AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE JOURNEYS

Celebrating all Aussie creatures great and small, the AustralianWildlife Journeys (AWJ) collective brings together 10 independently owned small businesses to showcase the greatest guided wildlife encounters Australia has to offer.

Australia is synonymous with its weird and wonderful wildlife, from kangaroos and koalas to echidnas and emus. 

With more than 80 percent of the country’s intriguing native species found nowhere else on Earth, it’s little wonder Australia’s unique animal kingdom has become deeply entrenched in the national identity.

Reflecting the diverse landscapes and locations they inhabit, AWJ members incorporate unforgettable guided journeys that cater to an array of wildlife interests, from Australia’s endemic birds (there are more endemic species in Australia than in any other country) to the fish and marine mammals that flourish in these world-renowned biodiverse waters.

Of course, Australia’s native land mammals and iconic marsupials are prominently featured, as are some of the 869 reptile species across the country (approximately 93 percent of which are unique to the island continent).

Through sustainable tourism practices, AWJ seeks to protect the continent’s amazing wildlife by raising awareness and giving travellers the opportunity to actively contribute to there generation of local ecosystems. 

By collaborating with other collectives and local providers, each AWJ member promises an immersive experience that educates as much as it inspires, while giving back to the communities and ecologies they feature.

Whats new?

Bringing together Tassie’s most spectacular mountains, marsupials and monotremes, Premier Travel Tasmania has launched the 5 Day Tasmanian Wildlife and Wilderness Encounter. 

Centring around UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain NationalPark, about 200 kilometres(125 miles) north-west of Hobart, this adventure also takes in the Central Highlands, Maria Island and Mount Field National Park. 

As travellers are guided through ancient rainforest to the rugged coastline, they can seethe likes of quolls, kangaroos, echidnas, platypus, wallabies, wombats and the most famous local, the Tasmanian devil. 

With many of these animals most active at night, expect nocturnal tours, too. 

From the wildly rugged to the wildly comfortable, travellers then retire to luxury accommodation nestled in nature, such as the iconic Cradle Mountain Hotel and Thousand Lakes Lodge.

Another new island adventure takes place on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, where Exceptional Kangaroo Island has partnered with private wildlife refuge Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife to launch Flinders Chase Focus.

This hands-on full-day tour allows travellers to actively take part in conservation efforts to regenerate the island’s vast wilderness, which was affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires. 

Travellers can participate in wildlife surveys and check fencing and motion cameras while getting a close understanding of the endemic sooty dunnart (an endangered tiny carnivorous marsupial), followed by a gourmet picnic lunch in the bush. 

Efforts are rewarded with a guided tour of Flinders Chase National Park to explore nature’s gravity-defying sculpture, Remarkable Rocks, as well as Admirals Arch – home to a large colony of fur seals.

Award-winning Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours has also launched an East Gippsland Wildlife Journey, some 350 kilometres (217 miles) north-east of Melbourne, Victoria, in the wake of the recent bushfires. 

This immersive four-day conservation journey features some of south-eastern Australia’s most intriguing An extraordinary six-day private travel experience, the Ultimate Luxury Safari Adventure by Lords Kakadu & Arnhem land Safaris traverses air, land and sea to some of the Northern Territory’s most acclaimed (and secluded) locations. 

Amid the other worldly wilderness of Australia’s Top End, travellers can spot wallabies, quolls, dingos, bats, goannas, frogs, pythons, waterbirds and legendary saltwater crocodiles. 

Enriching the adventure with cultural understanding, guests can also experience the wonder of sacred Aboriginal sites and ancient rock art, as well as meet locals in some of the country’s most remote communities. 

Led by expert guides, including charismatic and award-winning founder Sab Lord, the team imparts its passion and knowledge of the area throughout the journey. 

High-end accommodation ensures a luxurious finish to each day, with stays at Lords’ private permanent bush camp, Bamurru Plains Lodge, and Davidsons Arnhem land Safaris Lodges.

The Bremer Canyon, found underwater 515kilometres (320 miles) south-east of Perth in Western Australia, is the only place in Australia where you can regularly see killer whales (orcas) in the wild. 

More than 150 killer whales return to this submarine canyon each year between January and April, making it home to the largest known congregation of the species in the southern hemisphere. 

The best way to experience this up-close encounter is with Naturaliste Charters’ Bremer Bay KillerWhale Expedition, which guides travellers into the deep blue Southern Ocean, sharing expert knowledge about the killer whale’s biology and ecology along the way. 

Local pods regularly approach and surround the vessel, providing expeditioners front-row seats as these magnificent apex predators hunt, or socialise and vocalise in family groups. 

Keep watch for a variety of other marine life inhabiting the area, including dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales, sharks, Australian sea lions, giant squids and albatrosses. 

Forester Kangaroo, Premier Travel Tasmania, Tasmania Rock Art, Davidson’s Arnhem land Safaris Lodge, Northern Territory Koala, Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours,Victoria Lords Kakadu & Arnhem land Safaris, Northern Territory forest dwellers, including dazzling butterflies, koalas, wombats, swamp wallabies and lyrebirds, as well as goannas and Gippsland water dragons. 

But beyond the wildlife walks, impassioned travellers can also help to set up a wild koala research project and conduct bird and wildlife surveys on the fringes of bushfire-affected areas, and assist in removing fishing nets from waterways.

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE JOURNEYS
Email: john@australianwildlifejourneys.com
Website: australianwildlifejourneys.com
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Twitter: @AWJourneyds
Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au