Your complete wildlife-watching guide... 72 WHY? There’s nowhere quite like Australia; after being isolated for millenia, much of its flora and fauna is utterly unique 74 WHERE? From Queensland’s lush tropical forests and coral reefs to Tasmania’s wild and remote landscapes, and everywhere in between 88 WHAT? Australia boasts a boggling array of wildlife in its varying habitats, from the curious Platypus, to the iconic Koala 93 HOW? Suggested itineraries, facts, advice and recommendations to help you on your way Essential FLPA © AUSTRALIA ESSENTIAL AUSTRALIA Why? Australia is as varied as it is big, and much of its diverse wildlife is unique. Therefore, a visit should be savoured, not rushed. Slowly DOESWords by sTELLA MA rTINIT hanks to 35 million years of isolation, Australia’s animals wildlife. In complete contrast there are dense, dripping have evolved in their own distinctive style. From Platypuses rainforests, soaring forests of the world’s tallest flowering paddling in pristine creeks and Koalas slumped on eucalypt trees, alpine moorlands, diverse flowering heathlands, branches to Frilled Lizards skittering through savanna beaches, coastal cliffs and coral reefs. Then there is the woodlands and Thorny Devils tottering across hot desert sparsely populated savanna region, covering the northern sands, many can be seen nowhere else on Earth. While quarter of the country. Dominated by summer floods and mammals can be elusive, birds are everywhere: Rose-pink winter drought and fire, this swathe of grasslands, Galahs amass in deafening flocks at sunset; lyrebirds woodlands and wetlands includes Australia’s bio-diverse wander under tree ferns; perky fairywrens twitter in the Kakadu, Kimberley and Cape York Peninsula regions. undergrowth; honeyeaters rifle through Bottlebrush It is possible to watch wombats snuffling through Tblossoms; Emus stride across farmers’ fields... and snowdrifts and, within a couple of days, go diving on coral Kookaburras simply laugh. reefs or boating past crocodiles in a tropical billabong, but © FRANK ‘N’ FOCUS/ALAMY ‘N’ © FRANK Much of Australia is arid but it is far from dull, supporting a trip should not be a hurried affair. Whether opting for one of the world’s highest diversity of reptiles, masses of guided tour or self-drive adventure, it’s better to choose spring wildflowers and flocks of bright nomadic birds. This one area and get off the beaten track, rather than spend A ‘beware kangaroo’ traffic rust-red landscape is studded with spectacular rockscapes too much time in airports. Australia’s animals can be shy – sign warns motorists that threaded with lush, shady gorges providing oases for take your time to get to know them! there are roos nearby to Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) 72 NOVEMBER 2014 wildlifeextra.com wildlifeextra.com NOVEMBER 2014 73 ESSENTIAL AUSTRALIA Where? MY AUSTRALIA Queensland ALAN GILLANDERS While you’re Naturalist, Guide and Educator The Great Barrier Reef shadows the mound-studded grasslands and crocodile- there... The Wet Tropics of Queensland coast for 2,300km, containing inhabited wetlands support over 500 Every Wednesday the Queensland are rightly nearly 3,000 reefs harbouring over 1,500 fish terrestrial vertebrates; some species such as Gulflander railmotor leaves renowned for their natural species, turtles and numerous invertebrates. Green Python, Common Spotted Cuscus, Palm Normanton, on the Gulf of history values. For those interested Carpentaria, for a leisurely in animals, the Atherton Tableland Generally, the best sites are those furthest Cockatoo and other colourful birds are also five-hour, 152km, journey to is the highlight not only for from land; trips heading north from Port found in New Guinea, but nowhere else Croyden, a former gold-rush diversity but also the endemics. Douglas offer chances to snorkel with Minke in Australia. town in the heart of Queensland’s Bowerbirds build and decorate Whales in June and July. Many islands have Rainforests of the Wet Tropics World outback. And every Thursday it structures for courtship; from fringing reefs and some have significant Heritage Area cover a narrow coastal strip returns, delivering supplies to September to New Year it is cattle stations along the track. possible to see five species in one seabird breeding colonies. between Cooktown and Townsville, but host Built between 1888 and 1891, day. Some are master builders, Hinchinbrook Island offers a challenging 34 per cent of Australia’s mammal and 40 per with steel sleepers designed to others jazz musicians. One of my 32km wilderness hike. Magnetic Island has cent of bird species. While Daintree National foil termites and withstand most memorable wildlife resident Koalas and allied rock wallabies. Park is a major tourist destination, other parks summer floods, the railway experiences was watching two Fraser Island is a massive, rainforested sand offer quieter experiences. The upland initially serviced the burgeoning male Golden Bowerbirds fighting goldfields as Croyden’s – it was a gold disco light show! island with some of Australia’s purest Dingoes. rainforests boast 10 species of possum and population swelled to 30,000. Tree-kangaroos and the many Whale-watching trips visit migrating glider and one tree-kangaroo – though they Now Croyden has fewer than possum species are best sought at Humpback Whales in nearby Hervey Bay are difficult to find without an experienced 300 inhabitants and the rail night. In the forest are strange between late July and October. local guide. Kingfisher Park, at Julatten, with service’s main cargo is tourists. lizards that recall armoured Cape York Peninsula is a remote wilderness over 200 bird species and nesting Buff- The driver knows every inch of dinosaurs and huge spiny insects. the track and stops to show off www.alanswildlifetours.com.au accessible only by 4x4 in the dry season (May breasted Paradise Kingfishers in summer, is a OLIVER LUCANUS/FLPA, NORBERT PROBST/FLPA, SYLVAIN CORDIER, highlights ranging from a MARTINWILLIS/FLPA, ICONSINTERNATIONAL.COM/ALAMY to October). The savanna woodlands, termite mecca for birdwatchers. Further south, © bowerbird bower and a flying fox colony to an abandoned gold Eungella National Park has reliably seen mine. Staff also help to identify Platypuses, noisy pittas and Regent savanna plants and share stories Bowerbirds. Summer season tours at Mount of colourful outback characters Etna Caves National Park allow visitors to and local trivia. Train enthusiasts can combine this with a trip on observe the nightly departure of thousands the Savannahlander which runs of little bent-wing bats. Mon Repos between Cairns and Forsayth. Conservation Park is a major summer www.gulflander.com.au; nesting area for Green, Flatback and www.savannahlander.com.au Loggerhead turtles. On the New South Wales border, Lamington National Park is good for birds including Regent Bowerbirds, Logrunners, Paradise Riflebirds and Albert’s Lyrebirds. Red-necked Pademelons are abundant; Land Mullets and spiny crayfish wander rainforest tracks. The wonderful granite boulders of Girraween National Park host a great variety of lizards and spring wildflowers. In the vast outback, occasional deluges fill wetlands, attracting many thousands of breeding waterbirds. Lava tubes of Undara Volcanic National Park support vine thickets and insectivorous bats, and Cobbold Gorge harbours Freshwater Crocodiles. In the west, Far left: an aerial view of a coral reef at visitors to Boodjamulla National Park can Lizard Island National Park. Top: a diver watching a Green Sea Turtle at the Great canoe between towering sandstone cliffs of Barrier Reef. Above left: a Red-necked Lawn Hill Gorge, home to Freshwater Pademelon female with young in pouch. Crocodiles, Purple-crowned Fairywrens and Left: Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher Great Bowerbirds. Carnarvon National Park is holding an ant. Directly above: the Gulflander crossing the Normanton Bridge another outback oasis with numerous near Normanton. Echidnas, macropods and gliders. 74 NOVEMBER 2014 wildlifeextra.com wildlifeextra.com NOVEMBER 2014 75 ESSENTIAL AUSTRALIA Where? Here: Queensland rainforest near Mount Warning. Below left: Emus on the road in Sturt National Park. Bottom: an adult male Regent Bowerbird. New South Wales The Great Dividing Range splits the Mount Warning. Capertee Valley/Glen relatively narrow coastal plain from the Davis on the western side of Wollemi extensive, drier outback and hosts many National Park is an outstanding birding of the state’s national parks. In the south, area with over 235 species recorded an area of winter ski-fields, the alpine including Turquoise Parrots, Diamond heathlands of Australia’s highest peaks are Firetails and endangered Regent protected in Kosciuszko National Park Honeyeaters and Swift Parrots. while the temperate rainforests of the The seaboard is dotted with an northern slopes are included in interesting variety of reserves covering Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World beaches, wetlands, cliffs, coastal heaths Heritage Area. These relict patches left and forests. Migrating Humpback Whales from Australia’s ancient forests are a and other cetacean species come quite diversity hotspot for frogs, snakes, birds close to shore around Eden, particularly in and marsupials. October and November. Many of these reserves are rugged, The western slopes of the Great wilderness areas suitable for long-distance Dividing Range have been largely cleared hikers but Dorrigo National Park, with its for farming but Warrumbungle National elevated