Mike gives tips for wildlife spotting in Australia
During his motorhome trip from Cairns to Brisbane, Mike visited a number of places where with a little luck you can spot typical Australian animals. Here are the top three of his trip along the east coast. Highly recommended on a campervan trip!
The sea turtles in Bargara
In the coastal town of Bargara near Bundaberg (yes, that of the tasty Gingerbeer) take a scenic walking trail to Mon Repos. That stands for the Mon Repos Turtle Rookery where sea turtles lay eggs on the beach. Turtle season is from November to March.
Unfortunately, the day tours to spot the turtles were all canceled because the season was over. Still, I took the gamble to go to Mon Repos to spot these beautiful animals on the beach. I met a volunteer who had found turtle eggs. Wow! We found a nest, a dream work reality. On average, 250 eggs hatch and all the little turtles go straight to the sea, where the next adventure awaits them. Only 2% of all small turtles make it into the big ocean, so the volunteer. Waiting on the beach are kookaburras (large kingfishers) and in the sea sharks, which together eat as many as 98% of the turtles.
Koalas on Magnetic Island
From Townsville you easily take the Sealink ferry to Magnetic Island, the motorhome stays on the mainland. The crossing is only about 30 minutes. On the island you can rent a baby carriage.
Once you arrive on Magnetic Island, you can go to the Forts Walk, a walking path of about 4 km where the Australian Army was based between 1943 and 1945. At the end of the walkway you will have a great view at the forts.
Today there are very many koalas in this area, so don't forget to look in the eucalyptus trees as well. You must do your best to spot the koalas in the trees. Koalas generally sleep a lot. Pay attention to the sound (kind of snoring sound) of a koala to hear where they are.
Kangaroos and Wallabies at Cape Hillsborough
Cape Hillsborough is a National Park in the Mackay region. In Cape Hillsborough National Park, especially during sunrise, wild kangaroos and wallabies can be spotted. The best place to see the animals is on the Cape Hillsborough Beach where they are present every morning.
There is also a nice campground near the beach where you can stay overnight, so you can go right from your RV to the beach where the kangaroos and wallabies are in the morning. At Cape Hillsborough there are beautiful hiking trails built, to spot the wallabies.
In addition to the three locations described, there is of course much more wildlife in Australia. For example, I also spotted a cassowary in Missions Beach, dingoes on Fraser Island and unique bird species in many places.
Don't forget to add these places to your motorhome trip Down Under!