Wildlife and Forests Day Tour

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Wildlife and Forests Day Tour

Adventure and Outdoors Tours
Nature and wildlife
1 min guests
10 max guests

Highlights

  • Explore lush rainforests and eucalypt forests, spotting wild koalas and kangaroos in their natural habitat.
  • Experience the enchanting glow of thousands of glowworms in a man-made cave, visible only at night.
  • Walk through a koala enclosure, gaining insight into their ecology and behaviour in a safe environment.
  • Savour a delightful morning tea and lunch amidst the stunning landscapes of Greater Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

See wildlife in forests in Greater Brisbane, the SCENIC rim and the Gold Coast. Visit rainforests, eucalypt forests and tea-tree wetland, looking for wild koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, fruitbats, birds, lizards (in warmer months), butterflies and other wildlife, and learn about their ecology and behaviour. There are no guarantees of particular species, but you will certainly see wildlife. Visit a realistic man-made cave to see thousands of glowworms (only visible at night in the wild) and walk through a koala enclosure run by National Parks. Experience the rainforest canopy on a safe elevated platform. Morning tea and lunch included. All ages welcome.

Itinerary highlights

Daisy Hill Koala Centre

A National Park Koala Information Centre with a walk-through koala enclosure, and easy walking tracks through eucalypt forest and tea tree wetland, with good birdlife and chance of wild wallabies and koala.

Cedar Creek Estate

Thousands of glow worms are living and breeding in an artificial cave with lights timed to turn night into day and vice versa. The cave was built in consultation with glow worm experts, to take pressure off wild populations of glow worms and give visitors a chance to view them by day. Native frogs can also be seen in terraria at Frog Hollow, and scorpions that glow under ultraviolet light. A rainforest corridor has been established to link the forest t either side. Since the cave is on a vineyard property, there is also an option of wine-tasting if time permits.

Tamborine Rainfoirest Skywalk

An easy and safe walk through the canopy of the rainforest (wheel-chair compatible) as well as ground-level walking tracks through the forest to a clear mountain stream. Tall eucalypts grow at at the edge of the rainforest. The beautiful Richmond birding butterfly (second-largest butterfly in Australia) is often seen visiting flowers in warm sunny weather. Wompoo fruit doves and other fruit-eating birds feed on bungalow fruits in late spring. Other birds and goannas are often seen.

Coombabah Lake Conservation Park

Many wild kangaroos and wallabies come out to graze on the grasses of this council reserve in the late afternoon and usually at least one or two koalas are spotted. A gentle walk leads through sheoak, eucalyptus and tea-tree woodlands, with many birds to see along the way.

Toohey Forest

Tour details

  • Adventure and Outdoors Tours
  • Nature and wildlife
  • Full Day
  • Land – Motorised
  • Land – Self Propelled
  • Small Group Tour
  • Basic
  • On demand

Features

Service facilities

  • Family Friendly
  • Non Smoking
  • Public Toilet

Sevice Activity

  • Birdwatching
  • Walks
Accessibility

Disabled access available, contact operator for details.

Operation information

Araucaria Ecotours

Wildlife experts take small-group tours (usually from Brisbane) to mountains, rainforests, bushland, wetlands, beaches and genuine outback habitats to seek kangaroos, koalas, birds, reptiles, frogs and other wildlife and enhance understanding of their ecology and what makes our wildlife different from other regions.

Day tours include minimal-impact wildlife-viewing (kangaroos, koalas, bats, birds, lizards, glow worms etc.), bird-watching in forest and wetlands (beginners welcome), and an attractive little island close to Brisbane with white sandy beaches, mangroves and coastal woodlands.

A 3-day wildlife overview tour introduces Australia’s major groups of wildlife and ecosystems while viewing wildlife in a variety of habitats and includes a free copy of the book “Understanding Australia’s Wildlife” by Araucaria proprietor Ronda Green.

Multi-day outback tours are run in Spring and Autumn.

All regular tours have achieved advanced Eco-Certification and Araucaria has been entered into the Hall of Fame by Ecotourism Australia.

Custom tours (day-trip or multi-day) are possible with sufficient notice.

The proprietors contribute to various wildlife conservation and research projects, and guests have opportunities to be citizen scientists or conservation volunteers.

All ages and fitness levels are welcome on most tours.

Weekend nature activities are conducted for families, groups or individuals.

The Scenic Rim Wildlife Ecology Centre and nature trails on the Araucaria property are under-going renovation but partially open.

Activities

  • Birdwatching
  • Camping
  • Swimming
  • Walks

Tags

  • Adventure
  • Beaches & Surf
  • Experience is charged
  • Family
  • Nature & Wildlife

Accreditations

  • ECO Certified (Advanced Ecotourism) by Ecotourism Australia

Memberships

  • Queensland Tourism Industry Council
  • Regional Tourist/Tourism Association/Organisation
  • QLD – Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA)
  • QLD – Destination Scenic Rim

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