Araucaria Ecotours

Coochie-Mudloe Island

Guest catch the ferry to Coochie Mudloe Island, stopping to observie waterbirds. Walk the red cliffs with give the island its name into the mangroves & coastal woodlands along rocky & sandy coasts exploring the flora and fauna.

Bunya Mountains Tour

The bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) is the sole survivor of an ancient Gondwana lineage (a sector of the Araucaria genus our tour company is named after), a magnificent and distinctive tree of great importance to the Aboriginals. The Bunya Mountains near Brisbane preserve the largest survining stand. Being in these forests has a primitive feel to it, the bunya trunks looking a bit like the legs of giant elephants amongst the ferny forest floor. A great birdlife, mountain views and a well-maintained network of walking trails adds to the experience.

You will stay overnight in a lovely shared-facilities chalet adjacent to the ancient bunya forests, awaken to bird calls and the sight of wallabies grazing nearby. We will take a gentle guided walk through the forest on the afternoon of our arrival from Brisbane, and another the following morning, and you will have some free time to take photos, go birding or just relax.

Australian Forests & Wildlife Day Tour

Visit three of Australia’s famous forest types: rainforest, eucalypt and tea-tree. See wild kangaroos, wallabies, fruitbats, many birds and butterflies, and in warm months also reptiles. See koalas in captivity with a possibility of also finding wild ones. Walk to a waterfall in the forest and visit a cave with glow worms. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee under the gum trees, and an opportunity to sample local wine. Learn a lot in a very short time about Australian animals and their ecology and behaviour in this zoologist-designed tour. Main places visited: Daisy Hill Koala Centre and State Forest, Cedar Creek Glow Worms. Tamborine Mountain NP, Kooralbyn.

Outback Wildlife Tour

Come along with us away out west to the land of red sands, red kangaroos, dusty roads, emus and Major Mitchell cockatoos … (6 day 5 nights)

Rainforest, Glow Worms & Wine

The largest colony of glow worms in the world is not in the national parks or even a genuine cave, but in a very well-designed artificial cave, the purpose of which is to take pressure off the natural caves that have been over-exploited by a constant stream of thousands of visitors. There is nothing artificial about these amazing little animals that produce an extremely efficient light, and have been happily breeding into their thousands. Rainforests, eucalypt forests, waterfalls, wine-tasting and a delicious lunch overlooking landscaped gardens add to the day’s experience, and you can let us know if you would like to visit other interesting venues on the mountain.

Wildlife Weekend Camp

This is a no-frills self-catering camping weekend, which we started when the 3-day Australian Wildlife Overview tour prices had to be raised above the budget of some backpackers.

You won’t visit the variety of places we do on our 3-day Australian Wildlife Overview tour, nor will you have the Cougal Park option or have meals provided (doing any of these would of necessity put the price up again).

We do however provide all camping equipment – tent (which you will help to erect), sleeping bag, sleeping sheet, pillow, torch (flashlight), thermos, ice-box and cooking equipment, and we can stop at fruit and vegetable shops, supermarkets, and on certain days at country markets along the way for you to buy food. If you want a hot meal at night but don’t feel like cooking, we can take you to the local country pub, the Rathdowney Hotel, which serves a variety of hearty cuntry meals.

Wildlife Day Tour

We will pick you up at mid-day for a lovely lunch – choose from gourmet open sandwiches, salads, many other choices, some including Ausralian herbs and spices – at Redlands Indigiscapes, keeping watch for birds in the trees level with our table, then walk through the bushland looking for koalas, forest birds, waterbirds, lizards, butterflies and other creatures of the Australian bush.

Depending on the interestes of our guests, the weather and where we’ve most recently seen animals, we visit a variety of other places, including Daisy Hill Forest. While walking in the forest here in the late afternoonwe almost always see wild red-necked wallabies and sometimes swamp wallabies, and – if lucky – wild koalas. Prior to our walk we visdit the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, run by National Parks, to see some captivekoalas at close range (no cuddling here though) and view the interpretive displays – also a native beehive.

As dusk approaches we watch a large colony of increasingly noisy and restless fruitbats until finally, when they consider it dark enough to be safe from eagles, they start hurtling through the sky to seek flowers and fruits for their night’s feasting. Before dropping you back to your accommodation or transport, we seek possums, owls and other nocturnal creatures. No guarantees – some nights we see a few, other nights nothing bigger than moths – but you do at least get a feeling for the atmosphere of the Australian bush at night.

Forest Getaway

3 Day Wildlife Ecotour

Guests are picked up in Brisbane & taken to Daisy Hill State Forest for a gentle interpretive bushwalk, receiving their wildlife information kit during morning tea under the eucalypts, visit a Koala Inforamtion Centre. Then through wetlands to see kangaroos, wallabies & other wildlife. A nocturnal search is held both evenings.

Birdwatching Day Tour

Our itinerary varies with the desires of the guests, we visiti either Eagleby Wetlands or Lake Wivenhoe for waterbirds and stopping at various forested areas along the way for bushbirds. Can also involve a visit to O’Reillys, Duck Creek Rd, Araucaria home property & Kooralby