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AUSTRALIA’S REMARKABLE WILDLIFE: THE TROPICAL NORTH Including the Centre at Alice & Uluru, Darwin & Kakadu in the Top End and North QueenslandMonday, August 25 – Monday, September 8, 2008  We are really excited to have Australian biologist and superb guide, Tonia Cochran, leading throughout with the best resident naturalist in each area. Travel into the true "outback" where you will see Red Kangaroos and Emus from Alice Springs for 4 days in Central Australia through Kings Canyon, the Olgas and Uluru by 4 wheel drive with “Ossie” Osborne, who has been leading wildlife trips throughout the Centre for many years. Fly from Ayers Rock to Darwin for 3 days in the Top End at wonderful Kakadu National Park, featuring the best time of year for a Yellow Waters cruise at dawn and lots of exciting sites to visit. The third part features 5 days in North Queensland up on the Atherton Tablelands with fabulous birding, several species of kangaroos and Platypus. Go night spotting for tree kangaroos, rare ringtail possums, owls and other species in the Misty Mountains on a beautiful forest reserve owned by our resident guide, Jonathan Munro. Then descend back to Cairns for a full day out to Michelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef with a second full day reef trip (optional) or choice of a free day in Cairns. This is pre-fly season and just before busy school holidays, so a very good time to be in Australia’s northern parks and reserves. All lodging on this tour has private baths. A three-day optional extension is available at O'Reilly's Guest House in Lamington National Park before flying to Sydney and homeward. 
Airfare: From home to Alice Springs, then Ayers Rock to Darwin, Darwin to Cairns, homeward or extend to Lamington National Park in southern Queensland (contact us for this extension). All domestic flights within Australia on Qantas. Book domestic flights with your international flights when ticketing. Note: The Qantas Aussie AirPass includes flights from New York, Los Angeles, or Honolulu that are packaged with domestic flights in Australia. The domestic flights are discounted using the AirPass, an incentive to fly Qantas on the international flights. Deposit: $500 ($150 non-refundable), second deposit: $2000 on 7/1/07, final payment on 5/26/08. Leaders: Tonia Cochran throughout; assisted by Harry Osborne in Central Australia, Mike Ostwald in the Top End, and Jonathan Munro in North Queensland. Group Size: 12 Conditions: a NONSMOKING tour itinerary updated April 2008 Itinerary in Brief:
Full Itinerary: Meals included indicated by B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, * = meal on flight. August 25 - 27 , Monday – Tuesday - Wednesday Flights to Sydney and Alice Springs United, Qantas and Air New Zealand have daily flights to Australia from the USA. Arrive at the latest early on Wednesday, losing one day crossing the international dateline. Perhaps depart 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. Arrive at the Sydney Domestic Airport by early on August 27 to fly the Qantas Sydney/Alice Springs flight now scheduled for a 9:40 am departure with arrival at 12:35 pm in Alice Springs. You might also choose to go one day earlier to Alice Springs for a visit to the famous Desert Park, located outside Alice Springs. Have a good breakfast before boarding, as the food service on the flight is not a full meal. Both Tonia Cochran and Harry Osborne will be at the airport waiting and will provide good refreshments throughout the afternoon to keep you feeling energetic. Sometime this afternoon stop at the Alice Springs percolation ponds, which are a hotspot for birds, such as avocets, several species of ducks and members of the parrot family. After checking in at the Aurora Alice Springs in downtown Alice, visit an interesting area four miles north of Alice Springs that is both rich in wildlife and in history, called the Telegraph Station. This station gave Alice Springs its name. The site chosen had a good water source. The station master’s job was to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide. His wife is the one everyone remembers, as her name was Alice. There’s a very good chance of seeing Black-flanked Rock-wallaby, also known as Black-footed Rock-wallaby, a good variety of resident birds as well. Enjoy a welcome dinner together this evening with Tonia, Harry and Harry’s wife, Sandy, at a restaurant close to the Aurora Alice Spring. (L*.D) August 28, Thursday Hermannsburg, Finke Gorge National Park & Kings Canyon Depart after an early breakfast from Alice Springs and head west along the MacDonnell Ranges going “off the beaten Track” into the Finke Gorge National Park, which provides some unique birding. The rugged and beautiful landscape of the Finke River with its red sand and ancient desert trees is awesome. It is a fascinating area and a rare chance to see the true outback with much better chances of encountering mammals than on the paved roads, such as around Hermannsberg. This 4wheel drive outback road bypasses Hermannsberg, but it is a fantastic alternative rich in both mammals and birds. Enjoy a delightful stop for lunch at a waterhole with fish and waterbirds. Wildlife species we should encounter today include Red Kangaroos and Emus, two very difficult species to see in the wild, plus waterbirds, especially ducks, Australian Pelican and even Baillon’s Crake. Unexpected in the desert, fish, such as Bony Bream, are also seen on most trips here at the waterhole! This route is seldom used by modern day travelers, so will be a true outback experience. We will arrive at Kings Canyon about 7:00 pm with time to reflect over a cold drink on the day’s activities. Lodging and dinner at Kings Canyon Resort. (B.L.D.) August 29, Friday The Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta (Olgas) & Uluru (Ayers Rock) Kings Canyon is a fabulous area to walk around the rim or do the creek walk, two choices. This is a great area for Spinifex Pigeon and Painted Finch. Drive the wild track from Kings Canyon to the Olgas with some enticing photographic opportunities. Look for marsupials, such as the “Euro” (Common Wallaroo) in the early morning. The tallest rock in the Olgas, Mt. Olga, at 546 metres, is higher than Uluru (Ayers Rock) at 348 m, so the scenery is magnificent. Have lunch together in the field, as Harry has the 4 wheel bus well equipped to provide great meals in the field. Drive to Yulara Village and check-in at the Pioneer before a spectacular walk at the Rock for more great photography, birds and maybe even a goanna. Return to the Pioneer after an unforgettable dinner and celebrate sunset at the Rock. (B.L.D) August 30, Saturday Dawn at Uluru, then fly to Darwin for overnight This morning we’d like to be out about 6 am to depart with our bags at 6:15 am for an opportunity to photograph the sunrise on Uluru. Enjoy breakfast in the field and final stops for viewing the Rock before transferring to the airport. The Qantas flight to Darwin via Alice Springs is scheduled at 10:05 am, so we’ll be at the airport before 9 am. Back at the Alice Springs Airport, we’ll have over an hour between flights to check out the Aboriginal arts and crafts at the airport shops and to step out of the airport, where a lovely native plant garden attracts honeyeaters, Zebra Finches, and perhaps even a pair of Mulga Parrot. We have seen the beautiful Sturt’s Desert Pea in bloom there as well. Our second flight of the day departs at 12:30 pm and arrives at 2:30 pm in Darwin. Check in at the Mirambeena Hotel in a great location within easy walking distance of town. The rest of the afternoon will be free to explore Darwin and do some shopping if you are interested in Aboriginal crafts. Near the Mirambeena, Black Flying-foxes, a species of large fruit bat, have a day roost in a park just behind the lodge. Dinner will be on our own this evening. We’ll have a very early morning departure at 5 am tomorrow to arrive at Fogg Dam in time for a beautiful sunrise. (B.L*.) August 31 - September 2, Sunday – Monday - Tuesday Kakadu National Park Mike Ostwald, our wonderful Aussie guide and driver for the Darwin area who has lived for many years at the Mary River near Kakadu National Park, will join us early this morning. Travel southeast of Darwin to Fogg Dam Nature Reserve for sunrise and some great birding, then breakfast before continuing to Kakadu and our lodge at Gagudju Cooinda for two nights, located beside Yellow Water Lagoon. While in Kakadu we may see Brolga Crane, Burdekin Duck, 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 very colorful finches. Ubirr Rock and Nourlangie Rock are both very famous for their Aboriginal rock art. As we walk through the galleries, the meanings behind the art become clear, as it blends so well with the beautiful natural surroundings and wildlife. At Ubirr Rock a short climb to a lookout gives good views of the Arnhem Land Escarpment in the distance and the surrounding wetlands below, a good vantage point to look for wildlife, especially at dusk when Short-eared Rock-wallabies and even Antelopine Wallaroos may be encountered. Other highlights are the Manngarre Rainforest walk on a raised platform through a small pocket of forest and Anbangbang Billabong. Enjoy a walk around this small billabong, but the best of all is Yellow Waters Lagoon!! On September 1 we’ll be at the billabong before 6:45 am for two glorious hours on Yellow Waters. Estuarine Crocodile, White-bellied Sea-Eagles, many Magpie Geese and other waterbirds, even Black Bittern, thrive in the lagoon and riparian habitat. This billabong at sunrise is a superb opportunity to enjoy and photograph wildlife in beautiful light. Have breakfast following the boat trip. On September 2 we’ll again enjoy the best time of day for wildlife action with a walk before breakfast at Cooinda, where Great Bowerbird can be seen arranging its bower and raptors are abundant. Tonia also carries a spotlight to look for owls and frogmouths when the opportunity presents itself, which often happens on the grounds around Cooinda in the evening. By mid-morning on Tuesday head back toward Darwin with several stops on the way, including the Mamukala Wetlands, a spot well known for its birdlife during the dry season. We’ll arrive at the Mirambeena Hotel, then get together for dinner at a restaurant closeby. (B.L. on August 31 and September 1, dinner on our own both evenings at Cooinda; there are two restaurants to choose from for dinner, B.L.D. on September 2) September 3 - 4, Wednesday - Thursday Cairns, the Atherton and Evelyn Tablelands Our Qantas flight # 801 departs Darwin at 6:05 am and arrives in Cairns at 8:55 am with the present schedule. Meet our Northern Queensland guide, Jonathan Munro, on arrival. 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 look at the geology and ecology of the Tablelands region and cultural aspects of its local communities. In addition there will be 'wild' Platypus viewing and nocturnal wildlife 'spotlighting' for Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo and rare (and locally endemic) possums. On Wednesday drive through wildlife rich dry sclerophyll woodland to Lake Barrine for lunch. Check in at Chambers Rainforest Lodge on the Tablelands, located very close to Lake Eacham, for 2 nights. Enjoy a walk at Crater Lakes National Park for rainforest birds, Musky Rat-kangaroo and Boyd's Forest Dragon and other rainforest species this afternoon. BBQ at Chambers Lodge the first evening. At the Rainforest Lodge there is a central dining area where a large extended family of Red-legged Pademelons join in at dinnertime. Chambers Rainforest Lodge is home to a large number of rainforest birds, plus marsupials, especially Sugar Gliders, and other creatures. Breakfast on Thursday will be at the colorful Quincan Gallery in Yungaburra. We’ll explore the Southern (Evelyn) Tablelands, traversing savannah woodland, dry and wet sclerophyll forest and highland rainforest. Search through savannah woodland for kangaroo species, bustards and cranes and other species. We’ll stop for lunch at another fun place with a very good menu, either Lake Barrine, Millstream Retreat, Tolga Woodworks and Gallery or the Popular Café. Visit 'Warrigal', the 150 acre Highland Rainforest Preserve, privately owned by Jonathan Munro. Seek out Golden Bowerbird especially and 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. The preserve is situated at 1000 meters elevation on the Evelyn Tablelands, southwest of Cairns, also known as the Misty Mountains, and adjoins the largest single tract of tropical rainforest remaining in Australia. Within the preserve can be found representatives of no fewer than 11 of the world's 19 primitive plant families and a large population of arboreal mammals. Warrigal has been used as a scientific research/study site for rare arboreal mammals and is now recognized as having one of the largest concentrations of rare rainforest ringtail possums in Australia. Look for many of the fascinating reptiles, such as Leaf-tailed Gecko and Boyd’s Forest Dragon. Enjoy dinner at the restaurant at Millstream Retreat, then spotlight for Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo, Herbert River Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Striped Possum, and Coppery Brushtail Possums. Nocturnal species often encountered here also include bandicoots and owls. (B.L.D. both days.) September 5, Friday Cassowary House and Cairns We’ll depart from Rainforest Lodge at 6:30 am and traverse the Kuranda Range to Cassowary House for a very special breakfast in an upland rainforest setting with native plants flowering in the garden to attract special birds. By arriving early, sightings of Cassowary, Victoria's Riflebird, Spotted Catbird and Musky Rat-kangaroo are all possible from the deck of Cassowary House. Continue on to Cairns for birding at the Esplanade, at the Golf Course Lagoon and at the Botanical Gardens. Have lunch there in the restaurant at the Gardens. Downtown Cairns has a large colony of Spectacled Flying-fox, one of the large fruit bats that roost by day in a big fig tree. A pair of Peregrine Falcons nests on one of the city apartment buildings near the Esplanade and the diversity of shorebirds along the Esplanade when the tide is right is exceptional. Check in at Fig Tree Lodge near the Esplanade. Enjoy dinner in the restaurant together this evening at the Fig Tree. (B.L.D) September 6, Saturday Michelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef We'll have a full day out on the Reef at Michelmas Cay aboard the "Ocean Spirit", departing from the dock in Cairns at 8:30 am and returning by 5 pm with a full four hours at the Cay. An Oz trip is not complete without seeing the amazing world of tropical fish, soft corals and other spectacular invertebrates, such as giant clams, on the Great Barrier Reef. The snorkeling is great from shore at the cay. We recommend the optional snorkel tour with the boat’s resident naturalist, Dave, at $AUD20 or an optional intro-dive is also possible at $AUD95. Also Tonia will be snorkeling with you and pointing out many fascinating species. There is a half hour sub-sea viewer trip included that we book for 1 pm to enjoy right after the wonderful seafood lunch. Michelmas Cay is a tern paradise with Sooty, Crested, and Black-naped terns, plus many Common Noddies nesting there, so Tonia will make sure you don’t miss these. We may walk on shore, but most of the Cay is restricted to avoid intrusion on the nesting grounds. Several other species of seabirds frequent Michelmas, Brown Boobies and Great Frigatebirds, possibly some of the rarer terns, such as Roseate, Bridled, and Little terns. While returning to the dock in the late afternoon, watch for Bottle-nosed Dolphins. If it’s close to high tide when we dock, you may want to walk back to our lodge along the Esplanade with Tonia, which takes about an hour walking slowly. Approaching high tide many species of waders feed very close to shore along the Esplanade. You may choose to return to Fig Tree Lodge via the shuttle bus from the boat. Dinner on our own this evening to choose from the many restaurants along the Esplanade or enjoy dinner in the restaurant at the Fig Tree. (B.L.) September 7, Sunday to the Outer Reef on the “Sea Quest” (Optional: $120) Transfer on the boat company’s shuttle bus from our lodge to the dock in Cairns to board the “Sea Quest”, which departs at 8:30 am to Outer Reef sites for a wonderful day of snorkeling, including lunch between long snorkels. Masks, snorkels fins and wetsuits are provided. SeaQuest is a snorkel and dive vessel that takes only 90 minutes to go the 70 km out to the snorkel/dive sites. Locations on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef include Norman, Saxon, and Hastings reefs. The skipper chooses two of the best snorkeling sites for the day at one of these three fantastic reefs, which offer fantastic underwater visibility, superb coral formations and abundant, colorful marine life. Return about 4:30 pm and take the SeaQuest bus back to the Fig Tree Lodge or again walk with Tonia back to the lodge along the Esplanade. The cost of this day on the Reef ($120) must be booked in advance and will be added to your final payment for the tour. If you choose not to take this option, enjoy a free day to explore Cairns, a very fun city with a great pedestrian walkway downtown and along the Esplanade. Dinner on our own this evening. (B.L.) September 8, Monday Homeward or continue to Brisbane to Lamington National Park Enjoy a farewell breakfast for those of us departing today. Tonia will arrange transfers to the airport for flights onward. Gain back a day and arrive home on the same day. (B) For those of us continuing from Cairns to Brisbane, leave for the airport at 11:00 am. The flight with the present schedule departs Cairns at 12:45 pm and arrives in Brisbane at 2:50 pm on Qantas 649. From the Brisbane Airport you’ll enjoy the ride to O’Reilly’s Guest House late in the afternoon when Eastern Grey Kangaroos are becoming active in farmer’s paddocks and Pretty-faced Wallabies are feeding along the ascent up to O’Reilly’s. O’Reilly’s is located 75 miles southeast of Brisbane in Lamington National Park on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The town of Canungra is at the foot of the Lamington plateau. Ascend the Lamington eucalypt plateau up to 3000 feet. Then on the edge of the rainforest arrive at the famous O'Reilly's Mountain Resort, run by the O’Reilly family, and situated right in Lamington National Park. At O’Reilly’s the atmosphere and hospitality are wonderful. Check-in and enjoy a superb welcome dinner together in O’Reilly’s dining room with our resident guide, Glen Trelfo. We have known Glen and his wife, Helen, for many years. Glen has guided at O’Reilly’s for 25 years and his fame as one of the world’s great and talented people has spread far and wide. Their house is very close to O’Reilly’s, so we have extended an invitation to Glen and Helen and both their sons, Thomas and Andrew, for the welcome dinner. (L*.D.) Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris For questions, comments or reservations, Included: All meals except the ones mentioned in the itinerary, all accommodation and activities (except optional 2nd day reef trip for $120), all guiding, transport and airport transfers. Not Included: Tipping is not customary in Australia, but in instances where you feel it is appropriate, please do feel free to tip. We recommend a gratuity to our local naturalists, Harry Osborne, Mike Ostwald and Jonathan Munro if you are very happy with their guiding services and to the boat driver at Yellow Waters Lagoon, about $130 total for the trip. Six dinners are not included (1 in Darwin, 2 in Kakadu & 3 in Cairns), nor are bottled beverages included. (Water will be available in the vehicles, along with good snacks, including lots of fruit.) Flights not included. Please check with us before booking the Qantas inland flights through your international airline if any flight schedules have changed substantially. Anything listed as “optional” in the itinerary is not included. Items of a personal nature and choices not included on the menu are also not included. Our guide throughout, Tonia Cochran, moved to Tasmania from Melbourne, Victoria in 1988, where she took up residence at "INALA" on Bruny Island. Tonia has a wide range of experience in south-eastern 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 PhD in Zoology from the University of Melbourne. During this time, 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 (ANARE) Marine Science voyages to several sub-Antarctic and Antarctic localities. Tonia is heavily involved with the conservation of threatened species. She works as an environmental consultant on a number of projects, ranging from advice on University postgraduate projects to conservation management plans. She is a founding member of the Bruny Island Protection group and an advocate for the South Bruny National Park. She is also a member of the National Recovery team for two endangered birds, the Forty-spotted Pardalote and the Wedge-tailed Eagle, and a participant in the Swift Parrot Recovery program. Tonia’s property on Bruny Island in Tasmania not only provides lodging in small cottages for small numbers of guests, it’s also used as a research base for a number of university projects in ecology and conservation and an educational venue for schools and environmental groups. Her wide-ranging academic and teaching background, and her passion for conservation have formed an invaluable basis on which to build her career in the tourism industry. She 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 Chair of Wildlife Tourism Australia. Tonia is a superb guide, well-organized, professional and very nice. Travel Insurance: Unless you specifically decline travel insurance, Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris requires, at a minimum, insurance to cover emergency medical care and evacuation for the duration of the tour. We have had good experience with Access America. Visit their website for complete details and we will also send you their brochure with your trip materials. You can purchase a policy via their website, phone or by mail. If you choose, separate trip cancellation insurance to cover trip costs is also available. Whatever insurance you purchase, be sure to review the terms of all available policies carefully in order to buy the policy that you need. Climate: Temperatures vary greatly. Alice Springs and Uluru will be very cool in the early morning. Kakadu and Cairns will be warm, but not too hot. It’s the dry season, but rain can be encountered during any season. Bring good walking shoes with good support for tracks (trails). Trails are in good condition at this season, nor are insects normally a problem at this season. Conservation: We urge you to join conservation organizations that protect natural habitats and write letters to tourism and government agencies to promote work in conserving rich wildlife areas in Australia. 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.
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