Australian alternatives to an overseas wildlife safari holiday
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Have you been dreaming of going on a safari to see animals in far away places like Africa, North America or Sri Lanka?
You should know we actually also have incredible wildlife experiences right here in Australia. The problem is, a lot of people don’t realise it or don’t spend the money required to see the more unique wildlife of Australia.
Is it worth spending money on guided tours in Australia?
Yesterday my family was sitting around chatting and we agreed that we were often reluctant to spend money on day trips and guided tours in Australia even though we all happily do so overseas. When I go to Africa one day I would never dream of not spending money on guided wildlife watching, in fact that pretty much the only thing I will spend my money on again and again
And I think not paying for local experts is one of the biggest mistakes we make when travelling in our own country, especially when it comes to spotting the unique and amazing wildlife we have always dreamed of seeing. And often this leaves us to come home disappointed.
For example, in 2017 my friend and I drove around Mission Beach in Queensland looking for Cassowaries for 3 days. While we paid to do a boat trip because it was land we just thought well we can do that ourselves. And If we had just bothered to find the money to book on a day trip with a company I follow on Instagram, there is a solid chance they would have found me cassowaries as they know all the best local spots to find them and regularly see them on their tours.
So in conclusion, while you don’t HAVE to spend money on guided tours in these places, it can dramatically increase your opportunities of spotting wildlife and enhance your experience. And in some special circumstances, the only way to interact with some species is on a highly regulated tour.
Australian Safari Destinations
The size of Australia means the diversity and abundance of wildlife varies dramatically all over Australia, from big red kangaroos to tiny nocturnal species and everything in between. So this is by no means a complete list but it does give you some places to start planning to see unique wildlife in Australia.
Kakadu National Park – NT
One of the best destinations in Australia to spot unique wildlife, it doesn’t get much more wild than Kakadu National Park.
To spot crocodiles and lots of bird species you want to book as much time on cruises as possible. You will see birds and wallabies around the park but to fully appreciate everything that makes Kakadu ecosystems so unique you need to go on a boat!
There are two Indigenous owned companies that run cruises in the park. Kakadu Tourism owned by Mungguy Aboriginal people run the cruises at Yellow Waters located more towards the southern end of Kakadu and Bininj Aboriginal people own Kakadu Cultural tours who run the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise. The cruises are unique and both focus both include a focus on culture as well as the chance to enjoy the landscapes and spot crocodiles and birds spotted.
If you are on a tight budget once the section of the park opens for dry season you can usually spot crocodiles at Cahills crossing. If you spend time walking and exploring you may be able to spot kingfishers around the bridges at rivers, Jacanas at billabongs, wallabies and birds of prey from the roadsides and bushwalks depending on the habitats.
Daintree National Park/Wet Tropics – QLD
The Daintree and Unesco Wet Tropics World Heritage area in northern Queensland of Australia is really special just for the beautiful rainforest landscapes before you even add in the wildlife.
This area of Australia is home to tree kangaroos, cassowaries, the cute and tiny Musky Rat Kangaroo and many other mammals. Thankfully there are specialised wildlife watching tours available to help you find them.
Plus it’s also crocodile habitat and while not as highly populated as the northern territory you can still spot crocodiles on the fantastic Daintree River Cruises.
If you’re only on a flying visit you can still get a chance to see wildlife by including a cruise and seeing the small wild population of residential tree Kangaroos at the Narada tea house.
Western End of the Gibb River Road – WA
Much more shy than their bigger cousins, freshwater crocodiles can be a lot harder to see in some regions. However, they are found in abundance at the Dimalurru (Tunnel creek) national park on the western end of the Gibb river road which is a popular destination to go freshwater crocodile spotting.
Ningaloo Reef
One of the world’s longest fringing reefs, Ningaloo is famous for its opportunities to go on specially licenced boat tours to swim with whale sharks or humpback whales.
Do be prepared to budget for the tours though as there are limited numbers and the whale shark tour process involves a plane that spots these ocean giants to point the boats in the right direction.
For keen divers, you might like to time a trip with the coral spawning events.
If you are on a tight budget you can pay to camp in Cape Range National Park and snorkel off the beach in several beautiful bays.
Tasmanian Roadtrip
Tasmania is an incredible place to spot native mammals, with animals like Potoroos, wombats and possums fairly easily spotted in the National Parks. The only unfortunate part is there is so much wildlife that many are killed by vehicles on the roadside so drive slowly to protect the local species.
Tasmania also has great opportunities to go on boat cruises to spot wildlife such as seals, dolphins and sea birds.
Kangaroo Island – SA
Kangaroo Island is one of the best places in Australia to safely and easily view amazing wild Sea Lions. You can do the paid self-guided boardwalk at any time during opening hours or book on a paid guided tour to walk down on the beach near the Sea Lions.
You will also spot wallabies and other wildlife around the Island and can book a guided boat cruise to see dolphins frolicking in the water.
Heron Island
Heron Island (accessible by boat or helicopter transfer from Gladstone on the Qld coast) is a haven for marine species and is much loved for its opportunities to snorkel close to the island from the beach or a short boat trip. It’s a great place to spot wildlife such as turtles, birds, whales, rays and other species.
Heron Island also has a handy ‘Wildlife Calander’ on their website which can help you choose what time to visit based on what wildlife you most want to see (for example some times of year turtles are nesting, other times they are hatching and mantra rays and whales are more common when migrating through).
Fraser Island
Most famous for its Dingo spotting and stunning landscapes, Fraser Island is also home to hundreds of bird species, large monitor lizards and migrating whales from May to October.
You may even spot sharks and other marine creatures from lookouts with their large populations of tiger and great white shares a reason why swimming from the beach is not a recommended activity (however you can cool down swimming in the gorgeous inland lakes system).