Tour overview

 

The 2013 ‘Great Southern Tour’ started in Adelaide (SA) and finished in Hobart (Tas). The weather was pretty close to perfect with calm, sunny days, temperatures in the 20-25 Degrees Celsius range, and no rain. A grand total of 301 bird species were seen. Highlights included Oriental Plover, Black-breasted Buzzard, Inland Dotterel, Pilotbird, Plainswanderer, Superb Parrot, Swift Parrot, Freckled Duck, Mallee Emu-wren and all 12 Tasmanian endemics. Mammal sightings of interest included 3 species of Kangaroo, 3 species of Wallaby, Platypus, Eastern Quoll, Echidna, Koala and Australian Fur Seal.

 

Itinerary

 

10 November

 

Adelaide – Greenfields Wetlands – Port Gawler – Port Germain – Australian Arid Lands Botanical Gardens (Port Augusta) – Lyndhurst.

 

11 November

 

Witchelina Station – Leigh Creek retention dam – Lyndhurst.

 

12 November

 

Leigh Creek – Brachina Gorge (Flinders Ranges NP) – Blinman – Flinders Ranges NP – Wilpena

 

13 November

 

Wilpena Pound – Arkaroo Rock – Hawker – Burra – Morgan – Waikerie.

 

14 November

 

Birdlife Australia’s Gluepot Reserve.

 

15 November

 

Waikerie – Hattah – Ouyen – Deniliquin.

 

16 November

 

Deniliquin area including spotlighting at night.

 

17 November

Deniliquin – Bendigo – Heathcote – Port Campbell.

 

18 November

Port Campbell – Great Ocean Road – Werribee.

 

19 November

 

Werribee Treatment Plant – Healesville.

 

20 November

 

Healesville – Dandenong Ranges – Melbourne – Hobart – Bruny Island.

 

21 November

 

Bruny Island.

 

22 November

 

After breakfast clients were returned to Hobart to their hotels or to connect with their flights home. Everyone agreed it had been a highly successful second Great Southern Tour! The weather had turned inclement and windy, so those that had hoped to join the optional Orange-bellied Parrot spotting at Melaleuca were disappointed as there was no hope their flight would go today.