Own arrangements for transfer to the hotel on arrival at Darwin airport and free time to relax until we meet for a welcome dinner this evening where you will meet your guide who will give you an outline of the tour program.

Accommodation: Darwin (ensuite hotel room)

Meals included: D

The tour will start in Darwin this morning. Darwin is surrounded by a fantastic diversity of habitat types that we will spend the day exploring for a range of interesting birds and mammals. Mangrove and monsoon forests are especially rich, hosting an impressive range of possible highlights including the elusive Chestnut Rail, Rufous Owl, Orange-footed Scrub-fowl, Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, the striking Rainbow Pitta, Forest Kingfisher, Red-headed Myzomela, Mangrove Robin, Green Oriole, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Green-backed Gerygone, Spangled Drongo, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Great Bowerbird, Pheasant Coucal, Pied and Silver-backed Butcherbird and Red-collared Lorikeet. Little Red Flying-fox and Agile Wallaby are possible mammal highlights.

Accommodation: Darwin (ensuite hotel room)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we start the day with a visit to Fogg Dam. This well-known site is an excellent area for waterbirds including Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Pied Heron, Glossy Ibis, the stately Brolga, White-browed Crake and the quirky Comb-crested Jacana. En route to Kakadu we will enjoy a stop at the Adelaide River crossing for lunch where we may see Mangrove Golden Whistler and a variety of flycatchers like Shining, Paperbark and Broad-billed Flycatchers.

As we enter Kakadu we’ll start seeing iconic waterbirds like Magpie Goose, Plumed and Wandering Whistling Ducks, Radjah Shelduck, Black-necked Stork, and Green Pygmy-goose. After dinner, if time permits, we may do some spotlighting for nocturnal species such as Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth, Large-tailed Nightjar and Australian Owlet-nightjar.

Accommodation: Hotel in Jabiru (en suite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we will visit Ubirr, a site of typical Arnhemland Escarpment rock outcrops, that is home to some impressive aboriginal rock art. The art depicts creation ancestors and animals of the area, including several fish and turtle species, wallabies and possums. Hopefully Wilkin’s Rock Wallabies may be present in the shade of the rocks, and birds we may see here include Sandstone Shrike-Thrush & Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon. Elsewhere throughout the park we’ll hope to connect with tropical woodland species like Partridge Pigeon (red eyed form), Rainbow Bee-eater, Black Bittern, Long-tailed Finch and Rufous-throated Honeyeater.

In the afternoon we will visit a section of a nearby river which has become famous for the Estuarine Crocodile that lie in wait for fish to come over a vehicle crossing point through the river. We will also spend time in the township of Jabiru and the National Park visitors centre. We will return to our accommodation late afternoon and after dinner if we’re feeling energetic, we can spotlight for mammals like Black-footed Tree-rat and Savannah (Sugar) Glider.

Accommodation: Jabiru Hotel (ensuite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we will make an early visit to Nourlangie Rock where we have a reasonable chance of seeing the range-restricted Black Wallaroo, Banded Fruit-dove and White-lined Honeyeater. Also here are Little Woodswallow, Black-tailed-treecreeper and the sandstone form of Helmeted Friarbird. We will then enjoy a cruise on the Yellow Waters Billabong, Kakadu’s best-known wetland. This impressive wetland of channels, swamps and floodplains is a delight to explore and is home to crocodiles a-plenty and a variety of waterbirds including Nankeen Night-heron, Black-necked Stork, Little Kingfisher, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Pied Heron and Purple Swamphen. The stately Great-billed Heron and Black Bittern may also be seen.

We then head south west towards the Pine Creek area. We will be sure to stop for any new birds and mammals on the way. After checking in to our accommodations we will have a look about town where the highly sought-after Hooded Parrot usually comes in to drink and roost for the night. Red-winged Parrot, Gouldian Finch, Northern Rosella, Red-backed Kingfisher, the delightful Red-backed Fairy-wren, Australasian Figbird, Great Bowerbird and Masked, Long-tailed & Double-barred Finches are also possible here.

Accommodation: Pine Creek (ensuite rooms)

Meals included: B L D

Today we begin our journey west across the Top End. En route we have additional chances for Hooded Parrot and with luck, we may see the uncommon northern race of Crested Shrike-tit. We will explore the cane-grass habitat on the fringes of the Victoria River for the lovely Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and Yellow-rumped Mannikin.

Freshwater Crocodiles are common here and, unlike their saltwater cousins, subsist mostly on fish, and thus pose little threat to large mammals (humans included!). Other possible species today include Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Cockatiel, Rufous-throated, Black-chinned and Banded Honeyeaters and Buff-sided Robin.

Accommodation: Timber Creek (en suite hotel room)

Meals included: B L D

Today will be dedicated to continuing our search for the stunning Gouldian Finch. This area is also home to rich diversity of species and there will be plenty to keep us entertained while we search for our quarry. Highlights may include Spinifex Pigeon, Yellow-tinted & Grey-fronted Honeyeaters, Tawny Grassbird, Spotted Harrier, Star, Long-tailed & Masked Finches, and Chestnut-breasted and Yellow-rumped Mannikins.

Accommodation: Timber Creek (ensuite hotel room)

Meals included: B L D

This morning we continue our sojourn west and cross the Western Australia border. We will be on the lookout for the very rare Pictorella Mannikin, as well as Budgerigar, Australian Bustard, Diamond Dove and various raptors as we go, including Square-tailed Kite & Black-breasted Buzzard. While today is a travel day, we will be passing through spectacular countryside and making regular stops to stretch our legs and enjoy any birding highlights. In the late afternoon, we will arrive in Kununurra in the fabled Kimberley area.

Accommodation: Kununurra (ensuite hotel room)

Meals included: B L D

Today we have a full day to explore the riches of the Kimberley in the Kununurra area. A certain highlight is bound to be a boat trip on Lake Argyle, where we will enjoy a wonderful variety of waterbirds, as well as search for two very special birds, the highly sought-after Yellow Chat and White-quilled Rock Pigeon. Australian Reed-warbler may be seen in the lakeside vegetation, as might White-browed & Baillon’s Crakes, Crimson Finch and Pheasant Coucal.

Local conditions will determine where we spend the rest of the day, with additional possible birding highlights such the localised Kimberley form of Purple-backed Fairy-wren, Northern Rosella, Silver-crowned Friarbird, White-gaped Honeyeater, Bar-breasted and Rufous-banded Honeyeaters, and Sandstone Shrike-thrush being possible. Mammals in the area include Short-eared Rock-Wallaby and Northern Nail-tail Wallaby.

Accommodation: Kununurra (ensuite hotel room)

Meals included: B L D

Participants will make their own arrangements for activities today and depart from Kununurra airport. For those flying back to Darwin today, there are currently 2 flights: Qantas flight QF8648 15:40-18:10 and QF8651 17:30-20:00 (not included in tour price). These are code-shared with Airnorth so please check both websites for the best flight prices.

For morning flights, the guide may be able to deliver people to the airport enroute. For an afternoon flight the group may prefer to explore Kununurra and the nearby bird-filled lake before transferring to the airport after lunch (short taxi ride and no transfers have been included in cost).

Accommodation: none

Meals included: B