DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO CAIRNS
Our Australia birding tour begins in Cairns. Upon arrival at the Cairns Airport, we will transfer to our hotel and, as time allows, spend the afternoon birding near Cairns City and the Northern Beaches regions which encompass lowland swamp forest, freshwater wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, riparian and intertidal zones. We will search for several key species including Varied, Yellow, Graceful, Yellow Spotted, Brown and Brown-backed honeyeaters, Hornbill Friarbird, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Brush Turkey, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Rainbow and Scaly-breasted lorikeets, Double-eyed Fig Parrots, Yellow Oriole, Eastern Osprey, Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea-Eagle, plus a number of waders/shorebirds, waterbirds and terns.
DAY 2: GREAT BARRIER REEF
Today we will visit the outer Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s top natural wonders. We will visit Michaelmas Cay, an important seabird island refuge and marine park. We will have the opportunity to snorkel the reef, which is home to more than 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral. We hope to see angelfish and starfish, White-tipped Reef Sharks, giant turtles, butterfly and parrot fish, sea cucumbers, and a host of other species. Bird species include Greater and Lesser frigatebirds, Brown Booby, Sooty Tern, Crested Tern, White-capped Noddy, Ruddy Turnstone, and occasionally Red-footed Booby, Masked Booby, Red and White-tailed tropicbirds and White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
Rainbow Bee-eater by Jonathan Munro
DAY 3: DAINTREE
We will depart Cairns quite early, taking the scenic coast road northwards to Daintree. We will make strategic stops along the way for birding and wildlife viewing. In the afternoon, we will bird around Stewarts Creek and the Daintree valley. After lunch, we will take a late afternoon cruise along the Daintree River. Today, we will have a chance to explore lowland rainforest, dry sclerophyll woodland, mangroves, pasture lands and extensive freshwater (billabong) wetlands. Some species we hope to see today include Green Pygmy-Goose, Comb-crested Jacana, Beach Thick-knee (Stone-Curlew), Radjah Shelduck, Hornbill Friarbird, Mangrove Robin, Collared and Forest kingfishers, Varied Honeyeater, and Purple Swamphen.
DAY 4: CAPE TRIBULATION
Before breakfast, we will enjoy another cruise along the Daintree River (2 hrs) to search for some species we may have missed in the afternoon yesterday. After breakfast we will cross the Daintree River by cable ferry and travel the scenic coast road through lowland rainforests to Cape Tribulation, passing through lowland rainforest, paperbark swamp, and riverine/riparian habitats. The target species for today include Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Shining Flycatcher, Little (Gould’s) Bronze-Cuckoo, Mangrove Robin, Large-billed Gerygone, Azure Kingfisher and Lovely Fairy-Wren. We will also keep our eyes out for some of Australia’s signature reptiles such as Estuarine Crocodile, Common Tree Snake, Eastern Water Dragon, and Amethystine Python.
DAY 5: ATHERTON TABLELANDS
This morning we will depart Daintree, crossing the Rex Range as we head to the Atherton Tablelands. We will make some strategic stops along the way for wildlife viewing and birding. Today we will visit Granite Gorge, Mareeba Wetlands, Lake Mitchell, Mt. Molloy and Abattoir Swamp, passing through dry sclerophyll woodland, savannah/savannah woodland, arable/pasture lands and extensive freshwater (billabong) wetlands. Species we will search for today include Tawny Frogmouth, Apostlebird, Grey-crowned Babbler, Noisy and Little friarbirds, Northern Fantail, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Great Bowerbird, Squatter Pigeon, Red-winged Parrot, and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo.
Spotted Pardalote photo by Jonathan Munro
DAY 6: MORESBY RANGE
Today we will explore Moresby Range National Park, Etty Bay and Mourilyan. Target species for today will include Southern Cassowary, White-Eared Monarch, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Black Butcherbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, MacLeay’s Honey-eater, Latham’s Snipe, White-breasted Woodswallow, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Eastern Osprey, and Brahminy Kite.
DAY 7: WARRIGAL PRESERVE
Today will visit some important wetland areas, as well as the Warrigal Highland Rainforest Preserve – a 300-acre private wildlife refuge. The property adjoins the largest single tract of tropical rainforest remaining in Australia and has been used as a scientific research site for rare arboreal mammals and is now recognized as having one of the largest concentrations of rare rainforest ringtail possums in Australia. In addition, 239 species of birds have been recorded in the preserve, including all the local endemics.Target species include Golden, Satin and Tooth-billed bowerbirds, Victoria’s Riflebird, Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-Thrush, Fern Wren and Atherton Scrub-Wren, Pied Monarch, Mountain Thornbill, Bridled, White-cheeked and Lewin’s honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebill, Sarus Crane, Australian Bustard, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Australian White-eye, Comb-crested Jacana, Channel-billed Cuckoo, and Jacky Winter. In the evening we will do some ‘spotlighting’ looking for rare arboreal mammals, such as Tree Kangaroo and several species of possums.
Duck-billed Platypus by Jonathan Munro
DAYS 8-9: CRATER LAKES
Before breakfast, we will search for one of Australia’s most unique species – the Duck-billed Platypus. After breakfast we will continue birding around the Atherton Tablelands including Crater Lakes National Park, Lake Barrine/Lake Eacham and Bromfield Crater. We will search for Victoria’s Riflebird, Spotted Catbird, Superb, Rose-crowned and Wompoo fruit-doves, White-headed and Topknot pigeons, Emerald Dove, Grey Goshawk, Black-shouldered Kite, Pheasant Coucal, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Magpie Goose, Australian Pelican, Purple Swamphen, among many other species. In the evening, we will search for mammals around the lodge, hoping to spot Sugar Gliders, Striped Possum and Red-legged Pademelon.
DAY 10-12: GULF SAVANNAH
Today we will say farewell to Lake Eacham and travel the Kennedy Highway to Georgetown – making strategic stops along the way. We will spend the last few days of our tour birding and wildlife watching in this area. Some target species include Red-backed Kingfisher, Masked, Zebra, Star, Black-throated, Double-barred and possible Gouldian finches, Pictorella Mannikin, Banded, Rufous-Throated, Rufous-Banded, Bar-breasted, Yellow-tinted, Grey-fronted, Grey-headed, White-gaped and Yellow honeyeaters, Cockatiel, Red-winged Parrot, Varied Lorikeet, Galah, Diamond Dove, Common Bronzewing, Spinifex Pigeon, Great Bowerbird, Apostlebird, Ground Cuckoo-Shrike, and Red-browed Pardalote.
DAY 13: RETURN TO CAIRNS
On our final full day of the Australia birding tour we will leave Georgetown for our return to Cairns, making strategic birding spots along the way.
DAY 14: DEPARTURE
After breakfast, we will transfer you to the Cairns Airport for your flight home, or the hotel of your choice in the area, for those continuing their adventure in Australia on their own. If continuing on the the New Zealand: A Land to Discover Extension, we will travel to the Cairns Airport together for departure.
