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australasia knowledge
months, accompanying their performance
with an impressive display of their long,
lyre-shaped tail feathers. They’re found in
forests throughout New South Wales, with
the Blue Mountains national park offering a
strong chance of successful sightings.
Sample package: Connections has a four-day
Sydney & Blue Mountains Experience tour from
£335pp. Alternatively, consider Keith Prowse’s
one-day Blue Mountains Wildlife Experience
tour, from £111pp.
■ connectionsworldwide.co.uk
■ keithprowse.com/agents
Saltwater crocodile, Northern Territory
Not all Aussie wildlife is cute and cuddly.
There are plenty of less friendly creatures,
from the tiny redback spider to some of the
world’s most venomous snakes. But none are
more ferocious than the infamous saltwater
crocodile. Known locally as “salties”, these
Clockwise from top left: the elusive platypus, seen here at the Healesville Sanctuary; the cute and inquisitive quokka is only are the world’s largest reptiles (reaching
found on Rottnest Island; a carnivorous “saltie” croc in Kakadu national park; and the superb lyrebird – small size, big talent lengths of 6m or more), found in coastal and
wetland habitats across northern Australia.
Paddle rafting tour offers the chance to Australian sea lion, South Australia The watery wilderness of Kakadu national
glimpse them in their natural habitat on the Found only along the southern and western park provides a perfect habitat for the crocs,
Goulburn river. The package includes a visit coasts, the Australian sea lion is one of the and with an estimated 80,000 thought
to the Healesville Sanctuary where visitors defining highlights of a visit to the wildlife to be living in the wider area, this is the
can get up close to these and other native haven of Kangaroo Island. number one place to spot them in the wild.
animals such as koalas and Tasmanian devils. These adorable animals can be seen Sample package: APT offers a two-day
Sample package: Adventure Victoria’s full-day year-round at Seal Bay, but the best time to Kakadu, Art Sites and Wildlife tour from
Platypus Paddle rafting expedition costs from visit is between January and June, when the £210pp, which includes a guided cruise on
£184pp. Earn commission by booking it through beach is filled with their super-cute pups. Kakadu’s crocodile-rich Yellow Water Billabong.
operators such as Travel 2, Travelbag and Kangaroo Island itself is a one-stop shop ■ aptgroup.travel
Audley Travel. for viewing iconic native wildlife, including
■ adventurevictoria.com.au koalas, echidnas, wallabies, fairy penguins
■ audleytravel.com and of course kangaroos (the island has its
own unique subspecies).
Quokka, Western Australia Recommend a campervan holiday as an
These pint-sized kangaroos must surely be effective and economical way of getting out
one of the continent’s cuddliest critters. there and meeting these endemic locals.
Unique to Western Australia, quokkas are Sample package: Qantas Holidays has a
about the size of domestic cats and have a seven-day fly-drive package from £1,105pp,
very restricted range, being found only on based on two sharing. The price includes
Rottnest Island (off the coast from Perth) and Qantas flights from London to Adelaide and
in one or two places on the mainland. seven days’ Maui motorhome hire.
Although they’re generally nocturnal, on ■ qantasholidays.co.uk
Rottnest they have become so habituated to
humans they can regularly be seen during Superb lyrebird, New South Wales
the day, especially around cafes and picnic They may not be much to look at (like small,
sites where they come to scavenge for scraps. drab peacocks with all-brown plumage), but
However, such snacks can actually be bad you’ll be in no doubt the superb lyrebird
for their health, so advise clients not to feed deserves its name when you hear one sing.
them – however tempting it may be! Lyrebirds possess an incredible talent for
Sample package: Austravel has a guided mimicry and have been known to incorpo-
day trip to Rottnest Island costing from £72pp, rate dozens of sounds into their vocal
including return hotel transfers to Perth, a repertoire – from the laughing call of the
cruise on the Swan river, a two-hour coach tour kookaburra to artificial noises such as
of the island and a seafood buffet lunch. chainsaws and car alarms.
■ austravel.com Males mostly sing during the winter Sea lions on Kangaroo Island
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