Days 1 - 3
FLY DARWIN: RAINFOREST & MANGROVESWe leave London on a scheduled flight to Darwin, arriving there early in the morning of Day 3, where Peter will be waiting to welcome us. Transfer to our Darwin hotel, where we shall spend our first two nights in Australia.
Tropical Darwin, by the shores of the Timor Sea, is Australia’s gateway to Asia. Isolated at the “Top End” of the great Outback, the intertidal flats and mangroves are a welcome sight for thousands of wintering shorebirds as they arrive now from their Asian breeding grounds. Here, we too shall get acclimatised to the heat and humidity as we visit some of the key birdwatching spots around the city.
Appropriately enough, Welcome Swallows will perhaps greet us and may be joined by the likes of Straw-necked Ibis, Silver Gull, Peaceful Dove, Magpie-lark, Rainbow Lorikeet, Willie Wagtail and Little Corella even before we reach our hotel. Our birding begins in earnest in the coastal mangroves, seeking Yellow White-eye and the startling Red-headed Honeyeater, with the huge, brightly coloured (but very shy) Chestnut Rail a possibility too.
Later we head for Darwin’s monsoon rainforest in search of the gorgeous Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, and endemic Rainbow Pitta with its shining emerald back and distinctive black head and body, before making a final visit to the Botanic Gardens. With luck, we may find the localised Rufous Owl here, dozing at its daytime roost. Night Darwin.
Day 4
DARWIN: HOWARD SPRINGS, FOGG DAM & ADELAIDE RIVERToday we visit Howard Springs, a patch of relict rainforest with a small lake. A real oasis amidst dry eucalypt country, the mighty trees of this small nature reserve attract large numbers of birds and we could see eye-catching Red-winged Parrots and Northern Rosellas, along with Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Northern Fantail and Crested Hawk. Orange-footed Scrubfowl scratch about the woodland floor and we should also find the Buff-sided form of the White-browed Robin.
Later we’ll travel out to Fogg Dam, an extensive are of shallow water and marshes where large flocks of Magpie Geese feed alongside Radjah Shelducks, Wandering Whistling-ducks and the diminutive Green Pygmy-goose. In the background, stately Brolgas stride past tiptoeing Comb-crested Jacanas and Royal Spoonbills sweep the shallows amongst a throng of Intermediate Egrets and Pied Herons, whilst colourful Rainbow Bee-eaters fly-catch from tree snags. There are often huge numbers of Little Corellas too and this can be a good spot to see Broad-billed Flycatcher. Nearby the rainforest may be alive with birds, including Brush Cuckoo and the tiny Little Bronze-cuckoo with its red eye ring. Finally we’ll make a stop besides the Adelaide River to look for the stunning Mangrove Golden Whistler, before returning to the coast.
Darwin’s shoreline attracts more familiar birds, with chances of eastern races of both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits among large numbers of waders, plus the boldly patterned Australian Pelican and Caspian, Crested and Gull-billed Terns. And as we watch for the lovely Collared Kingfisher and outrageous Beach Stone-curlew, we’ll hope to witness one of Darwin’s spectacular ocean sunsets. Night Darwin.
Day 5
KAKADU: SOUTH ALLIGATOR RIVERWe leave Darwin today and travel south and eastwards where we soon enter Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site and arguably Australia’s finest area for birds. Famed not only for its rock art and natural history, this area is hugely popular for its landscapes and massive flooding rivers which make it impassable during the Wet season.
As we drive on through the flat countryside we can watch out for Agile Wallabies and the comical Frill-necked Lizard with its neck “frill” fanned into a wide ruff. Arriving at South Alligator Village, a spotlighting session tonight could produce sightings of Spotted Nightjar and Barking Owl as well as a selection of fascinating nocturnal mammals such as Northern Brushtail Possum, wallabies and dingo.
Kakadu National Park extends over 20,000 square kms, the entire catchment area of the South Alligator River – so named in error by a confused early British explorer for there are no alligators here. Mangroves and paperbark swamps border the creeks, but away from the water the flat expanse of dry country is broken by stands of eucalypts. The park sprang into the limelight through the film “Crocodile Dundee”, the success of which was no doubt partly due to the evocative landscapes filmed on location here.
We have a good chance of seeing Saltwater Crocodile here ourselves (from a safe distance, of course!) as we begin our search for Kakdu’s many birds: Australasian Grebe, Nankeen Night Heron, White-face, White-necked and Striated Herons, Australian Pratincole, Paperbark Flycatcher and Bar-breasted Honeyeater are among the mouth-watering selection that we could see. The South Alligator floodplain can be an excellent area for raptors too, including Swamp and Spotted Harriers, Black-breasted Buzzard whilst the White-bellied Sea-eagle soars overhead on stiffly upswept wings. Night South Alligator Holiday Village.
Day 6
KAKADU: THE ARNHEM LAND ESCARPMENT, UBIRR & NOURLANGIEOur destination this evening is Cooinda, where we stay for two nights, getting our first view of the spectacular Arnhem Land escarpment. On the way we’ll watch for woodland birds such as Partridge Pigeon and Black-tailed Treecreeper, the latter a member of the Australian treecreeper family, often located by its loud, piping call. Very different to its European namesake, its large size will come as a surprise!
The Arnhem Land escarpment is home to several Top End endemics. White-lined Honeyeater, the sandstone race of Helmeted Friarbird and Sandstone Shrike-thrush, with its beautiful melodic calls that echo through the escarpment, are among those that we shall hope to see. The peculiar Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon lives here too – one of three species that are endemic to Kakadu. We’ll admire the ancient Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr – and enjoy the superb views out over the surrounding floodplains – before travelling on to Nourlangie Rock, famous for many more galleries of fine rock art beneath the cool shady overhangs. By scanning the cliff faces above, the beautiful Banded Fruit-dove can sometimes be found sitting quietly on an exposed perch, high above the gallery. As the shadows lengthen in the late afternoon, our day concludes with a visit to the scenic Anbangbang Billabong. Night Cooinda.
Day 7
KAKADU: YELLOW WATER CRUISEWe start the day with one of the tour highlights – a dawn cruise on the Yellow Water billabong. This wetland of international renown is the dry-season home to a multitude of waterbirds. In the cool pre-dawn we’ll watch the sun rise, gradually illuminating the wetlands to reveal its throng of waterbirds as the morning mist lifts. More than seventy species can be expected on the cruise and we hope to find Black Bittern, and both Azure and Little Kingfishers (a tiny jewel of a bird), while Whistling Kites call from their roosts in the treetops and crocodiles lurk, half-submerged in the shallow water.
Later in the day we’ll travel south, stopping at woodland to look for some of the area’s delightful finches, including both Masked and Long-tailed, as well as the tiny Diamond Dove, the world’s smallest pigeon. Night Cooinda.
Day 8
RETURN TO DARWIN VIA GUNLOM FALLS & PINE CREEKToday we leave Kakadu behind and head towards the town of Pine Creek. But first we’ll visit Gunlom Falls, where we look for the beautifully marked and threatened White-throated Grasswren. After being “lost” for over fifty years, this very special bird was rediscovered in the 1970s as access to West Arnhem Land became easier. They live an almost marsupial-like existence in rock crevices of the escarpment, rarely flying and most easily located by their rich and incredibly beautiful song. As we search for them here, we have a further chance to spot the highly camouflaged Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon feeding amongst the spinifex grasses and boulders.
Bidding a reluctant farewell to Kakadu, we drive out of the National Park towards Pine Creek. Flowering trees along the way are well worth checking for some of the many honeyeaters possible here, like Rufous-throated, Dusky and Banded. In the Pine Creek Water Gardens we’ll look for one of the Northern Territory’s endemics, the Hooded Parrot, the black and turquoise males with their golden-yellow shoulder patches contrasting with the soft green tones of the females. Red-collared forms of the Rainbow Lorikeets are also found here, competing for food amongst the cool shady trees with screeching Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and gentle Northern Rosellas. On the ground, chattering loudly as they forage are parties of Grey-crowned Babblers, and the darting blue flash of Azure Kingfishers may be seen as they flit across the ponds. Up above, White-breasted Woodswallows soar and swoop, occasionally coming in to perch on the power lines.
Before heading back to Darwin, we make a quick detour to Copperfield Dam, where we’ll investigate the grassy woodlands for Chestnut-backed Button-quail, Cockatiel and maybe even find the rare and endangered Gouldian Finch. The gorgeous Red-backed Fairywren can be found here and the strangely spectacled Varied Lorikeet may be seen feeding on the eucalyptus blossom. Night Darwin.
Day 9
ON BOARD THE GHAN, KATHERINE GORGE BOAT TRIPFirst thing this morning, we head for Darwin station and board The Ghan. Setting off at 9.00am, we begin our journey south across this huge continent, leaving the lush tropics behind in favour of arid woodlands and deserts of the interior. But first, stopping at Katherine, we take a short break to enjoy a wildlife cruise along the Katherine River where it snakes through Nitmiluk National Park. Herons, egrets and ibises patrol the shallows and white Radjah Shelducks feed noisily along the banks, while greedy Black Kites scavenge for scraps.
Returning to The Ghan, we set off again, dining on the train this evening as we continue southwards and watching the great Australian Outback as it glides by, slowly fading into the desert night. Night aboard The Ghan.
Days 10 - 11
ULURU (AYERS ROCK) & KATA-TJUTA (THE OLGAS)After travelling through the night, our train pulls in at Alice Springs, in the arid Red Centre of Australia, late morning. We disembark and transfer directly to Alice airport to catch a short flight westwards to where the massive monolith of Uluru - perhaps better known by its former name, Ayers Rock - provides a stunning backdrop to the desert sunset.
We’ll explore the gorges and waterholes around both Uluru and Kata-Tjuta looking for local specialties such as the magnificent Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo and the familiar Budgerigar, found here in its natural green and yellow plumage, and often in huge flocks. In the spinifex-clad rocky slopes we will look for Painted Finches and the elusive Dusky Grasswrens that bounce over boulders with their tails cocked, while in the Mulga woodlands we should find parties of both Splendid and Variegated Fairywrens, the males stunning in their new breeding plumage. The sound of repetitive, descending chimes emanating from the spiky wattle trees betrays the presence of the aptly-named Chiming Wedgebill, as Red-backed Kingfishers, truly at home in the arid zone, hunt grasshoppers and small reptiles over the open grasslands.
If it is clear, as night falls, we should be treated to an eternal and memorable spectacular as the great rock, Uluru, gradually deepens in hue with the setting sun into an unbelievably rich red, and leaving us in no doubt as to why this place is known as the ‘Red Centre’. Two nights Yulara.
Days 12 - 13
ALICE SPRINGSThis morning we return to Alice Springs, where we’ll stay for the next two nights. At the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens we’ll be amazed at the 250+ central Australian plant species on display - and be captivated by the antics of Western Bowerbirds and Grey-crowned Babblers that inhabit the park. Euros or Hill Kangaroos, and Black-footed Rock-wallabies are also found here, sheltering under the shady trees and shrubs during the heat of the day.
There are a number of other good birdwatching places around Alice Springs and we’ll spend our time at such sites as the Old Telegraph Station, where Yellow-throated Miners, Pied Butcherbirds and Weebills are common. Then Kunoth Bore, where, after good rains, the flowering eremophilas attract a myriad honeyeaters, including Black, Pied, Singing and Spiny-cheeked and very rarely the tiny nomadic Grey Honeyeater. The open water around the bore itself draws thirsty Bourke’s Parrots and Australian Ringnecks. At Ormiston Gorge, in the West MacDonnell National Park, we’ll look for the beautiful but skulking Rufous-crowned Emuwrens, with their amazing latticed tails, and the curiously named Spinifexbird. Here we should also see Spinifex Pigeons, scooting along the ground with their ridiculously tall crests pointing skywards.
We’ll explore the Mulga woodlands for Black-faced Woodswallows, Crimson Chats and Western Gerygones, then visit the local sewage ponds where we should encounter Hoary-headed Grebe, Pink-eared Duck and just maybe, if we’re in luck, the rare Freckled Duck. In the low bushes around the ponds, we may spot Orange Chats and White-winged Fairywrens. Two nights Alice Springs.
Day 14
ALICE SPRINGS & ONWARD ON THE GHANAfter some final birding around “the Alice” in the morning, we return to the station and again board The Ghan for the second leg of this great railway journey, southbound across the desert towards our ultimate destination, Adelaide. South of Alice we cross the state border, passing from Northern Territory into South Australia, and on across the Painted Desert. Night on board The Ghan.
Day 15
ARRIVAL IN ADELAIDE: GREENFIELDS WETLANDS & BAROSSA VALLEYAfter rolling through the South Australian outback, past the Flinders Ranges and on to the coastal plain between the Mt Lofty Ranges and Gulf St Vincent, we arrive at lunchtime in Adelaide having completed one of the world’s great railway journeys. The capital of South Australia, Adelaide is romantically known as the ‘city of churches’ - but also boasts as many pubs!
We swap the refined comfort of The Ghan for the more humble surroundings of our minibus and begin our southern birding at the Greenfields Wetlands, a series of interconnected man-made lakes designed to intercept urban stormwater and “purify” it before delivering it to the estuarine fishing grounds of the gulf. As a consequence, these ponds have become exceedingly attractive to thousands of waterbirds. Here we should see Chestnut and Grey Teal, Hardhead, Australasian Shoveler and Musk Duck as well as Black-winged Stilts, Red-necked Avocets, Red-capped Plovers and various migratory waders including Common Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, and Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers. Fishing around the muddy margins will be Great and Little Egrets, and Yellow-billed Spoonbills. Little Black, Pied and Little Pied Cormorants should all be here too, thriving in the nutrient rich waters alongside the more familiar Great Cormorants, Eurasian Coot and Whiskered Terns.
From Greenfields, we’ll head for the world-renowned wine growing region of the Barossa Valley, where we’ll be staying tonight. Before we get there, however, we’ll stop at a little reserve on the outskirts, to stretch our legs and watch out for chattering parties of White-winged Choughs as they forage through the leaf litter. Striated, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Thornbills are all found here and with any luck we’ll also come across the strikingly patterned Diamond Firetail, a finch-like bird with a blazing red rump and bill, and the impressive Crested Shrike-tit, larger and louder here than its northern cousin.
As we head into the Barossa Valley and cross Jacob’s Creek, we know we’re close to Tanunda, our destination. As blue and orange Adelaide Rosellas, and red and green Musk Lorikeets feed noisily in the eucalypts around the resort, we’ll hope for a chance to sample some of those famous Barossa wines before dinner! Night Tanunda.
Days 16 - 17
RIVERLAND: GLUEPOT RESERVE, BOOKMARK BIOSPHEREToday we continue eastwards into the South Australian Riverland, where we will meet the mighty River Murray, one of the longest river systems in the world but also one of the poorest in terms of flow.
En route we will stop at Brookfield Conservation Park, a gift to the people of South Australia from the Chicago Zoological Society, to protect and research the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat which lives here. This park of open woodland features many species of multi-stemmed eucalypts known as “mallees”, which give their name to the Mallee region of southern Australia. Vast areas of the Mallee were cleared for agriculture but this remnant is home to many unique Australian birds, including the world’s only dry country megapode, the Malleefowl, the ground dwelling Southern Scrub-robin and honeyeaters such as Striped, White-fronted and Yellow-plumed. Other birds here include Red-capped Robin, White-browed and Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Chestnut Quail-thrush and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. Also possible is the smart-looking Ground Cuckoo-shrike, with its delicately barred rump, and flocks of White-browed and Masked Woodswallows which soar effortlessly overhead or come in to roost noisily on tree snags.
After crossing the Murray at Blanchetown, we’ll follow it north to Morgan where we’ll pause for a while to look for the yellow flash of Regent Parrots as they fly between the river red gums, and listen out for the creaky call of the Rufous Songlark. Here too we should see raucous Little Friarbirds, Australian Darters as they dive for fish and Brown Treecreepers, which ironically spend most of their time on the ground! From here we continue to follow the river upstream to the small riverside town of Waikerie, where we shall spend the next two nights.
After breakfast, we spend the next day exploring part of the huge Gluepot Reserve, which was purchased by Birds Australia in 1997. Formerly Gluepot Station, this reserve is the largest block of intact mallee left in Australia and is home to six nationally threatened species including the Malleefowl, Red-lored Whistler, Black-eared Miner and Striated Grasswren, as well as 17 regionally threatened species amongst the 190+ species recorded here. Other rare or unusual species that we may encounter here include White-browed Treecreeper, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Hooded Robin, Redthroat and Shy Heathwren. If we’re really lucky, we may catch a glimpse of the brilliantly coloured but elusive Scarlet-chested Parrot.
Apart from its birds, Gluepot is also home numerous mammals such as the Hairy-nosed Wombat, Western Grey and Red Kangaroos and the charming porcupine-like Echidna, which curls up into a ball when approached leaving only its long snout exposed. There are also forty-nine reptile species recorded for the park, some of which - like the Bobtailed Lizard with its pine-cone scales, and the fierce-looking Bearded Dragon - we should encounter as we drive along the bush tracks. Two nights Waikerie.
Days 18 - 19
RIVERLAND: FLEURIEU PENINSULAWith the early morning sun on our backs we follow the Murray River as it wends its way down towards its terminus at Lake Alexandrina. We cross appropriately at Murray Bridge before heading eastwards for the southern Fleurieu Peninsula. This ‘biogeographic island’, which includes the Mt Lofty Ranges, is home to many birds more typical of the wetter forests of southeastern Australia. We’ll visit Scott Conservation Park where we hope to see a range of honeyeaters such as Yellow-faced, Crescent, White-plumed, Brown-headed, New Holland, White-naped and Black-chinned, along with Golden Whistler, Scarlet Robin and Varied Sittella. Before we reach Goolwa, on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, we’ll detour via the sewage ponds and look for Australian Spotted Crake and Black-fronted Dotterel.
For our last full day of birding we’ll explore the coasts and forests of the peninsula, looking for such specialities as the huge Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos, the tiny Southern Emuwren, the appropriately named Beautiful Firetail and the ungainly looking Cape Barren Goose. We’ll admire the Little Penguins sheltering on Granite Island, and see Black-faced Cormorants sitting on rocky islets with their wings spread out to dry. A constant parade of parrots - including Eastern Rosellas, Red-rumped, Elegant, Blue-winged and the range-restricted Rock Parrot - will enchant us wherever we stop. All too soon it will be time to pack away our ‘scopes and bins and return to Goolwa for the final pack. Two Nights Goolwa.
Day 20
RETURN TO ADELAIDEWe spend our last day in South Australia leisurely making our way back to Adelaide for the evening flight. But on the way we’ll make one last special stop, calling at Waterfall Gully where many of Australia’s most beloved furry animal, the Koala, can be found lounging peacefully in the tall gum trees along the creek. From here, we wind our way back down on to the Adelaide Plains and head for the airport in time to catch our evening flight back home to London.
Day 21
LONDONArrival back in London, where our Grand Central tour of Australia comes to an end.
Please note: If wished, this tour can easily be combined with longer stays in Australasia - including our Classic Australia tour with Peter, which commences in Sydney on Sat 30th Oct and arrives back in London on Mon 15th November. Please contact us if you would like us to arrange separate flights, or any extensions.
