Eastern Australia
Bowerbirds and Lyrebirds
Thursday 30 October – Monday 17 November 2008 (19 days)
From the rainforests of Queensland to the seabirds of the Great Barrier Reef, and from the Bowerbirds of O'Reilly's to the Lyrebirds of New South Wales, we travel to some of the finest wildlife areas within this amazing biological world-of-its-own. Pack your swags and join us down-under!
© Steve Knott/Nature Portfolio
Rainbow Lorikeets
Australia is, truly, a world apart. Separated from the rest of the world's continents for over sixty million years, here evolution has pursued its own course, quite distinct from, and parallel to, life on the rest of our planet. Perhaps most famous of these separate evolutionary lines belong to the two mammal groups: marsupials and monotremes, of which the strangest must be the egg-laying Platypus, which we may be lucky enough to see on our trip. But the birdlife has also followed its own evolutionary trail, and nearly half the species seen here are unique to the region - a greater proportion of endemic species than any other country.
This tour has been designed to provide naturalists with an experience of the best natural areas – from the northern tropics to southern temperate areas. It includes most forest types, as well as woodland, coastal heaths, estuaries and beaches. The huge variety of habitat and climate make for an excellent variety of birds as well as a good range of the marsupials for which Australia is renowned.
We fly into Sydney and meet our local guide, Carol Proberts. She will introduce is to the birds of Sydney, from where we drive up into the spectacular Blue Mountains, for Lyrebirds and other specialities, before heading to and the New South Wales coast and its heathlands for some southern specialities, including cockatoos, honeyeaters and even a chance of the mysterious Ground Parrot.
Then we fly up to Cairns, itself one of Australia's best birding localities. Starting amidst the tropical coastal forests where Cassowaries go walkabout, continuing our trip amidst the jungles of the Atherton Tablelands complete with bowerbirds and riflebirds and finishing our stay in North Queensland with a boat trip to the wonderful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef.
From Cairns we fly down to Brisbane, and travel to the wonderful O'Reilly's Rainforest Lodge, where Regent and Satin Bowerbirds and spectacular Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots come to the bird food.
The southern spring is an excellent time of year to visit Australia, when many birds are at their most active, and the flowers can be wonderful.
Please note: This tour can easily be combined with longer stays in Australasia. Please contact us if you would like us to arrange separate flights, or any extensions.
Price: £ 4,295
Single supp.: £ 380
Deposit: £ 600 per person
The prices are per person and include scheduled economy class flights London-Sydney, Sydney-Cairns, and Brisbane-Sydney-London*, airport taxes, ground transportation, boat trips as outlined above, accommodation on a full-board basis, local taxes, tips, and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes Visa (ETA) cost (c£20 through us), travel insurance, drinks, optional tips to the local drivers and other personal expenses.
*For a price excluding the flights London-Sydney, and Brisbane-Sydney-London, please deduct £ 895 from the tour cost. If you are booking your own flights please contact us first to check that the times fit with the current itinerary.
This trip will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays.
Leaders: Keith Grant and Carol Probets
Itinerary:
Days 1 & 2
We leave London in the evening on a scheduled flight to Sydney, arriving early in the morning of Day 3.
Day 3
On arrival in Sydney, we'll meet our local guide Carol, and head straight for the Sydney Botanic Gardens for an excellent introduction to Australian birdwatching. Delights here may include Buff-banded Rail, the delicate and dazzling Superb Fairy-wren, stunning Rainbow Lorikeets, and Figbird. We may also see huge Grey-headed Flying Foxes roosting. We'll then head out to the Hawkesbury flood-plain on the north-western outskirts of the city, where we'll visit Pitt Town Lagoon for a variety of ducks, crakes, waders and finches. Our accommodation has wonderful balconies overlooking the Hawkesbury River
Overnight Windsor
Day 4
After a morning drive around the turf farms for grassland species and raptors, we head west along the Bell's Line of Road and across the Blue Mountains. At Mount Banks we'll start to get to grips with the huge variety of honeyeaters, with Tawny-crowned and White-eared Honeyeaters amongst the possibilities, along with Grey Currawong. After lunch we continue into the Capertee Valley, arriving in time to watch the array of honeyeaters, parrots and pigeons coming in to a waterhole for their afternoon drink. Here we should also see good numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos, perhaps Red-necked Wallabies and Wallaroos becoming active while the setting sun turns the majestic cliffs gold and red.
We stay in an old grand hotel which has been beautifully renovated, with amazing views from each room. Not all rooms are en suite, but the hotel is in such a magnificent setting that we think it is worth it. In addition, this is the only way we get to experience sunset and sunrise right in the valley, and gives us much more chance of kangaroos too!
Overnight Glen Davis
Day 5
Most of the day will be spent in the Capertee Valley, well known amongst Australian birders as a stronghold for several rare and threatened bird species. A fabulous variety of species could include the smart but endangered Regent Honeyeater, stunning Turquoise Parrot, Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler, Little Lorikeet, Black-chinned, Fuscous & Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, White-browed Babbler, White-backed Swallow, and many others. We should also see reptiles such as Bearded Dragon and the huge Lace Monitor lizard. In the afternoon we'll head into the Upper Blue Mountains, stopping en route at the Lithgow Sewage Ponds where we should see a good variety of ducks including Blue-billed, Pink-eared and the very unusual Musk Duck.
Overnight Katoomba
Day 6
In the areas of Mt Victoria, Blackheath and Katoomba we'll seek out some of the really local specialities including Rock Warbler, Superb Lyrebird, Pilotbird and Flame Robin. We'll also head into the lush rainforest of the Megalong Valley for a chance to see Rose Robin, Bassian Thrush and Red-browed Treecreeper. Satin Bowerbird also occurs in the area, and we'll have the first of many chances to find a bower, most likely seeing the bird in attendance, guarding its display of bright blue treasures. The area is also renowned for its spectacular scenery. After dark we'll go spotlighting after an early dinner for Wombat, Common Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possum, Greater Glider - and the possibility of owls and frogmouths.
Overnight Katoomba
Day 7
We make a morning visit to Kings Tableland. This is cockatoo country par excellence, and we hope for rowdy flocks of Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gang Cockatoos, as well as smaller birds such as Beautiful Firetail.
We travel east and then south to Budderoo and Barren Grounds where we have a chance of seeing the remarkable Ground Parrot. This highland area above the coastal escarpment is similar to heathland, and will be near the peak of its wildflower displays. We hope for some special birds, including Eastern Bristlebird, Pilotbird and Southern Emu-wren. We'll stay out until twilight when, with luck, the Ground Parrots become active. In the evening we'll go spotlighting for arboreal mammals including Sugar Glider, and perhaps Sooty Owl.
Overnight Jamberoo
Day 8
A pre-dawn start for those who want to search again for the Ground Parrot. The nearby rainforest will give us an opportunity to search for Logrunner and other species we might have missed.
We return via the coastal route to Sydney, from where we catch a flight north to Cairns. We continue on to Mission Beach, where we have a chance of seeing Southern Cassowary as it stalks silently through the forest.
Overnight Mission Beach
Days 9 - 10
We drive up to the Atherton Tablelands where we visit the crater lakes of Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham. This rich, volcanic area has some of the best rainforests in Australia, festooned with epiphytic ferns and mosses, where mighty birdwing butterflies flit through the shady understory, and huge strangler figs drape their roots over their host trees. Here too are some superb rainforest birds, including Golden and Tooth-billed Bowerbirds. Around Lake Eacham there are more birds to look for, including beautiful Wompoo Fruit-Doves calling their name.
We stay at a superbly-situated lodge amidst pristine rainforest, where Victoria's Riflebirds display, and Red-legged Pademelons graze on the lawns. We plan to go spotlighting in the forests for arboreal mammals and nocturnal birds after dark, and also have a chance of seeing the shy and elusive Platypus as it swims at dusk.
Two nights Yungaburra
Days 11 - 12
After some more Tablelands birdwatching, we head inland towards Kingfisher Park in the Julatten area. Kingfisher Park is a comfortable lodge in a patch of remnant rainforest with a remarkable diversity of bird species including Lesser Sooty Owl, Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill amongst other tropical specialities. We spend two nights at this superb spot.
Two nights Julatten
Day 13
From Julatten we head down to the coast for a cruise on the Lower Daintree River. We'll be looking for Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and Little Kingfisher as well as Estuarine Crocodile. From the coast we drive a short way up into the coastal hills, where we have lunch at a lodge in the forest, with excellent balcony birdwatching, and another chance to see Southern Cassowary. We return to Cairns for some local birding in the afternoon.
Cairns offers some wonderful wetland birding right on the doorstep. Cairns waterfront is a splendid wader habitat, with possibilities including Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Great Knot, and both Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. Cairns' Botanic Gardens can also be productive, with several honeyeaters and Black Butcherbird, while Orange-footed Scrubfowl scratch around the forest floor.
Overnight Cairns
Day 14
From Cairns we take a cruise out to the largest continuous stretch of coral on earth, the Great Barrier Reef. It is possible to snorkel on this aquatic paradise, or simply view the shimmering colours and vast range of underwater life from a glass-bottomed boat. Michaelmas Cay is home to thousands of breeding seabirds, notably terns, including both Sooty and Black-naped Terns and Brown Noddies, with Brown Booby and Greater Frigatebird in attendance.
Overnight Cairns
Days 15 - 17
We depart early the next day for a flight to Brisbane. From here we climb up high into the hills for our three-night stay in the rainforest-clad mountains of Lamington National Park, where we stay at the world-famous O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat.
O'Reilly's is simply fabulous, and richly deserves its reputation as one of the world's best birdwatching lodges. We spend the whole day exploring the network of trails. The area is well known for the excellent opportunities to see a range of rainforest 'specials' - including Noisy Pitta, Green Catbird, and Logrunner. This is bowerbird country, with the stunning Regent Bowerbird a fitting emblem for the lodge, and the dark blue Satin Bowerbird that loves to adorn its bower with bright blue objects - both are ridiculously easy to see as they come to the feeding areas - and may even perch on you! The feeding areas here also attract hordes of colourful parrots during the day, with Sugar Gliders and other mammals, including abundant Red-necked Pademelons at night. Two of the local rainforest specialities are Albert's Lyrebird - we had superb views of a female on our last visit - and Paradise Riflebird.
At slightly lower elevations can be found dry eucalypt forest, with a new range of species including the delightful Pretty-faced Wallaby.
Three nights O'Reilly's
Day 18
We head back to Brisbane for the flight home via Sydney, arriving on Day 19.
Accommodation will be in comfortable motels, lodges and cabins. All rooms en suite, except for one night at Glen Davis where bathrooms may have to be shared. All meals are supplied, including lunches.
Travel is by modern Toyota bus, with full air-conditioning – towing a trailer for baggage. Minibus with smaller group.
Walks are gently-paced and no more than a mile or two at any one time. Sturdy thornproof walking boots are recommended.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Days 1 & 2
We leave London in the evening on a scheduled flight to Sydney, arriving early in the morning of Day 3.
Day 3
On arrival in Sydney, we'll meet our local guide Carol, and head straight for the Sydney Botanic Gardens for an excellent introduction to Australian birdwatching. Delights here may include Buff-banded Rail, the delicate and dazzling Superb Fairy-wren, stunning Rainbow Lorikeets, and Figbird. We may also see huge Grey-headed Flying Foxes roosting. We'll then head out to the Hawkesbury flood-plain on the north-western outskirts of the city, where we'll visit Pitt Town Lagoon for a variety of ducks, crakes, waders and finches. Our accommodation has wonderful balconies overlooking the Hawkesbury River
Overnight Windsor
Day 4
After a morning drive around the turf farms for grassland species and raptors, we head west along the Bell's Line of Road and across the Blue Mountains. At Mount Banks we'll start to get to grips with the huge variety of honeyeaters, with Tawny-crowned and White-eared Honeyeaters amongst the possibilities, along with Grey Currawong. After lunch we continue into the Capertee Valley, arriving in time to watch the array of honeyeaters, parrots and pigeons coming in to a waterhole for their afternoon drink. Here we should also see good numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos, perhaps Red-necked Wallabies and Wallaroos becoming active while the setting sun turns the majestic cliffs gold and red.
We stay in an old grand hotel which has been beautifully renovated, with amazing views from each room. Not all rooms are en suite, but the hotel is in such a magnificent setting that we think it is worth it. In addition, this is the only way we get to experience sunset and sunrise right in the valley, and gives us much more chance of kangaroos too!
Overnight Glen Davis
Day 5
Most of the day will be spent in the Capertee Valley, well known amongst Australian birders as a stronghold for several rare and threatened bird species. A fabulous variety of species could include the smart but endangered Regent Honeyeater, stunning Turquoise Parrot, Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler, Little Lorikeet, Black-chinned, Fuscous & Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, White-browed Babbler, White-backed Swallow, and many others. We should also see reptiles such as Bearded Dragon and the huge Lace Monitor lizard. In the afternoon we'll head into the Upper Blue Mountains, stopping en route at the Lithgow Sewage Ponds where we should see a good variety of ducks including Blue-billed, Pink-eared and the very unusual Musk Duck.
Overnight Katoomba
Day 6
In the areas of Mt Victoria, Blackheath and Katoomba we'll seek out some of the really local specialities including Rock Warbler, Superb Lyrebird, Pilotbird and Flame Robin. We'll also head into the lush rainforest of the Megalong Valley for a chance to see Rose Robin, Bassian Thrush and Red-browed Treecreeper. Satin Bowerbird also occurs in the area, and we'll have the first of many chances to find a bower, most likely seeing the bird in attendance, guarding its display of bright blue treasures. The area is also renowned for its spectacular scenery. After dark we'll go spotlighting after an early dinner for Wombat, Common Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possum, Greater Glider - and the possibility of owls and frogmouths.
Overnight Katoomba
Day 7
We make a morning visit to Kings Tableland. This is cockatoo country par excellence, and we hope for rowdy flocks of Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gang Cockatoos, as well as smaller birds such as Beautiful Firetail.
We travel east and then south to Budderoo and Barren Grounds where we have a chance of seeing the remarkable Ground Parrot. This highland area above the coastal escarpment is similar to heathland, and will be near the peak of its wildflower displays. We hope for some special birds, including Eastern Bristlebird, Pilotbird and Southern Emu-wren. We'll stay out until twilight when, with luck, the Ground Parrots become active. In the evening we'll go spotlighting for arboreal mammals including Sugar Glider, and perhaps Sooty Owl.
Overnight Jamberoo
Day 8
A pre-dawn start for those who want to search again for the Ground Parrot. The nearby rainforest will give us an opportunity to search for Logrunner and other species we might have missed.
We return via the coastal route to Sydney, from where we catch a flight north to Cairns. We continue on to Mission Beach, where we have a chance of seeing Southern Cassowary as it stalks silently through the forest.
Overnight Mission Beach
Days 9 - 10
We drive up to the Atherton Tablelands where we visit the crater lakes of Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham. This rich, volcanic area has some of the best rainforests in Australia, festooned with epiphytic ferns and mosses, where mighty birdwing butterflies flit through the shady understory, and huge strangler figs drape their roots over their host trees. Here too are some superb rainforest birds, including Golden and Tooth-billed Bowerbirds. Around Lake Eacham there are more birds to look for, including beautiful Wompoo Fruit-Doves calling their name.
We stay at a superbly-situated lodge amidst pristine rainforest, where Victoria's Riflebirds display, and Red-legged Pademelons graze on the lawns. We plan to go spotlighting in the forests for arboreal mammals and nocturnal birds after dark, and also have a chance of seeing the shy and elusive Platypus as it swims at dusk.
Two nights Yungaburra
Days 11 - 12
After some more Tablelands birdwatching, we head inland towards Kingfisher Park in the Julatten area. Kingfisher Park is a comfortable lodge in a patch of remnant rainforest with a remarkable diversity of bird species including Lesser Sooty Owl, Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill amongst other tropical specialities. We spend two nights at this superb spot.
Two nights Julatten
Day 13
From Julatten we head down to the coast for a cruise on the Lower Daintree River. We'll be looking for Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and Little Kingfisher as well as Estuarine Crocodile. From the coast we drive a short way up into the coastal hills, where we have lunch at a lodge in the forest, with excellent balcony birdwatching, and another chance to see Southern Cassowary. We return to Cairns for some local birding in the afternoon.
Cairns offers some wonderful wetland birding right on the doorstep. Cairns waterfront is a splendid wader habitat, with possibilities including Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Great Knot, and both Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. Cairns' Botanic Gardens can also be productive, with several honeyeaters and Black Butcherbird, while Orange-footed Scrubfowl scratch around the forest floor.
Overnight Cairns
Day 14
From Cairns we take a cruise out to the largest continuous stretch of coral on earth, the Great Barrier Reef. It is possible to snorkel on this aquatic paradise, or simply view the shimmering colours and vast range of underwater life from a glass-bottomed boat. Michaelmas Cay is home to thousands of breeding seabirds, notably terns, including both Sooty and Black-naped Terns and Brown Noddies, with Brown Booby and Greater Frigatebird in attendance.
Overnight Cairns
Days 15 - 17
We depart early the next day for a flight to Brisbane. From here we climb up high into the hills for our three-night stay in the rainforest-clad mountains of Lamington National Park, where we stay at the world-famous O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat.
O'Reilly's is simply fabulous, and richly deserves its reputation as one of the world's best birdwatching lodges. We spend the whole day exploring the network of trails. The area is well known for the excellent opportunities to see a range of rainforest 'specials' - including Noisy Pitta, Green Catbird, and Logrunner. This is bowerbird country, with the stunning Regent Bowerbird a fitting emblem for the lodge, and the dark blue Satin Bowerbird that loves to adorn its bower with bright blue objects - both are ridiculously easy to see as they come to the feeding areas - and may even perch on you! The feeding areas here also attract hordes of colourful parrots during the day, with Sugar Gliders and other mammals, including abundant Red-necked Pademelons at night. Two of the local rainforest specialities are Albert's Lyrebird - we had superb views of a female on our last visit - and Paradise Riflebird.
At slightly lower elevations can be found dry eucalypt forest, with a new range of species including the delightful Pretty-faced Wallaby.
Three nights O'Reilly's
Day 18
We head back to Brisbane for the flight home via Sydney, arriving on Day 19.
Accommodation will be in comfortable motels, lodges and cabins. All rooms en suite, except for one night at Glen Davis where bathrooms may have to be shared. All meals are supplied, including lunches.
Travel is by modern Toyota bus, with full air-conditioning – towing a trailer for baggage. Minibus with smaller group.
Walks are gently-paced and no more than a mile or two at any one time. Sturdy thornproof walking boots are recommended.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients