Southeast Queensland: Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and the Mountains

In Brisbane, the Lone Pine Sanctuary is renowned as the oldest and most famous wildlife park. Accessible by car, bus, or even a scenic boat ride up the Brisbane River from the CBD, it’s a must-visit. Here, you can encounter platypuses, numerous koalas, and a variety of native wildlife.

Walkabout Creek, located in an outer western suburb, is a smaller sanctuary managed by Queensland National Parks and Wildlife. It features local animals, including the elusive platypus, and serves as a gateway to several walking tracks through the hills. Meanwhile, the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, situated in an outer southeast suburb, boasts a walk-through koala enclosure and abundant koala-related information. The surrounding forest is also home to wild koalas and wallabies, which you might be lucky enough to spot.

In the southeast, Redlands Indigiscapes, owned by the local council, offers a small bushland area, a lagoon, and various gardens showcasing local native plants. Brisbane is also home to several flying fox colonies that occasionally shift locations.

For those interested in local fauna, both vertebrate and invertebrate, “Wildlife of Greater Brisbane” is an excellent guide available at the Queensland Museum and most reputable bookstores. Additionally, Araucaria Ecotours and Gondwana Guides organise birding and wildlife tours from Brisbane. Ipswich, located to the west, features a council-owned wildlife park at Queen’s Park, where visitors can see bilbies, quolls, wombats, and other native animals. Ipswich also hosts a significant flying fox colony at Woodend, complete with a viewing platform to watch thousands of these large creatures take to the skies at dusk.

On the Gold Coast, the largest wildlife park is the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary not only houses a wildlife hospital and an Aboriginal Culture experience but also attracts hundreds of wild lorikeets that come to feed twice daily, providing a vibrant spectacle for tourists.

The David Fleay Wildlife Park, overseen by National Parks and Wildlife, focuses on the breeding of endangered species. SeaWorld, renowned for its marine life, showcases native fish, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, and even polar bears, which can be observed swimming underwater and have successfully bred in the facility. Dreamworld, while primarily an amusement park, also features a modest wildlife sanctuary with koalas, kangaroos, and other animals, alongside Tiger Island, home to a breeding population of Sumatran tigers.

Numerous whale watching tours and diving companies operate in the area.

For those interested in experiencing native habitats on the Gold Coast, Burleigh Heads National Park offers guided walks from the nearby Jellurgal Aboriginal Culture Centre. Federation Walk, located near SeaWorld, features interpretive signage across various habitat types.

To the west of the Gold Coast, the mountains along the NSW border comprise the Scenic Rim, which includes Lamington National Park. This park boasts an extensive network of safe, well-marked walking tracks through diverse rainforests, open forests, and mallee heath, supporting a rich array of birds, frogs, and other wildlife, including several threatened species. Accommodation options include O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and Binna Burra Mountain Lodge on the edge of Lamington NP, as well as Mt Barney Lodge and Destiny Eco-Cottage further west. Araucaria Ecotours offers a butterfly walk and the Scenic Rim Wildlife Ecology Centre, while they, along with Gondwana Guides and Geonature, provide interpretive tours from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. InterNational Park Tours organises both day-walks and multi-day walks. Tamborine Mountain, situated between Lamington NP and Brisbane, is known for its rainforest walks, waterfalls, and a remarkable man-made cave housing thousands of glow worms, allowing visitors to view them during the day (Cedar Creek Glow Worms).

Southeast Queensland’s forests are home to the world’s only two species of lyrebird, the renowned mimics, as well as bowerbirds, the paradise riflebird (the only bird of paradise outside the tropics), fruit pigeons, glow worms, bandicoots, geckos, possums, numerous bat species, frogs, and more.

North of Brisbane, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, lies the Australia Zoo, made famous by the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. The zoo features a variety of native reptiles and other Australian wildlife, alongside exotic animals such as giraffes, cheetahs, and otters. It is accessible by train from Brisbane, taking roughly an hour. On the coast, Underwater World includes a moving walkway beneath a long archway, with marine life swimming around as you pass through, in addition to various smaller aquariums. The area also hosts several national parks, both along the coast and in the mountains.

The Great Barrier Reef and Islands

The Great Barrier Reef stands as the world’s most extensive coral reef, stretching an impressive 2000 kilometres. This colossal structure is home to a diverse array of marine life including manta rays, turtles, sea urchins, anemones, and vivid molluscs. The reef also teems with countless species of tropical fish. Snorkelling or diving here is considered one of the planet’s most remarkable wildlife encounters. Additionally, the region features mangroves, which host many endemic species, and seagrass beds that are vital for dugongs and sea turtles. In the far northern reaches, one can find excellent diving tours, tropical islands for lodging, and opportunities to swim with the awe-inspiring minke whales, particularly through Eye to Eye Marine Encounters. Michaelmas Cay is widely renowned for its birdlife.

There are several notable accommodations situated directly on coral islands, such as Heron Island in the north and Lady Elliott Island in the south. Some continental islands also offer lodging and superb snorkelling opportunities, especially around Cairns in the Far North and the Whitsunday Islands. Moving further south, one encounters Fraser Island, a large sandy island featuring pristine streams flowing through rainforests, picturesque lakes nestled among sand dunes, and whale-watching during the winter months. Fraser Island boasts a large resort, numerous smaller operations, and camping options.

Closer to Brisbane, the islands of Moreton Bay, including Moreton Island, are mostly designated as national parks. Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island offers a unique experience where visitors can feed wild dolphins, a practice strictly regulated to ensure no harm comes to the dolphins or the humans involved. Several of these islands are accessible via regular ferry services.

Central Coast: From Sunshine Coast to Townsville

From the Sunshine Coast to Townsville, the Central Coast of Queensland offers a myriad of enchanting experiences. In the warm, inviting waters of this region, you might find yourself swimming alongside turtles while diving or witnessing them as they come ashore to lay their eggs. At Tin Can Bay, you have the unique opportunity to feed wild dolphins under strict regulations designed to prevent any detrimental effects. Additionally, you can observe the majestic humpback whales breaching and frolicking, especially at Hervey Bay, Australia’s premier whale-watching destination. The serene sea-grass beds also provide a chance to spot the elusive dugongs grazing quietly.

Mon Repos Turtle Rookery, situated near Bundaberg and approximately a four-hour drive north from Brisbane, stands as the largest hatching ground in eastern Australia for green, loggerhead, and Australian flatback turtles. The optimal period to observe these turtles nesting is post-sunset between November and February, and visitors are required to join a guided tour by National Parks.

Rockhampton, with its quaint zoo nestled within the Botanic Gardens, is home to the fascinating Capricorn Caves that harbour fossils and colonies of micro bats. Nearby, Eungella National Park near Mackay, renowned for its lush and picturesque landscapes, is also one of the premier locations in Australia to view wild platypus in their natural habitat.

The Far North: Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Atherton Tableland, etc.

The Far North region, encompassing areas such as the Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Atherton Tableland, is a treasure trove of unique wildlife. Here, you can encounter musky rat-kangaroos, diminutive creatures reminiscent of ancient kangaroos from millions of years ago, along with tree-kangaroos, cassowaries, Boyd’s forest dragon, and some of the most striking and sizable butterflies in Australia.

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in this region is a biodiversity hotspot, harbouring 30% of Australia’s marsupial species, 60% of its bat species, 30% of its frogs, 23% of its reptiles, and 18% of its bird species. Venturing further north to the Cape York Peninsula, you might be fortunate enough to spot the magnificent palm cockatoo, a species also found in New Guinea.

Several esteemed tour companies operate within this region, offering exceptional wildlife experiences. Among them are Alan Gillander’s tours, Cassowary Tours, Sicklebill Tours, Kirrama Wildlife Tours, Daintree Boatman Nature Tours, and Off Road Adventure Safaris. For those seeking accommodation managed by wildlife enthusiasts, Cassowary House, frequently visited by wild cassowaries, and Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge come highly recommended. On the Atherton Tableland, the rainforests of Kuranda, Lake Eacham, and Lake Barrine are must-visit spots.

Other notable wildlife attractions in the area include the Bat Hospital, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Cairns Tropical Zoo, Cairns Night Zoo, Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Daintree Mangroves Wildlife Sanctuary, Billabong Sanctuary, BirdWorld Kuranda, and the Australian Venom Zoo. Additionally, Townsville is home to a Marine Museum that showcases both marine life and human history, making it a fascinating destination for visitors.

Outback

The vast expanse of Queensland’s outback, with its striking red sands, majestic red kangaroos, and an abundance of emus, Major Mitchell cockatoos, and a plethora of other parrots and lizards, is a sight to behold.

Currawinya National Park is home to two of Australia’s most significant lakes for outback waterbirds. From Brisbane, Gondwana Guides and Araucaria Ecotours organise tours to Bowra, known for its remarkable birdlife, and Currawinya National Park. Accommodation options are available at Kilcowera Station and Bowra Station, and travellers can also find various small country pubs and campgrounds.

In the smaller towns, you might encounter emus or kangaroos casually strolling through the streets. It’s advisable to avoid extensive night-time driving, as numerous kangaroos often cross the roads. The northern regions are renowned for their fossil discoveries. The Flinders Centre in Hughenden showcases an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils, including a full-size model of the Muttaburrasaurus, along with interactive educational activities for children.

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils. Located 110km southwest of Winton, Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways presents well-preserved footprints of a large carnivorous dinosaur amidst the tracks of approximately 300 smaller dinosaurs, seemingly in a stampede. The mammal and reptile fossils found in Riversleigh, dating back 15 million years, have significantly altered our understanding of Australia’s faunal history. Riversleigh is one of the most prolific fossil sites globally. The Riversleigh Fossils Centre in Mt Isa provides extensive insights into these fossils and the knowledge they’ve imparted.