South Australia & Tasmania Tour

In the 19th century, the British Empire chose Tasmania as a penal site because of its utter isolation from civilization. Today, this same characteristic makes it a stellar choice for wilderness enthusiasts. Much of Tasmania remains untouched, and its peculiar critters abound. Join Apex on this 18-day South Australia and Tasmania wildlife tour to see the fabulous flora and fauna that have resulted from this isolation. Experience Aussie classics like kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, and Koalas on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island. Head to Tasmania’s shores for endemics like the Tasmanian Devil, Eastern Quoll, Tasmanian Pademelon, and Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle. Watch wombats frolic at one of the convict sites where Britain’s most hardened criminals were once condemned and discover just how non-punitive this corner of the world is now.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7
• Day 8
• Day 9
• Day 10
• Day 11
• Day 12
• Day 13
• Day 14
• Day 15
• Day 16
• Day 17
• Day 18

• Thursday, October 16: Arrive Adelaide, Australia

  Arrive in South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital and settle into your hotel. Meet your fellow travelers and expedition leaders at a welcome dinner this evening. Dinner and overnight at Stamford Grand Hotel on Glenelg Beach.

• Friday, October 17: Adelaide / Kangaroo Island

  A short flight takes you to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, located just 10 miles off the mainland. KI, as it’s known to locals, is famed for its thriving wildlife populations. Here, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, New Zealand Fur Seals, Australian Sea Lions, and Koalas live in impressive numbers. Tour Cygnet Park, a habitat restoration project that protects the feeding and nesting habitat of the endangered Glossy-black Cockatoos. Visit Stokes Bay to look for Tammar Wallabies, Koalas, Australian Pelicans, and an endemic subspecies of Western Gray Kangaroo. At Seal Bay Conservation Park, walk amongst hundreds of endangered Australian Sea Lions peppered along the beach. Explore the Bay of Shoals and Reeves Point, looking for bush-dwelling birds like Superb Fairy-wrens, Crescent Honeyeaters, and Rainbow and Purple-crowned Lorikeets, as well as Crested and Caspian Terns and Black Swans. Dinner and overnight at Aurora Ozone Kingscote Hotel.

• Saturday, October 18: Kangaroo Island

  Continue your exploration of KI today. At Baudin Conservation Park, look for Tammar Wallabies, KI Kangaroos, and Wedge-tailed Eagles. Admirals Arch is a rock bridge that provides a haul-out for fur seals. Look for terns, Australasian Gannets, shearwaters, Pacific Gulls, and maybe even Southern Emu-wrens. In Flinders Chase National Park, view the Remarkable Rocks, a cluster of precariously balanced granite boulders shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray, and rain over some 500 million years. Dinner and overnight at Aurora Ozone Kingscote Hotel.

• Sunday, October 19: Kangaroo Island / Adelaide / Barossa Valley

  Start the day at Pennington Bay, situated at the narrowest part of the island. Continue east to Pelican Lagoon to look for kangaroos and through tea-tree thickets for Tammar Wallabies. Visit the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, established in 1852 to warn sailors traversing the treacherous Backstairs Passage. Later this afternoon, transfer to the airstrip for your return flight to Adelaide. Located on the outskirts north of Adelaide is the picturesque Barossa Valley, where you will enjoy dinner and overnight at Novotel Barossa Valley Resort.

• Monday, October 20: Barossa Valley / Port Augusta / Ikara-Flinders Ranges

  After breakfast, head out for a full day’s drive north. Stop for lunch at charming Port Augusta, on the shores of Spencer Gulf. Continue to the breathtaking Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, covering 370 square miles and comprising the tallest mountain range in South Australia. Formed some 800 million years ago, the park boasts geological wonders at every turn, most notably the land formation known as Wilpena Pound (“Ikara” in the local Adnyamathanha language), a natural amphitheater of mountains. Settle into the only accommodation located within the park, Wilpena Pound Resort, for dinner and overnight.

• Tuesday, October 21: Ikara-Flinders Ranges

  Enjoy breakfast at the lodge, then head to Brachina Gorge, which meanders through jagged sawtooth ridges. A walk along the “Corridors Through Time” Geological Trail will take you through 130 million years of earth’s history, with interpretive signage to indicate landmarks and some fossils that date back to the Ediacaran Period, the first geological period to be declared in the southern hemisphere. The scree slopes on the western side of the gorge are home to a portion of the largest population of Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies in Australia, with an estimated 2,000 individuals in the Flinders Ranges. Stop and watch the wallabies skitter across the rocky outcrops and bask in the sun. You may also see Red and Western Grey Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos, Tawny Dragons, Sand Goannas, Shingleback Lizards, Short-beaked Echidnas, Emus, and Wedge-tailed Eagles. Dinner and overnight at Wilpena Pound Resort.

• Wednesday, October 22: Ikara-Flinders Ranges / Clare Valley / Barossa Valley

  This morning, visit the indigenous cave paintings at Arkaroo Rock. This is a significant cultural site for the Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges featuring ochre and charcoal images that depict the Yura Muda (Dreaming or creation story) of Ikara. Afterward, return to Barossa Valley via the Clare Valley, one of Australia’s most important wine regions. Known mainly for its Riesling, Clare Valley is home to over 30 wineries, some dating back to the 1850s. Drive past Clare’s vineyards, rolling hills, and quaint towns, and stop in at a winery to taste the local fare for lunch. Dinner and overnight at Novotel Barossa Valley Resort.

• Thursday, October 23: Barossa Valley / Adelaide / Melbourne

  Head to the airport this morning for a flight southeast to Melbourne, the stylish capital of the state of Victoria. Take a walking tour of the dramatic Gothic Revival and Neoclassical facades of the central city, built furiously with 1850s Victorian Gold Rush wealth. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, and overnight at Park Hyatt.

• Friday, October 24: Melbourne / Hobart, Tasmania

  This morning, fly to Hobart, Australia’s southernmost capital. One of Australia’s oldest European-settled cities, the area was home to the Muwinina people for centuries before Dutch explorer Abel Tasman arrived in 1642. Situated in the foothills of Kunanyi/Mt. Wellington, at the mouth of the Derwent River, Tasmania’s capital is rich in natural beauty and culturally vibrant. Visit the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, which operates the largest wildlife rescue service in Tasmania and is committed to getting animals rehabilitated and back to the wild. Learn about the work being done to protect the Tasmanian Devil. Dinner and overnight at Hobart MACq 01.

• Saturday, October 25: Hobart / Melaleuca / Hobart

  Conditions permitting, take a flight to the remote outpost of Melaleuca. Head over the Derwent River and down the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Enter the wilds of the Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area, largely untouched by humans save for the tiny settlement of Melaleuca. Explore Melaleuca proper with the chance to see the critically-endangered Orange-bellied Parrot at the Deny King Bird Hide along with the elusive Eastern Ground Parrot, Striated Fieldwren, and Beautiful Firetail. Walk the Needwonnee Boardwalk to view natural sculptural installations that share the stories of the Aboriginal Needwonnee people. Fly back to Hobart late this afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Hobart MACq 01.

• Sunday, October 26: Hobart / Bruny Island

  After breakfast, travel over to Bruny Island, separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and accessed by a vehicle ferry. On the short ferry ride watch for Australian Fur Seals and Little Blue Penguins foraging for food in the channel. Spend the day visiting a variety of habitats on the island, from coastal beaches for Hooded Plover, Pied and Sooty Oystercatcher, Pacific and Kelp Gull, to rainforest areas in search of Pink Robin and the endemic Scrubtit, Tasmanian Scrubwren, and Tasmanian Thornbill. Visit Inala Nature Reserve, a privately owned 1,500-acre conservation nature reserve which is home to all 12 Tasmanian endemic bird species, including one of the largest known colonies of endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote. Strong-billed, Yellow-throated, and Black-headed Honeyeaters, Dusky Robin, and Green Rosella are also found here. Several hides and platforms have also been built around the property which provide close views of some very special species, including a variety of raptors. At this time of year, we can expect to see the endangered white color morph of Grey Goshawk, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Brown Goshawk, Brown Falcon, and possibly the Wedge-tailed Eagle. In the evening, drive in search of Tasmania’s nocturnal marsupials, including Eastern Quoll (a relative of the Tasmanian Devil), Tasmanian Pademelon, Bennett’s Wallaby, and Brush-tailed Possum. With luck, also see Long-nosed Potoroo and some nocturnal birds like Tawny Frogmouth and Tasmanian Boobook. Overnight at Bruny Lodge.

• Monday, October 27: Bruny Island / Port Arthur / Hobart

  Today, head back to the mainland and on to the town of Port Arthur for a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Port Arthur Historic Site, one of 11 remnant penal sites built in the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries. From 1833 to 1877, Port Arthur was the destination for some of the most hardened convicted British criminals. Next, head east to the dolerite sea cliffs of Tasman National Park, teeming with wildlife. Look for threatened bird species such as Swift Parrot, Hooded Plover, and White-bellied Sea Eagle, as well as an array of iconic Tasmanian mammals, including wallabies, wombats, quolls, bettongs, potoroos, antechinuses, and bandicoots. With luck, spot the elusive Tasmanian Devil in the area. This afternoon, return to Hobart.Dinner and overnight at Hobart MACq 01.

• Tuesday, October 28: Hobart / Maria Island / Hamilton

  Head east for a ferry ride to Maria Island, known as “Australia’s Noah’s Ark,” as it’s an island national park with no residents and no predators. Maria is home to healthy populations of wombats, Tasmanian Pademelons, Bennett’s Wallabies, and 11 of the 12 endemic Tasmanian bird species. When Forester Kangaroos, Cape Barren Geese, and Tasmanian Devils were threatened on the mainland, they were brought to Maria Island to restore their numbers. Historically, the natural features that make it an ideal sanctuary for threatened species also made it an important penal colony. Upon arrival, find yourself in the 1825-era convict site at Darlington. Here, take a guided tour to see the many Common Wombats skittering among the historical buildings. Take a stroll around the northern part of the island, with outstanding scenery and the chance of seeing many bird species including Cape Barren Geese, Australasian Pipit, and Flame Robins on the grazed grasslands. Plus, the chance of Swift Parrot, migratory cuckoos, and several species of honeyeaters in the wooded areas. Later this afternoon, travel to Hamilton in the Tasmanian midlands. Dinner and overnight at the picturesque Curringa Farmstay.

• Wednesday, October 29: Hamilton

  After breakfast, ascend the winding road to Tasmania’s oldest—and one of its most diverse—national parks, Mount Field. Walk among towering tree ferns and some of the world’s tallest eucalypts. Visit the alpine moorland at Lake Dobson to look for Platypus. Mammals that are extinct on the Australian mainland, such as the Eastern Quoll and Eastern Barred Bandicoot, have also been spotted here. Look for endemic birds such as the Tasmanian Native Hen, Scrubtit, Yellow Wattlebird, Black Currawong, and Tasmanian Thornbill. There’s even a chance you’ll see the exquisite Pink Robin. Dinner and overnight at Curringa Farmstay.

• Thursday, October 30: Hamilton / Cradle Mountain

  Head northwest to Cradle Mountain–Lake St. Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The park spans 625 square miles and comprises some of Australia’s most stunning and diverse landscapes, from the 5,000-foot-high Cradle Mountain to glacier-sculpted valleys, grassland, and temperate rainforest with ancient Tasmanian endemic plants like the Tanglefoot, King Billy Pine, and Pandani. Dinner and overnight at Cradle Mountain Hotel.

• Friday, October 31: Cradle Mountain

  Spend the day exploring the park. Hike around Dove Lake, with the spectacular backdrop of Cradle Mountain’s jagged peaks hanging over you as you go. The Rainforest Walk takes you along a short trail among fragrant Myrtle and towering Pencil Pines that leads to a lovely lookout point over Pencil Pine Falls. Look for wombats, wallabies, and echidnas as you go. Visit Walheim, the replica hut built on the site of Gustav Weindorfer’s original home, a naturalist whose passion was instrumental in the establishment of the national park protection of this area. Enjoy dinner at the hotel, then join guides on a night spotting tour. Look for wallabies, wombats, and possums, as well as the rare Tasmanian Devil and Spotted-tail and Eastern Quolls. Overnight at Cradle Mountain Hotel.

• Saturday, November 1: Cradle Mountain / Northern Tasmania

  Head to the north coast of Tasmania and Narawntapu National Park, consisting of coastal heathlands and grasslands, wetlands, and dry sclerophyll woodlands. Here, there will be ample opportunity to spot local marsupials in the open plains, like the Tasmanian Pademelon and Red-necked Wallaby, as well as many birds, including honeyeaters, Green Rosellas, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, raptors, robins, wrens, and fantails. After a farewell dinner, enjoy one last evening spotlighting to search for Southern Brown Bandicoot and Long-nosed Potoroo. Overnight at Hawley House.

• Sunday, November 2: Northern Tasmania / Devonport / Depart

  This morning, transfer to the airport at Devonport for your flights homeward.