Tour Highlights
- 3 Grasswrens, Grey Falcon, 10 Grass Finches
- 5 Bowerbirds, 1 Bird of Paradise
- Max. 4 guests & 1 guide / luxury 4WD
- 2 Exceptional local tour operators
- Conservation surveys & donations
- 16+ local endemics
- Fully accommodation, all meals
- Category
Start
Darwin
End
Cairns
- Birdwatching focus
- high
- Wildlife focus
- low
- Photography focus
- moderate
- Culture focus
- low
- Walks rating
- easy | moderate
- Number of boat cruises
- Public2Private0
- Sleeping options
- ensuite
Tour notes & Add-ons
Darwin • Tennant Creek • Barkly Tablelands • Mount Isa • Lawn Hill Gorge • Gulf of Carpentaria • Atherton Tablelands • Cairns
Flexible Covid-19 booking conditions – enquire for details
Be part of this epic Australia-first birdwatching adventure to experience “Simply the best of North Australian Birding” tours. With a maximum of 4 guests, experience excellence in service whilst travelling in luxury 4WD Toyota Land Cruisers under the professional guidance of two of Australia’s most experienced birdwatching guides, Luke Paterson from NT Bird Specialists (Darwin) and David Mead from Great Northern Birdwatching Tours (Cairns).
Explore the best inland birdwatching sites northern Australia has to offer on a fully accommodated outback birding adventure of a lifetime.
Be prepared for outstanding birdwatching results finding rare and endemic Australian bird species including: 3 Grasswrens (Dusky, Kalkadoon & Carpentarian Grasswren); Grey Falcon; Cloncurry & Hooded Parrot; Purple-crowned Fairywren; Painted & Gouldian Finch; Pictorella Mannikin; Yellow Chat; Flock Bronzewing; 5 Bowerbirds (Great, Spotted, Tooth-billed, Satin & Golden Bowerbird); 2 Pittas (Noisy & Rainbow Pitta); Lesser Sooty Owl; Chestnut Rail; 1 bird of paradise (Victoria’s Riflebird); 16+ local endemics including Fernwren, Golden Bowerbird, Atherton Scrubwren, Chowchilla, Pied Monarch, Black-throated Finch; over 10 species of grass finch and more!
For the best local knowledge you’ll depart Darwin to Mount Isa with Luke, then journey Mount Isa to Cairns with David or vice versa. (Departures from Darwin or Cairns pending final group size). Spaces limited to 4 guests per vehicle. Please book early.
Enquire to book this as a private or photography tour.
Regions Visited
- Darwin
- Pine Creek
- Katherine
- Mataranka
- Tenannt Creek
- Barkly Tablelands
- Camooweal
- Mount Isa
- Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill)
- Karumba
- Atherton Tablelands
- Cairns
Tour Route
Tour Gallery
Day by Day Itinerary
Contact Us For Full itineraryItinerary overview
Be a part of this new birdwatching opportunity, witnessing dramatic changes in avifauna and breathtaking country crossing 4,500km through the Northern Territory’s tropical Top End in Darwin and Pine Creek, exploring the vast arid zones of Tennant Creek, Barkly Tablelands and outback Queensland at Mt Isa, before traversing the tropical savannahs of Lawn Hill and the Gulf of Carpentaria on route to tropical north Queensland’s coastal forests in Atherton Tablelands and Cairns.
We’ll show you an incredible diversity of Australia’s birds and showcase the beauty of our remote NT and QLD outback biding locations. Our tour brings multiple benefits to birds and conservation programs, birdwatchers, remote communities and sustainable tour operators over vast distances. This rare collaboration between two local birding tour operators working together in remote Australia ensures guests receive the best local knowledge available from the local birding ‘experts’ within their regions.
Guests who join this tour will get to see some birds that see very few people. We will explore 7 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in 17 days, seeking some of Australia’s most important birds, who’s presence indicates the health of the ecosystems they inhabit. We’ll conduct a few KBA BirdData surveys during the tour in sites few birders get to go.
Your tour payments will provide additional benefits with a donation being made to Finches Queensland programs.
Please note: A/C ensuite motel rooms or cabins used throughout. Accommodation standards vary in remote areas and we have long days in the field. Moderate fitness levels are required.
We encourage Birdlife Australia’s Ethical Birding Guidelines and the Australian Birdlife’s Photographers’ Code of Ethics during our tours.
Contact us for full itinerary.
Highlights:
* Seeking endemic, rare and iconic birds and wildlife in a diverse range of tropical habitats (over 400 bird species in the region)
*Safety and comfort from our experienced and professional team
*Numerous opportunities to capture brilliant photographic moments
*Enjoying excellent interpretation and customer services
*Travelling to stunning remote natural landscapes, largely unpopulated by people
*Immersing in your surroundings while cruising rivers, wetlands and lakes
*Experiencing ancient and modern aboriginal cultures, occupation and rock art sites
*Exploring World Heritage National Parks
*Enjoying flexibility during private tours
*Making the most out of daylight hours, optimising time spent in the outback
*Birds! Birds! Birds! Birds! Birds!
*Genuine small group touring
*Assurance of touring with an award-winning Australian Accredited Tourism Business and Licensed Commercial Tour Operator
*Contact us for pre and post-tour activities and accommodation
Key bird species:
Chestnut Rail, Beach Stone-curlew, Green-backed Gerygone, Rainbow Pitta, Helmeted Friarbird, Grey Goshawk, Silver-backed Butcherbird, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Red-winged Parrot, Little Eagle, Arafura Fantail, Nankeen Night Heron, Weebill, Red-backed Fairywren, Plumed Whistling Duck, Varied Lorikeet, Gouldian Finch, Masked Finch,
Painted Finch, Long-tailed Finch, Crimson Finch, Double-barred Finch, Northern Rosella, White-throated Gerygone, Bush Stone-curlew, Hooded Parrot, Northern Shrike-tit, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Varied Sittella (race leucoptera), Red-browed Pardalote, Cockatiel, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Whistling
Kite, Black Kite, Collared Sparrowhawk, Grey Falcon, Flock Bronzewing, Black Falcon, Yellow Chat, Rufous Owl, Lovely Fairywren, Papuan Frogmouth, Carpentarian Grasswren, Dusky Grasswren, Crested Bellbird, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Crimson Chat, Kalkadoon Grasswren, Australian Ringneck (Cloncurry Parrot), Spotted Bowerbird,
Apostlebird, Sandstone Shrike-thrush, Little Woodswallow, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Purple-crowned Fairywren, Barking Owl, Buff-sided Robin, Budgerigar, Black-breasted Buzzard, Mangrove Robin, Red-headed Honeyeater, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Yellow White-eye, Mangrove Grey Fantail, Eastern Osprey, White-breasted Whistler, Brolga,
Sarus Crane, Australian Bustard, Black-necked Stork, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Masked Finch (sub species Leucotis or White-eared), Black-throated Finch, Plum-headed Finch, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Spotted Cat Bird, Squatter Pigeon, Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Golden Bowerbird, Chowchilla, Fernwren, Pied Monarch, Macleay’s
Honeyeater, Bridled Honeyeater, Grey-headed Robin and more.
Inclusions
* 1 Experienced and professional award-winning bird guide and tour operation from NT Bird Specialists
* 1 Experienced and professional bird guide and tour operation from Great Northern Birdwatching Tours
* Excellence in guiding skill and local natural history knowledge
* Small groups (minimum 3, maximum 4 guests per vehicle).
* Please enquire for private or larger group bookings.16 nights ensuite air-conditioned accommodation
* All meals (breakfast, lunch dinner) *please notify us of allergies at time of booking
* Cool water refills
* Hotel pick up and drop off
* Transport in luxury 4WD Land Cruisers with 4WD trailers
* Trip bird list
* Spotting scope, binoculars and digital and printed field guides to share
* National Park permits and entry fees
* Emergency communications and first-aid kit
* Assurance of travelling with an award-winning Australian Accredited Tourism Business and Licensed Commercial Tour Operator and Vehicle
* Read our 5 star reviews
Exclusions
* Airfares
* Airport taxes
* Airport transfers
* Internet charges
* Phone calls
* Laundry
* Passport and visa fees
* Food/drinks/alcoholic beverages not stated on the itinerary
* Evening meal drinks (incl. Alcoholic beverages)
* Excess baggage and activities
* Personal shopping
* Gratuities
* Anything not specified in your itinerary are excluded from the price of the tour
Covid-19 update
We have amended our payment requirements for this tour to help birders adapt to Covid-19 challenges:
A 10% deposits will be required to confirm your booking (usually 20%)
Full payment is not due until 60 days prior to departure (26 May 2021) and can be paid in installments
Deposits will be converted to a tour credit if travel is interrupted due to Covid-19
Contactless payment methods by credit card or bank transfer
Full health and hygiene standards applied during tour
*Conditions apply
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