Join us on this specially designed wildlife tour, with expert guides and likeminded travellers. An experience not to be missed.
Contact us for more information on the Far North Queensland Wildlife Safari.
Overnight in Cairns, time at leisure.
Overnight: Ramada by Wyndham, Cairns
Day 2: 24 August 2021
At 0630, meet your tour guide in the lobby and depart for Centenary Lakes, where we search for Torresian Kingfisher, Black Butcherbird, Green Oriole, Radjah Shellduck and various Honeyeaters. After breakfast back at the hotel, we board the bus to travel to Catana Wetlands where target birds include Crimson Finch, Green Pygmy Goose and Lovely Fairywren.
We will be visiting birding sites this day en-route to the Daintree, where we check into Red Mill House before taking the Daintree Boatman sunset cruise looking for birds. The low tide will be in our favour when searching for kingfishers. Other birds of interest on the river include Black-necked Stork, Great-billed Heron, Shining Flycatcher and Papuan Frogmouth. Pythons and Eastern Water Dragons may show themselves too. A variety of frogs including White-lipped Tree Frog, Roth’s Frog and Northern Dwarf Tree Frog can often be found in the lodge’s grounds.
Overnight: Red Mill House
Day 3: 25 August 2021
A dawn boat cruise, with the Daintree Boatman, will start the morning before going back to Red Mill House for a delicious breakfast. As well as the birds, we’ll keep an eye out for tree frogs and tree snakes. Morning is the best time to find the Common Tree Snake which is usually olive and yellow along the riverside vegetation.
Crossing the Daintree River Ferry, we explore the Daintree Rainforest today, all the while keeping our eyes scanned for the Southern Cassowary. Target birds include fruit pigeons, Noisy Pitta, Spectacled and Pied Monarch and the two megapodes we probably saw on the first morning, but here the Orange-footed Scrubfowl are usually less timid. Other animals of interest are Boyd’s Forest Dragon, Peppermint Stick Insect and Lace Monitor.
Overnight: Cape Tribulation Beach House
Day 4: 26 August 2021
After an early bird walk and breakfast, we drive back to the Daintree River to experience another cruise, this time in the fully saline section with Solar Whisper. We aim to see any of the birds of the river which we missed previously and can be quite confident of cruising close to estuarine crocodiles.
Leaving the lowlands behind we head up to Julatten where we’ll try for Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Northern Fantail, Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Grey Whistler. In the drier country, west of the range, Australian Bustards will be our target on the ground and Blue-wing Kookaburras ‘on the old gum tree’. Other birds of special interest include Red-winged parrot, Galah, Great Bowerbird and Tawny Frogmouth.
The late afternoon drive south to Mareeba will be taken with caution as we watch for Antelopine Wallaroos and other macropods.
A late check in to our accommodation for the next three nights at Lake Eacham.
Overnight: Chambers Wildlife Lodge
Day 5: 27 August 2021
This morning we’ll concentrate on the birds around our lodges: Victoria’s Riflebird, Eastern Whipbird, Grey-headed and Pale-yellow Robins and Spotted Catbirds.
Where we spend the late morning will depend on where recent bird activity has been greatest. Lunch and tree kangaroos are the reasons for heading to Nerada Tea Plantation.
Near Mt Hypipamee, we’ll visit the bower of a Golden Bowerbird and hopefully find the owner in attendance. This is the smallest and rarest of the bowerbird and spends much less time in his bower than other species. The bower itself is impressive being two totem poles of sticks decorated with pale fruit and lichens.
The late afternoon will be spent at leisure or photographing your wild neighbours at the lodge before an early dinner and a night of spotlighting mammals. It is very likely that we’ll see two out of a possible five glider species, two out of a possible four ringtail possum species, at least one of two brushtail possum species and one other arboreal mammal.
Overnight: Chambers Wildlife Lodge
Day 6: 28 August 2021
Today we explore some of the agricultural areas of the Tablelands to photograph Sarus Cranes and Brolgas feeding the in paddocks. At Granite Gorge, Yellow Honeyeaters, Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Squatter Pigeons will be our targets but it’s hard to ignore the Mareeba Rock Wallabies which, though wild, are totally habituated. Frill-necked Lizards are to be found on the trees around here if we have a warm day. A shower of rain overnight would increase our chances further. We then stop in Mareeba for White-browed Robin. This is right on the cusp of the time Red-tailed Black Cockatoos return to the area to feed on gum nuts, so we’ll keep an eye out for their feeding activity.
A sunset walk along Petersen Creek might reveal a Platypus. After dinner we’ll make a short excursion to see Eastern Grass Owl and Eastern Barn Owl. We may be lucky with other owl species too. Agile Wallabies feed on the northern edge of Yungaburra and Red-legged Pademelons can be found in the grounds of the lodge.
Overnight: Chambers Wildlife Lodge
Day 7: 29 August 2021
This morning we visit Lake Barrine, where we hope the Tooth-bill Bowerbirds have made a start to their display season. The tiny and primitive Musky Rat-kangaroo and Chowchillas share this forest. At the Cathedral Fig, we continue our exploration of the Wet Tropic rainforests.
Down in the lowlands again, we will tailor our activities to the birds we’ve not yet seen or of which better photos are desired. This could include Red-backed Fairywren, Crimson Finch, Bush Stonecurlew or even waders, honeyeaters and Rose-crowned Fruit Doves on the Esplanade of Cairns.
The Far North Queensland Wildlife Safari will conclude with an early afternoon drop off at your accommodation, or the airport.
