Tasmania: Endemics and Pelagics

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 Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, and check into our hotel. Depending on our arrival time, we might choose to relax at the hotel or go for a walk through town or along the historic waterfront, only a short distance from the hotel. We’ll meet our local guide at dinner, where we’ll go over the plan for exploring Tasmania.

Night: Hobart

Meals: D

We’ll leave Hobart early in the morning to travel up the east coast to Triabunna, where we’ll board the ferry for the 30-minute crossing to Maria Island. Once the site of a convict colony, the island is home to a wide variety of bird species. We’ll explore the northern part of the island, where Cape Barren Goose (E), Australian Pipit, and Flame Robins (E) occur on the grazed grasslands, and several species of honeyeaters are found in the wooded areas. We also have a chance of the migratory Swift Parrot (E), a critically endangered species that spends summer in Tasmania. Maria Island is also known for mammals, and we might spot a wide variety here. In the late afternoon, we’ll head back on the ferry and return to Hobart.

Night: Hobart.

Meals: BLD

Today, we’ll spend some time birding around Hobart and then make our way west to Mount Field. On our way, we’ll stop at a lagoon for the chance of a variety of waterbirds like Australasian Shoveler, Australian Shelduck, Spotless Crake (E), and Black-fronted Dotterel before heading to your accommodation for tonight.

Night: Mount Field/New Norfolk area

Meals: BLD

Today we’ll spend the entire day exploring Mount Field National Park and the surrounding area. This is an excellent site for our endemic target species, notably Scrubtit (E) and Black Currawong (E), and is also a great place to experience a range of habitats from fern gullies with waterfalls, to alpine heathland and cool temperate rainforest boasting some of the tallest trees in the world—the mighty mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans). Today, we also have our first chance of seeing the bizarre Platypus, the other species of Australian monotreme. In the late afternoon, we’ll return to our accommodation for a relaxed second night.

Night: Mount Field/New Norfolk area.

Meals: BLD

We’ll spend the morning birding our way down to the coast on the way to Bruny Island. Situated south of Hobart, Bruny Island is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and is accessed by vehicle ferry. The ferry trip takes approximately 15 minutes, and we’ll keep a lookout for seabirds such as Black-faced Cormorant (E) and Australasian Gannet on the short crossing. As we head south to our accommodation, we’ll make a few great birding stops in diverse forest and coastal habitats. On one of our nights on Bruny, weather-dependent, we’ll visit the Short-tailed Shearwater colony to view the birds returning to their burrows. We’ll also take an evening drive, on which we hope to see nocturnal birds like Tawny Frogmouth (E) and Tasmanian Boobook (E). On the drive, we might also spot some mammal species now restricted to Tasmania, such as Eastern Quoll.

Night: Bruny Island

Meals: BLD

Today we have a full day to explore Bruny Island. We’ll start the day birding at ‘Inala’, a privately owned 1,500-acre wildlife sanctuary which is home to all 12 Tasmanian endemic bird species, including one of the largest known colonies of endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote (E). Strong-billed (E), Yellow-throated (E), and Black-headed (E) honeyeaters, Dusky Robin (E), and Green Rosella (E) are also regulars here. Several blinds and platforms have been built around the property, which provide close views of some very special species, including a variety of raptors.

We hope to see the endangered white morph of Gray Goshawk, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Brown Goshawk (E), and, if luck is on our side, the Tasmanian subspecies of Wedge-tailed Eagle. During our time on the island, we’ll visit beaches for Hooded Plover (E), Pied and Sooty (E) oystercatchers, and tall forest areas in search of Pink Robin (E) and the endemic Scrubtit (E), Tasmanian Scrubwren (E), and Tasmanian Thornbill (E). We’ll also drive to Bruny Island’s southern coast in search of Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (E), Olive Whistler (E), and Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo (E). Here we also have a chance to see the Tasmanian furry subspecies of Short-beaked Echidna, one of Australia’s two monotreme species.

Night: Bruny Island

Meals: BLD

Today, we’ll leave Bruny Island and work our way to the beautiful and historic Tasman Peninsula. On our way, we’ll visit coastal wetlands at Orielton Lagoon and Marion’s Bay for waders and waterbirds. The peninsula is connected to the smaller Forestier Peninsula by a 30 m-wide isthmus known as Eaglehawk Neck. This afternoon, we’ll bird around the scenic geological formations of the peninsula, such as the Blowhole at Eaglehawk Neck, Tasman Arch, and the Devil’s Kitchen viewpoint, where we have a chance of Striated Pardalote (E) and Golden Whistler (E). While here, we’ll also look at the fascinating Tessellated Pavement and the Dog Line historic site that stretches across the Neck. The Dog Line was once used to prevent escape by convicts from the Port Arthur penal colony to the south.

Night: Tasman Peninsula

Meals: BLD

Boarding a charter vessel, we’ll make our way into the vastness of the Southern Ocean in our quest for pelagic birds. High species diversity and the nearness of the continental shelf have earned Tasmania an international reputation as an excellent place to see pelagic species. Departing Pirate’s Bay, we’ll hopefully encounter Short-tailed Shearwater in considerable numbers. This is one of the finest places on the planet to see a diversity of albatross, with Antipodean and New Zealand Wandering, Northern and Southern Royal, Shy, Campbell, Black-browed, and Indian Yellow-nosed albatrosses all possible. Possible petrels include White-chinned, Great-winged, Gray-faced, the striking White-headed, Gould’s, Cook’s, and Mottled. Shearwater diversity is also good with Hutton’s, Fluttering, Buller’s, Sooty, and Short-tailed shearwaters all possible. Wilson’s, Gray-backed, and White-faced storm-petrels, and Fairy Prion are also regularly seen. Mammals we may encounter include Australian Fur-seals, Humpback Whale, Common and Bottlenose Dolphin. Travelers who choose not to join the pelagic cruise can have the day to themselves to explore the beaches and forests near the hotel. After the cruise, we’ll return to Hobart.

Night: Hobart

Meals: BLD

The tour ends after breakfast, where we’ll then make our way to the airport for flights home after an incredible adventure!

Meals: B