Wildlife around Australia

	Australian Capital Territory
	New South Wales
	Northern Territory
	Queensland
	South Australia
	Tasmania
	Victoria
	Western Australia

Further details on Australia's wildlife species

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is home to Australia's capital city, Canberra, and is the smallest State or Territory in the country. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, south-west of Canberra is a great place to see kangaroos, koalas and other native fauna in a natural setting. The National Aquarium and Australian Wildlife Sanctuary near the city also features kangaroos, koalas, dingoes, marine and freshwater fish and little (fairy) penguins. 

New South Wales

Even in Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, you can see thousands of flying foxes and an array of beautiful and colourful birds. In the famous Blue Mountains near Sydney, you can see Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Swamp Wallabies, lyrebirds, honeyeaters, lorikeets, parrots and glow worms, to name a few. Byron Bay, Australia's most easterly point, has great Humpback whale viewing in winter and spring on their migratory path from Antarctica to the northern breeding grounds and back again. Port Stephens is a prime location to see the resident bottlenose dolphins playing and frolicking in the bay. Along the south coast, hundreds of Australian fur seals sun themselves on the rocks and little (fairy) penguins parade up the dunes as they return from their daily feeding at sea. A unique bird and wildlife observatory near Jamberoo, south of Wollongong, provides the perfect opportunity to take part in wildlife workshops and see reptiles, frogs, snakes, lyrebirds, firetails, robins, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and the endangered ground parrot. To get a close up view of these beautiful creatures visit Taronga Zoo (0one of the world's most scenic and innovative zoos), the Sydney Aquarium, or any of the many other wildlife parks. 

Northern Territory

The 'Top End' of the Northern Territory is a tropical paradise for wildlife, mostly arid (with an abundance of desert-adapted fauna), but also many pockets of lush greenery. The world-renowned Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory is a permanent home for one-third of Australia's bird species. Billabongs in the park attract a variety of magnificent birds including jabirus, jacanas, spoonbills, kingfishers, magpie geese and egrets. The Top End also offers a wealth of specialised fauna from water pythons, crocodiles, turtles, frill-necked lizards and barramundi to kangaroos, wallabies, emus, dingoes, flying foxes and thorny devils (one of the world's wedirdest-lookng lizards). Further South, you encounter the spectacular scenery of Central Australia including the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock), rich in Anoriginal legend: keep an eye out for euros a species of kangaroo), cockatoos, ringneck parrots, honeyeaters, bustards, zebra finches, kestrels, whistling kites and an abundacne of lizards. wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in NT

Queensland

Queensland is most famous for its reef and rainforests, but also boasts many other habitats. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest in the world, a huge 2000km long structure of coral branches, limestone-coated polyps, sea urchins, anemones, shellfish and tropical reef fish. Snorkelling or diving on the GBR ranks as one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences. In these warmer waters of Queensland you can also find dugongs, sea turtles, dolphins and the largest whale-watching centre in Australia at Hervey Bay. The rainforests of Queensland, including the Daintree in the far north, are teeming with an amazing array of rainforest animals such as pademelons, tree-kangaroos, glowworms, bats, frogs, cassowaries, bandicoots, geckoes, possums, tawny frogmouths, boobook owls, gliders, bandicoots and butterflies.  In fact, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in the is home to 30% of Australia's marsupial species, 60% of its bats, 30% of its frogs, 23% of its reptiles and 18% of its birds. Mon Repos Turtle Rookery near Bundaberg, is the largest hatching ground in eastern Australia for green, loggerhead and Australian flatback turtles. The best time of day to see the turtles nesting is after dark during the months of November through to February. Near Brisbane, the state's capital city, there are numerous parks including (in combination with the contiguous park over the border) the world's largest largest area of rainforest outside of the tropics - Lamington NP combined with the adjoining Border Ranges NP of NSW. Near to Brisbane you can see large colonies of koalas, possums, gliders, kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, dugong, Humpback whales and dolphins. Moreton Island is a wildlife haven where hundreds of species of seabirds and shorebirds congregate and friendly wild dolphins are fed at the popular Tangalooma Resort. And there's so much more..............wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in Qld

South Australia

South Australia boasts over 4000km of coastline along the Great Australian Bight, where Southern right whales can be best seen from the cliffs on their migratory path to warmer waters. Kangaroo Island is world-renowned for its abundant and easily viewed wildlife. It offers abundant populations of kangaroos, koalas, little (fairy) penguins, Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals, sea eagles and ospreys. More than 80% of South Australia is spectacular arid 'Outback' - The Simpson Desert, the Nullarbor Plain and Lake Eyre, one of the world's largest salt lakes which fills with wildflower blooms and attracts thousands of wetland birds each year. Flinders Ranges features striking and ancient rugged mountain scenery, from soaring red cliffs and deep gorges to abundant wildlife such as the beautiful Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby. Great white shark enthusiasts flock to the cool, dark waters off the South Australian coast to see this magnificent king of the ocean. Underground, the beautifully decorated Naracoorte Caves is renowned for its world-class and innovative Bat Cave Video Centre, where you can view the resident bat population via the unique infra-red camera system that monitors the bats form inside the caves...............wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in SA

Tasmania

Tasmania is home to many species of wildlife that are found nowhere else in Australia, and many of them are in great abundance. Being isolated from the mainland, Tasmania is free from predators such as foxes and dingoes that hunt native Australian wildlife. Along the wild rivers and in the deep forests and mountain ranges you may find the Tasmanian devil, pademelons, spotted-tailed quolls, eastern quolls, the Forester kangaroo (Tasmania's only kangaroo), Bennett's wallabies, possums, wombats and platypus. Along the coast you may encounter migratory shorebirds from as far afield as Siberia, such as plovers, oystercatchers, black swans, egrets, cormorants, pelicans, terns, shearwaters and birds of prey. The coastline is also home to numerous marine mammals including dolphins, Australian fur seals, Southern right whales, Humpback whales and Little (fairy) penguins. One of the most accessible places to see a wild Peregrine falcon in Australia is right in the heart of Hobart, Tasmania's capital city. One species you are not likely to see is the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger). This dog-like animal with black stripes on its back and rump died out in 1936, although in recent years there have been reported sightings of this mythical beast in the north of the state! Tasmania is also a little known but fantastic site for diving enthusiasts...............wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in Tas

Victoria

Just south of Melbourne, is Victoria's most famous wildlife watching attraction, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Visitors can see the little (fairy) penguins come ashore each night and waddle up the dunes to their burrows and nesting boxes. Nearby, Seal Rocks is home to almost 9000 Australian fur seals and many sea and shore birds such as pelicans, ibis, royal spoonbills, swans, gulls, terns and shearwaters. In Melbourne itself, do not be surprised to see ringtail and brushtail possums that have adapted to living in an urban area and the wetland bird sanctuary underneath the gigantic Westgate Bridge. The best place to see whales close to shore in Victoria is near Warrnambool, where the Southern right whales pass by every winter. In the west, the Grampians and the Mallee, are a great place to see gliders, owls, the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, possums, echidnas, emus, wedge-tailed eagles, the endangered regent parrot and koalas. If you're keen to meet Fatso, the fat-arsed wombat in the flesh, then head to the Victorian highlands. Mount Buffalo is a prime location to see the Common Wombat and the Bogong High Plains are home to the Bogong Moth, seen swarming in the thousands to the bright lights of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Victoria's high country (part of the 'Australian Alps') is an important habitat for many species such as the endangered Baw Baw frog, the rare Mountain Pygmy Possum (only sub-alpine marsupial in the world), the endangered Leadbeater's Possum, wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, gliders, platypus, snakes, lizards, cockatoos, galahs, crimson rosellas, kookaburras, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and lyrebirds. The fern valleys and sandy beaches of Wilsons Promontory make up part of the 'Wildlife Coast' (Victoria's south-east coast), where wildlife is abundant and easily observed. The dense forests and coastal inlets of eastern Victoria provide a great chance to see large goannas, dingos, dolphins, Glossy-black Cockatoos, kangaroos, echidnas, wallabies, possums, potoroos, king parrots, terns, lyrebirds and the rare smoky mouse and ground parrot............... wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in Vic

Western Australia

Western Australia covers approximately one-third of the Australian continent, yet contains less than one-tenth of the country's population. It is a vast land of rugged outback, clear blue tropical waters and wildflowers that bloom in brilliant colours every spring. In the far north, you will find ancient boab trees in the Kimberley region and one of Australia's greatest natural wonders, the Bungle Bungles large beehive-shaped rock formations. Ningaloo Reef is the second largest coral reef in Australia and offers the unique opportunity to swim the biggest fish in the sea - the whale shark. The Ningaloo coast is also a great spot to see Humpback whales, large schools of manta rays, emus, galahs, ibis, herons, ospreys, euros and Black-footed Rock-wallabies. Shark Bay is not only famous for its friendly wild bottlenose dolphins at Monkey Mia, but also turtles, manta rays, dugongs and school sharks. On Rottnest Island, a daytrip from the capital city of Perth lives the small marsupial, the Quokka. The Quokka is found nowhere else in Australia or in the world, apart from on this island, and they will let you walk right up to them! The southern corner of the state is known as the garden of Western Australia and is a perfect birdwatching destination to see honeyeaters, the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, whistlers, stints and nearly 30 types of parrots. Southern right whales can be seen from the Albany coast in the winter months and Western Grey Kangaroos, echidnas, euros, bilbies, potoroos, bandicoots, Woylies (Brush-tailed Bettong), Boodies (Burrowing Bettong) and the numbat, which is only found in Western Australia, can be seen in the national parks close to the city............... wildlife tours, accommodation and attractions in WA