Tours with Araucaria Ecotours: see below

• See and learn about our wildlife
  
• Visit beautiful wild places
• Small group sizes allow for personalised tours: tell us your special needs and interests
• Customised tours may be possible with enough notice
  
• Many observations are recorded for ecological research
  
• All our tours have advanced eco-accreditation
• No guarantees for any particular species on any day (but we also see a variety, and some are always there)
  

We have run tours for over 20 years with no serious incident, but our current insurer also requires you to sign an indemnity form . See awards and testimonials Also see: What to bring on your tour  and Safety on our tours Pickup from Brisbane for most tours Wildlife Tours and other Nature Tours with Araucaria Ecotours include: Day tours
Australian Wildlife & Forests See many wild kangaroos, fruitbats and birds (also reptiles in warm months) with the possibility of wild koalas. Walk through an open-air koala enclosure, a day-into-night glow worm cave, a rainforest canopy, a eucalypt forest and a tea-tree wetland.	Bird watching Come bird-watching in wetlands, eucalyptus forest and rainforest with a zoologist who has conducted research on local birds for over 3 decades. Beginners to experienced birders welcome but please note our focus is bird ecology and behaviour rather than life lists.	Coochiemudlo Island Gentle walking on the  scenic and varied Coochiemudlo Island, just a 10 minute ferry ride from the mainland:  sandy beaches, rocky shores, mangroves,  coastal forest, birds, butterflies, hundreds of marching soldier crabs... This can be extended into an overnight tour (with sufficient notice)	Custom Mostly for groups of 4 or more, best to  inquire at least 2 months before. Special interest groups, families, students, seniors ... tell us what you'd like for the day.
Multi-day tours
Wildlife overview 3 days, 2 nights, travel with wildlife experts, enhance your understanding of Australia's fauna,  seek animals in the wild both day and night and visit a wildlife park for hard-to-find ones. Camping or comfortable lodge accommodation. Rainforest, other forests, wetlands, beaches etc. During winter months and early spring, we can offer a four-day version to include a whale-watching tour with Spirit of the Gold Coast.  Note:  we will probably be discontinuing the camping option next year.	Outback 6 days/5 nights or 8d/7n. True outback, away from tourist routes, plenty of emus, red kangaroos, red sand, birding hotspots ... Accommodation is not luxury but safe and comfortable, in places where we are close to the birds and kangaroos when they are most active - dawn and dusk	Custom usually for groups of 4 or more,best to inquire at least 2 months before preferred departure. Tours to Bunya Mountains, Girraween National Park, other destinations, can include adventure activities, Indigenous culture, special birding or photography tours, ecology or ecotourism, sustainable agriculture	Self-drive We can offer ideas for self-drive Our Wildlife Ecology Centre is currently under renovation but will be open for visits later this year

What to bring on tour with Araucaria Ecotours

Day tours

• camera if possible (those who don't usually regret it)
  
• sun hat (we do usually have spares if you forget)
• comfortable walking shoes - you won't need mountain boots, just  something with a non-slip sole (sneakers are fine)
• raincoat or small umbrella (again, we have spares)
• binoculars: we've been surprised by the frequency of damage, even by experienced birders. We can't  afford to keep repairing or replacing the more expensive ones, so please bring your own if possible or borrow one of our "cheapies"
• warm jacket for wildlife day-tour for  early evening (may not be needed in summer)
• insect spray and sunscreen (again we usually carry these if you forget, and we don't get swarms of troublesome insects, just occasional mosquitoes etc.)
• bottle of drink or your own re-fillable water bottle if desired (we include refreshments, but you may like an additional drink while walking or traveling). We usually carry a large container of mineral water in the vehicle for re-fills.
  
• money for any additional snacks (e.g. ice creams or  chocolates when we stop for fuel) or souvenirs.  We don't make any specific shopping stops or get any comission from sales, but some of the places we visit do have interesting books or souvenirs
• proof of covid vaccination
• a signed indemnity form (or sign on the day)
  

Longer tours - as for day-tours plus:

• warm clothing for evening and early morning (it can get cold in the mountains at night, even in summer, and outback evenings can be quite chilly even after a very warm day, and we do sometimes have frosts June - August)
• all personal items (toothbrush etc.) and medications (we travel with a first aid kit but we are not permitted to give pain-killers, antihistamines or other oral medications)
• small torch (flashlight): we can supply one if you forget