Koalas on the Great Ocean Walk

Our Top 4 Walks to See Wildlife

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Australia is full of weird animals… the fury, feathery and scaly kind that is .

If you are here reading an Inspiration Outdoors blog, you are probably not content to go to the zoo to see our weird and wonderful fauna, you want to see them out in nature in all of their glory. Thinking about walking and wildlife, here is the must do list you need.

PS. All of these photos were taken on tour, by amateur photographers.

Wildlife in Kakadu National Park

Whenever someone in our office says Kakadu it is usually said Kakakakakakdoooooo! … like a kookaburra… that joke works way better when it is not in writing… anyway Kakadu is a bird lovers paradise. It is one of the best places to see birds in Australia with 280 species resident and migratory in the park. It is a place where the wetlands are just teaming with birdlife, and you can either sit for hours, or stroll till your heart is content.

Kakadu is also home to some monster crocodiles so take care where you are strolling! Whilst these guys scare the absolute skins off us, they are incredible to watch… from a nice safe distance… with binoculars… sitting in the bus 😉

If you are into your wildlife, especially birds, as well as bushwalking, Kakadu is pretty amazing and amazingly pretty.

 

Wildlife on the Great Ocean Walk

Victoria’s best walking trail is also surprisingly good for wildlife spotting. Koalas are regularly seen in the Manna Gum forests around Cape Otway light station, so keep your eyes high!

On many of our walks we have been lucky enough to see echidnas near Aire River. These cute guys can be tricky to spot, but if they are on the track, they will usually roll up into a ball, so you can just wait and watch them for minutes. It is so much fun!

Depending on the time of year, you might also see humpback or Great Southern Whales. Not really up close, but it is great to know they are there.

The southern coast of Victoria is also another great birding area, with a good mix of sea birds and inland species. The campground at Aire River is a dependable blue wrens haven and they are not shy to pose for the odd photo.

And let’s not forget skippy. Kangaroos are found commonly along the whole trail.

 

 

Wildlife on our Best Bush walks of Tasmania Tour

Our 10 day Tasmania tour is an epic for wildlife. The accommodation at Maydena has platypus in their ponds! They are not easy to spot, but if you do then it is a truely wonderful experience. We see them on maybe 1 out of 3 tours.

Paddy melons are everywhere. We see Paddy melons without fail at Mt Field National Park. They are super cute and rival Rottnest Island’s Quokka for the world’s happiest animal.

We have never not seen a fatty boombalada … errr I mean wombat, on our Tassie tour. These guys are alway out and about at Cradle Mountain in the late afternoon and easy to spot over at Maria Island.

Add in echidnas at Lake Sinclair, Tasmanian Devils (in a wildlife park) and lots of birds and you are starting to see just how amazing Tassie’s is for wildlife.

 

Killer whales cruise
Killer whales cruise

Cape Le Grand and the Southern Coast Wildlife

Killer Whales! Need I say more. Admittedly we don’t generally see a lot of different species of animals on this tour, but the opportunity to see Killer whales in the Bremer Canyon is awesome. Here is an (admittedly very amateur) video we made a few years back from a day out on the water when they were swimming under our boat.

 

So there you have our list of best tours for seeing wildlife. If you have any other suggestions for good walks with wildlife, leave your comments below.

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