Bellbird Tours Pty Ltd PO Box 2008, BERRI SA 5343 AUSTRALIA Ph. 1800-BIRDING Ph. +61409 763172 www.bellbirdtours.com [email protected]

Tasmania: & mammals 9 day tour

Australia’s island state is home to 12 endemic birds as Swift Parrot. Iconic mammals include Tasmanian Devil, well as some unique mammal species. Our Tasmania: Platypus and Echidna. Add wonderful scenery, good food Birds & Mammals tour showcases these wonderful and excellent accommodation, often located within the birding and mammal highlights in 9 fabulous days. various wilderness areas we’ll be visiting, and you’ll realise species include Forty-spotted Pardalote, Dusky Robin, 3 this is one tour not to be missed! The tour commences in Honeyeaters, Yellow Wattlebird, Tasmanian Native-Hen, Hobart and ends in Launceston, and visits Bruny Island, Mt Black Currawong, Green Rosella, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Field NP, the rugged yet beautiful Cradle Mountain region Tasmanian Thornbill and Scrubtit, as well as the beautiful and Tasmania’s north coast.

What to bring: Please travel light. Binoculars, camera, Cost: $4899 per person including accommodation and all meals, insect repellent, sunscreen, hat, water bottle. Sturdy footwear based on double or twin-share occupancy. Single occupancy recommended. Scopes and heavy suitcases are discouraged. surcharge of $800. Not included: drinks, tips & personal expenses.

Earlybird discount of $99 applies for bookings received up to 6 Clothing: Long pants, long-sleeved shirt, over the top of months before departure date. Return-client discount may apply. which you can wear layers that can be taken off as necessary, including a thick jumper and rain-and-wind-proof jacket. Bookings: Online at http://www,bellbirdtours.com/bookings or Group size: Maximum 8 participants. please complete the booking form in the back of this brochure.

Departs from: Hobart, Tasmania Leader: Tonia Cochran or other local guide Finishes at: Launceston, Tasmania Scheduled departure dates for 2015: Trip reports and photos of previous tours:  21 November 2015 http://www.bellbirdtours.com/  Any other time as a private tour (subject to

availability)

Leader: Peter Waanders

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hobart to Eaglehawk Neck. Make your own way to Hobart airport, where you will be met by our Tasmanian guide at 11am. We’ll drive a little way south to Eaglehawk Neck, en route we have a good chance of seeing our first endemics including Tasmanian Native Hen in roadside pastures and Green Rosella. In the afternoon we will bird some of the areas of interest enjoying the spectacular sea cliffs and breathtaking scenery typical of the area. We may well see Yellow-throated Honeyeater and a host of more widely distributed species including White-bellied Sea Eagle. Overnight Eaglehawk Neck (en-suite hotel room; Meals included: L, D).

Day 2: Southern Ocean Pelagic. This morning we take a vessel into the vast Southern Ocean in our quest for pelagic birds. Short-tailed Shearwaters will be around us in considerable numbers. This is one of the finest places on the planet to see a diversity of albatross species with Wandering, Black-browed, Shy, Southern Royal and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses all possible. Common Diving Petrel may still be seen at this time of year. With land still in sight we will reach the continental shelf and begin to berley. Possible petrels include Great- winged, White-headed, Gould’s, and Mottled. Shearwatersinclude Huttons, White-chinned, Buller’s, Sooty, Short-tailed (common in Tasmanian waters) and Fluttering all possible. Wilsons, Grey-backed and White-faced Storm Petrels and Fairy Prion are also regularly seen. There are often surprises and with 30+ species possible there is bound to be something new for everyone. Mammals we may encounter include Australian Fur-seals, Hump-backed Whale and Bottlenose Dolphin. Afterwards we will make our way back to Hobart. Overnight Hobart (en-suite motel room; Meals included: B, L, D).

Day 3: Orange-bellied Parrot excursion. This morning we will take a spectacularly scenic flight to the remote South-West World Heritage area. The area is famed not only for its unspoilt wilderness and clean air but also for its birdlife; today we will have a chance to see one of Australia’s rarest birds, the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot. With no more than 50 left in the wild, this vivid parrot is teetering on the brink of extinction. Other specialties we hope to see are the elusive Ground Parrot, Striated Fieldwren, the delightful Swift Parrot © G Jones, Tas Native-hen, Tas rainforest, Scrubtit © P Waanders Southern Emuwren and the Beautiful Firetail. The flight is weather dependent and we have limited opportunity to reschedule. After dinner we may opt for

some spotlighting to search for Southern (Tasmanian) Bettong and Eastern- barred Bandicoot while we may also encounter Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth and if we are very fortunate, Masked Owl. Overnight Hobart (en suite hotel; Meals Included: B, L, D).

Day 4: Hobart reserves to Bruny Island. Depending on our timing and conditions we may start our day around Hobart or venture directly down to Bruny Island. If we opt for Hobart we will spend the morning visiting several reserves in the Hobart area, including Mount Wellington which at a height of 1270m (around 4,150 feet), affords spectacular views of the city and surrounding landscape on a clear day. Here we will also walk through a fern glade with towering tree ferns with the endemic and shy Scrubtit as well as Tasmanian Scrubwren and the stunning Pink Robin. Further endemic highlights we will look for today include Green Rosella, Tasmanian Native Hen, Black Currawong and the oddly adorned Yellow Wattlebird. In the afternoon we will travel to Bruny Island by a short ferry trip with possibly Little Penguins or dolphins. This afternoon we will visit Bruny’s southern coastline to view the second oldest lighthouse in Australia where we will search for species such as Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Olive Whistler and Yellow-tailed Black- cockatoo. Here we also have a chance to see the Tasmanian subspecies of Short-beaked Echidna. Tonight after dinner we will visit the Little Penguin and Short-tailed Shearwater rookery to view these species at their burrows. Overnight: Cottage on Bruny Island (cottage-style; meals included: B, L, D).

Day 5: Bruny Island. Today we’ll explore Bruny and the variety of habitats found on the island; from coastal beaches, where there is a possibility of finding Hooded Plover, Australian Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers, to rainforest areas where we will search for the endemic Scrubtit and Tasmanian Thornbill. We will also make an effort this day to find all the remaining endemics with Strong-billed Honeyeater, Dusky Robin and Forty-spotted Pardalote likely highlights. If we are fortunate we may encounter the white morph Grey Goshawk, while we’ll take time to enjoy some interesting flora, including Tasmanian endemics and relics from the ancient Gondwanan super continent. Tonight we have the chance to see a range of Tasmania’s nocturnal marsupials (including Eastern , Bennett’s Wallaby and Brush-tailed Forty-spotted Pardalote, Beautiful Possums) as well as searching for Tawny Frogmouth and Southern Boobook. Firetail, Black Currawong, Tas Devil © P Waanders Overnight: Cottage on Bruny Island (cottage style; meals included: B, L, D).

Day 6: Bruny Island to Mt Field. This morning we will depart Bruny early for Mount Field National Park. This area is an excellent back-up site for our endemic targets, notably Scrubtit and Black Currawong. It is also a great place to experience a range of habitats, from fern gullies with waterfalls to alpine heathland to cool temperate rainforest boasting some of the tallest Eucalyptus in Australia. Today we also have a chance of seeing the bizarre looking Platypus, a species of Australian egg-laying monotreme. In the late afternoon we will make our way out of the park. Overnight New Norfolk (en- suite B&B; meals included: B, L, D).

Day 7: Mt Field to Cradle Mountain. We’ll travel from Mt Field to Cradle Mountain National Park. While this will mainly be a day of travel we will enjoy some lovely scenery and stop en-route to bird and stretch our legs. There will also be an option to visit a Wildlife Sanctuary where some of Tasmania’s rarer mammal species can be seen up close. In the late afternoon we will arrive at our accommodation near the National Park, which offers a reasonable chance of one of seeing Australia’s most threatened and charismatic mammals in the wild: the Tasmanian Devil, which comes in to feed at dusk and they’re often joined by Spotted-tailed , providing a great opportunity to view and photograph these elusive creatures. Overnight Cradle Mountain (en-suite cabins; meals included: B, L, D).

Day 8: Cradle Mountain area. A full day to explore Cradle Mountain, looking for Tasmanian endemics like Scrubtit, Black Currawong, Tasmanian Thornbill and Tasmanian Scrubwren. We will enjoy some of the interesting plants found here with ancient rainforest species and Gondwana relics such as Pencil and King Billy Pines, Myrtle and the famous Fagus ( gunnii) which is Tasmania’s only deciduous tree. We may also see Common Wombats and with luck, Platypus. Tonight we have another chance to see Tasmanian Devils. Overnight Cradle Mountain (en-suite cabins; meals included: B, L, D).

Day 9: Launceston and depart. After breakfast we travel to Launces- ton where you will be able to connect with a flight of your choosing to one of the capital cities. If time permits we will visit some wetlands en-route where there is a chance to view a number of wetland species including Australian Orange-bellied Parrot, Green Rosella, Shelduck, Black-fronted Dotterel Little Grassbird. Meals Included: B. Hooded Plover, Rose Robin© P Waanders

Pre-tour options: We can arrange your accommodation and flights pre- and post tour, if required.

Price inclusions and exlusions:

Included: All meals commencing with lunch on Day 1 and finishing with Breakfast on Day 9, morning tea/coffee, some snacks, some fruit, some drinks, unlimited drinking water refills. Accommodation in private en-suite rooms, although on some nights private cottage rooms with shared facilities are available. Transport using comfortable and reliable vehicle, expert guiding, entry fees.

Excluded: Travel to & from departure and finish points, Pre- & post trip accommodation, any meals before lunch on Day 0 and after breakfast on Day 9, drinks except where provided, personal expenses, tips, insurance.

Bookings: Please book online: http://www.bellbirdtours.com/bookings or complete the booking form in the back of this brochure. We can also arrange your flights, accommodation and travel insurance– please contact us for details.

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Bellbird Tours Pty Ltd PO Box 2008 BERRI SA 5343 AUSTRALIA Ph. 1800-BIRDING Ph. +61409 763172 www.bellbirdtours.com [email protected] ABN 40 159 352 002

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