TRAVEL Mungo Outback & Conservation Journey, Victoria &

Dunes in the Outback

Mungo Outback & Conservation Journey , Mungo & Hattah-Kulkyne National Park Victoria & New South Wales

OME AND JOIN US on one of the best Coutback wildlife experiences in Australia. Discover the animals and history of the Australian outback at Lake Mungo in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. Track majestic wildlife and travel expansive red sand plains sprinkled with VIC NSW kangaroos, emus, and pink cockatoos (aka Major Mitchell’s). Your private nature tour is conducted by AG TRAVEL an experienced wildlife guide who reveals Mungo’s arid land, wildlife and ancient Aboriginal heritage. Dates: Walk in the shade of desert pines searching for 19–24 April 2021 brilliant parrots and sleepy lizards. Climb mighty 23–28 October 2021 sand for expansive views over the desert. email: [email protected] Experience the peace of the Australian outback while staying in 4-star accommodation at remote phone: 0413 560 210 Mungo Lodge beside Lake Mungo. Itinerary

PICTURE: TOURISM AUSTRALIA 1 TRAVEL Mungo Outback & Conservation Journey, Victoria & New South Wales

Exploring the ancient Mungo lunette

Itinerary

Today we’ll head south from Mildura rivers. In the aernoon we head out into arid Day 1 Arrival in Mildura and tour briefing (domestic airfare and spend all day in this magnicent park. lands towards Lake Mungo. not included) We’ll document the condition of the lakes En-route we enter the 2400sq.km and search for some of its most elusive Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area Make your own way ( y or self drive) to species including the Mallee emu-wren, the (WHA) and walk along an ancient fossilised Mildura arriving late aernoon. Airport malleefowl and numerous other species of watercourse – Willandra Creek – that gave its pick-up by your guide and transfer to your parrots and cockatoos. We’ll also keep an name to this gigantic lake system. e creek, accommodation. Guide will provide a trip eye out for reptiles including geckos, skinks, like the entire system, has been dry for brieng in the evening. snakes and the shy and beautifully marked 18,000 years. Later we enter Mungo National Accommodation: Quality Hotel Mildura sand goanna. Park – within the WHA – and watch the Towards the end of the day we’ll traverse sunset over the dry bed of Lake Mungo, a the entire centre of the park, through magical experience. Here you will learn how beautiful sand dunes and vast open vistas en the Willandra Lakes system dried out over Day 2 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park route back to Mildura. thousands of years as the climate warmed. Accommodation: Quality Hotel Mildura Because the country is at, any rise places Breakfast at hotel. Breakfast and lunch provided you on top of a world that stretches to an Hattah-Kulkyne NP contains exceptionally endless 360 degree horizon. We oen have diverse examples of Australia’s semi-arid our rst sightings of desert parrots and zones. Situated on a oodplain of the Murray Day 3 The & Lake Mungo cockatoos and the marvellous macropods: River and extending into the red dunes of western-grey and red kangaroos. the mallee deserts, this park has a little of Breakfast at hotel. Accommodation: Mungo Lodge everything. Ephemeral lakes are the key Today we head outback but before we do (3 nights) feature of this 48,000ha park; water levels we explore the Murray River and associated Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided of these lakes ebb and ow with the years – billabongs (waterholes). Sometimes large attracting a diverse range of wildlife. Hattah- numbers of parrots, cockatoos and other Kulkyne is also famous for its birdlife and birds are seen here as they arrive out of the incredibly diverse dryland vegetation. desert looking for food and water near the Itinerary cont.

PICTURE: TOURISM AUSTRALIA 2 TRAVEL Mungo Outback & Conservation Journey, Victoria & New South Wales

Mungo Lodge

Day Lake Mungo – Wildlife & Culture 4&5 – a 50,000 year journey

Breakfast at the lodge.

Why the Mungo outback is special? Australian Aboriginal people have lived and hunted beside Lake Mungo for 50,000 years. is the site of the oldest-known cremation of any human – dating back 50,000 years. e region has been continuously occupied by Aboriginal people since that time – the longest-known occupation of any land by any people on earth. Ongoing research found the area to be so important it was listed as a World Heritage Area in 1981. Mungo National Park oers a unique insight into climate a remarkable variety of desert vegetation. carefully by Traditional Owners to minimise change, its eect on human habitation and We travel through a diverse array disturbance and engender respect for their the environment over many thousands of of habitats varying from dense mallee ancestors. Due to the sacred nature of years. Mungo is also home to many arid land woodlands, cypress pine/buloke woodlands, these burial sites they are not accessible to animals and birds including kangaroos, rare mulga scrub and vast expanses of saltbush. the general public. As we travel we’ll stop parrots and cockatoos, birds of prey, reptiles Huge white sand dunes rise high above the oen to search for birds and other animals and many others. Skeletal remains of extinct dry lake beds and have been eroded in some and learn about the vegetation in this marsupials, the forebears of Australia’s areas allowing burrowing birds such as the constantly changing landscape. You have unique suite of wildlife, are still found white-backed swallow to build their nests. the opportunity to climb high into the huge around Lake Mungo. Today the land boasts We oen see pink cockatoos and occasional Mungo eld for stunning views across two of Australia’s ve species of kangaroos, cockatiels in this region along with chats and the desert. many rare and beautiful parrots, birds of arid land fairy wrens. e crested bellbird Accommodation: Mungo Lodge prey, reptiles and a rich arid land ora. is oen heard and sometimes seen. Raptors Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided including the spotted harrier, black falcon, Discovering Mungo National Park grey falcon and wedge-tailed eagle are known Over the next two days we will explore to nest in the area. ere is a possibility of Day 6 Return to civilisation and Mungo National Park in detail on a journey seeing malleefowl but they are extremely transfer onwards rare. Emus are abundant. that will help you appreciate the enormous Aer an optional early morning bird walk signicance of this region to human and During our journey we drive across the dry bed of Lake Mungo to lunettes (wind- we enjoy a nal breakfast at Mungo Lodge wildlife history. e park itself covers more before driving out of the desert to Mildura than 1110sq.km surrounding the ancient bed curved sand dunes) to begin a “story line” through 50,000 years of Aboriginal history Airport where you will depart. of Lake Mungo. Breakfast provided Now dry, Lake Mungo has been a living beginning at the lake bed and rising high place for Aboriginal people for at least into the eroded dunes. You will learn about the people who lived 50,000 years. e dunes beside the lake have Extend your trip – we are happy to help! eroded to expose the oldest human living site at this place, see evidence of their campsites, on earth, which is the main reason for the view the remains of their cooking res and, creation of the WHA. Another reason for its depending on the movement of the sand and status is a unique layer of exposed megafauna soil, you may even help with the discovery skeletal remains that tell of a cooler, wetter of new sites! Your guide will also point out time in Australia when giant marsupials evidence of extinct fauna. It will become and Aboriginal people coexisted beside a obvious that this now-dry arid area was once magnicent freshwater lake. Lake Mungo a thriving wetland where large numbers of was a massive over ow from the Willandra waterbirds and animals co-existed beside a Lakes system which, before it dried, had an vibrant population of Aboriginal people for inlet but no outlet. tens of thousands of years. Where people On a series of walks and drives we’ll lived they also died and not far from where investigate the wildlife of this place including you will be walking is the oldest-recorded an amazing number of birds (including human cremation site in the world. Burial emus), two species of kangaroos, reptiles and sites continue to be exposed throughout the Willandra Lakes WHA and are monitored Male emu with his chicks

PICTURES: TOURISM AUSTRALIA 3 TRAVEL Mungo Outback & Conservation Journey, Victoria & New South Wales

Male and female Red Kangaroo

cost $2132/person twin share. $665 single supplement

Costs include the following services to understand the major changes that are occurring in the world and as per itinerary that work such as theirs is bringing about changes that help wildlife.  is tour o ers signi cant opportunities to experience and 5 nights accommodation as per itinerary document wildlife in a near-pristine environment doing the following: Experienced wildlife guide throughout days1–6 Sightseeing as per itinerary by private air-conditioned Bird & wildlife surveys: for the entire trip, you are helping wildlife charter vehicle – your wildlife guide records all species seen and uploads this data to Meals included: daily breakfast, 4x lunches, 3x dinners online atlases for wildlife conservation purposes. Goods and Services Tax (GST) Vegetation evaluation: to assess the impact of reduced rainfall and higher temperatures on vegetation communities. Costs do not include

Domestic or international airfares Lake Mungo Pre-registration, late check-out or day use at hotels NSW other than speci ed above Guide services other than speci ed Meals/beverages other than speci ed Tips & gratuities Optional tours/services Buronga Conservation component on this tour Mildura Mallee Cli s Red Cli s NP

 ese tours include opportunities to help with the conservation of wildlife and in ensuring the natural environment that supports Carwarp Mallee wildlife remains healthy.  ey also work tirelessly to improve human understanding of the impacts of climate change and other human-induced changes to our environment. Leading by example they aim to ensure that wildlife Hattah - Kulkyne VIC continues to thrive in Australia and elsewhere in the world. ‘Citizen National Park science’ is playing a signi cant role in helping scientists and others

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Guide and guests with shingleback lizard

Why Conservation Travel?

Climate change bringing about real change; it’s opening our On this trip You will minds to what we, as individuals, can do to is is a special trip to Lake Mungo (in the bring about change in perceptions of some of be helping nature Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area) and the world’s biggest issues. By travelling into while you enjoy it. This Hattah-Kulkyne National Parks as both areas such as Mungo and Hattah-Kulkyne we display signicant indicators of climate can monitor change and, as citizen scientists, is Conservation Travel. change. e arid-land lake systems of both we can tell the world what we’ve seen and parks have been subjected to the processes hopefully bring about change of climate change, not only by recent man- made changes but also in prehistoric times Wildlife highlights may include through planetary changes in temperatures. e primary purpose of this trip is to 80+ species of birds monitor and learn about the impacts of Mallee emu-wren climate change on wildlife and vegetation. Malleefowl We’ll do this by searching out indicators Red & western grey kangaroos of change and comparing the past with Sand goanna & other reptiles the present. You will be guided on this trip by one or Featured locations more world-renowned wildlife guides who will help you understand nature while you Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area enjoy your holiday. Hattah-Kulkyne National Park Conservation travel is all about making Mungo National Park a dierence by getting out into the bush and Kings Billabong Pink cockatoo feeding

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Pink cockatoos

COVID-19 All responses will be made in accordance with best practice medical and official extra info Government advice.

Travel dates All costs are based on per person twin vehicles. Social distancing will always be an share costs in Australian Dollars (AUD). issue on board vehicles; it would be sensible 19–24 April 2021 for you to bring your own face masks and 23–28 October 2021 Min. 6 pax / Max. 16 pax AUD $2132 hand sanitiser. We may not ll all seats in a Single supplement AUD $665 vehicle to allow for social distancing. Accommodation Packing list and e NSW and VIC government approved Mildura: Quality Hotel Mildura Grand other information COVID-19 Safety Plan is in place and all www.choicehotels.com/en-au/victoria/ suppliers are Covid Clean accredited. mildura/quality-inn-hotels We will supply you with a detailed Mungo National Park: Mungo Lodge packing list and other information www.mungolodge.com.au when you make your booking. Guide COVID-19

Experienced wildlife guide Accommodation and meals: days 1–6 Strict hygiene conditions apply to the way accommodation is prepared for your stay and Costs for the travel in the serving of meals. arrangements as per itinerary Vehicles, hygiene & social distancing: all activities will involve careful adherence e costs are valid for the dates mentioned to cleanliness. Hand sanitiser will be available above in April and October 2021 in many locations and in all land-based Military dragon

PICTURES: TOURISM AUSTRALIA email: [email protected] phone: 0413 560 210 6