Australia's Mammals

Australia’s mammals are very special … and uniquely appealing. For 30 million years they have evolved in complete isolation, an astonishing 83% of the country’s 360 species occurring nowhere else on Earth. Amongst them are the bulk of the world’s marsupials, or ‘pouched mammals’: kangaroos, wallabies, potoroos, wombats, Koalas, bandicoots and bilbies to name but a few. Australia is also home to the relict monotremes, the ancient group of egg-laying mammals that includes the porcupine-like Echidna and the bizarre Platypus. On this tour we will go in search of them, though you will need to be prepared for regular night-time spotlighting forays, as most of Australia’s mammals are crepuscular or nocturnal.

We begin in Queensland, with a 3-night stay in the Atherton Tablelands to explore this exceptional area which is so rich in wildlife and offers a pleasant climate. These attractive rolling uplands support dairy farming communities, pockets of rainforest (that hold some massive strangler fig trees) and deep volcanic lakes and other wetlands. Here, from our base in the quiet country town of Yungaburra, we will look for birds, flying-foxes, Platypus, Red-legged Pademelon and the diurnal forest-dwelling Musky Rat-kangaroo (the smallest and most primitive of all the kangaroos) during the day, visiting such scenic spots as the Millaa Millaa Falls, Tarzalli Lakes and Lake Barrine. Then, each evening, as most of the region’s other mammals begin to emerge, we will head out to a different area each night to spotlight in the forests. We will be looking for a wide range of possums and other mammals: Common Brushtail Possum, Common Ringtail Possum, Herbert River Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Striped Possum, Greater Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Feathertail Glider and Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo being just some of the possibilities. Finally, as we slowly work our way back to Cairns, we will look for Mareeba Rock Wallabies at Granite Gorge and enjoy the abundant birdlife and a little spotlighting during an evening at the Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetland Reserve, where Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Whiptail Wallaby, Antilopine Wallaroo, Agile Wallaby, Rufous Bettong and even Northern Quoll (a native marsupial cat species) may sometimes be seen.

Next we fly to Tasmania, a rugged and stunningly beautiful island which is especially good for mammals. Here, in Mount Field and Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Parks (both part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area), we will look for Platypus, Echidna, Wombat and Bennett’s Wallaby during the day, then spotlight at night for Rufousbellied Pademelons, both Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail Possums, and the island’s three endangered carnivores, the Tasmanian Devil and both Eastern Quoll and Spot-tailed Quoll. On Bruny Island we will look for white morphs of Bennett’s Wallaby, plus Common Brushtail Possum and Long-nosed Potoroo. Although this is a mammal-watching tour, during its course we are also likely to see many of Tasmania’s 12 endemic bird species, as well as such special birds as Little Penguin and Shorttailed Shearwater.

Our main tour ends in Tasmania. However, for those with more time, our post-tour extension offers even more exciting mammal-watching possibilities. It begins with a further two days in Tasmania, to accommodate a visit to Mountain Valley, a site offering the best chance of a sighting of the endangered Tasmanian Devil, as well as Eastern and Spot-tailed Quoll. Then we fly to Melbourne, where we will look for Grey-headed Flying-foxes and visit the granite ridges, bush and grasslands of the You Yangs Ranges to the south-west of the city where Koala, Echidna, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Swamp Wallaby and the rare Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby may be seen. Venturing out at night, Sugar Gliders and both Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail Possums may additionally be encountered, and there’s another chance of Eastern and Spot-tailed Quolls. Spending the night in Geelong, we will then explore the spectacular Great Ocean Road for two days and enjoy the fabulous wayside forests, volcanic crater lakes and the magnificent coastal scenery (which includes the giant sea stacks known as the ‘Twelve Apostles’). Wild Koalas and Australian Fur Seals should be amongst the diurnal mammalian highlights, while night-time spotlighting amongst ancient forest could reveal possum and glider species. We will overnight en route at Apollo Bay and Warrnambool before returning to Melbourne where we’ll spend our final night prior to your onward journey or flight.