GIPPSLAND ADVENTURE (5 DAYS)

The East Gippsland region of Victoria retains 80 percent or more of its natural vegetation cover and the wildlife is diverse and wonderful. Vast tracts of country, with endless bush tracks to explore in a quiet and natural environment, and of course plenty of exciting birds to look for. The climate is maritime and quite sheltered from extremes, with rainfall occurring throughout the year. Habitats include cool and warm temperate rainforest, large areas of wet and dry eucalypt forests, coastal heathlands, banksia woodlands, plus ocean beaches, estuaries and wetlands.

All the birds mentioned in the one day Great Dividing Range tour will be searched for including the Superb Lyrebird, Pilotbird, Olive Whistler, Bassian Thrush, Red-browed Treecreeper, Flame, Rose, Pink and Scarlet Robin plus Gang-gang and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.

Travelling further east gives us the opportunity to find a range of extra species, many found nowhere else in Victoria such as Pacific Reef Heron, Wonga Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon, Top-knot Pigeon, Figbird, Eastern Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoo(summer), Scarlet Honeyeater, Spotted Quail-thrush, Turquoise Parrot, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Satin Bowerbird, Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful Firetail, Eastern Ground Parrot, Eastern Bristlebird and Azure Kingfisher to name a few. 

We will have the chance to spend multiple nights spotlighting in Victoria’s diversity hotspot for mammals and nightbirds. Our three large Owls all reside here, Sooty, Masked and Powerful while White-throated Nightjars are present in summer plus a decent range of nocturnal mammals means a night out is sure to be interesting.

Along the coast and adjacent wetlands there are sites for the rare Hooded Plover, various migratory shorebirds including Latham’s Snipe, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Freckled Duck and Pacific Gull. The sheltered waterways of the many inlets are havens for Azure Kingfishers.

Out at sea, especially if the wind is onshore, a seawatch can be very rewarding with a variety of Albatross, Petrels, Shearwaters, Terns and Skuas possible.  This tour includes a tremendous diversity of beautiful landscapes and birding experiences.

PRICES: $5,840 total - single person price $6,415 total - two person/shared room SHARED tours - $3,725 per person (single rooms) when split two ways , $3,020 per person (single rooms) when split three or more ways Prices includes four night’s accommodation and meals starting lunch day one to lunch day five plus drinks (non alcoholic) and snacks.

Note: In January of 2020 extensive bush fires ravaged large areas of forest in the south-eastern corner of Australia and parts of the East Gippsland region were hit hard. Fortunately there remain many unburnt areas, and even where fire did go through some forests had cooler burns so habitat remains. This tour is still running successfully just with some sites currently “on hold” and replaced with others