Nature and Wildlife Tours in New South Wales

Nature and Wildlife Tours in New South Wales

Southern Highlands Wildlife Safari - from Sydney

Emu with chicks

NATURE TOUR

A must do when staying in Sydney

Important Information

Afternoon/Evening Tour

Shared or private tour available – please enquire

Tour Code: NS1WS

To Book or Enquire: Email

Just 90 minutes south of Sydney lies the pristine bushland and rolling farmland of the Southern Highlands – a region teeming with iconic Australian wildlife. This afternoon-into-evening tour offers a unique opportunity to explore private properties and wild reserves with a knowledgeable naturalist guide, in search of both diurnal and nocturnal species.

We begin in the late afternoon, when Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Swamp Wallabies begin to emerge from the forest to feed. With luck, we may also encounter Emus striding across open paddocks, and Superb Lyrebirds foraging quietly through the undergrowth. Cockatoos, kookaburras and rosellas add colour and movement to the landscape, while riverbanks provide our best chance for glimpsing the elusive Platypus.

Your guide will share insights into the region’s unique ecology, including the vital role of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor – a major migration route linking the southern Blue Mountains World Heritage Area with Morton National Park.

As dusk settles, we enjoy a hearty, country-style dinner at one of Australia’s oldest rural inns, before heading out again under torchlight for a gentle night walk. This is a chance to search for some of the Highlands’ more secretive inhabitants, such as Common Wombat, Brush-tailed Possum, Tawny Frogmouth, and other crepuscular or nocturnal wildlife.

 

Sydney Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

Sydney may be a bustling city by day, but after dark, the surrounding bushland comes to life with an astonishing array of nocturnal wildlife. Bordered by national parks, the city is uniquely placed to offer encounters with Australia’s secretive, after-hours fauna – much of which remains hidden to the daytime visitor.

There are a variety of habitats in and around Greater Sydney to explore, from sandstone escarpments and wet forest to heathland and creeks. Nocturnal birds include Powerful Owl, Australian Boobook, Masked Owl, Sooty Owl, Tawny Frogmouth and Australian Owlet-nightjar, however this is also an excellent time to seek out the mammals, reptiles and frogs that dominate Australia’s nocturnal ecosystem.

Depending on the season and recent conditions, we may search for reptiles such as Diamond Python, Eastern Bandy-bandy, Golden-crowned Snake, Thick-tailed Barking Gecko, Broad-tailed Gecko and even frogs like the highly endemic Red-crowned Toadlet and Giant Burrowing Frog.

Mammals may include Swamp Wallaby, Sugar Glider, Common Ringtail and Brushtail Possums, and – with luck – rarer species like Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider, Eastern Pygmy Possum, Short-beaked Echidna and Long-nosed Bandicoot.

Our route and locations will vary depending on the time of year, weather and target species, but we’ll make use of specialist equipment where appropriate, and take our time walking quietly through key spots as the bush comes alive.

 

Thick-tailed Barking Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii)

Important Information

This tour typically begins around dusk and runs for 3–4 hours. Appropriate clothing, closed shoes and a sense of quiet patience are essential.

Private tour - departs any day, subject to specialist guide availability

Tour Code: NS1NT

To Book or Enquire: Email

Wildlife Safari - from Byron Bay

Join a local Environmental Scientist on this small-group wildlife safari and explore three distinct habitats near Byron Bay – eucalyptus forest, subtropical rainforest, and open grassland – each offering rich opportunities to observe native Australian wildlife in the wild. Unlike captive animal parks, this experience is centred around authentic, respectful encounters, with minimal disturbance to the animals and their environment.

You’re highly likely to see Koalas, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, flying foxes and a variety of birds

A comfortable 7-seater 4WD allows us to cover a variety of sites with ease. The day involves a 45-minute drive to the first location, an hour’s return journey, and shorter transfers in between with light walks to explore the habitats.

A locally sourced picnic lunch is included and served in a tranquil rainforest setting.

 

Important Information

Shared tour – Wednesdays and Sundays (other days on request)

9:30am – 4:00pm

Tour Code: NB1WS

To Book or Enquire: Email

Red Necked Wallaby
Sugar Glider

Important Information

Departs daily at 8.00pm (except Tuesdays) | Approx. 3.5 hours | Includes 1-hour guided walk

Shared tour

Tour Code: NB1NV

To add this tour to your itinerary enquiry, please include the tour code.

To Book or Enquire: Email

Night Vision Walk – From Byron Bay

Step into the forest after dark and discover an entirely different side of the Australian rainforest. Using cutting-edge night vision technology, this unique experience allows you to observe nocturnal wildlife in its natural habitat – without the use of bright torches or artificial lights.

This is the world’s only guided night vision walk of its kind. Outfitted with military-grade goggles, you'll slip quietly through the forest, immersed in the sights and sounds of the bush as it comes alive after sunset. Animals behave more naturally without bright lights, offering a more intimate and authentic encounter with the forest’s nocturnal inhabitants.

Regular sightings include possums, bandicoots, pademelons, frogs, microbats, bush rats, and Tawny Frogmouths. On a typical night, guests often spot around five species, though of course wildlife activity varies with the season and conditions.

After the walk, we enjoy a hot chocolate under the stars – the perfect end to a night spent reconnecting with the natural world.

 

Birding in other States & Territories of Australia

Comb Crested Jacana

Top End

Birding

Comb Crested Jacana

Buff-Banded Rail

Victoria

Birding

Buff-Banded Rail

Spinifex Pigeon

Central Australia

Birding

Spinifex Pigeon

Red-capped Parrot

Western Australia

Birding

Red-capped Parrot

Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo

South Australia

Birding

Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo

Scarlet Honeyeater

Queensland

Birding

Scarlet Honeyeater

Hooded Plover

Tasmania

Birding

Hooded Plover

Australia Naturally Travel

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