Australia is home to a variety of unique and interesting wildlife. There are thousands of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals. Many of these are only found in Australia and some are endemic to certain parts of the country.

It’s always great to see animals on tour and our guides are great wildlife spotters  but wildlife can be shy, so keep your eyes peeled and let us know when you see something so we can share it with everyone in your group.

For safety and conservation reasons, we don't feed or interact with wildlife, except when on a controlled wildlife experience, such as a cruise where we can swim with dolphins or feeding kangaroos at a wildlife sanctuary.

Hundreds of species of wetland birds call Australia home and many wetlands are protected under conventions and agreements such as the RAMSAR Convention, JAMBA and CAMBA agreements. There are protected wetlands in North and South Australia, including Kakadu in the Top End and the Coorong in South Australia. Wetlands in the Top End include Yellow Waters, Fogg Dam, Anbangbang Billabong, Mamukala Wetlands and Mary River.

Birds we regularly see on tour in the Top End or Kimberley include Jabiru (black necked stork), Brolga's, Rainbow Bee-Eaters, Royal and Yellow- Billed Spoonbills, Crimson and Double-barred Finches, Kingfishers- Sacred, Azure, Little and Forrest, Comb-crested Jacana, Parrots- Hooded, Ringneck & Red Winged, Australian Pelicans and Black Cockatoos. The Top End truly is  bird watchers paradise !

Crocodiles are found throughout the Top End and in some parts of The Kimberley. We have 2 types of crocodile in the Top End- The Johnsons (better known as the Freshwater) crocodile and the more aggressive Estuarine, (better known as the saltwater) crocodile. In The Kimberley, you’ll only find the Freshwater crocodile, as the Estuarine croc stays nearer the coastline. In both regions, we have opportunities to view these ancient predators in their natural habitat.

Aside from crocodiles and a variety of bird life, during our touring in the Top End or Kimberley, we may also be lucky enough to see dingos, water buffalo, wild horses, goanna, kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroo.

In South Australia, we often see kangaroos and emu while travelling through the Outback.

One of our favourite places for wildlife viewing is Kangaroo Island, which is Australia's 3rd largest island and surrounded by over 500kms of stunning coastline. A third of the Island is declared Conservation or National Park and it hasn't suffered an impact from the introduction of species such as foxes and rabbits as it's isolated from the mainland. So the bush and wildlife have flourished, giving a home to an array of wildlife including Kangaroos (of course !), koalas, wallabies, Australian sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, dolphins, the elusive platypus, echidna ....the list goes on.

We can include wildlife experiences in all of our touring itineraries, such as a wetlands cruise in Kakadu, a Jumping Crocodile cruise in the Top End, swim with dolphins off the coast of Kangaroo Island, hand feed wallabies in South Australia or walk along a Kangaroo Island beach where Australian sea-lions bask in the sunshine !

We see wildlife and birds on all our tours but we also offer private touring, where we can design itineraries specifically to suit bird watchers and nature lovers.

These are a couple of examples of what we can offer :

3 Day Kakadu Bird Watching Tour

5 Day Mary River and Kakadu Wildlife and Bird Watching Tour

We can design an itinerary to suit your time frame, interests and target bird species.

There are a couple of luxury lodges in the Mary River River region, Wildman Wilderness Lodge and Bamurru Plains, that are also excellent for bird watching and wildlife viewing, as well as relaxation. We can start any of our Top End and Kakadu private tours with a stay at one of these lodges.

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