and threatened ones. Kangaroos, echidnas, legless lizards and other wildlife also live in the many different habitats on this vast property.

We usually stay overnight at Eulo, a small townfrom whic you can easily walk to sites for watching kangaroos, eagles, cockatoos, woodswallows and many waterbirds. Here you can also visit the Date Farm, and (if you wish) pay to indulge in a mudbath while partaking of wine, nust and dried fruits, followed by a locally-produced moisturiser that really does make your skin feel wonderful, . Near Eulo also is a waterhole frequented by many birds at dawn and dusk, sometimes including Halls babbler and Bourke's parrot.

The small border town of Hungerford (population at our last visit was eight) is just to the south of the national park, and we sometimes spend a night there at the Royal Mail Hotel, where the Cobb and Co. Coach used to call.

What to bring: sunhat, sunscreen, torch (flashlight), sensible footwear (at least one pair of covered shoes - sneakers are fine if they have grip-soles), sandals or thongs for relaxing, raincoat (not likely to need it but anything can happen), cool lightweight clothes, preferably at least one shirt/blouse with long sleeves for sun protection, something warm for night time (shorts are okay for most days), something to swim in, personal items (toothbrush etc.) and any medications (we have a firstaid kit but cannot legally give you pharmaceuticals - even aspirin or paracetamol - and we'll mostly be a long way from pharmacists).

No fancy hotels but plenty of genuine Australian outback experience

Outback wildlife tour (6 days 5 nights or 8 days 7 nights - can be extended further)

A SPECIAL OUTBACK TOUR in 2024: