Since 2004 we have run night walks in the native grasslands of the northern plains of Victoria. We only run tours after prior reconnaissance when we expect there is a good chance of encountering Plains-wanderers however very occasionally we do miss the bird. The native grasslands have a variety of other interesting birds, animals and herps to look for !

If interested in these tours then please make a request via the contact page to be added to our mailing list Emails are sent out when new dates are confirmed. Often tour dates never make it to this page. These set date small group tours typically run in autumn and winter (April to August), are for 5 people at a time, and the cost is $220 per person. Privately booked tours can sometimes be arranged at other times.

We meet in the small town of Pyramid Hill in northern Victoria. Participants will need to arrange their own transport to and from Pyramid Hill plus accommodation in the area. From there we travel together. These tours commence at dusk and involve walking for up to 3 hours in open flat grassland, so a moderate level of fitness is required. We are likely to visit more than one grassland area and also spotlight for wildlife along the quiet country roads. A portion of the profits from every tour are donated to conservation efforts saving Plains-wanderer habitat locally and have included Trust For Nature, the Northern Plains Conservation Alliance/FOTTNP and private landholders

Other grassland fauna is also likely to be encountered depending on the season. Stubble Quail are present year around, with a peak in summer and autumn. Little Buttonquail are also present year around, however they are much more likely to be encountered in summer, with very low numbers in winter. Australian Pipits, Singing Bushlarks and Brown Songlarks are often seen. Red-chested Buttonquail can occur, usually after periods of high rainfall. They peaked in 2010 through to 2012, and again from 2022 to 2025 Fat-tailed Dunnarts, a small native marsupial may be seen, with most sightings in drier years.

On warm nights in summer some reptiles may be observed, most commonly the Curl Snake (Suta Suta), occasionally Tesselated Gecko and in just a few locations the rare Eastern Hooded Scalyfoot (Pygopus schaderi). After rain various frogs appear, including the Suddell’s Frog (Neobatrachus suddelli), Spotted Marsh Frog and Eastern Banjo Frog

As a licenced tour operator we follow specifically developed ethical guidelines when observing wildlife in the grasslands at night, including keeping our distance and limiting the time spent with each animal. Birds found with young or a nest are immediately left alone. Images above are taken with a zoom lens and cropped.