Queensland

The vibrant colours begin at the bird feeders around our hotel in Lamington National Park which attract slick black-and-gold Regent Bowerbirds, glossy black Satin Bowerbirds, and dapper Green Catbirds. Stunning Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots are bold and approachable, and we’ll be keen to enjoy the dazzling Superb Fairy-wren.

Red-necked Pademelons are common along the forest edges which reverberate to the remarkable calls of Albert’s Lyrebirds. Areas of tall eucalypts give us a good chance to see Koalas. Blue Spiny Crayfish, Red-eyed Tree Frogs, Richmond Birdwings and Cool Skinks add to a fascinating mix. Frequent mists envelop the spectacular Bunya Pines Araucaria bidwillii that form Queenland’s most westerly subtropical forest. Approachable Red-necked Wallabies are common, whilst Swamp and Black-striped Wallabies are also on the agenda and spotlighting may produce Echidnas and Squirrel Gliders. Birdlife includes Paradise Riflebird, the beautiful yet cryptic Australian Logrunner and Noisy Pitta. We’ll spend time with the unique Duck-billed Platypus as it fossicks in ponds surrounded by the lush palm-filled forests of Eungella National Park. This will surely be a tour highlight! The supporting cast includes Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers, the rare Eungella Dayfrog, superbly camouflaged leaf-tailed geckos, and the localised giant fern Angiopteris evecta whose fronds can be thirty-feet long! At night well-habituated Sugar Gliders and beautifully marked Striped Possum come out to play and can easily be photographed and we’ve a good chance to see superbly camouflaged Papuan Frogmouths in the gardens of our lodge in the Atherton Tablelands. Spotlighting tours further afield will bring us Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, Green Ringtail, Lemuroid and Northern Coppery Brushtail Possums. Amongst a host of superb wildlife is Orange-thighed Frog, Green-eyed Tree Frogs, Joseph’s Coat, Atlas Moth and the amazing iridescent blue Ulysses Swallowtail. Nearby Crater Lake has immense specimens of the Gondwanaland survivor Agathis australis, whilst huge Rainbow Pythons haul out to sunbathe along the lake edge. Amid the architectural Licuala Palms and tree ferns of the ancient lowland rainforests around Daintree are ninety percent of Australia’s butterfly species as well as an important and thriving population of Southern Cassowary. We’ll seek Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Great-billed Heron, Lovely Fairy-Wren, and the Superb Fruit-Dove, as well as Agile Wallaby, Spectacled Flying-Fox, White-lipped Tree-Frog, Major Skink, the impressive Boyd’s Forest Dragon, Common Green Tree-snakes, the Cairns Birdwing Butterfly, and Ambrax Swallowtail. 

For those interested in underwater photography or just some relaxing snorkelling an extension takes us to the unique and globally important Great Barrier Reef.