Southeast Australia: Coast to Outback

Depart from home airports on overnight flights towards Australia.

Night: In the air

We’ll cross the International Date Line on our flights, meaning this day technically won’t exist!

Night: In the air

We’ll arrive in Melbourne, make our way to the hotel, and check in. The group will meet up with our local guide for dinner to get to know each other and discuss the plans for the upcoming days.

Night: Melbourne

Meals: D

Today, we’ll head to the southwest of Melbourne and work our way along the Ramsar-listed coastal wetlands of western Port Phillip Bay. This area is one of the most important sites in Australia for migratory waders, with nearly 65,000 individual birds spending the summer throughout the wetlands. We’ll aim to pick up a range of wetland, shoreline, and grassland birds, including Sharp-tailed, Curlew, and Marsh sandpipers, Red-kneed and Black-fronted dotterels, Red-capped Plover, and Pied Oystercatcher.

Night: Geelong

Meals: BLD

We’ll explore the Great Ocean Road today and visit the heathlands, forest, shoreline, and estuaries of the region. This 150-mile-long road, built in memory of the Australian soldiers lost during World War I, runs along the southern coast of Victoria. With impressive overlooks of limestone formations combined with coastal forest, the region holds an impressive biodiversity. Some of the birds we’ll keep our eyes peeled for are Southern Emuwren (E), Brush Bronzewing (E), Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (E), Rose and Scarlet robins (E), Gang-gang Cockatoo (E), Australian King-Parrot (E), Blue-winged Parrot (E), and Laughing Kookaburra (E). With luck, we’ll also encounter our first iconic Australian mammals, including the koala, eastern gray kangaroo, swamp wallaby, and common wombat.

Night: Geelong

Meals: BLD

Today we’ll be heading north, making our way towards the drier woodlands of central Victoria. Along the way, there will be chances of Spotted Quail-thrush (E) in dry, open woodland that we pass en route. The predominantly Box-Ironbark (eucalypt) woodlands and mallee heath vegetation communities harbor a variety of bird species that aren’t found closer to Melbourne and are typical of the mallee regions in the far northwest of the state. The Box-Ironbark community is mostly found in Central Victoria, and the woodland around Bendigo is identified as an Important Bird Area.

Night: Bendigo

Meals: BLD

We’ll spend a full day in this incredible region, exploring mallee and Box-Ironbark woodland. Just a few of the birds to expect here are Crested Bellbird (E), Purple-backed Fairywren (E), Rainbow Bee-eater, Dusky (E), White-browed (E) and Masked (E) woodswallows, and Little (E) and Musk (E) lorikeets.

Night: Bendigo

Meals: BLD

Today, we head further north to the open plains on the very edge of the Outback. This incredibly famous and iconic Australian region is one of the largest remaining intact habitats on Earth, and its red dirt is recognizable anywhere. The district supports a huge range of birds that we won’t see elsewhere, including Orange and Crimson chats (E), Painted Honeyeater (E), Greater Bluebonnet (E), Superb Parrot (E), Diamond Firetail (E), and Spotted Harrier.

Night: Deniliquin

Meals: BLD

During the day, we’ll continue to bird in the area, searching for any species we may have missed. Depending on local conditions and how much rain has fallen in recent times, there may be the chance of other species of the inland plains, such as Australian Pratincole, Inland Dotterel (E), Little and Red-chested buttonquails (E), Stubble Quail (E), and Banded Lapwing (E). Some of the mammals we hope to encounter include the mighty Red Kangaroo. Tonight, the main target after dark will be the endangered Plains-wanderer, the only member of the family Pedionomidae. Nocturnal birds feature as well, and we could pick up Eastern Barn Owl, Australian Boobook (E), Australian Owlet-nightjar (E), and the iconic Tawny Frogmouth (E).

Night: Deniliquin

Meals: BLD

Today we’ll head southeast of Deniliquin, stopping along the way. We’ll have a look at some of the wetlands in the red gum forests of the Riverina and hope to connect with a few birds such as the rare Square-tailed Kite (E), Eastern Shrike-tit (E), and Black-backed Bittern. We’ll follow the Murray River toward the Chiltern area, looking for Apostlebird (E) and Dollarbird along the way. In the afternoon, we’ll look for Turquoise Parrot (E), Painted Buttonquail (E), and Black-chinned Honeyeater (E). At night, we can look for the Barking Owl and Australian Owlet-nightjar (E).

Night: Chiltern

Meals: BLD

This morning, we’ll check out the Chiltern area one last time before heading toward the Yarra Ranges east of Melbourne and at slightly higher altitudes, where the habitat changes into tall mountain forests and dense fern gullies. We’ll have lunch in the ranges and stroll through the forest for a chance of Superb Lyrebird (E), Pilotbird (E), Eastern Yellow Robin (E), Satin Flycatcher, and Bassian Thrush (E).

Night: Healesville

Meals: BLD

Today is a day to explore the tall wet sclerophyll forests and cool temperate rainforests of the Yarra Ranges, and birds we can expect to see include the amazing Superb Lyrebird (E), as well as good chances of Olive Whistler (E), Crescent Honeyeater (E), Sahul Cicadabird, Red-browed Treecreeper (E), White-throated Needletail, and Shining Bronze-Cuckoo. Tonight, we can try for nocturnal birds like Sooty Owl, Powerful Owl (E), Australian Boobook (E), and Tawny Frogmouth (E). Nocturnal mammals include the greater glider, Krefft’s (sugar) glider, mountain brushtail possum, and common ringtail possum.

Night: Healesville

Meals: BLD

Today we’ll head back to Melbourne, where the tour will end. For those joining the extension in Tasmania, we’ll board a flight to Hobart this morning.

Meals: B