Eastern Australia
Bowerbirds and Lyrebirds
Thursday 5 - Monday 23 November 2009 (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. Isolated from the rest of the world's land-masses for over 60 million years, here evolution has taken a quite separate path. Most famous perhaps are the continent's two mammal groups: the marsupials and the monotremes, including the peculiar egg-laying Platypus, which we have been lucky enough to see on previous trips. Even more remarkable, almost half of Australia's six hundred and fifty or so regular bird species are unique to the region - a greater proportion of endemics than any other country.
Journeying from the southern temperate zones to the northern tropics, our 'Classic Australia' tour commences in Sydney, where a visit to Sydney Botanic Gardens followed by a sightseeing boat trip around Sydney Harbour will provide an excellent introduction to the birds of southeast Australia. Driving on up into the beautiful Blue Mountains, the gorgeous Turquoise Parrot, Flame Robin, Superb Lyrebird and the endangered Regent Honeyeater are among many specialities, along with rowdy flocks of impressive Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.
As we head back down to the New South Wales coast, the famous Barren Grounds heathland should be near the peak of its spring wildflower displays. The range-restricted Eastern Bristlebird and Pilotbird frequent this habitat and we'll make a special effort to find the mysterious Ground Parrot, a seldom seen species that's active only at daybreak and dusk.
Leaving Sydney, we next fly north to Cairns. One of Australia's best birding spots, shorebirds are outstanding here, with everything from Great Knot to Beach Stone-curlew. We continue inland to explore the jungles of the Atherton Tablelands, haunt of Golden Bowerbird, Tooth-billed Catbird and the iridescent Victoria's Riflebird. An early morning cruise on the Daintree River may reward us with Little Kingfisher and Great-billed Heron, whetting our appetites for a fitting finale to our stay in tropical North Queensland: a trip out from Cairns aboard Ocean Spirit, to savour the marvels of Michaelmas Cay and the Great Barrier Reef, with their breeding seabirds and exuberant marine life.
Flying south to Brisbane, our tour concludes with a three-night stay at the incomparable O'Reilly's Rainforest Lodge - where the birding is superb! Red-necked Pademelons forage on the lawn, and well-stocked feeders (not to mention inattentive birdwatchers with food in their hands) attract immaculate Regent and Satin Bowerbirds, along with crowds of colourful Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots. This really is 'Classic Australia'!
Price: £ 4,495
Single supp.: £ 395
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.
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.
Principal Leader: Peter Taylor
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.
Itinerary:
Days 1 & 3
We leave London in the evening on a scheduled flight bound for Sydney, arriving early in the morning of Day 3.
On arrival in Sydney, we'll be met by our guide Peter and head straight to the Sydney Botanic Gardens for an excellent introduction to Australian birdlife. Delights may include Buff-banded Rail and Figbird, stunning Rainbow Lorikeets and the delicate but dazzling Superb Fairy-wren. We may also see huge Grey-headed Flying Foxes roosting. Keep your camera handy too, for there are some fine views of Sydney's famous Opera House.
After lunching nearby, we'll take a short walk to the quayside and enjoy a relaxing sightseeing boat trip around Sydney harbour. There's no better way to experience Sydney than from the water, with splendid photo-opportunities of its busy harbour and waterside, the Opera House and the iconic Sydney Harbour bridge. Sailing out to The Heads, at the mouth of the harbour, we should see some exciting new birds, too. Australasian Gannet, Australian Pelican, Great Crested Tern and up to three species of cormorant are likely here, while the regal White-bellied Sea Eagle soars high overhead.
Returning to shore, we'll head out to the Hawkesbury floodplain on the northwestern outskirts of the city. Our accommodation tonight has wonderful balconies overlooking the Hawkesbury River.
Overnight Windsor
Day 4
Our birding begins in earnest today with a visit to Pitt Town Lagoon, which is home to a variety of Australasian ducks, crakes, waders and finches. After pausing to check the nearby 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 Australian honeyeaters, with Tawny-crowned and White-eared Honeyeaters among many possibilities, as we watch for the crow-like Grey Currawong.
After lunch we continue into the famous 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, with 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 here, but the hotel is in such a magnificent setting that we think you'll agree it is worth it. In addition, this is the only way to experience sunset and sunrise right in the valley, and gives us much more chance of kangaroos too!
Overnight Glen Davis
Days 5 - 6
The Capertee Valley is well known amongst Australian birders as a stronghold for a number of rare and threatened bird species. A fabulous variety of species could include such delights as the smart but endangered (and tricky to find!) Regent Honeyeater, the superb Turquoise Parrot, Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler, Little Lorikeet, Black-chinned, Fuscous and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, White-browed Babbler, White-backed Swallow and many others. We should also encounter some fascinating reptiles, perhaps a Bearded Dragon or the huge Lace Monitor.
In the afternoon we'll continue into the Upper Blue Mountains, stopping en route at the Lithgow Sewage Ponds with chances of Blue-billed, Pink-eared and the very unusual Musk Duck amongst a good range of waterfowl. Our destination this evening is Katoomba, where we will stay for two nights.
Next day, in the areas of Mt Victoria, Blackheath and Katoomba, we'll seek out some of the really localised 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 find the lovely 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, while after dark we can go spotlighting for mammals such as Wombat, Common Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possum and Greater Glider - and the possibility of seeing owls and frogmouths.
Two nights Katoomba
Day 7
Leaving Katoomba, we make a morning visit to Kings Tableland. This is 'cockatoo country' par excellence, and we will hope for rowdy flocks of Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gang Cockatoos, as well as a host of smaller birds such as the Beautiful Firetail.
From here, we travel east and then south to Budderoo and the Barren Grounds, where we have a chance of finding the remarkable Ground Parrot. This highland area above the coastal escarpment is similar to European heathland and should be near the peak of its wildflower displays about now. Some of the special birds here include 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 can go spotlighting for arboreal mammals including Sugar Glider; we might even be lucky with Sooty Owl.
Overnight Jamberoo
Day 8
Today is mainly a travel day, but we'll offer an optional pre-dawn start for those who want to try again for the elusive Ground Parrot. The nearby rainforest will also give us an opportunity to look for Logrunner and other species we might have missed, too. We then return via the coastal route to Sydney, from where we catch a flight north to Cairns.
On arrival at Cairns, in tropical North Queensland, we transfer directly to our hotel. If flights permit, there may be time this evening for an easy first stroll along Cairns famous esplanade, a hot spot for waders and other shorebirds.
Overnight Cairns
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. The stocky Tooth-billed Catbird, aptly-named Golden Bowerbird, and beautiful Wompoo Fruit-Doves calling their name are among a wealth of splendid rainforest birds to watch for.
We stay at a superbly situated lodge amidst pristine rainforest, where Victoria's Riflebirds display and engaging 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 out along a favoured stream at dusk.
Two nights Yungaburra
Days 11 - 12
After some more Tablelands birding we head inland towards Kingfisher Park, in the Julatten area. Named after the beautiful Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher that breeds within the grounds, Kingfisher Park is a comfortable birdwatchers lodge set in a patch of remnant rainforest. Boasting a remarkable diversity of birds, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Lesser Sooty Owl, Emerald Dove, Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill are among more than two hundred tropical Australian species to have been recorded at and around the lodge.
Accommodation at Kingfisher Park is in comfortable but simply-furnished cabins, each with a veranda looking out over the rainforest grounds. We spend two nights at this superb spot!
Two nights Julatten
Day 13
From Julatten, we head down to the coast for an early morning cruise on the Lower Daintree River, a wildlife experience not to be missed. Birds we'll be looking for here include Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and Little Kingfisher. The massive Estuarine Crocodile also frequents this spot!
From the coast, we drive a short way up into the hills to enjoy lunch at a lodge in the forest with excellent balcony birdwatching. As a procession of fascinating and colourful tropical forest birds attends the lodge's well-stocked feeders right before our eyes, we shall also be keeping a watchful eye on the wooded garden below. If our luck is in, the elusive and entirely unpredictable Southern Cassowary may pay a visit, too!
In the afternoon, we return to Cairns. Considered by many to be at the centre of Australia's very best birding area, Cairns offers some wonderful wetland birding right on the doorstep. Its celebrated waterfront is a splendid wader habitat, with possibilities including Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Great Knot and Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. Nearby, Cairns Botanic Gardens can also be highly productive, with a variety of honeyeaters and the sinister Black Butcherbird to watch for, while Orange-footed Scrubfowl scratch about the tangled forest floor.
Overnight Cairns
Day 14
From Cairns we take a cruise today, out to the largest continuous stretch of coral on earth - the Great Barrier Reef. Passing Black-naped Terns which appear stunningly white against the bright blue tropical waters, we'll go ashore at Michaelmas Cay, a sandy islet crammed with breeding seabirds, including 'wide-awake' Sooty Terns and Common Noddies. Brown Boobies often loaf on buoys near the island, as Great Frigatebirds hang menacingly above.
Despite all these wonderful birds, for some the chance to snorkel over the reef itself - or simply view the shimmering colours and vast range of underwater life from a glass-bottomed boat - may perhaps be the ultimate experience. It will be with great reluctance that we leave this window on to another world, with its multi-hued fish and corals, noddies and tropical islets, and return to the mainland for dinner and a second night in Cairns.
Overnight Cairns
Days 15 - 17
We depart early from Cairns, on a flight south to Brisbane. Leaving the heat of southern Queensland's coastal lowlands behind, we are soon climbing up into the cooler upland rainforests of Lamington National Park, in the beautiful Green Mountains. It's here, at world-famous O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, that we shall spend the next three nights.
With a network of trails, O'Reilly's is well-known for the excellent opportunities to see a range of rainforest 'specials', including Noisy Pitta, Green Catbird and Logrunner. This is fabulous bowerbird country too, 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 also attract hordes of colourful parrots during the day, while Sugar Gliders and other mammals, including abundant Red-necked Pademelons, take their place 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, O'Reilly's dry eucalypt forests hold a wealth of new species - both birds and mammals - including the surreal but elusive Glossy Black Cockatoo and the delightful Pretty-faced Wallaby.
The O'Reilly's experience is simply fabulous and richly deserves its reputation as one of the world's best birdwatching lodges. We think you'll agree with us, there's no finer place to conclude our 'Classic Australia' tour!
Three nights at O'Reilly's
Days 18 - 19
Bidding a reluctant farewell to O'Reilly's after breakfast this morning, we transfer back down to Brisbane. Here we'll catch our flight home (via Sydney), with arrival back in London next day, where our tour concludes.
Accommodation : At comfortable motels, lodges and cabins. All rooms en suite except for one night at lovely Glen Davis where bathrooms may have to be shared.
Meals : All included in the price.
Walking : Easy. Gently-paced and no more than a mile or two at any one time. Sturdy thornproof walking boots are recommended.
Weather : Tropical in the north (Cairns to Brisbane), where it is hot and sunny all year (25-33oC). Can be humid at times, especially at the coast. Cooler and more pleasant early and late in the day, and further south (Sydney, 16-23oC in Nov). October/November are among the driest months of the year but some rainfall is possible over the coast and hills.
Boat Trips : Our tour includes 3 boat trips: a 'must-do' sightseeing trip around Sydney Harbour, a cruise on the Daintree River and an all-day trip out to Michaelmas Cay and the Great Barrier Reef
Flights : We use the scheduled services of British Airways, Qantas or similar, from London-Sydney return. Our tour price also includes domestic flights within Australia, Sydney-Cairns, Cairns-Brisbane and Brisbane-Sydney.
Ground Transport : By modern Toyota bus (or similar), with full air-conditioning and towing a trailer for the baggage. Minibus with smaller group.
Photos : Some wonderful photographic opportunities - birds, mammals, butterflies and scenery -especially at such places as O'Reilly's.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Itinerary:
Days 1 & 3
We leave London in the evening on a scheduled flight bound for Sydney, arriving early in the morning of Day 3.
On arrival in Sydney, we'll be met by our guide Peter and head straight to the Sydney Botanic Gardens for an excellent introduction to Australian birdlife. Delights may include Buff-banded Rail and Figbird, stunning Rainbow Lorikeets and the delicate but dazzling Superb Fairy-wren. We may also see huge Grey-headed Flying Foxes roosting. Keep your camera handy too, for there are some fine views of Sydney's famous Opera House.
After lunching nearby, we'll take a short walk to the quayside and enjoy a relaxing sightseeing boat trip around Sydney harbour. There's no better way to experience Sydney than from the water, with splendid photo-opportunities of its busy harbour and waterside, the Opera House and the iconic Sydney Harbour bridge. Sailing out to The Heads, at the mouth of the harbour, we should see some exciting new birds, too. Australasian Gannet, Australian Pelican, Great Crested Tern and up to three species of cormorant are likely here, while the regal White-bellied Sea Eagle soars high overhead.
Returning to shore, we'll head out to the Hawkesbury floodplain on the northwestern outskirts of the city. Our accommodation tonight has wonderful balconies overlooking the Hawkesbury River.
Overnight Windsor
Day 4
Our birding begins in earnest today with a visit to Pitt Town Lagoon, which is home to a variety of Australasian ducks, crakes, waders and finches. After pausing to check the nearby 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 Australian honeyeaters, with Tawny-crowned and White-eared Honeyeaters among many possibilities, as we watch for the crow-like Grey Currawong.
After lunch we continue into the famous 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, with 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 here, but the hotel is in such a magnificent setting that we think you'll agree it is worth it. In addition, this is the only way to experience sunset and sunrise right in the valley, and gives us much more chance of kangaroos too!
Overnight Glen Davis
Days 5 - 6
The Capertee Valley is well known amongst Australian birders as a stronghold for a number of rare and threatened bird species. A fabulous variety of species could include such delights as the smart but endangered (and tricky to find!) Regent Honeyeater, the superb Turquoise Parrot, Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler, Little Lorikeet, Black-chinned, Fuscous and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters, White-browed Babbler, White-backed Swallow and many others. We should also encounter some fascinating reptiles, perhaps a Bearded Dragon or the huge Lace Monitor.
In the afternoon we'll continue into the Upper Blue Mountains, stopping en route at the Lithgow Sewage Ponds with chances of Blue-billed, Pink-eared and the very unusual Musk Duck amongst a good range of waterfowl. Our destination this evening is Katoomba, where we will stay for two nights.
Next day, in the areas of Mt Victoria, Blackheath and Katoomba, we'll seek out some of the really localised 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 find the lovely 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, while after dark we can go spotlighting for mammals such as Wombat, Common Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possum and Greater Glider - and the possibility of seeing owls and frogmouths.
Two nights Katoomba
Day 7
Leaving Katoomba, we make a morning visit to Kings Tableland. This is 'cockatoo country' par excellence, and we will hope for rowdy flocks of Glossy and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gang Cockatoos, as well as a host of smaller birds such as the Beautiful Firetail.
From here, we travel east and then south to Budderoo and the Barren Grounds, where we have a chance of finding the remarkable Ground Parrot. This highland area above the coastal escarpment is similar to European heathland and should be near the peak of its wildflower displays about now. Some of the special birds here include 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 can go spotlighting for arboreal mammals including Sugar Glider; we might even be lucky with Sooty Owl.
Overnight Jamberoo
Day 8
Today is mainly a travel day, but we'll offer an optional pre-dawn start for those who want to try again for the elusive Ground Parrot. The nearby rainforest will also give us an opportunity to look for Logrunner and other species we might have missed, too. We then return via the coastal route to Sydney, from where we catch a flight north to Cairns.
On arrival at Cairns, in tropical North Queensland, we transfer directly to our hotel. If flights permit, there may be time this evening for an easy first stroll along Cairns famous esplanade, a hot spot for waders and other shorebirds.
Overnight Cairns
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. The stocky Tooth-billed Catbird, aptly-named Golden Bowerbird, and beautiful Wompoo Fruit-Doves calling their name are among a wealth of splendid rainforest birds to watch for.
We stay at a superbly situated lodge amidst pristine rainforest, where Victoria's Riflebirds display and engaging 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 out along a favoured stream at dusk.
Two nights Yungaburra
Days 11 - 12
After some more Tablelands birding we head inland towards Kingfisher Park, in the Julatten area. Named after the beautiful Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher that breeds within the grounds, Kingfisher Park is a comfortable birdwatchers lodge set in a patch of remnant rainforest. Boasting a remarkable diversity of birds, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Lesser Sooty Owl, Emerald Dove, Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill are among more than two hundred tropical Australian species to have been recorded at and around the lodge.
Accommodation at Kingfisher Park is in comfortable but simply-furnished cabins, each with a veranda looking out over the rainforest grounds. We spend two nights at this superb spot!
Two nights Julatten
Day 13
From Julatten, we head down to the coast for an early morning cruise on the Lower Daintree River, a wildlife experience not to be missed. Birds we'll be looking for here include Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and Little Kingfisher. The massive Estuarine Crocodile also frequents this spot!
From the coast, we drive a short way up into the hills to enjoy lunch at a lodge in the forest with excellent balcony birdwatching. As a procession of fascinating and colourful tropical forest birds attends the lodge's well-stocked feeders right before our eyes, we shall also be keeping a watchful eye on the wooded garden below. If our luck is in, the elusive and entirely unpredictable Southern Cassowary may pay a visit, too!
In the afternoon, we return to Cairns. Considered by many to be at the centre of Australia's very best birding area, Cairns offers some wonderful wetland birding right on the doorstep. Its celebrated waterfront is a splendid wader habitat, with possibilities including Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Great Knot and Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers. Nearby, Cairns Botanic Gardens can also be highly productive, with a variety of honeyeaters and the sinister Black Butcherbird to watch for, while Orange-footed Scrubfowl scratch about the tangled forest floor.
Overnight Cairns
Day 14
From Cairns we take a cruise today, out to the largest continuous stretch of coral on earth - the Great Barrier Reef. Passing Black-naped Terns which appear stunningly white against the bright blue tropical waters, we'll go ashore at Michaelmas Cay, a sandy islet crammed with breeding seabirds, including 'wide-awake' Sooty Terns and Common Noddies. Brown Boobies often loaf on buoys near the island, as Great Frigatebirds hang menacingly above.
Despite all these wonderful birds, for some the chance to snorkel over the reef itself - or simply view the shimmering colours and vast range of underwater life from a glass-bottomed boat - may perhaps be the ultimate experience. It will be with great reluctance that we leave this window on to another world, with its multi-hued fish and corals, noddies and tropical islets, and return to the mainland for dinner and a second night in Cairns.
Overnight Cairns
Days 15 - 17
We depart early from Cairns, on a flight south to Brisbane. Leaving the heat of southern Queensland's coastal lowlands behind, we are soon climbing up into the cooler upland rainforests of Lamington National Park, in the beautiful Green Mountains. It's here, at world-famous O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, that we shall spend the next three nights.
With a network of trails, O'Reilly's is well-known for the excellent opportunities to see a range of rainforest 'specials', including Noisy Pitta, Green Catbird and Logrunner. This is fabulous bowerbird country too, 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 also attract hordes of colourful parrots during the day, while Sugar Gliders and other mammals, including abundant Red-necked Pademelons, take their place 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, O'Reilly's dry eucalypt forests hold a wealth of new species - both birds and mammals - including the surreal but elusive Glossy Black Cockatoo and the delightful Pretty-faced Wallaby.
The O'Reilly's experience is simply fabulous and richly deserves its reputation as one of the world's best birdwatching lodges. We think you'll agree with us, there's no finer place to conclude our 'Classic Australia' tour!
Three nights at O'Reilly's
Days 18 - 19
Bidding a reluctant farewell to O'Reilly's after breakfast this morning, we transfer back down to Brisbane. Here we'll catch our flight home (via Sydney), with arrival back in London next day, where our tour concludes.
Accommodation : At comfortable motels, lodges and cabins. All rooms en suite except for one night at lovely Glen Davis where bathrooms may have to be shared.
Meals : All included in the price.
Walking : Easy. Gently-paced and no more than a mile or two at any one time. Sturdy thornproof walking boots are recommended.
Weather : Tropical in the north (Cairns to Brisbane), where it is hot and sunny all year (25-33oC). Can be humid at times, especially at the coast. Cooler and more pleasant early and late in the day, and further south (Sydney, 16-23oC in Nov). October/November are among the driest months of the year but some rainfall is possible over the coast and hills.
Boat Trips : Our tour includes 3 boat trips: a 'must-do' sightseeing trip around Sydney Harbour, a cruise on the Daintree River and an all-day trip out to Michaelmas Cay and the Great Barrier Reef
Flights : We use the scheduled services of British Airways, Qantas or similar, from London-Sydney return. Our tour price also includes domestic flights within Australia, Sydney-Cairns, Cairns-Brisbane and Brisbane-Sydney.
Ground Transport : By modern Toyota bus (or similar), with full air-conditioning and towing a trailer for the baggage. Minibus with smaller group.
Photos : Some wonderful photographic opportunities - birds, mammals, butterflies and scenery -especially at such places as O'Reilly's.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients