Combine two nights at Inala's premium accommodation Orana with a day tour to Mt Field and a day birding Hobart's reserves and parks, with two nights on the Inala Conservation Reserve, birding Bruny Island.
Orana is a 165-acre conservation property perched on a hillside in Taroona, southern Hobart, offering sweeping 180-degree views over Storm Bay. The architecturally designed retreat sleeps six guests comfortably and serves as an exceptional base for wildlife observation, with treetops at eye level. The thoughtfully appointed residence features three bedrooms, spacious living areas with panoramic windows, a generous deck, fully equipped kitchen and modern amenities. As a critical wildlife corridor protecting endangered species like Tasmanian Devil and Eastern Barred Bandicoot, Orana provides an authentic taste of Tasmania's unique ecosystems.
Meeting your guide early morning at Orana, you will settle into your accommodation and go for a short walk around the property before continuing on to bird Hobart and surrounds. All of Tasmania’s endemic species of birds occur within a half hour drive of the Hobart CBD, and our guides know the best places to find them. Your guide will lead you through wet forests rich in ferns and mosses in search of Tasmanian Scrubwren, Tasmanian Thornbill, Scrubtit and Black Currawong. Drier forests are home to Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Yellow Wattlebird, Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black-headed Honeyeater, Green Rosella, and Dusky Robin.
In the evening you will stroll around Orana, spotlighting as you go, with the hope to see Brush-tailed Possum, Ring-tailed Possum, Tasmanian (Rufous-bellied) Pademelon and Red-necked Wallaby, and Tawny Frogmouth or Tasmanian Boobook as they begin their evening hunting across the slopes of the mountain. If we are lucky you may see a Southern Brown or Eastern Barred Bandicoot and maybe a Short-beaked Echidna out and about during the cooler hours. As the Orana habitat is home to both the endangered Tasmanian Devils and Eastern Quoll, very elusive mammals, but a possible glimpse is something that we will always hope for.
On day two, you will search for special Tasmanian mammals in Mount Field National Park. Mount Field National Park is one of Tasmania’s oldest National Parks, and one of the oldest reserves in Australia. While small, this national park contains several habitat. From cool temperate rainforest and lush tree fern gullies with streams and waterfalls, to alpine heathlands and glacial landscape rich in lakes and tarns. This habitat variety provides for great birding and wildlife viewing and is also rich in paleoendemic flora.
Your guide will lead you along the Derwent River, searching for waterbirds such as the Australasian Shoveler, Australian Shelduck and Black-fronted Dotterel. Once at Mount Field, bird species we will look for include the endemic Scrubtit, Tasmanian Thornbill, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Green Rosella, Yellow-throated Honeyeater and Black Currawong as well as Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo, Crescent Honeyeater and Pink Robin. We also have a chance of seeing the bizarre Platypus, one of Australia’s two monotreme (egg-laying mammal) species in the clean, cool rivers around Mt Field.
Day three will see departure to Bruny Island and the Inala Conservation Reserve (link), where you will stay two nights on or near the Inala Reserve and have full access to the property. Touring on Bruny Island will take in a number of different location and habitats, and allow your special interests to guide the course of the tour.
You will have the opportunity to observe the endangered Tasmanian endemic Forty-spotted Pardalote within one of its largest known colonies on the Inala Conservation Reserve, as well as all twelve Tasmanian endemic bird species and a number of threatened species, such as the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle. Locations that may be visited on Bruny Island include Cloudy Bay, Cape Bruny Lighthouse, Adventure Bay, Mount Mangana, Mavista Rainforest, The Neck, and Cape Queen Elizabeth.
The night tour may visit the Short-tailed Shearwater colony and search of some of Bruny Island's nocturnal wildlife, such as endemic Tasmanian Pademelons and endangered Eastern Quolls. Bennett’s Wallabies and Brush-tailed Possums are also found in a rare near-albino colour morph on Bruny Island. Long-nosed Potoroo, Tawny Frogmouth and Tasmanian Boobook are possibilities.
Discover more about Orana here
Orana Essentials: Two Night Hobart Experience
Orana Explorer: Three Night Hobart & Mt Field Experience
Orana Premium: Three Night Tasmanian Highlights Experience
Orana Wilderness: Three Night Southwest & Highlands Experience
Who is this tour for?
Birders and Nature Lovers seeking a deeper knowledge of Tasmanian ecology, endemic birds and nocturnal mammals, while experiencing personalised, private guiding and extraordinary accommodation.
Tasmania is a cool temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. The warmest months are December, January, February and March. Autumn has still, sunny days. Winter runs from May through August. However, the climate can vary greatly – on any given day.
Cost for a single person: $8100
Cost per person for 2-3 people: $4545
Cost per person for 4-6 people: $3230
Twelve Tasmanian endemic birds:Â Tasmanian Native-hen, Green Rosella, Dusky Robin, Tasmanian Thornbill, Scrubtit, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Yellow Wattlebird, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Black-headed Honeyeater, Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black Currawong, and Forty-spotted Pardalote.
Beautiful uncommon bush birds such as Pink Robin, Bassian Thrush and Olive Whistler.
Glorious raptors such as Grey Goshawk (white morph) , Wedge-tailed Eagle and Brown Goshawk.
The two wonderful monotremes - Platypus and Echidna.
Nocturnal species:Â Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Potoroo, Tawny Frogmouth, Common Ringtail Possum, Common Brushtail Possum, Bennett's Wallaby, Tasmanian Pademelon, Tasmanian Morepork, Sugar Gliders, Eastern-barred Bandicoot, Eastern Bettong.
The day begins with a short walk to explore the old-growth White Peppermint Gum forest at the Orana Conservation Reserve and discover the dry woodland birds living there.
Your guide will then lead you through the varied habitats of Hobart, searching for Tasmania's twelve endemic bird species. All of Tasmania’s endemic species of birds occur within a half hour drive of the Hobart CBD, and our guides know the best places to find them. We will lead you through wet forests rich in ferns and mosses in search of Tasmanian Scrubwren, Tasmanian Thornbill, Scrubtit and Black Currawong. Drier forests are home to endemic honeyeaters, Green Rosella, Dusky Robin and the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote, while we traverse open country to find Tasmanian Native Hen.
As a private tour, the day can be tailored to suit your personal level of physical fitness and interests, ranging from gentle sauntering within a short distance of the car, to strenuous hikes across natural countryside. We can never guarantee you will see all 12 endemics in one day, however, on a day with average weather conditions there is a high chance of at least 8-10 species.
In the evening, after a relaxed dinner at a local restaurant, your guide will take you on a night walk around the Orana property, searching for special nocturnal species Accommodation: Orana Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Today your specialist nature guide will transport you to the beautiful Mt Field national park. Along the way, we follow Tasmania’s mighty Derwent River upstream, stopping en route at a lagoon excellent for waterbirds, including Australasian Shoveler, Australian Shelduck, Black-fronted Dotterel and possibly Freckled Duck and Australian Spotted Crake.
The tour then continues to Mt Field National Park, one of Tasmania’s oldest National Parks and one of the oldest reserves in Australia. While quite small, this national park contains several habitats, from cool temperate rainforest and lush tree fern gullies with streams and waterfalls, to alpine heathlands and glacial landscape rich in lakes and tarns. This variety provides for great birding and wildlife viewing and is also rich in paleoendemic flora. Mighty Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans), the world’s tallest flowering plant, grows to a gigantic size here.
Bird species we will look for today include the endemic Scrubtit, Tasmanian Thornbill, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Green Rosella, Yellow-throated Honeyeater and Black Currawong as well as Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo, Crescent Honeyeater and Pink Robin. We also have a chance of seeing the bizarre Platypus, one of Australia’s two monotreme (egg-laying mammal) species in the clean, cool rivers around Mt Field. Accommodation: Orana Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
An early departure this morning to Bruny Island, which is only accessible by car ferry. Birding along the way, your guide will bring you to the Inala Conservation Reserve on South Bruny Island, which is home to a variety of threatened species and all 12 Tasmanian endemic birds. You will have the opportunity to observe the endangered Tasmanian endemic Forty-spotted Pardalote within one of its largest known colonies, from our purpose-built canopy platform. You may also have the chance to view raptors such as the Tasmanian subspecies of the Wedge-tailed Eagle and the white morph of the Grey Goshawk from the raptor viewing hide.
You will then set out to explore your choice of many wonderful Bruny Island locations. As these tours may cater to individual interests, locations may depend on which birds, wildlife, history and landscape are of most interest. These include Cloudy Bay, Cape Bruny Lighthouse, Adventure Bay, Mount Mangana, Mavista Rainforest, The Neck, Cape Queen Elizabeth and many other unique and beautiful sites. The Inala guide can illuminate and interpret the rich and varied habitats you pass through, and inform you about all the wonderful nature that you see.
After some time relaxing at your Bruny Island accommodation, your guide will take you out to dinner on onwards for a night tour. Depending on the time of year, you may visit a Short-tailed Shearwater (Muttonbird) colony at The Neck, to view these birds returning to their burrows from the ocean after dusk.
In addition to visiting The Neck colony, you may also search of some of Bruny Island's nocturnal wildlife, such as endemic Tasmanian Pademelons and endangered Eastern Quolls. Bennett’s Wallabies and Brush-tailed Possums are also found in a rare near-albino colour morph on Bruny Island. Long-nosed Potoroo, Tawny Frogmouth and Tasmanian Boobook are possibilities. It is also possible to see the Southern sky in all its brilliance on a clear night, including the Southern Cross, Milky Way, Orion, various planets and maybe even the Aurora Australis during more active solar periods. Accommodation: Bruny Island Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today will be given to further exploring a range of Bruny Island locations, and searching for any species not yet discovered. Accommodation: Bruny Island Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Depart Bruny Island after breakfast. Your guide may return you to Orana to collect your own vehicle, or transfer you to a central Hobart location. Accommodation: none Meals: Breakfast
4 nights accommodation, specialist guiding and transport for day and night tours as outlined above, all meals as outlined in the itinerary, activities outlined in the itinerary, National Park entry fees, Bruny Island ferry fares, GST.   
International or domestic Australian airfares, airport transfers on arrival, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and expenses of a personal nature (snacks, travel insurance, etc).
Please contact us to discuss all our short Bruny and Tasmania tours
There are terms and conditions relating to payments, cancellations, refunds, insurance and responsibility for our tours.
Inala Nature
320 Cloudy Bay Road, Lunawanna
South Bruny Island 7150
Tasmania, Australia
Phone:Â +61 3 6293 1217
Inala Nature acknowledge and pay respects to the palawa people as the traditional and original owners, and continuing custodians of this land, lutruwita, and acknowledges Elders - past and present. Inala Nature Tours and the Inala Foundation Inc are located on lunawanna- alonnah, also known as Bruny Island, the traditional land of the Nuenonne people.
