Australia's Remarkable Wildlife
The Tropical North
September 9 to 24, 2010

The Centre from Alice Springs to Uluru, Kakadu in the Top End, and North Queensland

Eucalypt Forest, Atherton Tablelands

Begin your Aussie experience with a true outback adventure in the heart of Australia. Spend four days in The Red Centre traveling from Alice Springs to beautiful and remote Kings Canyon and then to famous Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)! Fly to Darwin for three days in the Top End at Kakadu National Park, featuring the best time of year for a boat cruise on Yellow Waters Lagoon. Visit ancient sites with beautiful rock paintings and incredible wildlife. The North Queensland journey begins on the Atherton Tablelands with fabulous birds, several species of kangaroos, and even Platypus. Night spot in the Misty Mountains for owls, rare ringtail possums, tree kangaroos, and more on a beautiful forest reserve owned by our resident guide, Jonathan Munro. Then descend back to Cairns for snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef with the option of a second full day Reef trip or a free day in Cairns. We are really excited to have Australian biologist and superb guide, Tonia Cochran, leading throughout along with some of the best regional resident naturalists in these rich wildlife areas of Australia.

At a Glance

Companion Safari: Extend your stay in Australia by adding southern Australia, Lamington National Park to Kangaroo Island and Tasmania, immediately after this safari.

Extension: Add an extra three-day extension in beautiful Lamington National Park with nights at the famous O'Reilly's Mountain Resort.

Cost: $6,900 per person, double occupancy, based on 0.85 USD = 1.00 AUD. Review cost details.

Leaders: Tonia Cochran throughout, Harry Osborne in Central Australia, Darryel "Biggles" Binns at the Top End, and Jonathan Munro in North Queensland.

Size: 15 plus leaders.

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in wildlife (mammals, birds and reptiles) and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in June 2010. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

Meals included are indicated by B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, * = meal on flight.

September 9 - 11, Thursday - Saturday Flights to Alice Springs via Sydney
Schedule international flight connections so that you are able to depart from Sydney for Alice Springs by the morning of Saturday, September 11, losing one day if crossing the International Dateline. See complete flight information. Consider arriving a day or two earlier to have time on your own in Sydney to go to the opera, climb the famous Sydney Bridge and/or walk in the Sydney Botanical Gardens to find beautiful flora, birds, and Grey-headed Flying Fox, one of the large fruit bats that roosts in huge fig trees there. Alternatively, arrive in Alice Springs a day or so before the start of the tour and visit the Alice Springs Desert Park with excellent wildlife exhibits and hundreds of species of native fauna and flora. Arriving early also gives time to recover from possible jetlag. At the latest, be at the Sydney Domestic Airport on Saturday morning for your flight to Alice Springs, arriving midday. Have a good breakfast before boarding, as the food service on the flight is not a full meal. Both Tonia Cochran and your local guide, Harry Osborne, will be at the airport waiting to greet you. Check in at the hotel in Alice Springs and meet any members of the group who may have arrived earlier, then travel to the Botanic Gardens for a late picnic lunch and a great opportunity to see many resident birds. Visit the Telegraph Station, an interesting area four miles north of Alice Springs that is both rich in wildlife and history. During the late afternoon, we also aim to see Black-flanked Rock-wallaby and Euro (Common Wallaroo). Enjoy a welcome dinner together this evening in Alice Springs. (L.D.)

September 12, Sunday: Wallace Rockhole, Mereenie Loop, and Kings Canyon
After an early breakfast, depart from Alice Springs and head for Wallace Rockhole, an outstation of the Hermannsburg Mission. Here we will take a tour with an Aboriginal guide from the local Aranda community to hear about the history of the Aranda people and learn about bush medicines. There is also authentic local aboriginal artwork for sale and morning tea will be provided. From here, we'll take the Mereenie Loop (now called Red Centre Way) to the site of a comet strike where rocks that were originally two to three kilometers below the surface have been pushed up to the surface. This is an interesting and not often viewed sight. Arrive at Kings Canyon in late afternoon. Lodging and dinner at Kings Canyon Resort. (B.L.D.)

September 13, Monday: Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park
What a place to have a full day, walking, soaking up Kings Canyon's beauty, and photographing both wildlife and scenic landscape. Kings Canyon is in Watarrka National Park at the western end of the George Gill Range. Its rugged ranges, rock holes, and gorges act as a refuge for many plants and animals. With over 600 species of plants, Kings Canyon is botanically the richest region in all of arid Australia, making this national park an important conservation area and a major attraction of Central Australia. Kings Canyon features ancient sandstone walls sculptured by the elements and rising up 300 feet to a plateau of rocky domes. There will be a couple of optional activities including a morning rim walk or a helicopter flight above the canyon (cost not included). The Kings Canyon Creek Walk we'll do as a group and hope to see the great range of species encountered here on our last trip, including Spinifex Pigeon, Painted Finch, and Dusky Grasswren. Dinner will be on your own tonight with overnight again at Kings Canyon Resort. (B.L.)

Uluru National Park

September 14, Tuesday: Uluru National Park including Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta
Journey from Kings Canyon to Uluru National Park for walks and enticing photographic opportunities at Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru (Ayers Rock). The scenery is magnificent at both locations. Stop at Wollunga Well, a traditional indigenous water well, for morning tea. We'll stop for lunch near the Mt. Connor Lookout en route to Uluru. Experience sunset at Uluru and enjoy a delicious "bush dinner" while you wait for the perfect moment to photograph The Rock in its most intense color. After sunset, drive to nearby Yulara Village and check in at the Outback Pioneer Lodge. (B.L.D.)

September 15, Wednesday: Dawn at Uluru and flight to Darwin
Enjoy a sunrise walk at Uluru to encounter some great birds active in the early morning. We'll also have time for breakfast before checking in for the flight to Darwin via Alice Springs. You'll have the afternoon free to explore Darwin and do some shopping if you are interested in Aboriginal crafts or other local treasures. Black Flying-foxes, a species of large fruit bat, have a day roost in a park in the middle of town. On arrival, Tonia and our resident naturalist guide, Darryel Binns (or "Biggles"), will take you on a quick city tour to give you the layout. Choose from a variety of restaurants in town for a dinner on your own this evening. (B.L*.)

September 16, Thursday: Fogg Dam and Kakadu National Park
We'll have a very early morning departure to arrive at Fogg Dam Nature Reserve in time for a beautiful sunrise and some great birding before breakfast. Continue east to Kakadu National Park and our lodge at Gagudju Cooinda, located near Yellow Water Lagoon. Visit Nourlangie Rock to see the Aboriginal rock art, which blends so well with the natural surroundings and wildlife. While in Kakadu, we may see Brolga Crane, Orange-footed Scrub Fowl, Chestnut-backed and Red-backed button-quail, Hooded Parrot, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-breasted Whistler, Black-tailed Treecreepers, White-lined and Yellow-tinted honeyeaters, Red-tailed Cockatoo, and many others, including some of the most colourful finches. Dinner on your own this evening. (B.L.)

Yellow Waters Lagoon, Kakadu National Park

September 17, Friday: Kakadu National Park including Yellow Waters and Ubirr Rock
Early on Friday, we'll be at Yellow Waters Lagoon before breakfast for two hours on this famous billabong. Estuarine Crocodile, White-bellied Sea-Eagles, flocks of Magpie Geese and other waterbirds, even Black Bittern, thrive in the lagoon and riparian habitat. This sunrise cruise is a superb opportunity to enjoy and photograph wildlife in stunningly beautiful light. After breakfast, travel to Ubirr Rock to see more wonderful rock paintings, birds, and mammals. A short climb to a lookout gives good views of the Arnhem Land Escarpment in the distance and the surrounding wetlands below and provides a good vantage point to look for wildlife. We'll head back toward the west end of Kakadu to Mamukala Wetlands, a wonderful spot for waterbirds during the dry season, then check in at the Aurora Kakadu for the night. Tonia carries a spotlight to look for owls and frogmouths on the grounds around the resorts in the evening. Dinner on your own this evening. (B.L.)

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Short-eared Rock Wallaby

September 18, Saturday: Kakadu National Park and return to Darwin
Spend the morning in Kakadu then head back to Darwin with a few well-chosen stops along the way. Biggles knows just where to look for local endemics, including the rare Partridge Pigeon and the beautifully coloured Gouldian Finch. Arrive at our hotel in Darwin in the late afternoon, then gather together for a farewell dinner with Biggles. (B.L.D.)

September 19, Sunday: Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands
Depart Darwin very early for the flight to Cairns and meet our Northern Queensland guide, Jonathan Munro, upon arrival. Drive through dry sclerophyll woodlands rich in wildlife to Lake Barrine for lunch. Check in at Chambers Rainforest Lodge on the Tablelands, located very close to Lake Eacham, for two nights. Walk at Crater Lakes National Park for rainforest birds, Musky Rat-kangaroo, Boyd's Forest Dragon, and other rainforest species this afternoon.

During the next two days, we'll follow a flexible itinerary to allow for any vagaries of the weather prevailing at the time. We'll visit varied and interesting habitats across the Atherton and Evelyn tablelands and Cairns regions to view wildlife. Species often encountered include Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, Brolgas and Sarus cranes, Great Bowerbird, Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Agile Wallabies. We'll also examine the geology and ecology of the Tablelands region and cultural aspects of its local communities. Enjoy dinner at Chambers Lodge this evening. As night falls, observe an extended family of Red-legged Pademelons that frequent the lodge grounds. The area is also home to a large number of rainforest birds, and at night you may be treated to close views of marsupials, especially Sugar Gliders, and other creatures. (B.L.D.)

September 20, Monday: Atherton Tablelands and Southern (Evelyn) Tablelands
We'll be out at dawn this morning for the best chance of encountering Platypus. After breakfast, explore the Southern (Evelyn) Tablelands, traversing savannah woodland, dry and wet sclerophyll forest, and highland rainforest. In the late afternoon, search through savannah woodland for kangaroo species, birds such as bustards, cranes, and the endemic Golden Bowerbird, as well as other rare highland rainforest species of animals and plants. Red-necked Crake, Wompoo Pigeon, Victoria's Riflebird, Tooth-billed Catbird, Pied Monarch, and Bower's Shrike-thrush are found in the surrounding forests. We will also look for many of the fascinating reptiles, such as Leaf-tailed Gecko and Boyd's Forest Dragon. After dinner, night spotting for nocturnal wildlife gives the chance to see Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo and rare, locally endemic possums including Herbert River Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Striped Possum, and Coppery Brushtail Possums. Other nocturnal species often encountered here include bandicoots and owls. (B.L.D.)

September 21, Tuesday: To Cairns: Botanical Gardens and the Esplanade
Depart from Chambers Rainforest Lodge and head back to Cairns for birding along the Esplanade and other local sites. By lunchtime we'll be at the Botanical Gardens, a great spot for honeyeaters and flycatchers. Downtown Cairns also has a large colony of Spectacled Flying-fox, one of the large fruit bats that roost by day in fig trees. A pair of Peregrine Falcons nests on one of the buildings close to the Esplanade and the diversity of shorebirds along the Esplanade when the tide is right is exceptional. Check in at our hotel by late afternoon and enjoy dinner together. (B.L.D.)

September 22, Wednesday:Michaelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef
Depart after an early breakfast for a full day aboard the Ocean Spirit out on the Great Barrier Reef. Mask, snorkel, and fins are provided on board, so it is not necessary to bring any snorkeling equipment. Wetsuits may also be rented for a small fee. The Ocean Spirit is a good-sized ship, but if you get seasick, you may want to bring and take medication before boarding; they also provide ginger tablets onboard. A trip to Australia is not complete without seeing the amazing world of tropical fish, soft corals, giant clams, and other spectacular invertebrates on the Great Barrier Reef. Michaelmas Cay is also a tern paradise with Sooty, Crested, and Black-naped terns, plus many Common Noddies nesting there. Several other species of seabirds frequent the area, including Great Frigatebirds, Brown Boobies, and possibly some of the rarer terns, such as Roseate, Bridled, and Little terns. The snorkeling is very easy from shore at Michaelmas and Tonia will be snorkeling with you to point out the many fascinating species. If you are not so excited about snorkeling, a ride in a semi-submersible boat also provides wonderful underwater views of the Reef. Keep a look out for Bottle-nosed Dolphins from the deck of the Ocean Spirit during the return to Cairns in the late afternoon. If it's close to high tide when we dock, you may want to walk back to the hotel along the Esplanade with Tonia or you can return via the shuttle bus. Approaching high tide, many species of waders feed very close to shore along the Esplanade. Choose from the many restaurants along the Esplanade for dinner on your own this evening. (B.L.)

September 23, Thursday: Free day in Cairns or optional day on the Outer Reef with Tonia
For those wishing to spend another amazing day on the Reef, transfer from the hotel to the dock in Cairns to board a smaller boat traveling to the Outer Reef. The dive and snorkel sites are fantastic and make for a wonderful day of snorkeling, including lunch between long snorkels. Masks, snorkels, and fins are provided. The Outer Reef offers fantastic underwater visibility, superb coral formations, and abundant, colorful marine life. Return in the late afternoon and transfer back to the hotel. This day on the Reef must be booked in advance and the cost ($165) will be added to your final payment. If you enjoy snorkeling, we highly recommend joining Tonia on the Outer Reef. Otherwise, enjoy a free day in Cairns, a very fun city with a great pedestrian walkway downtown and along the Esplanade. Dinner on your own this evening. (B. Lunch included for Reef trip participants only.)

September 24, Friday: Homeward or continue to Brisbane and Lamington National Park
Enjoy a farewell breakfast for those of us departing today. Tonia will arrange transfers to the airport for flights home. Gain back a day if crossing the International Dateline and arrive home on the same day. See complete flight information. (B.)

Lamington National Park Extension or our companion safari: Lamington to Tasmania
Please contact us if you are interested in joining us for an extra three days in beautiful Lamington National Park with nights at the famous O'Reilly's Mountain Resort. For those continuing to Lamington on the southern tour or the Lamington extension, leave for the Cairns airport that morning and arrive in Brisbane around midday. From the Brisbane Airport, you'll board a bus for the ride to O'Reilly's, located 75 miles southeast of Brisbane in Lamington National Park on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. As you ascend the Lamington eucalypt plateau up to 3,000 feet, keep watch for Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Pretty-faced Wallabies as they become active in mid-afternoon and are often seen feeding along the road. Arrive at the popular O'Reilly's Mountain Resort, run by the O'Reilly family, where the atmosphere and hospitality are as wonderful as the wildlife. Check in and enjoy a superb welcome dinner together. (B.L*.D.)

Call us for a full description of the Lamington National Park extension. Read about the southern Australia tour that travels from Lamington to Tasmania, immediately after this safari.

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Costs

Payments and Cancellations: All reservations require a deposit due at the time of making the reservation. Once we receive your deposit, we will send trip materials and travel insurance information. Until the final payment date, payments are refundable except for a cancellation fee of $150 per person. This fee may go toward another tour if reserved within six months of the departure date of the cancelled trip. There are no refunds given after the final payment due date. We reserve the right to charge for cost increases that occur between now and the date of travel.

Included:

• Lodging and meals as listed in itinerary from dinner on September 11 through breakfast on September 24.
• All guiding and park fees.
• Yellow Waters boat cruise in Kakadu National Park on September 17.
• Great Barrier Reef boat trip on September 22, including snorkeling equipment (wetsuits are extra) and semi-submersible boat ride.
• Ground transportation and airport transfers as listed in itinerary.

Not Included:

• International and domestic flights are not included.
• Six dinners and one lunch are not included (unless on optional reef trip) as noted in itinerary.
• Bottled beverages are not included, however water and snacks will be available in the vehicles.
• Optional Kings Canyon helicopter ride, approximately $125 for 15 minutes or $210 for 30 minutes (quoted June 2010, subject to change). Contact us for more information.
• Wetsuit rental for snorkeling on the reef (small fee of a few dollars).
• The optional second day on the Great Barrier Reef is $150 and will be added to your final payment if you choose this option.
• Anything listed as "optional" in the itinerary is not included.
• Items of a personal nature and choices not on the menu are also not included.
• Gratuities: Tipping is, of course, discretionary and not customary in Australia, however we suggest budgeting a total of $150 per participant to be distributed among all the resident naturalist assistants, drivers and porters.

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Sign-up

To Make a Reservation: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, print our reservation form, fill it out, and post it to us in the mail with your deposit:

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

Other Details

Flights: Please let us know if you would like help arranging your international flights and we will put you in contact with our excellent ticketing agent. All domestic flights within Australia are on Qantas. You should book domestic with international flights when ticketing. The domestic flights are discounted using Qantas, giving you an incentive to fly Qantas on the international flights. Please check with us before booking the Qantas domestic flights through your international airline if any flight schedules have changed substantially. (Note: The Sydney to Alice Springs flight listed below is the latest possible for this tour, or you may take an earlier flight to have extra time on your own in Alice Springs before tour begins.) Depart from Cairns on September 24 for flights home or take the flight listed to Brisbane if continuing on extension or southern safari.

Accommodations:

• September 11: Aurora Alice Springs Hotel, Alice Springs
• September 12-13: Kings Canyon Resort, Watarrka National Park
• September 14: Outback Pioneer Lodge, Yulara
• September 15: Holiday Inn Esplanade, Darwin
• September 16: Gagudju Lodge Cooinda, Kakadu National Park
• September 17: Aurora Kakadu Hotel, Kakadu National Park
• September 18: Holiday Inn Esplanade, Darwin
• September 19-20: Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge, Lake Eacham
• September 21-23: Acacia Court, Esplanade, Cairns

Tonia Cochran

Leaders: Tonia Cochran is a wonderful naturalist, guide, and conservationist. Since 1988, Tonia has lived at Inala, a 500-acre private wildlife reserve on Bruny Island in Tasmania. She has a wide range of experience in Australian marine and terrestrial fauna and flora, and has led a varied professional biological career. She has a Bachelor of Science degree (with a double major in Zoology and Botany), a BSc (Honors) degree, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Melbourne. She has also gained extensive teaching experience (including a lecturing position in one of the top universities in Victoria), and has worked in close association with the Invertebrate Zoology Department at the Museum of Victoria. She was involved in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic research from 1985 to 1996, and has undertaken consulting and contract work for the Australian Antarctic Division in Tasmania since 1990, including participation in several Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition Marine Science voyages. Tonia works as an environmental consultant on a number of projects. She is also a member of the national recovery team for two endangered birds, the Forty-spotted Pardalote and the Wedge-tailed Eagle, and is a participant in the Swift Parrot Recovery program. Tonia is committed to promoting tourism that is ecologically sustainable and educational, and has been active in establishing such a venture in Tasmania and promoting this philosophy in her position as founding Chair of the organization, Wildlife Tourism Australia. Tonia is well organized, caring, and professional, a superb leader with a great personality and sense of humor. Tonia and the Cheesemans have hand selected exceptional resident guides to compliment and add to her expertise in each region. These guides have all worked with Doug and Gail Cheeseman and/or Tonia on many safaris in Australia.

Travel Insurance: Emergency Medical Insurance is optional for this tour. Read about travel insurance and our recommendations and requirements.

Climate: Temperatures vary greatly. Alice Springs and Uluru will be very cool in the early morning. Kakadu and Cairns will be warm to hot. It's the dry season, but rain can be encountered during any season. Bring good walking shoes with good support for tracks (trails). In this season, trails are in good condition and insects are not normally much of a problem, although there may be some small flies emerging in the Centre and at Kakadu by this time of year.

Non-smoking Policy: We have a strict non-smoking policy - smoking is not permitted at any time during our tours.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or contact us to give us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage, or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. We reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs, exchange rates and fuel prices and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. By sending your initial deposit, you agree to accept our payment schedule as a contract. If payments are still outstanding two weeks after the due date, your space may be forfeited. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is registered as California Seller of Travel #2063050-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is a participant in the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation (TCRC). In event of a client canceling where a refund is applicable in accordance with the schedule above, or in the event that CES needs to cancel the trip, all payments for transportation or travel service not provided to the client shall be promptly refunded, unless the client instructs us otherwise in writing. All client payments are deposited into a trust account in accordance with California law. If for any reason a valid refund is not forthcoming, the client may request reimbursement from the TCRC within six months of the scheduled end of the tour. Please feel free to ask us for more information.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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